Red Pearl Kitchen
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 231-1100
- Price:
- $$
- Best of Citysearch:
- Chinese Food 2007, Pan Asian Food 2007, Pan Asian Food 2007
- Hours:
- Daily 5:30pm-2am
Editorial Review for Red Pearl Kitchen – by Erin Chambers
The Scene
Decend a currved pathway from the door to the bar and dining room to enter this cool new singles scene. 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, hip 92101ers add an urban twist.
The Food
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 pleasantly surprises with pulled chicken and mango chunks. Edamame are flash roasted instead of steamed and lettuce wraps come with crispy duck, mushrooms, and spicey peanut puree. If the hot, hot menu gets your pulse racing (it will), a sweet scoop of mandarin ice cream or a sake-poached pear are the perfect cool down.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
What to DrinkCreative sake and vodka cocktails are divine.
Look GoodThere is no dress code, but it's a well-dressed crowd.
The ExtrasDon'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 GoThis is the second RPK installment. The much-smaller but still swanky original is in Hunington Beach.
User Reviews for Red Pearl Kitchen
03/05/2008 Posted 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
02/11/2008 Posted 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
