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Perilla
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
9 Jones St(between 4th St & Bleecker St)
New York, NY 10014
Neighborhood: West Village
(212) 929-6868
- Nearest Transit:
-
W 4 St (A, B, C, D, E, F, M)
Christopher St - Sheridan Sq (1, 2)
Houston St (1, 2)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Fri 5:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Sat 11 am - 11:30 pm
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
775 reviews for Perilla
Review Highlights
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"The spicy duck meatballs were excellent as well." In 159 reviews -
"spinach: sauteed/yum (special order, thanks top chef." In 195 reviews -
"Harold Dieterle is an incredible chef." In 42 reviews
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775 reviews in English
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Review from Tash R.
Manhattan, NY
3/18/2012
Let me make this easy for you.
Cocktail: Winter's Ginger Crisp
Appetizer: Crispy Calamari and Watercress Salad
Entree: Roasted English Cut Lamb Chop
Dessert: Chocolate Souffle (All it needed was a scoop of vanilla ice-cream but the cream I asked for was also good)
Dessert Wine: Dashe Late Harvesy Zinfandel.
All these dishes were exceptional and so was the service!
We are glad we moved into the area! -
Review from Kimberly K.
Manhattan, NY
We had a wonderful meal at Perilla.
The hostess was friendly and so was our server. She was extremely helpful and attentive. We came here for dinner and the restaurant had beautiful dim lighting.
Complimentary bread is provided. A gentleman walks around with a basket of bread and places a slice on your plate. Olive oil and a small cup of sea salt sits on each table.
We decided to try the House Made Gnocchi, Spicy Duck Meatballs, Roasted Duck Breast, Lamb, Farro Risotto, and Chocolate Souffle.
Since we were sharing the House Made Gnocchi, without even asking, our server split the dish into two separate plates for us. That was thoughtful of her. The gnocchi was melt in your mouth good. Perfect consistency and the dish was seasoned well. The Spicy Duck Meatballs hold together so well yet fall apart beautifully in your mouth. The dish had a spicy kick to it and the Cavatelli pasta was al dente. It's topped off with a quail egg. Once we were done with the Appetizers, new silverware was provided.
We ordered the Duck Medium Rare and the Lamb Medium. Both dishes were well prepared. Everything was seasoned perfectly and our meats were juicy. The serving size for each of these dishes was also generous. After reading positive things about the Farro Risotto side dish, I knew I had to give it a try. I'm so glad we did. This dish is comforting and jam packed with flavor. After my first bite, I was in my happy place. The Farro, Artichoke Confit, and Parmesan came together beautifully. Creamy, yet so light. The chili-grape salad on top added a bit of kick to the dish. You can definitely share this dish among 3 people. It's very filling.
For dessert, we ordered the Chocolate Souffle. It takes some time to prepare. We were asked if we wanted this at the start of our meal. If you like chocolate, definitely give it a try. The Souffle was fluffy, warm, and not too sweet. It smelled so good. It also comes with Coffee Creme Anglaise and two Biscotti. Perfect ending to a lovely meal. Complimentary cookies also came with our check, which was a nice touch. -
Review from Sara M.
East Austin, Austin, TX
5/2/2012
yikes. I spent hours reading reviews of restaurants to try while in NY.
unfortunately, this is one of the places I chose.
I am a seafoodie, so I got the swordfish. it was the worst piece of fish I've ever eaten. I have had fresher fish from trailers hundreds of miles from the ocean. after reading so many great reviews, the last thing I would expect is low quality ingredients.
the only reason I gave this place 2 stars is because I had a fantastic margarita, and I should have sent the fish back but was scared of the big city attitude, so I can't say how they may have rectified the error. -
Review from Dimitrios D.
New York, NY
4/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
I only came here for drinks. The bartender was friendly and efficient. The drinks were tasty. The place looks nice.
Based on all of the rave reviews, I'll definitely have to return to try the food! -
Review from Marie V.
Fair Lawn, NJ
5/22/2012
Delicious! Loved Harold on Top Chef and his restaurant definitely explains why he won.
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Review from Mary W.
Miami, FL
5/15/2012
Deserves nothing less than 5 stars. This food is amazing. I was very impressed.
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Review from Barb B.
