First of all, I ordered through delivery.com and there was a mix-up. Possibly due to a language barrier, but my order took 2 hours to arrive. SO, why 5 stars, you ask? Because this is the best authentic Mexican food I have had since I lived in Los Angeles.
It's the real deal.
And the prices are ridiculously cheap.
The mole sauce made me actually curse out loud, that's how good it was.
Perfectly spicy with that singular blend of creamy and thick.
I wanted to call my friends in L.A. and tell them that they had just lost their final reason for not moving to NYC. (well, next to last, after the cold weather.)
The meat in the soft tacos was tender, perfectly roasted, almost but just this side of too salty (just like homemade) and the tacos were just plain and simple, meat, fresh corn tortilla, onion, fresh cilantro. That's it. That's how it's done. (I had the carnitas, pollo asado and chorizo)
The rice was moist and flavorful and the beans were also good. (not a lot of rice and beans, but I so don't care. You can't get Mexican food this authentic (or at least MOLE this authentic) AT ANY PRICE anywhere in this city, so even one bite was worth what I paid for the whole meal.
When ordering from them again, I would change a few things:
I would not order the salad. (would you go to an Italian restaurant to order dimsum? no. just don't do it. )
I would not order the Reuben sandwich. (Preeeety sure there aren't any Jews working in the kitchen at La Perla, so I wouldn't order kasha varnishkas or chopped liver if they offered it either. And yes, I actually did order the Reuben out of curiosity. it wasn't bad. the pastrami was good. It was, at best, a distant relative to the kind of Reuben I associate with that word. A learning experience. Did I mention this restaurant has amazing MEXICAN FOOD?)
and I would give them a call to make sure they got the order.
I can't wait to order from them again so I can try the Posole and the Huarache and the carnitas, pastor and cecina. (and maybe the horchata if I'm feeling brave and thin.) read more