Does anybody remember what a pulpería is? With its origins in South America and some countries in the Caribbean, a “pulpería” is/was a general store and a bar. People would definitely find anything they’d need and a quick beer, if desired.
The place we want to write to you guys about today is a place that does exactly that (including food, of course) but at an elevated level. La Pulpería is a restaurant located in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen. It was named after… you guessed it: the general stores found throughout South American countries. It is a petite, rustic yet clean place featuring all sorts of produce (lKR?), liquor, and wine. Its food is scrumptious and very different. It features a totally different cuisine with Latin American dishes influenced by certain European countries, such as Italy and Spain. We were here to live the whole Pulperia experience, and God, did it not disappoint. Things we recognized and had tried before in our countries of origin were completely ‘renovated’ and finessed to a whole other level.
We started off with a salmon brûlée. The salmon brûlée is a dish that we must admit had never tried before and it was mind blowing. The combination of flavors really kicked us. It features premium verlasso salmon, fromage (cheese) brulee, strawberry and ginger leche de tigre, salmon roe, and bagel toast.
We then proceed to get the grilled octopus and the calamari. The grilled octopus had a celery root purée (gosh, so good), which brought back so many memories, shaved fennel, smoked paprika, and a lemon. The octopus really was succulent and crispy. It was cooked really well, and was very scrummy! The calamari had upland cress, red onions cherry tomatoes, pickle carrots, fried plantains (different, right?), chipotle mayo. They were really crispy and flavorful. We loved them so very much. Finding good calamari in New York is hard, and we’re excited to announce to you this ‘da’ spot.
For the entree, we ate the Moqueca mixta. This dish is from Brazil and contains squid, langoustine, mussels, white fish, scallops, clams, bacalao, Spanish chorizo, achiote, and green coconut rice (which tastes similar to rice pilaf). It is an exquisite entree. The amalgamation of Brazilian and Portuguese gastronomy, was what brought out this exquisite fisherman’s fish stew. It is a dish that’s very lush and full of different flavors. Because of all the different seafood it contains, it is hard to describe how gratifying it really was.
Dessert was something really heavenly. It's one of those dishes that do not need an introduction. So, we'll let the video do all the talking.
Overall, La Pulperia exceeded our expectations above and beyond. Its delightful food made our afternoon, and satisfied the heck out of us! It is a place more than worth becoming a regular at, since it will never disappoint with its rich flavours and rich in culture dishes. We rate the place 5/5. It truly is a delectable place.
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