4/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
I have been wanting to try Perilla for a good two years, and with my brother being in town this weekend for his first time in New York, and me wanting to convince him to move here (dunzo, I am apparently a good tour guide), I thought Perilla would be a fun place to take him for dinner. Perilla did not disappoint. It's the type of restaurant that we certainly didn't have in Denver, and in fact the only other place I could imagine it would be in San Francisco. Refined but not pretentious, excellent food and service, and a menu that makes you want to come back so you can rotate through pretty much everything.
Our table had many of the highlights people have been raving about including the spicy duck meatballs and the calamari salad. I have to admit I am not much of a drinker so by the time we ordered I was somewhat tanked as we had already done some good damage to a bottle of wine. So I didn't really read the menu and didn't expect the calamari salad to come with so much fried stuff. Eh, it was okay. I thought it could have done with more flavor and less fry. But I also had a cold so something had to have a lot of flavor for me to taste it, so take that with a grain of salt. The meatballs however I thought were great. Just a hint of spice, lots of flavor, and great texture.
For dinner I had the grilled dorade which I loved. I never used to care for skin but I have started to try to be more adventurous and I do think it adds great flavor and crispy texture. I would eat that again any time. And I don't know what was in the sauce but it was incredible, I wanted to ask for another bowlful of it. Everyone seemed to enjoy their dishes and I thought my friend's steak looked amazing. God I love steak.
We split the Take Five Sundae between four of us for dessert and this is probably the main reason I am not giving Perilla five stars, I hate to say. I LOVE dessert. It is my reason for getting up in the morning sometimes and definitely the reason why I exercise so much. And I thought a high class Take Five bar was brilliant because it is the best candy. But I just didn't love it. The ice cream was too light, it almost tasted like a bowl of whipped cream. And it just did not taste like a fancy Take Five like I think it should have. Oh Harold you make me feel a little bit sad. Luckily everything else was really delicious.
As far as the experience goes all around, the service was excellent and I loved the atmosphere. They had really fun music playing at the perfect volume, you could easily have a conversation, but it was still very lively. I felt like it was perfect for a dinner with friends or a date. I will definitely be back. -
Review from Leah M.
4/4/2012
I'm struggling between 3 and 4 stars here. I don't really think it deserves 4 stars, but overall we had a lovely dinner but nothing was really, IMO, super mind blowing.
Came here pre-V-Day, because I am a Top Chef fan and my honey listens when I drone on and on about places I want to try :)
The space is lovely, I liked the decor, and felt quiet and comfortable. Our server seemed...idk...harried or new or just off or something. He didn't tell us any specials, and if fact I didn't know there were specials until I heard the server at the table next to us listing them. He also took a little too long taking our order and all that. Not ridic...just a little too long for a place like this.
We got the tempura acorn squash with ricotta and truffle honey app. I thought the truffle was too overwhelming, but maybe I'm not a truffle fan. Also tempura acorn squash tastes nothing like squash, everything like fried crust. It was ok, but not great.
I had a piece of bass, he had the steak. He loooooved the steak, said it was in his top 5. I liked my fish, although it tasted kind of plain. I know I took the crispy skin off, so maybe my fault again, but just didn't have much flavor. I cook fish without skin all the time and it has flavor. My favorite thing we got was a side of farro risotto. It was buttery and full of flavor, I couldn't stop picking at it (and admonishing myself for eating something so obvi fatty boom batty)
We got dessert, and since my guy didn't want to share, we each got something. I got the chai pudding parfait thingy, he got a nutella crepe. Both things sounded great and tasted good, but, again, I think they weren't as great as they should've been.
I don't think I need to go back, but I'm glad I went since I needed to see for myself. It was in no way terrible, but it didn't blow me away or anything. -
Review from deanna l.
5/10/2012
The best thing about perilla, is sadly the cookies they give you at the end. The waiter was nice enough to give us some extra cookies at the end too! Not saying that the food was bad, it was quite tasty, but wasn't completely memorable. The spicy duck meatballs were tasty, well balanced and highly recommend. The roasted duck breast was flavorful, but unfortunately forgetful - and I have to admit I forgot about the hanger steak too . Did I mention, how fantastic those cookies were?
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Review from Helen C.
