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SPECIAL REPORTS
La Palapa
– One Year Later
Interview with Mr. Alberto Perez |
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by Jesus de Avila - Editor
of PVMirror.com (Leer
versión en español)
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This interview was made approximately
one month after the Kenna hurricane. Today at a year
from the event and just a few days away from the beginning
of the Puerto Vallarta Gourmet Festival, in publishing
this we want to recognize that “La Plalapa”
was among the first business to take action to show
the world that Vallarta was still standing, recuperating
and servicing its clients immediately with a new and
refreshed image.
Jesus de Avila:
¿When was the first time that “La Plalapa”
opened its doors and since when are you its owner?
Alberto Perez: It
opened on December 31st, 1958. I started operating it
since 1986.
Jesus de Avila:
What has happened to “La Palapa” after Kenna
on October 25th, 2002?
 Alberto
Perez: After what happened, which finally I
interpreted it as positive event, at “La Palapa”
we started to undergo great changes. We practically
re-invented the restaurant. First of all its appearance
is now more modern, fresher and contemporary, something
that happened spontaneously and with a lot of feeling.
In order to re-open everything happened as we went,
since we had time on our backs because the high season
was starting and we couldn’t wait for an architect
to design a project. We had to work hard as we say here
“en caliente”, right away and with what
we had, and today I can proudly share that in only thirteen
days after being completely destroyed by Kenna, “La
Palapa” was again giving service. This was done
thanks to every and each of our collaborator’s
support. All of them with their enthusiasm were mainly
responsible of reestablishing our source of income.
We recuperated so quickly that the MBC King network
from Seattle came exclusively to interview us to broadcast
our story to the world.
After the MBC aired our story we
received numerous calls of solidarity and congratulations
for operating again so quickly. The response of our
clients and fiends was incredible!. In each phone call,
letter or e-mail we perceived the love of those that
in many ways made us feel that they consider “La
Palapa” as part of their own. This was really
beautiful and moving, and that if it wasn’t for
“Kenna” maybe I wouldn’t find that
out. Today all of us at “La Palapa” recognize
and value our clients more.
Today some people visit us with their
families with the purpose of showing them the place
and tell them about the before and after Kenna, as well
as to share with them the dishes that they originally
tasted here.
Jesus de Avila:
What is “La Palapa” today?
Alberto Perez: Today
“La Palapa” is still a leader in innovation
and most of all in believing that a Mexican product
can go beyond borders. We also believe that a restaurant
in Vallarta can stop being the typical Mexican little
place where everything goes wrong and where everything
is improvised, and that can turn into a world competitive
quality product of the highest level. Our intentions
are always make “La Plalapa” be recognized
as a vallartan place with the quality and service at
the level of the best in the world. And we see that
little by little this can be done.
 Since
I took the administration of the restaurant in 1986,
“La Palapa” has undergone constant changes
and today is no exception, because we are offering a
new concept and focus. “La Palapa” has been
visited by several generations and today the sons of
those brought here by their parents 10, 15, 20 or more
years, are visiting us by themselves and together we
remember moments that will still be unforgettable. I
think that one of our merits is that we haven’t
stayed asleep, and that we are always working with the
purpose of becoming a worthy representative of Puerto
Vallarta, and a vallartan’s pride.
The constant innovation is appreciated
always in our kitchen. There we are always creating
new and delicious dishes using Mexican products and
ingredients of the highest quality.
Taking in account the international
traveler that visits Puerto Vallarta now a days, we
are focused in creating a contemporary Mexican style
with an eastern touch that we feel identifies with us,
and we are concentrating in letting everybody know about
it. Also our guests can find exquisite homemade vallartan
and Mexican recipes.
Jesus de Avila:
What is the type of clients that go to “La Palapa”?
Alberto Perez: Our
clientele is very varied and that is basically because
our prices are accessible to anybody’s pocket.
