Perron: Mexican Appreciation Society

Noble Savage (he said): 

We told you about our ingenious way of deciding on which restaurants to visit last week (click here if you’ve missed it). Truth is, we actually started a couple of weeks ago. And the first one we drew was Perron (Bryanston).

Mexican food and decor is very trendy right now. And there’s no shortage when in the mood for some Mexican food in Joburg, so the trick (according to me) is to, apart from serving good quality food, find a different angle to individuate your eatery from the rest. In Perron’s case, have a wide variety of los mas pequeños (the little ones) for guests to share their feast.

But first, back to the decor. Perron is quintessentially a Mexican joint, with colourful walls and patterns galore.

I particularly loved Perron’s “unofficial” mascot: a gentleman with a suit and boutonniere, wearing a Lucha Libre mask. For me, it relays the idea that while Perron is a casual eatery, it stays true to its Mexican roots.

As far as Perron’s wine list (or drinks list), there is something for everyone. The wines on the list covers all the bases, but this isn’t exactly a wine bar. As far as cocktails go, there are many traditional as well as creative applications of Tequila on offer. I’m not much of a cocktail guy, so I opted for a glass of refreshing Alvi’s Drift Chenin Blanc.

And now for the food. Perron has all the traditional meals one would expect from a Mexican restaurant, but we were interested in their little ones mentioned above. Perron recommends two to three plates per person, so who are we argue. Being massive fans of tacos, we decided to have literally a smorgasbord of tacos. In no particular order, we decided on the pulled pork taco, the chicken taco, the steak strip taco, the fish taco, and finally the lamb taco. So yes, this is where you can say “Holy shit that’s a lot of tacos”!

As I previously mentioned, I’m always on the lookout for the best fish taco. Perron’s one was good, but not the best I’ve ever had. Which might be a good thing, because I could quit obsessing on the fish, and focus on the other ones instead. They were all very tasty and perfectly done, but my choice would have to be the chicken taco. It was the perfect balance of flavours, and just so perfectly executed that it left a smile inside my taco-smeared beard!

I’m sure Perron’s more traditional dishes (they have some proper classics, as well as a few burritos) will be just as expertly prepared as the tacos, but for me los mas pequeños are the more social option when out with company. And isn’t that what Mexican cuisine is supposed to be about?