Brooklyn, NY
4/24/2012
Great duck meatballs! If they could serve their duck meatballs as entree I would definitely get it but alas, they don't so I got fish instead. Black cod was well seasoned and the wild grain rice was good but just a smidgen too salty for my liking. Loved the dessert specials they had.
Very romantic, lovely decor and place is dimmed to perfection so you can't spot any imperfection (in you or your dates!) -
Review from Seth B.
Manhattan, NY
5/14/2012
The food and service at Perilla is consistently good. Given the many restraint choices in NY, I do not generally revisits restaurants (even if decent) however I have been to Perilla multiple times and often recommend the restaurant to out of towners.
Although this is a small restaurant I once ate here with my family (party of six) and the service/food lived up to expectations. Dishes I have had which I liked included:
Asparagus Salad
Spicy Duck Meatballs
Roasted Colorado Lamb Saddle
Grilled Prime Creekstone Hanger Steak
Roasted Duck Breast
Duck Egg Raviolo
Farm Raised Mushrooms
Will definitely be going back periodically. -
Review from Philip N.
3/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had been meaning to check out Perilla for a while, and it had nothing to do with Top Chef's inaugural winner Harold Dieterle. In fact, it wasn't until the day I decided to finally go that I connected the dots.
Overall the food was savory and gratifying. The hanger steak was cooked well, and the char complemented the flavor of the steak. I loved the sunchoke creamed spinach as it was light and not drowned out by cream.
The striped bass was cooked perfectly, with a nice crispy skin pairing well with the puffed rice and carrot puree.
The black taglioni might have had the best flavor of any dish there, and the spicy tomato sauce just flat out kicked ass.
The Farro Risotto has gotten rave reviews, and I will say that while the flavor was spot on, I felt it was undercooked ever so slightly. I love al dente as much as the next guy, but it was a little too much. But, I will say the chili-grape salad that came with it rocks.
Again, the food was solid and satisfying. I really wish the restaurant had taken a few more chances or been bolder though. Nothing knocked my socks off, or came close to having me look food in a different which is what you want from an outstanding restaurant.
But again, great food, which is fulfilling in its own right. -
Review from Roy C.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Perilla has to be one of my favorite restaurants in NYC that doesn't deal too much damage to your wallet. Whenever friends ask me what restaurants to try in NYC, Perilla always jumps to mind -- it's like an automatic reflex that I can't control.
It's a simple restaurant that serves up unbelievable dishes and provides incredible service. It's due to Perilla that I now believe that the contestants on Top Chef really know their stuff.
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FOOD:
Hanger Steak = Extremely tender and a perfect medium-rare
Spicy Duck Meatballs = Excellent. I loved the flavors.
Farro Risotto = I thought using farro would be too tough for risotto, but it's done surprisingly well.
Pan-seared Cod = Incredible. The cod was perfectly cooked.
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I loved everything about Perilla and I'm sure every time I step foot in Manhattan, I'll be making reservations. -
Review from Jeff M.
Manhattan, NY
4/23/2012
Had a reservation for 9 but we didn't sit until 9:30. We killed time in the bar (great cocktails) and they made it somewhat right with some duck fat popcorn. Food was worth the wait. Spicy duck meatballs and the duck breast were pretty dang good. Other diners enjoyed the steak, dorade and chicken. Service was a bit spotty, but I would definitely go back and try the duck burger. And yes, I'm aware that I have a duck problem.
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Review from Dennis J.
3/20/2012
I stopped in for dinner with two friends on a Friday night, and I ordered the Perilla specialty cocktail, which was very tasty. We split the duck meatballs, which were great and went well with the little pasta that came with it. I ordered the duck burger for my meal, which was very tender and had a nice kick to it, although I felt the bun was a little too big for the sandwich. For dessert, I had the glazed doughnuts with almond butter, which was very, very good (the doughnuts themselves especially), while a friend had the gingerbread cake, which I thought was a little dry and just didn't go well with the other items on the plate.
All in all, would go back and probably try some of the other items on the menu. Service was also very attentive and helpful. -
Review from Patrick T.
Manhattan, NY
5/7/2012
Went on a Friday night with a few friends for dinner and we weren't disappointed. Spicy duck meatballs were great, the steak was cooked perfectly and amazing. The duck was great as well. Service was excellent and we had great dinner overall. I am recommending this place to friends and would love to come back soon.
