Pasion! 211 S. 15th Street (215) 875-9895
Me gusta reggae, me gusta punk rock. Pero, la cosa que me gusta mas es Pasion! In December of 1998, acclaimed Chef Guillermo Pernot opened Pasion! with co-owner and manager Michael Dombkoski after Philadelphia Magazine deemed him the "Chef to Watch" of 1997. Pernot has lived up to expectations, offering tantalizingly good Nuevo Latino fare while successfully avoiding clich‚d combinations and presentation.
Utilizing his various influences from throughout the Latin world, including the chef's home country of Argentina and his wife's Cuban background, Pernot serves up course after course of surprising and creative dishes. The lush and subtly tropical atmosphere of the warmly lit and well-utilized space allows you to forget about the busy Center City area just outside and enjoy the meal as if eating under an Argentinean sunset.
Perhaps hailing from Buenos Aires in the heart of the beef capital of the world helped Pernot perfect the art of steak with the highly recommended dish bife de chorizo ahumado. The beef is so tender, juicy and flavorful that it nearly melts into pure orgasmic bliss -- bite by bite. This smoked baby rib-eye steak is accompanied by a delicious yucca and sweet plantain hash, okra-garlic escabeche salad and patacones. If the steak is perfect, then the seafood is divine, particularly the pescado, a crispy whole fish with mojo criollo, Nicaraguan vigoron salad and black bean sauce.
However, the entr‚es are not the only reason to eat at Pasion! -- every detail is just right. The meal is extraordinary from the moment you sit down. The plantain chips served with a variety of salsas and scrumptious black bean humus are a great way to start your dinner. Throughout the entire meal, the quality of food never wavers; for dessert, the extremely large portion of coconut creme brulee has a unique consistency and the flan may be unsurpassable.
Pasion! could potentially be a different experience every time you go. If ordering just one appetizer, entr‚e and postre (dessert) seems limiting to you, try the six course chef's menu; each course is a half portion so that the diner can sample more plates without wasting food or money. If you cannot decide which appetizer to get, the table can order an appetizer sampler that may include the restaurant's famous ceviches, which are also served at the extraordinary ceviche bar. Pasion! is undoubtedly an expensive restaurant, but the exceedingly helpful and knowledgeable staff will aid you in navigating the variety of options offered to get the best bang for your buck.
Finally, Philadelphia is home to a restaurant that not only lives up to, but surpasses its hype. The success of Pernot and Dombkoski does not rely on an overly flashy ambiance or a trendy concept, but rather on inventive dishes, an outstanding and welcoming staff and the high-scale, yet modern and un-intimidating atmosphere. Pasion! does not demand attention -- it invites it. All of this combined with the chef's and proprietor's genuine restaurateurs' passion, is Pasion!.
