Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro — Restaurant in Towson

This review is for takeout only! (dine in is likely much better)

A little about me, I have been a food enthusiast long before the term "foodie" ever came about, and am both a classically trained chef (haute) and have worked many line positions and been owner-operator (Seattle). My love of food is vast, and I stock most ingredients to make cuisines from all over the world.

I was really excited to try this place, it's been on my list for a while. On Wednesday (4/29/21) we ordered several dishes and took a walk around Towson. In general I usually try more common dishes that are likely to be a good benchmark for a place before returning for less common ones for Americans (like spicy Maw, etc - but I eat pretty much any food, not lung or spleen though I hate the texture). I had meant to order the stir fry cabbage - that's a well known one that I often make at home, but forgot. The food was quickly ready we and drove home with our meal.

One order was for General Tso's to appease a non-sichuan palate. The pieces were extremely large, maybe 2" square on average. This was a little strange when eating it as most renditions use bite-sized pieces. The flavor was just "ok" but the dish left us not wanting more. I feel the large size throws the coating ratio and makes you feel like you are gnawing on a piece of sweet fried chicken.

The spicy salt "prawns" were shelled shrimp of what looked like mixed size shrimp but the dish was pretty lacking in flavor. I have had the similar dish many times before and usually the shell is on. I'm not sure if the puffed rice noodle was to help maintain crispiness but I have seen a few approaches to this, one - poke small holes to let the steam escape and the other is an absorbent like puffed rice noodles but it needs enough in there to do the job. These were spread around and just seemed odd in the dish. I'd have preferred to see a large handful on top or even some large puffed cracker types to pull the steam, if this was the intent.

The spring roll wrapping was very thick - and chewy (which was likely from travel and steaming in the bag - but the extra wrap made this worse making the outside very chewy) but most disappointingly the filling was pure mush - not sure if this was from freezing and thawing, that would be my guess - that or the mix was precooked (?), if this was intentional it's weird. We didn't finish them, and sadly the rest is going to waste and I hate wasting food.

I was looking forward to the sichuan chicken the most - and it was underwhelming. The pieces were small, which normally would be fine, but in this case they absorb a lot of the cooking oil, making the dish unnecessarily heavy, but they were crispy - so that's the tradeoff. The flavor didn't balance and the spice level was off, lacking in sichuan peppercorn. There was some but not what I am used to in the cuisine. The aroma was pretty good from the red pepper - but probably could have used more.

I don't think we will return, sadly. I was hoping for more, and maybe one day when dining comes back, I might try it indoors. To be fair, I have found this isn't uncommon with sichuan cuisine in general, most of the sit down is a better experience and the takeout suffers. I wouldn't order a fried fish for example, that would be a really poor choice. - But it felt as though there was no pride taken in the food preparation.

I hope in this is taken as constructive criticism and if you like the establishment - please continue...

One of my favorite restaurants in all of the DMV area. Sichuan cooking is the most popular regional cuisine from China in the USA. But most Sichuan is more focused an hitting you with spice and strong flavors. This is a more street food style. There is another style serving food maybe a little less hot but more subtle. This more rarefied style is not better or worse than the street food style, but it open up a wider pallette of flavors and textures for the food. It is this latter style that Red Pepper specializes.

I have gone to Red Pepper for solo meals, for dinner for two and for an extensive banquet. So I can say that their cooking is extremely skilled, high quality and extremely delicious. So far I have tried perhaps 20 dishes here and there have to be another 60 dishes I want to try! Of the 20 there were maybe 3 dishes I would not try again, not because they are bad but because they are just not my style. You can bring your own beer and wine.

My first dish there is a perfect example of what makes Red Pepper so special. It is a common dish of fish filet in a soup with pickled cabbage. The cabbage was good and sour without the 'manufactured' taste/texture you so often find. The broth was brilliantly clear with a deep flavor on its own. They also add a small helping of crisped Sichuan peppercorns for a tingling edge but this is not a spicy dish in the least.

Other standout dishes: Crispy Duck amazingly crisp, very rich but a lot of the fat has been rendered leaving a thick crisp skin.

Fried whole fish with Sichuan sauce: again, amazingly crisp.

Lamb with crispy rice cake

Chicken with Sichuan Peppercorns and Red Chile. This dish is a pain to eat as there are so many red clile slices and Sichuan pepper corns that you have to pick thru and pull the crispy chicken pieces out unless you are truly into heat.

Ma Po Tofu

Cold sliced meats in MaLa sauce

Spicy Cucumber

Eggplant with garlic sauce Very good version, not spicy at all.

Husband and wife slices {called beef lung} a combo of thinly sliced tendon, tripe and beef shank is really fabulous. This dish is SPICY and delicious, a classic Sichuan cold plate.

Wontons in red sauce

Stir Fried Pork Intestine really delicious: bits of intestine are cooked more than once with the final cook being a stir fry that leaves the outsides of the intestines crispy and the inside tender. No funk means they really clean the intestines well.

Stir Fried Pork Kidney amazing version of this Sichuan classic. The sauce has vinegar, soy, bean paste, aromatics and more. A little heat. The kidneys again are cleaned perfectly and so no off odors as you can get at less careful kitchens.

Sweet and sour shrimp: if you talk to Sichuan food experts, a reeal test is Sichuan Sweet and Sour. T make this an interesting dish and not just the American Chinese style gloppy mess, you really need to be exacting in your cooking and they are here. I would not get this dish if I was having dinner for 2 but in a group setting of 6 or more, then a few shrimps in a balanced sweet and sour sauce are a great platte refresher.

Stir Fried Green Beans: yat another classic, done extremely well. We wolfed this down. The only quibble is this dish is better...

TLDR: Tasty traditional Sichuan food in a casual BYOB atmosphere. Come for the crispy beef and noodle dishes.

Vibe: 4/5. Located near the Towson York Road roundabout, Red Pepper is located on a small side street in a large storefront. Street parking can be a pain if coming at peak hours, however you could always park at Towson mall and take a 5 minute walk over. Inside, the restaurant is rather large. There are several 2 and 4 top tables which can be pushed together to accommodate larger parties. The restaurant has a modern decor style to it with hints of Chinese theming.

Service: 5/5. The wait staff was fantastic during my dinner experience. I came with a friend on Thanksgiving Eve Wednesday when Red Pepper was at full capacity with a wait. Luckily, because it was only 2 of us, the hostess was able to create a small 2 top tables out of their designated takeout prep area and we were seated immediately. Our waiter was very punctual with drinks and taking our food order, even while juggling several other tables. Food came out in record time and with good pacing.

Food: 4/5. Red Pepper offers diners a more traditional Sichuan dining experience with lots of dishes using unique ingredients and emphasizing the Sichuan numbing heat sensation. Such unique items on the menu include bullfrog, various organ meat dishes and full head on fish entrees. During our visit we decided to stay a little more conservative and ordered the clear glass noodle in chili sauce, the crispy beef, spicy spare ribs and marinated cucumber. Everything tasted authentic, with spicy dishes really utilizing the Sichuan peppercorns to give your mouth that tantalizing numbing heat. Prices are a bit on the steep side, especially when ordering the more protein-laden dishes. One thing I wished Red Pepper would include is white rice for the table, which has to be ordered and costs extra. Overall, definitely worth a stop for one of the more interesting dining options available in the Baltimore...