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Review from Helen D.
3/18/2012
This would be a four-star review, if it weren't for the price. My mother and I both met in NYC for a meal, and while we both thoroughly enjoyed the food, I think we would agree it wasn't quite worth that price.
My advice would be to stick to the basics:
- We each ordered the striped bass with artichokes, potatoes in a carrot purue (I usually think of carrot as a flavor for the peons, however this was extremely rich, flavorful, exotic) - the fish was cooked perfectly and the skin added a great texture to the top - highly recommend! ($30 / person)
- The brussel sprouts side with toasted almonds, golden raisins and cranberries might've been the highlight (which could be because I'm obsessed with brussel sprouts). The crunch of the almonds with the sweetness of the raisins / cranberries - made for a delectable dish (which we finished). ($9)
I would avoid the desserts - we shared the following:
- The Chai Pudding Parfait - good, but not great. It's a small parfait cup, and the chai is quite mild.. so while it's a huge risk and could have had a great upside, it didn't meet the bar. ($10)
- Gingerbread Cake - for me, this was just a lot of flavors put together on one plate (gingerbread, apricot confit, molasses mousse, ice cream, marshmallows, caramel curl). My mother said the molasses flavor complemented the ginger perfectly.. perhaps I'm just not as big a fan of the individual flavors. ($10)
Anyway - the service was good, the wine was good, the entrees and sides were perfect.. however the place got progressively louder over the evening, and the bill came to $120 (pre-tip). I'd only recommend Perilla conditionally (i.e. if you have a bottomless wallet), but we enjoyed our evening there! -
Review from Juliana S.
Brooklyn, NY
4/2/2012
The last time I dined here was when it first opened. It kinda lost some of it's luster since then.
I went for dinner with the beau last Friday.
First of all- the service was TOP NOTCH!
The host/manager/matre de was so on his game- I would return just to say hi!
On to the food:
We had the calamari watercress salad..or should I say calamari watercress fry. The whole plate was fried. I did not like it : (
Sunchoke salad was pretty good-nice and light-but nothing to truly write home about.
Anchovy bruschetta was a total standout. I should have just had that as my main course. SO GOOD!
Fresh mozzarella appetizer- good..but again not GREAT.
Duck meatballs- bland city- not nearly as good as they were when they first opened.
Lastly the Black tagliatelle with spicy tomato sauce - TOO SALTY!!!!
The previous reviews were definitely spot on- I should have listened.
All in all- will prob not be back for dinner. Maybe just for a cocktail and a bar snack. -
Review from Jessica F.
Manhattan, NY
3/25/2012
It was good but I prob won't put effort to make a reservation again
Appetizer: spicy duck meatball (it was okay, not as good as i expected) but Crispy Clamari and Watercress Salad was really good.
Entree: I got Bass (it was okay, average) my friends got duck
Dessert: Dark Chocolate Souffle (nothing special than the other souffle, and no icecream) -
Review from Jason L.
New York, NY
2/24/2012
Based on some of the earlier reviews I was a bit nervous -- it definitely sounds as if the service can be uneven. But I went with three others for dinner on a Friday night, and all of us were floored. The service was spot-on, the two fish dishes were cooked and sauced perfectly, the vegetarian (duck raviolo) was the very best vegetarian dish I've ever had, and the duck (my order) was damn near tear-inducing.
(And, although it doesn't need to be said again, yes, the spicy duck meatballs are that good.)
All four of us also gave rave reviews for atmosphere -- not too loud or cramped, but busy enough that it didn't feel stuffy, and intimate enough that you know you're in the West Village. -
Review from Fatima K.
3/6/2012
Tasty.
I came here on an especially freezing night in January. The restaurant was warm and the food was good.
It was kind of loud on a Sunday night so this might not be a good place for a first date or any situation where you actually care what the other person is saying.
It's not a very big venue but for West Village it's not a bad size. There's more length than width.The waiter was super attentive. The wine list was decent. And considering we made last minute reservations, the wait wasn't that bad either.
