I had the pleasure of dining with my friend Sam, and as we caught up on all the people from high school we have blocked out of memory, we also enjoyed some delicious and funky dishes.
Of course, we had to start out with a cocktail. I had the Waterloo, RPK's take on a watermelon martini - and it was FANTASTIC. Not too sweet, very fresh and topped off with watermelon balls on a skewer. This drink was very refreshing through the entire first course and didn't battle the dishes we tried. Sam started with the Red Pearl, a pomegranate infused cocktail with an orchid flower floating on top. The drinks were beautiful, fresh and tasty and really set the tone for the meal.
Sam and I then decided to share two appetizers: The Miso-Glazed Salmon Skewers ($10) and the Duck-Banana Lettuce Wraps ($10). The presentation of the skewers was truly beautiful, utilizing the negative space on the plate, and dusting the dish with chopped pistachios. The salmon was perfectly cooked, flaky and moist. This was a simple dish, but perfectly executed.
The Duck-Banana Lettuce Wraps were really a treat! The duck was pulled and marinated in a rich and well-bodied sauce. The banana element of the dish was a banana puree that you topped your duck with and folded into a Boston Lettuce cup. This is a must have dish, very flavorful and easily shared by two or three people. The salmon came as 3 skewers, but the duck came with at least 4 lettuce cups, and there was plenty of meat left over after the cups were gone.
This in itself almost filled us up, but we decided to be team players, and go for one more dish. Plus we had just started recalling old flings, and I need some more time to rag on Sam for his dangerous choices of women in the past. Enter: Spicy Chicken Drunk Man Rice Noodle ($11). The Noodles came on the recommendation of the waitress as we requested something a little more spicy than the previous two dishes, and I reassured Sam that he should not take offense to the dishes title as it had NOTHING to do with him and his consumption of 4 beers and one cocktail. Heck, we were celebrating! The noodles were a wide, rice noodle and the sauce was rich and flavorful. Unlike the other two dishes, this wasn't the most beautiful to look at, but the flavor was there. Overall, another great dish. We're 3 for 3.
I decided to close out my meal with my favorite part of the day: dessert. I was going back and forth between the Kaffir Lime Pot de Crème, Banana Fritters ($8) and the “Vietnamese Coffee Sundae” Chocolate, Candied Almonds ($8). I ended up going with the Coffee sundae, which was a 'B' at the end of an 'A' meal. The vanilla ice cream was just okay. The candied nuts and condensed milk, which topped the ice cream, were the best part of the dish (besides the presentation). After the waitress set the plate in front of me, she took the small cup of coffee that sat next to the ice cream and poured it over the dish right in front of me. Cool, yes, but the flavor just didn't stand up. I ate it all, of course, but like I said, it was just okay. I'll probably try the fritters next time. And when I say probably, I mean I've already planned a day around them. They better not let me down or I might not give my heart to a dessert again... OH, the lies I tell myself to keep me going.
A couple other things to note about this restaurant. While I was a party of 2, there were lots of groups at the restaurant, celebrating one thing or another (or just traveling in packs as young Hollywood tends to do). I would consider this place on your next group outing as it's reasonably priced, well-located, and has a great bar. Try making it over to RPK Sunday-Thursday and enjoy Shanghai Happy Hour from 9pm to close with a reduced price cocktail, wine, beer, and bar menu from $4 to $9. You can check out their other special events on their website. There are also lounges in the back where you can play pool, watch some Chinese cartoons and chill out on comfy chairs.
Red Pearl Kitchen
6703 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 525-1415
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