I hope no one out there gets sick of reading about food, because evidently I can’t stop writing about it.  But when a destination completely blows your expectations out of the water like my recent visit to Puerto Rico did, especially when it comes to the food, I just have to share.

Nearly everything about Puerto Rico was a pleasant surprise.  It wasn’t because I had a negative connotation when it came to traveling here, but simply because I was uneducated about it as a destination.  When I think Caribbean island, I think all inclusive resort, and that’s just not our style of travel.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

While there will be plenty more to write about this spectacular place, you all know by now that one of, if not the most important part of travel for me is the food.  All I can say is “WOW!” when it comes to the cuisine of Puerto Rico.

Now if I wasn’t visiting Puerto Rico on a press trip and had to worry about paying my own way, I probably wouldn’t have been able to eat like I did, but the quality of food consumed was well worth the prices charged.  None of the places we ate were ridiculous in price.

If you plan on visiting San Juan any time in the future, be sure to put these restaurants on your list.  There honestly wasn’t one disappointing meal, and I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite.  Each culinary experience was unique and fantastic, and one thing’s for sure, Puerto Rico is chock full of talented chefs eager to show the world their cuisine.

UVVA

Located in Ocean Park and right on the beach, UVVA is connected to the small hotel, Hosteria del Mar.  I was a bit surprised by the high prices, but the food was spectacular and the menu diverse.  We had a large group, so we split some appetizers to start.  Since it was most our first night and meal in Puerto Rico, the Puertorrican Delight had to be tried.  A combo type plate with four different tastes of Puerto Rico had us off on the right foot.  The Sorullitos de Maiz, which looked like mini corn dogs on the outside, were battered and fried cheese stuffed corn sticks, a traditional Puerto Rican treat.  The Fritatas de Yautia, or chickpea fritters, also delicious.  The Guava Edam Empanadas and Crab Turnovers rounded out the appetizer nicely.  What better way to start a meal than with some tasty fried snacks?

Living in St. Louis, whenever I am near the water and seafood is readily available, I take advantage.  I was looking at the Seafood Risotto before our server suggested the Seafood Linguine instead.  Boy was I glad she did.  When the bowl came out, my eyes widened as the bounty of shrimp, mussels, clams, squid, and scallops overflowed from the bowl.  The sun dried tomato spinach cream sauce complemented the seafood perfectly, not overwhelming the flavors of the fish at all.  Simply amazing.  At $32 I found it a bit pricey, but it was done to perfection, and I was as satisfied as can be.

Perla

If fine dining is what you’re looking for in San Juan, look no further than Perla, located in the Concha Hotel.  If you’re a wine connoisseur, there are over 4000 bottles with over 1000 labels.  I felt as though I was a judge on an episode of Top Chef as I read through the menu.  I love great food, but I simply don’t dine at restaurants like these very often, so while I recognized ingredients and cooking methods, I didn’t quite know exactly what everything was.  That’s all right, though, as our server was on the top of her game, explaining the menu in a precise and non pretentious manner that had me nodding my head in delight with each description.  Every time she finished describing a dish, I said, “Ooooh, I think I’ll have that.”

I settled on the Black Truffle Soup for a starter, served with a small piece of white truffle flan in the middle and drizzled with truffle oil.  While incredibly rich, this bowl of soup was bursting with flavors I’ve never had before.  Keeping with my seafood theme, I went with the Pan Roasted Wild Seabass.  It was cooked to perfection, soft and tender and perfectly done.  The fish was then served over a Lobster and Truffle Risotto with a Lobster Beurre Blanc Sauce.  Being a lobster lover in the middle of the US is not easy, so I welcomed the large chunks of lobster throughout.  The dish was just an incredible combination of textures and flavors that I couldn’t get enough of.  Even though dessert was completely unnecessary at this point, I couldn’t resist the Pumpkin Nutmeg Crème Brulee.  It was a little more dense than other crème brulees I’ve eaten, but the flavors were amazing.  The sweet potatoes in it made it quite unique.  Combined with our lunch at Crispy y Relleno that same day, this might have been the best food consumption day in my 33 years on this Earth.