I can't think of anything bad to say about this place but somehow it felt blah. It fell short. I see what they're trying to do here. They didn't do it but they sure charged like they did! -
Review from Zach K.
Manhattan, NY
4/24/2012
The food was delicious -- I got the steak with creamy spinach and mushrooms and had no complaints. They had some interesting cocktails too -- although I went with my girlfriend and hers was a little more breakfasty (the perilla 75) than we had hoped, and mine was a little too deserty (the one with chocolate bitters)...but I suppose that was our fault.
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Review from Sue F.
New York, NY
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had brunch here with a friend and it was really great. Solid, fresh and comforting food. Fresh yummy beliinis. I had Poached Organic Eggs with garlic chive-buttermilk biscuits & pork sausage gravy. It was a difficult choice, there were so many delicious sounding options!
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Review from Jessica G.
New York, NY
2/24/2012
I've been to Perilla twice for brunch already and have been meaning to write this review for awhile. If you are looking for a brunch place in NYC that doesn't rush you, with al aid back ambiance, Perilla is for you.
The two times I've been for brunch they have let me sit down when not all of my party was there (unheard of at other brunch spots in the city). It never seems too crowded, and the waiters do not rush you. The food is also very yummy: cinnamon bun, french toast, and bacon were excellent - although the brunch menu could benefit from a little more variety. Also fantastic: the price. Definitely easy on your wallet (by NYC standards) -
Review from Anita A.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
I came here during restaurant week which might be the reason for me giving them only 2 stars, but part of restaurant week I feel is having the opportunity of exploring new restaurants with hopes of revisiting them in the future.
The plus is that with a reservation (although kind of late in the day) we didn't have to wait long to get seated or served.
However the food is really where the 3-star rating comes to light. We both had the mussels appetizer, and although the portion was huge, they were definitely under-cooked and they could have done a better job of cleaning them out. The main course I had was the braised goat which was probably the worst part of the meal (I just didn't feel an Indian spice flavor fit to the dish). For the dessert I had the walnut cake, but it was extremely dry and I just stuck to enjoying the dollop of ice cream that came with it.
Maybe outside of restaurant week the food is quite good here, so I might give it a shot again, but definitely not during restaurant week again. -
Review from Kevin C.
3/27/2012
I used to watch Top Chef (back in the day when the show had better contestants and less amateurish stunts), but while I appreciated the show, I don't give a flying crap if a restaurant was opened by a former contestant or, as is the case here, a winner; all I care about is good food, which is why a place like Social Eatz (opened by another Top Chef contestant) didn't do it for me with its mediocre, overpriced food. But Perilla is an entirely different story because, well, the food is actually quite good.
I came here for the winter 2012 Restaurant Week (don't judge me, please!), and while most participating restaurants give half-assed menus with meager serving sizes, I really appreciated the varied menu selection and generous portion sizes. In fact, this may have been one of the first times that I left a Restaurant Week dinner feeling full. For the first course, both my friend and I ordered the mussels, which were VERY generously portioned. You'll never hear me complain about getting too much food, as there is a direct correlation between amount of food and happiness (true story), but my friend actually made exactly such a blasphemous statement about the first course. If ever there was a moment for the #firstworldproblems hashtag, that would have been the time for it. But the quality of the dish was fantastic, as the chunks of pork mingled nicely with the mussels and paired well with the broth.
For the second course, I went with the Braised Goat with quinoa, eggplant puree, and Greek-style yogurt. I absolutely loved the dish, as the braised meat was incredibly tender and not gamey in the slightest, and it was complemented nicely by the smoky, rich eggplant. My friend's chicken dish was quite good as well, as the skin was nicely crisped, and the meat was incredibly moist. Like the mussels, the chicken was "too big" of a portion size for her, and she mentioned that she thought that the dish was oversalted, which I didn't think was the case. Honestly, I think she's just picky.
The dessert course consisted of a bread pudding, while my friend ordered the walnut cake, which she actually enjoyed a lot. My bread pudding was solid, but it would have been a whole lot better had it been warmed before serving.
Overall, I felt that the meal was pretty good -- the food varied from good (bread pudding) to very good (mussels) to GIMME MOAR (goat). Service-wise, I have no complaints, and I thought that my friend and I were treated well in spite of being obvious Restaurant Week-ers. I wouldn't mind coming back here again in the future, though I probably won't be bringing back the same friend next time. -
Review from Tori M.
