(619) 231-1100
440 J St Ste 108
San Diego,
CA
92101
32.7095
-117.1606
Neighborhoods: Central, Central San Diego, Marina
Red Pearl Kitchen
What People Are Saying About Red Pearl Kitchen
The Editor
Erin Chambers
Citysearch
The Scene – Wander down the curved pathway from the door to the bar and dining room to enter one of downtown's most buzzing scenes. Red walls, black furnishings, lanterns and basket weave ottomans give this downtown hot spot an edgy, Asian ambiance. Flat screens, exposed industrial lighting and the crowd of young, downtown club-goers add an urban twist. Standard pan-Asian categories organize the menu--dim sum, noodles, wok dishes--but the preparations are anything but ordinary. Wok-fired cashew chicken packs a punch with a spicy garlic sauce and crunchy celery, while the fried rice…
10/20/08
Best Asian downtown- no comparison
by faizal
The ambiance was really nice, the staff friendly. My drinks was always topped immediately. I had Panang Char Kuey Teow and Satay. Char Kuey Teow was really good but the satay was out of this world. I'm telling everyone about this place.
- Pros: Food
- Cons: Parking
03/05/08
Great Drinks, Good service, Delicious Food
by juluvsace
Heard about this place on the radio from Erin @City Search. Hubby and I walked in on a Friday night without reservations. Were told the wait would be about 20 minutes - no problem we'll have a drink. No sooner did we browse the drink menu and order our drinks did the hostess approach us to let us know our table was ready. Quick! Got seated, had our drinks delivered to our table - SO GOOD - can't remember the name but it had soju, pineapple and some other stuff - delicious. It did take a few minutes for our waitress to take our order, but as soon as we took notice there she was. Our appetizer came out quickly and dinner followed just as we finished the last piece of shrimp. The food was excellent - kobe beef (melted in your mouth), mango fried rice (yummy), but I was particularly pleased with the curry cauliflower. It was surprisingly tastey. This place is great - is pretty loud, but the music is cool - we've already recommended it to our friends. We'll definitely be back.
- Pros: The specialty drinks and the food
02/11/08
Great Food, Beware of Wait
by jomarkumar423
On the recommendation of 2 people, my wife and I decided to meet up with some friends at the Red Pearl on Saturday night. Figuring it'd be pretty busy, we made reservations for 8:45pm. We decided to get there a bit early, and wait in the bar area for our table. We were very disappointed at how long it took us to get seated. Tables kept getting seated before us, and when we confronted the hostess, they told us that they had reservations- funny, I thought we did too? A party of 8 even got seated before us, and I heard there reservations weren't until 9:15pm. For the amount of time we invested in waiting there, we decided to stick it out. Finally, after about 40 minutes of waiting on our originial reservation, we were seated. They decided to comp our first round of drinks, which in my opinion was the least they could have done. Past the whole waiting for our table ordeal, the rest of the night went off pretty well. Our server was a little slow, but understandbly so- the place was PACKED. We decided to start with the Edamame and chicken dumplings. Our table LOVED the edamame, and the dumplings were just so so. For dinner we ordered the Spicy Drunken Noodles, Cashew Chicken, Kobe with Papaya, and the black bean scallops. I figured this place being a downtown restaurant, the prices would be high, and the portions would be small. It was a little pricy, but for being downtown, it was just about right, and they were pretty generous with the portions too. The food was GREAT. I believe one review compared this to PF Changs. PF Changs SUX compared to this place. The food was top notch, and the flavors were wonderful. On the strength of the food alone, I would consider coming back, but possibly on a less crowded evening, or not during the peak dinner hours. As long as you prep yourself for the wait, the food is well worth it. I'd like to review this place after a second go round.
- Pros: Great Pan Asian Food, Generous Portions
- Cons: Long Wait (even with Reservations), Service
The Details on Red Pearl Kitchen
What to Drink:
Creative sake and vodka cocktails are divine.
Look Good:
There is no dress code, but it's a well-dressed crowd.
The Extras:
Don't be confused by the sign and the window exposing the kitchen on Fourth Avenue. It's just a sneak peak. The main entrance is around the corner on J Street.
Know Before You Go:
This is the second RPK installment. The much-smaller but still swanky original is in Hunington Beach.
What to Drink:
Creative sake and vodka cocktails are divine and rotate on and off the drink menu with the seasons.
Know Before You Go:
If your group is larger than eight people, you will be offered a special chefs pre-fox menu at either $30 or $45 per person.
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