The Parrot Club

After traipsing around Old San Juan in the morning, lunch was served at The Parrot Club, in the heart of the old city.  It was a little more casual than the other restaurants we had been eating at, but the laid back nature didn’t change the great food.  Since we were on a press trip, we had the usual rock star treatment, and the chef brought out several appetizers for us to taste.  We had some Puerto Rican Style Nachos with fried plantains serving as the chips.  They were topped with Ropa Vieja, which is a Latin style shredded beef and the usual suspects—cheese, sour cream, and a fresh pico de gallo salsa.  A nice local take on nachos.  The Fried Calamari was very well done, with a nice light batter (while I love fried foods, nothing annoys me more than a heavily battered piece of fish or seafood).  They were cooked perfectly, the calamari that perfect blend of tender and chewy.  Because this was an early lunch and because of all the appetizers, I went with Ceviche for my meal, which was done nicely.  I would have preferred a little more heat to it, but that’s just because I like spiciness in my ceviche.  The fish was very fresh, tender, and nice, and it was well seasoned with the exception of the heat.

The highlight of the meal was most certainly the dessert though.  A combination of three different desserts, my personal favorite was the Warm Chocolate and Banana Empanadas.  The empanada wrappings were delicious and covered in powdered sugar, and the banana chocolate filling was scrumptious.  The Triple Chocolate Cake was moist and delectable yet not too rich as these types of desserts tend to be.  I was a bit skeptical of the Guava Flan, but after one of our hostesses from the Puerto Rican tourism board informed me that this was a local Puerto Rican dish, I had to try it.  I was happy I did as the taste was unique, with subtle flavors that was a perfect complement to the strong and powerful tastes of the other two desserts.  This was definitely a nice place to eat if you’re wandering around the Old City and are looking for a more casual place to eat without sacrificing flavor.

Toro Salao

After eating at various conference events the previous three nights (mostly delicious), Toro Salao was the scene of our final dinner before leaving San Juan the next day.  Also located in the heart of Old San Juan, this tapas restaurant was the perfect send off.  Owned by the same people who own the Parrot Club and other various restaurants around the city, Toro Salao is the perfect place to come with a group who is ready to settle in and take their time with a great meal.

Again, first class treatment greeted us as the manager, chef, and various servers made sure all our needs were taken care of.  There were six hungry men at the table, and we all shared a multitude of delicious plates.  Because of the number of dishes we ate, I’m only going to choose my favorites, but there wasn’t a weak dish in the bunch.  The Red Wine Sangria was excellent and flowed throughout the meal.  Great fresh fruit and the perfect amount of sweetness.  The Fresh Summer Gazpacho with Avocado was cool and refreshing and perfect for a hot, summer day.  The Mussels tasted fresh and delicious, and Spanish Salt Cod Croquettes were amazing.

I wasn’t terribly excited about the Manchego Cheese and Spanish Chorizo Flatbread Pizza, but I was pleasantly surprised as I kept going back for more.  The chorizo was amazing.  The Golden Mahi Mahi Fritters with Carmelized Onions was a major highlight for me.  The batter was a touch heavier than I prefer, but the fish was perfectly cooked.  The carmelized onions is what made this dish though as it paired perfectly with the battered fish and added just enough sweetness.  The Seared Grouper Fillets with Brown Garlic Butter and Wilted Arugula was amazing, and again, the fish was perfectly cooked.  Extremely tender and melt in your mouth appetizing.  I usually don’t do flips for anything involving what is usually very tough skirt steak, but I have to say that the Seared Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Salsa and Mashed Sweet Plantains changed my tune.  If it’s cooked well, like it was here, skirt steak can indeed be tender.  The mashed sweet plantains made this dish, in my opinion, as my newfound love for plantains continued.  They added that perfect amount of sweetness to go along with bold flavors of the steak and herby chimmichurri sauce.

Though we were all absolutely stuffed, we had about 20 minutes until our ride was to pick us up, and this was our last meal, so dessert was a must.  When I spotted the Espresso Crème Brulee Cheesecake earlier while paging through the menu, I knew immediately what I was ordering.  A unique dish that had the soft creaminess of the cheesecake, the crunchy, sugary goodness of crème brulee on top, and a crumb crust of subtle chocolate and espresso flavors all combined to create the perfect culinary end to our time in Puerto Rico.

I have to say that I was absolutely blown away at the culinary treats that awaited us in Puerto Rico.  There really wasn’t a weak meal in my week there, and the variety of the food combined with the chef’s excellence in all restaurants we ate at make Puerto Rico an excellent foodie destination.  The costs were no different than eating in the same quality restaurants in most places in the US, but as far as value, you simply can’t complain.  If you’re a foodie person who loves sampling new and interesting cuisines, I highly suggest a trip to Puerto Rico.  You will not be disappointed!