Brooklyn, NY
4/22/2012
I took my wife here for her birthday. Everything was delicious. I love duck and there were many different duck options. The spicey meatballs were delicious! The only complaint was that I got too full on the meatball appetizer and thus unable to finish my main meal. Wine options were good as well.
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Review from Joe S.
Manhattan, NY
5/13/2012
Last night was about my eighth time at Perilla. The first time was ridiculously good and a very memorable experience. Each time I go it becomes less and less exciting. I am not sure if it's my senses getting use to the food or if the quality has diminished. I like the branzino and Perilla has altered it each time I go. I say stick to the same recipe. What hasn't changed and has not failed are the crispy calamari and duck meatballs. They are not your average calamari or duck meatballs. It's hard to describe but they are definitely out of this world. Usually we end up spending about $80-$100 per person with drinks. I don't recommend getting the dark meats that can be prepared medium rare (e.g. grilled). I had the steak special once and last night my friend had the lamb. Even though they are cooked well, they don't have much creativity. They are just quality meats cooked well which you can experience at a good steakhouse. When I go to Perilla, I want to experience the dishes you can't find anywhere else.
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Review from Maya B.
Manhattan, NY
3/2/2012
The drink who carries signature title perilla is delicious
Duck meatballs - spicy but good, still nothing to rave about although the quail egg added an interesting twist perhaps a second egg and a sweet bread would have made it perfect.
Gnocchi and bone marrow - salty for my taste- but the bf seemed to like it.
It reminded me of moms goulash sans potatoes replaced with gnocchi
Ricotta crustini - suprisingly delicious with a deep fried topping goodness better suited for brunch or dessert still made me happy mid meal.
Spicy popcorn was spicy but made for a nice side.
House special tuna - amazing and interesting combination topped with greens mini pickles toasted garlic and accompanied with a soaked toast covered in some sort of fatty goodness.
Some of the best brussel sprouts I've ever had! They mix them with house made trail mix and you get something sweet+crunchy and healthy :)
Steak is yum! Cooked to perfection a nice medium over spinach served with oyster mushrooms and it comes precut for you, what more can a girl ask for?
Whereas the duck I'm not impressed with despite the rave reviews. The duck breast was cooked medium and it reminded me of my moms liver. It was tender and tasty just not memorable or impressive to my pallate.
Lastly the dessert which you had to order before dinner was the chocolate souffle and it was very good but I was too full to truly enjoy it by the time it came out. -
Review from Elaine M.
2/3/2012
Came in for dinner during Restaurant Week. We had reservations and were seated promptly upon arrival. Nice cozy restaurant.
Started with the Sweet Potato Soup. Very flavorful and had a nice kick to it. Tried the Goat for my entree. Slightly gamey tasting but the seasonings were done well. Went with the Sour Cream Walnut cake. I wasn't too impressed. The cake was a bit on the dry side. He had the mussels as appetizer. The sauce was screaming out for the bread to be soaked into it. His Roasted Organic Chicken was perfectly done. Skin was crispy and flavorful while the meat was tender. For dessert, he chose Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding. I thought it was too bready/cakey. He enjoyed it.
Service was attentive. Definitely another enjoyable dining experience thanks to Restaurant Week. -
Review from Tiffany T.
Manhattan, NY
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Perilla....I walked in expecting to be amazed and it was not. Not by having to wait 45 min. despite having a reservation (although we were given an appetizer on the house...that made it all better), not by having our waitress forget our cocktails and then again forget our desserts and didnt even pretend to cover it up...just "oops" and ran. Although when food came out I took a deep breath and remembered why I was here...spicy duck meatballs...and then I disliked them.
Fried Pickles: Refreshing, borderline sour/tart
Spicy Duck Meatballs: Texture-wise it had a very soft almost raw like feel. I usually love things very spicy but the spicyness of the meatballs just took over and I couldnt taste the duck. I also love quail eggs, but it didnt blend well with the already soft duckballs.
Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels: Sauce was good, had pieces of bacon in it. Mussels were soft and squishy because they were a bit undercooked and would fall apart to pieces. Portion was huge!
