At the urging of some of my fellow Twitter foodie pals, I brunched at Perilla while in Greenwich Village last week.

The uncluttered small space, with 18 tables, is inviting and feels cozy immediately upon entering.  The wait staff is young and energetic and aims to please without overwhelming guests.  Our wait person also served as the bartender during brunch and fixed us a very generous cocktail, mine a perfectly-spicy Bloody Mary and my guest a mimosa made with freshly-squeezed orange juice.

Perilla Grits

The brunch menu offers limited options, and what it lacks in variety it makes up in creativity.  The only negative I can find with the brunch dishes is the fact that it’s nearly impossible to select just one.   A sure winner is the creamy white grits with fried egg, rock shrimp and Tasso ham.  This dish is uber flavorful and puts a smile on one’s face it’s so delicious.  By ‘deep fried’ it’s meant that the egg is boiled in the shell to a runny yolk, peeled, breaded then deep fried.  As I cut into it, the yolk ran into the cheesy grits making the dish even more perfect, if that’s possible.  Any must-try is the spicy duck burger served with jack cheese and avocado.

Perilla Cheeses

Desserts are imaginative and Perilla also offers a selection of 3, 5 or 7 cheeses to end the meal.  The peanut butter mousse with chocolate crisps, the vanilla scented doughnuts and the sticky toffee pudding are good options.  Solid cheese to try are the Penterman Farm Aged Gouda, the Painted Goat Cinderella and the Berkswell.

Solid food and an attractive, cozy space – winning combination.

Perilla Restaurant
9 Jones Street
New York, NY 10014
Phone: 212.929.6868