Posted by Corey Mintz in mexican, restaurant review on July 22, 2007 at 7:29 am

Perola's
247 Augusta Avenue
416-593-9728

In Perola’s market, where I get my tomatillos, chilies, and Oaxaca, in the very back, with the racks of bottled mole, sickly-sweet Mexican sodas, and horchata, is the pupusa lady. On Friday, Saturday, and Sundays Irma (or "Signora", as she answers to) can be found in the back of the Spanish market forming balls of masa de maiz dough with her thick, old hands, stuffing them with cheese, beans, and meat, and flipping them on the flat-top grill, also with her hands.

I stay away from Kensington on the weekends so it was only at a friend’s behest that I made it there at pre-yokel 9:30am Sunday. After a few minutes of watching Irma slapping dough to palm with no trace of interest in me, I piped up and asked for a pupusa. Disinterestedly she told me that it would be ready in a minute and kept on flipping and chatting with a friend. The pupusa ($2.50) was a great way to start Sunday morning. Crispy exterior, soft, doughy, cheesy interior. To say any more is a disservice to how simple this treat was. I followed it up with a fried oval of plantain stuffed with sweetened condensed milk ($1). I kind of wish I spoke Spanish so I didn’t sound like such a goon saying “gracias”.

I felt a tinge of sadness for anyone who was going to spend that morning stuffed into an overcrowded patio waiting 45 minutes for some cold eggs benedict. If people are complaining about food in Toronto they aren’t digging deep enough. Word on the street is that Irma is only going to be at Perola’s for a few more weeks. So go get a pupusa before she’s gone. ‘Nuff said.