Brussel Sprouts: I usually don't eat veggies, but this dish was so flavorful and delicious! Beware it is drenched in oil/butter but it was worth it. It was a nutty, crunchy, fruity explosion of flavor in your mouth. Loved it!
Roasted Duck Breast: Adequately portioned, cooked very well, but almost too flavorful. The duck didn't shine because the sweet salty sauce covered it all up.
Braised Goat: This plate was horrendous and I am so upset they created such a subpar dish for RW week! It was essentially barfy looking pulled goat mashed togeher and slapped on a plate covered by a nest of crispy noodles and sour cream so u couldn't see the barfiness of it.
Caramel Apple Crumble: I love desserts, but I couldn't even finish this one! It was watery and not crispy because it was soaked in butter. Don't even remember any caramel taste.
So disappointed I wanted this place to be good but service and food was just ok. -
Review from Lee H.
1/3/2012
Top Chef winner, Harold Dieterle's intimate spot is a gem. I appreciate that it's off the beaten path with a focus on the food experience.
The tea smoked duck breast with rice cake gnocchi was a hit with my duck-loving husband. My hanger steak with sunchoke creamed spinach was perfectly prepared. I remember Harold winning a challenge on the show with a sunchoke dish. The man has a way with sunchokes.
For dessert, we had lemon curd tart with quark ice cream. This was a first for me and quark and it translated well into a not-to-sweet complement to the tart citrus flavor of the tart.
Yes, I'm dazzled by Top Chef contestants, but that aside, Perilla turns out flawless food in a lovely, unpretentious atmosphere.Listed in: Top Chef Stalker
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Review from Nick A.
Manhattan, NY
2/24/2012
Hands down my most frequented fine-dining in New York. Any time I'm trying to impress out of towners, or just don't feel like risking a new spot, I always return to Perilla. The menu is always inventive and delicious, and the service is attentive but never overbearing. Of particular note is how they deal with potentially bad situations - one time my friends and I were refused the tasting menu for a birthday dinner due to a reservations time crunch, but the manager sent out so many free dishes and sides to try that everyone forgot all about it and ended up raving about both the food and service.
If you can't get a reservation, try the bar - for $40 you can get a top notch meal (with booze) of chicken liver mouse, roasted hot peppers, duck-fat popcorn, and seasonal specialties like bone marrow pappardelle. And for the trillionth time, the duck meatballs are worth the trip themselves. Perilla also has special events - the fall tasting menu with beer pairings curated by the Blind Tiger owners/chefs was one of the highlights of my 2011 eating. -
Review from Eva Z.
Manhattan, NY
2/6/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Outstanding meal. $35 per 3 course special. I have mussels in white wine sauce with ham, delish. My partner had a fabulous sprout salad with shaved parm. I had the goat with lentils which was surprisingly gamey but good. My partner loved his baked hen.
They love one star for dessert. The apple crumble was large enough to feed a group of 4, and it was alright. My walnut cake, was a huge lump of dried out muffin pan baked cake. We couldn't help but laugh at it. Let's just say, it was a shame as the evening would have been perfect if it wasn't for dessert.
Fantastic cocktails. :) -
Review from Annie E.
New York, NY
2/18/2012
To sum it up: Zero interest in ever going back.
The service and the food both a waste of time & money. Every employee we could see -- our waiter, the bar tender and the manager...all appeared to have many more important things to do than focus on customer service. Let's see, we watched them make themselves bar drinks it what appeared to be a "who can make the best" competition. They all sampled bottles of wine. And don't get me wrong, all of that is necessary, but my god take care of your customers first. For example, my mom ordered black coffee for brunch (simple enough right?). Our waiter NEVER came back to offer her a refill in the hour plus we were there.
After watching everyone so busy with other jobs at the restaurant, it didn't surprise me at all that all of our food came out cold. A hamburger, an omelette, and the fried egg w/ grits clearly had been sitting around waiting to be picked up. I think if the food had been good I wouldn't have cared so much about the crappy service but the food just wasn't tasty. -
Review from Dareen S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/29/2012
My first visit and meal at Perilla during brunch was so superb, that this review might be very much impartial.