In the mornings you may enjoy a nutritious, tasty and
abundant breakfast by the sea (like in very few places
in the world), for approximately USD $6.00 For a dinner
accompanied by excellent wines, there is nothing better
than our ambiance. Today our clients may enjoy a dinner
that we could call conventional or normal, as well as
a romantic dinner by the sea feeling the sand caressing
and refreshing the sole of your feet. This is a very
special service that we recommend to those who are seeking
some privacy, sensuality and romanticism.  The
tables are place right on the beach in front of the
restaurant, so that while you can still watch what goes
on in the restaurant, the necessary privacy is maintained
to make romance spring up or to continue enjoying their
dinner while listening to the murmur of the ocean’s
waves. Due to the characteristics of this service we
only offer three dinners of this kind every night. This
service is so special that the menu is not the same
as the one in the restaurant. Four courses are served
and to top it all off, if the client wants, they can
roast marshmallows on a small bon fire lighted next
to the table while your dinning. To dine like this is
a show and an unforgettable event.
There isn’t anywhere in Puerto
Vallarta another restaurant that offers this service.
Quickly it’s turning as a favorite of our visitors
and mainly for the locals. We are very happy about it,
since we had had a hard time letting the local market
know about our concept of excellence and quality.
Another service that we offer are
the weddings on the beach. The set up for the event
is all in white and it really looks spectacular. We
offer this service for an average of between twenty
five to sixty people. In this way aeach and every guest
is tended personally and exclusively.
We also have a service of being contacted
by some of the boats that tour the bay that on their
way back, for those who wish it so, to disembark on
the pier and from there come to us to dine.
Of course we offer special small
groups packages and we will also be organizing every
three months, vital concepts festival. This of course,
without interrupting the Gourmet Festival of which we
are also part of.
All of this allowed us to cater to
a varied clientele, being careful that they always received
excellent service and the highest quality at a reasonable
price.
Jesus de Avila:
What do you think is what distinguishes “La Palapa”
from the other restaurants in Vallarta?
Alberto Perez: I
think it is definitely our formal concept, specially
when for the national traveler or the local client the
name “La Palapa” is not related with formality,
creativity, originality, excellent ambiance, service
and quality. Little by little this is being perceived
and accepted by the vallartans, to such a degree that
in more than one occasion, our local clients have told
us that they truly feel identified and proud that “La
Palapa” is today a mexico-vallartan restaurant
up to the level of the best in the world.
Jesus de Avila:
What message do you wish to relay to the future visitor
of Vallarta?
Alberto Perez: That
they definitely may consider a priority to come and
enjoy our restaurant on their next visit.
I vividly remember the day I visualized
the concept of the restaurant. I sat on the beach and
observed how my state of mind changed until I felt completely
relaxed, subdue by the ocean waves so clore to me without
feeling a threat. At that moment I said to myself: This
must be shared with the world! I could see our future
guests coming from cities like New York and Chicago,
where the weather is so extreme that they are anxious
to discover and enjoy a weather, a sea and a vegetation
like the one that only Puerto Vallarta can offer.
Jesus de Avila:
While a I listen to you a phrase from Paolo Coello comes
to my mind: “The dreams of men that struggle with
persistency to achieved them, they don’t come
true, they simply surpassed them”. Is that the
way you feel today with your restaurant?
Alberto Perez: Yes,
that’s the way I feel today. I imagined this as
a tropical place. Today I have been able to create a
place with a true tropical essence and keeping it avant
garde, taking in account the updated tendencies that
our travelers market request.
This has been created and it is still
growing with the energy genereated by all those who
collaborate here. Today thanks to our team of collaborators,
the restaurant looks bigger, fresher, more comfortable
and relaxed, keeping always the vallartan warmth that
distinguishes us all over the world.
Jesus de Avila:
Thank you very much
La Palapa - 9º. Festival
Gourmet
As always, since the Gourmet Festival started, once
again “La Palapa” is an invited guest of
honor to participate in the wide world renowned “Festival
Gourmet de Puerto Vallarta
This year:
Guest Chef: Chris Ward
Local Chef: Eusebio Cuevas
Culinary Theme: Cocina Americana con Acentos Franceses.
Múusic: Jazz Latino
Address: Pulpito 103 [Playa Los Muertos]
Phone.: 222-5225
Hours: 6:00 P.M. A 11:30 P.M.
Email: info@lapalapapv.com
Website: http://www.lapalapapv.com
For detailed information on
the
9o. Festival Gourmet please visit: http://www.festivalgourmet.com
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PVMirror.com – E-Weekly Puerto
Vallarta News
“ True Transformation of Diffusion - June 2003”
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