Peppercorns Kitchen — Restaurant in West Lafayette

I had duck at a neighbor's house that was good, so we went there, but everything we ordered was really bad. I read the reviews, so maybe it depends on what you order, but everything we got was not good. Ma Po Tofu had a weird offensive taste so bad you have to eat something else to get it out of your mouth. I ordered shrimp and broccoli for the kids, and it was flavorless. The noodle dish we got was oily and bland. The egg drop soup was scrambled eggs clearly cooked in a skillet with large tomato wedges put into soup broth. If it was a $10 meal, I would say, it's not great for $10 but edible. But given it was a $50 meal, it was the worst meal we have ever been out for. They removed the egg drop soup ($5) from the bill because they agreed it was definitely NOT egg drop soup (but they served it anyway). I left all the Ma Po Tofu on the table but they did not take it off the bill. As we were leaving, I saw another table had left their entire bowl of Ma Po Tofu on their table as well (empty table). They must have also found it offensive. When I complained, the server said it's because the food is authentic Chinese and I must not be used to it (even though the menu says it's Chinese-American fusion or something). When I told him my dad is from Taiwan and he lived in China also and my neighbor is from China and we get the menu written in Chinese at Chinese restaurants, then he told me that I must not like the food because it's Americanized, not authentic. Hmmmm...which one is it? All around bad. ...

Update 1:

This is update after my third visit. I found servers now understand English well enough and food quality is great. The portion size is generous. I highly recommend to try hot and sour soup and my favorite stone pot fish. But the stir fried chicken was not up to the mark. I think in general fish variety are better than chicken here.

Review 1: This is one of the few descent Chinese restaurants in West Lafayette. The food was good and very large menu. I deducted 1 star for mediocre service and lack of English speaking skills. But I recommend this place for good food.

The best dish they serve is definitely a hot pot. I was accompanied by a Chinese friend and ordering was easier. We selected two broths for our hot-pot, and then 3 options for meat, fish and tofu. The hot-pot was huge and flavorful. They serve with raw meat and vegetables, which you put in hot-pot, it cooks in the broth within minutes, and you can relish on it. Meat gets the taste of the broth which is full of different spices and vegetables. You can also order dipping sauce as side.

Our hot-pot took around 45 minutes to arrive in busy Friday evening. But my Chinese friend suggested it's common in China to have laid back meals. So keep plenty of time in your hand if you want to try hot-pot. Other traditional dishes were served quickly.

You pay at the counter usually. Don't wait for the servers to pick-up the checks. The English speaking was problem here, but I would definitely return to try...

It's is not surprising that a traditional Chinese joint now exists in Lafayette IN, the Asian student population in Purdue has grown exponentially in the last 10 years. They have a sister spot in Evanston IL as well which I have not yet tried. The interior of the restaurant is nothing to write about, it is like a fast food joint but that is not what you are here for. The food is authentic, nothing fancy, just good 'ol authentic Chinese food from the Szechuan region. This is not a General Tsao's Chicken, Beef and Broccoli and Sweet and Sour Chicken, Panda Express cookie cutter type of place. The cooking style is very exclusive, and definitely leaning towards the spicy and heavy side. I don't need to tell the Chinese crowd, but If you know the cuisine, had tried it before and liked it then I would strongely recommend you to give this a try. There is probably nothing like this within a 50 miles radius. The service is extremely fast, and for $5.00 you will get about 3 cups of...