I had poached eggs in chive-pork-gravy sauce. Ohhh, heav(y)enly. Ha! Yes, absolutely amazing variation of classic eggs Benedict. This dish is so delicious, I would not mind it being my only brunch option for the rest of my life (I'm crossing my fingers that won't actually happen. I like having options). But, I digress. So, yes, delicious poached eggs on heavenly biscuit, and topped with somewhat spicy gravy containing pork pieces with consistency that resembles sausage. -
Review from Madison C.
New York, NY
12/12/2011
Great service. Friendly staff. Only thing I liked was the sorbets: spicy honey crisp apple, pear, and tangerine. Everything else was just too oily. Ordered the most popular dishes: grilled branzino; roasted duck, fried calamari w/ watercress salad; spicy duck meatballs, popcorn w/ duck oil.
The concepts for these dishes were great. Just too heavy handed on the oil. We love Harold and we want to support him. We will give Perilla another try at a different night. Maybe it was a one night thing. -
Review from Andrew S.
1/7/2012
A friend brought me here, just down the street from the bars and restaurants I usually frequent in the West Village. My buddy has this thing about sitting at the bar... it was a very good choice, even though we came for an early dinner and there were tables available. But I now know why he does this, because one can have more conversations and the bartender was so nice and had great wine recommendations. The bar menu was interesting and sounded appetizing: (a) Duck Burger with Avocadeo, (b) Beer-batter fried Dill Pickles, (c) Chicken Liver Pate with Crustinis. We ordered the Chicken Liver Pate and some menu options:
- Fluke Tartare: Really good, I generally don't eat fish tartare other than the common Hawaiian varieties of 'Poke' (Ahi, Aku, Octopus, Crab, etc), so a nice summer floudner ('fluke') was a nice challenge to what I'm used to.
- Calamari & Watercress Salad: This is the one dish I didn't love... a bit oily, not so crunchy, not too flavorful.
- Grilled Branzino: This mediterranean seabass was so nice, with skin on... very soulful, made me miss the ocean. Garlic fried rice and sides of baby octopus hit the spot.
- Hanger Steak: Well cooked, really good sauce.
I will definitely go back. The biggest surprise of the night was hearing a conversation next to me at the bar. turning to my left and seeing Chef Harold from Top Chef talking with a patron next to me. I didn't know this is his restauarant, and was a bit shocked at first but it all made sense as I continued to eat his masterful creations. Well done. -
Review from Jacqueline Y.
New York, NY
4/20/2012
nice decor, casual place.... not really, but not overly stuffy. this is an ideal place for a few friends, no more than 4. I wanted to love the food but honestly it didn't wow me, but it's probably because a few of the items i saw on the menu were things that are also in the food and wine magazines, which led me to believe that i could probably make this myself. i remember the fish being cooked perfectly, the farro risotto is good if you like farro (but most don't), the bok choy or side vegetables being chewy, the spring vegetable salad being tasty, and the staff being nice and accommodating. the dessert list looked yummy as well. i had the sundae, with peanut butter ice cream, but it was a bit too sweet. would i come back?... not on my dime.
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Review from d d.
Manhattan, NY
10/29/2011
Yes! For the last several months since I've moved to NYC, I've been grumbling, to the skepticism of my New Yorker friends, about how the dining scene in NYC doesn't even come close to the dining scene in San Francisco. Isn't NYC suppose to be the epitome of all high culture, including culinary arts? NYC certainly beats SF in fashion and modern art, I'll give you that. While San Franciscans may be wearing unstylish Arc'teryx shell jackets, North Face fleece vests, and Puma sneakers while roaming through our comparatively small modern art museum (SF MoMA), we know one thing. We know good food.
I've finally found a place that transplants me 2,907 miles west without airfare. Our waitress was reliable, unpretentious yet extremely knowledgeable. (Reminds me of SF service! Finally!) She recommended her personal favorites, which were the Grilled Branzino and the Roasted Duck Breast. We ordered both. The Grilled Branzino was great; I'd recommend it. But oh! The Roasted Duck Breast! One bite, and I found myself in a daze with a stupid grin from ear to ear. Good food makes me so happy.
Perilla, I'll be recommending you to my SF food snob friends. If you see some Gore-Tex jackets in a sea of black blazers and pressed dress shirts, that party will be us. Hello, again.
