Local Chef Bringing Puerto Rican Restaurant to CV

Photo courtesy of La Perla Puerto Rican Cuisine 

The sign is now up at the Marketplace as Puerto Rican cuisine is coming to town.

Castro Valley will soon be home to some of the most celebrated Puerto Rican cuisine this side of San Juan now that La Perla restaurant is relocating from Oakland to the Castro Valley Marketplace on the Boulevard.

The restaurant is well known for serving authentic Puerto Rican dishes including beef empanadilla, chicharron de pollo, camarones a la criolla, and pollo encebollado. 

Chef and owner Jose "Cheo" Ortiz, 65, who lives in Castro Valley, grew up in San Juan. He decided to bring La Perla closer to his home following some personal health issues. Ortiz and the staff served customers one last meal at his Fruitvale Avenue location this past Saturday. He expressed the “deepest gratitude for the love and support” from the community.

“We can’t wait to welcome you to our new location and serve you the dishes you know and love,” Ortiz said in a post on Facebook. “Thank you again, Oakland, for being part of our journey. We’ll forever cherish the memories and friendships we’ve built here. Your warmth, loyalty, and love for Puerto Rican cuisine have been the heartbeat of La Perla, and we look forward to seeing you soon in Castro Valley.”

Marketplace manager Donna Layburn said Ortiz had been coming to the downtown events for the last several months and immersing himself more finding a place to open in Castro Valley.

“He showed up with our leasing agent one day and said he wanted to come to the marketplace,” Layburn told the Forum. “They signed the lease in August.

Ortiz, his son Gabriel, and the staff are now transforming a space on the second floor of the Marketplace and are expected to open their doors to the public next month with music and lots of fanfare. 

“We put in a big window at the end we’re just about finished with that and then he'll be getting his furniture and his equipment in there,” Layburn said.

Adding La Perla to the Marketplace allows people to try different types of food. Recent additions such as the Slice House by Tony Gemignani and Pho 510 join other eateries at the site including Akemi Sushi, Dumpling Kitchen, Seven Hills Baking, and Beard Papa’s. 

La Perla’s current website is down, but you can still get the latest news on from its Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/LaPerlaPuertoRicanCuisine/).