September 21, 2007
I made my first expedition to Perilla Restaurant last night, and all I have to say is "Mmm." you may be thinking, "Harold Dieterle was the first winner of Top Chef, so of course you're going to 'pick' his restaurant." Guess what? We're not that nice. (OK -- we are, but if I hadn't liked it, I wouldn't have written anything at all.)
Everything in the restaurant is Harold through and through -- from the simple decor to the casual ambiance. But, let's get to the food. Just like on Top Chef, his dishes were beautiful, but simple. Like any Season One viewer I couldn't taste his food through my TV, so I was thrilled to finally experience the smart flavor combinations the judges had always raved about. Every bite was delicious and recognizably handled with care. The ingredients were extremely fresh, and everything was just "spot-on." I won't make any recommendations because I don't know what will be on the Fall menu, but really, you can't go wrong.
I may or may not have used the word "orgasmic" multiple times during the meal. (And, yes, I was referring to the food.)
--Monica R.
Comments
Devon wrote:
On Friday, October 5th, while visiting my sister in NYC, I was fortunate to dine at Perilla. Beautiful setting, casual yet elegant, a friendly, accommodating staff and remarkably tasty food! I tried the Wild Boar, an excellent choice, accompanied with a lovely wine pairing by our server (Cabernet/Merlot Blend, Bordeaux, Chateau La Rame 05). Outside of the food, the best for me was the atmosphere, as a self confessed foodie, I find that my age bracket (Late 20’s) often raises a few brows in fine dining establishments. In a seemingly “50 and over” world, I frequently detect a certain air of disdain from the staff and older patrons (and having discussed this with other food lovers my age, I find that I am not alone). This was refreshingly not present at Perilla. Thank you to Chef Dieterle, and Staff, for creating an environment were a passion for food can truly be enjoyed! Cheers!
posted on October 10, 2007 at 3:09 PM
Christina Kelso wrote:
Harolds menu at his resturant looks so good! We are going to make a trip to NYC from Arizona just to eat at his resturant!
posted on October 29, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Mark LaPolla wrote:
I loved the food. Chefgasm is the term you were looking for.
Try the Farro risotto. It's the best thing I've had since I had Thomas Keller's tapioca and oysters. Yummer. And Harold knows how to do duck. Oh, and the crispy pork belly, not crispy but yummer.
I'm going back for my birthday. If I can get some time off. But before that, I'd off to French Laundry.
posted on December 13, 2007 at 12:54 PM