The moment you step in Perla, Dayn Smith's oyster castle at La Concha hotel in Condado, the ambiance captures and captivates your senses. Every design decision has been taken into serious consideration. Few are the elements that you could consider 'a detail' in Perla and all are in synergy to enhance your experience, whether is to take a moment to admire the oyster shaped ceiling, the murano lamps, or how the exterior surroundings blend in at any particular instant.
Take for example the acoustics. Perla's interior has been completely treated to support the preserving and maintenance program but doing so presented the designing and architectural team a great opportunity to reprogram the noise layers of the space. The result is fantastic! Guests can have an intimate conversation or being enthusiastic about their topics without missing a word or being intrusive to the tables around you. "Noise takes away the elegance. So the aim has been to maintain a setting, a stage -if you will- that is at the same time vibrant and elegant".
"It is very romantic here." Dayn looks around and reaffirms himself. "You just can't help it. Everyday I come out just to look at the ocean, the sky, the colors of the sunset. I must admit that it can get very emotional here." In fact, that's how Smith learned about the history of the structure. "It was a guest who told me almost everything I know about this place. He came because he was here a long time ago. It was a place he truly cherished and was sincerely happy to see that it has being brought back with profound respect".
Many gentlemen in love must agree with the chef. In the few months that Perla has been welcoming guests, at least fifteen rings have been trusted to him to be secretly "cooked" into chocolate desserts, not to mention the grand classic, a proposal on the knees on a full house evening.
Business travelers also seem to be attracted to Perla. And the same goes for corporate dinners or the business person treating to a wonderful dinner even if dining alone. "People are going to go out for dinner when they are working. I have great respect for single diners who choose to discover our expression of what fine dining in San Juan can mean by spending the evening with us. Sometimes one evening is all they have. So that's a great privilege", asserts the Detroit native who prefers to measure his success against his own goals.
A relaxed sense of fine dining hospitality
With that most welcoming atmosphere, guests' expectations grow extremely high almost immediately. Anticipation is met with charming and gracious cordiality, which defines the style of service throughout the entire experience. Attention is extremely professional without being excessive. It's inspired in an "at home with friends" setting, where your guests enjoyment is the more important element.
More importantly, and I think this is key in tuning the restaurant's tempo to the mood of the guests, is the fact that though there's clearly a procedure of service, there's room to adapt to each table's rhythm. If guests want to talk and comment about the menu and the wine, it's great, but if they prefer to preserve the intimacy of their space, that's fine too.
Course and wine service follow this principle as well, and it is indeed refreshing to experience knowledgeable and polished attention that is also discreet and unpretentious.
Menu Style
If we are going to talk food within a traditional Puerto Rican framework, then we would have to say that Perla's menu is atypical. It is not truly Spanish, or Creole, or Caribbean or even Puerto Rican. But from a more worldly perspective, Dayn builds on his talent and experience at delivering a sophisticated and very personal presentation, crafted with an European mindset, built from truly outstanding quality ingredients placed in a table seated with fine dining lovers that are enjoying a unique moment, in a unique atmosphere conceived to charm guests and forge plenty unforgettable memories.
"This environment demands excellence. Its history and beauty challenges me to maintain the integrity of the space", Dayn says of how the surroundings inspire his already heightened genius. And he considers every dish his homage to the privilege of bringing life to one of San Juan's architectural icons.
The menu is very balanced offering fish, red meats, poultry and vegetarian items in all categories. You can anticipate the discreet elegance of the dishes right from the menu. There isn't much description in the carte. The main components are listed and the dominant flavors and textures are announced. It might even seem "too simple". The chef has a straight forward reason for this: "Once you select what you are in the mood for, I expect you to trust me to take care of the rest".
When your dish arrive to your table, the presentation will be neat. Its when you taste that his work is apparent. Layers of subtle flavors and interesting textures mingle, bringing sensations up in an orderly manner, always respecting the main flavor profiles.
One way to enjoy Dayn Smith's culinary inspirations is to go for the 7 course Tasting Menu. At $75 per person, it is a very reasonable alternative to treat yourself to a gorgeous fine dining experience. Once you get familiar with his style, you would want to come back and simply enjoy a three course meal which is what the menu is really designed for. Portions are elegant but satisfying at the same time. The average main course and salad ticket is $50.
Wines
Offering twenty four "by the glass" wine selections reveals the chef's belief in wine as a gastronomy experience enhancement. Many flavors can be awaken or become more evident depending on the choice of wine. But the selection of which flavors to pinpoint are also a matter of personal taste. The extensive choice of styles and varieties affords guests to entertain enjoy those preferences but also allows the sommelier, Adrián Román, the opportunity of showing you something new. See the "Wines by the Glass" list.
By the bottle, the list is an impressive treasure of 1,000 labels. The cellar houses around four thousand bottles. A notable section is that of Pinot Noir, of which it boasts more than 150 labels (87 are from American origin), reflecting the chef's preference for the always enticing expression of this fascinating variety.
If you are in the mood -and company- for a big celebration, you will be drawn to the large format section of the list, where you can choose from a Paul Jaboulet Ainée Cornas, or a Roda I, or a Clos Dofí from Alvaro Palacios or the legendary Opus One, of which the equally legendary 1997 vintage is available.
