Fried Food in Fine Dining with Perle

Perle is Michelin-trained Chef Dean Yasharian’s vision for accessible fine dining in Pasadena. A Pitco customer, they incorporate fried food in many components of their menu. The restaurant blends classic French technique with California’s seasonal ingredients, offering dishes that are elegant yet approachable while prioritizing sustainable and organic ingredients.

About Perle

Chef Dean and his family unfortunately lost their home in the Eaton Fires early this year. This article in the LA Times speaks to the importance of supporting local eateries in times of disaster. We sat down with Chef Dean and spoke about the significance of his restaurant in the community, and what he aims to achieve with his cooking at Perle, specifically in terms of fried foods, of course.

Culinary Inspiration

“At Perle, we stay true to a lot of the classics. We do try to elevate them and to our own interpretation, but we don’t steer too far away from what they’re supposed to be. For example, if we do a Coq au Vin, which is a classic French dish of red wine braised chicken, I would want someone from France to eat it and say, you know, that’s a really good Coq au Vin. We don’t want to manipulate it too much.”

Prioritizing simple cooking that is executed the best that it can be is of utmost importance at Perle.

“A lot of people appreciate that we’re approachable. It’s not a stuffy fine dining environment. Just good, honest, cooking.”

Chef Dean brings more than twenty years of international culinary experience to Perle. He combines hands-on practicality with precision learned under Michelin chefs. He is also a former winner of Food Network’s Chopped. Before opening Perle, he served as Executive Chef at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles and earned recognition for his creativity as well as his dedication to quality and efficiency in the kitchen. That’s what Pitco is all about when it comes to the equipment that chefs need in a dynamic kitchen.

Pitco In Fine Dining

To ask Chef Dean, the role of a fryer in fine dining is to understand that an elevated dish is not limited by any one cooking technique. In a fine dining environment, the fryer is in on the action. In a restaurant like Perle, you can find fried dishes like truffle fries, fried rabbit, and chicken and mushroom-filled frog leg lollipops. During nightly dinner service, Dean can expect to drop the fryer for every table.

“I’ve had success with the fryer. There’s no reason for me to go with any company other than Pitco at this point. It’s a good, hardworking machine. Should any of my chef friends ask me what I use, I would definitely recommend Pitco.”

Pitco products are designed for exactly that, engineered to reduce reheat time and maximize efficiency while cooking in busy kitchens. That’s equipment that ensures consistent performance with few disruptions.

Keep Cooking

Perle is named for Dean’s daughter, and reflects his personal investment in the project. Much of Perle’s space was renovated by the chef himself, with help from family and friends. The result is a restaurant that balances craft and comfort, to create a dining experience shaped by community.

Dean received a new Pitco fryer that we know will perform for all of Perle’s needs for a long time to come.

Learn more about Perle