Red Pearl Kitchen

06/11/2008 Posted by dreamchaser

I had my birthday party here about two weeks ago...it was WONDERFUL! I found myself desperately looking for a birthday spot that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg. I really wanted it at the Edison, but shot that idea down when the event planner told me it would be $1000 just for them to rope off an AREA...not even an entire room...but just an area. And that $1000 didn't even include food or drinks. For that, he told me I had to put down a minimum of $500 for drinks and a minimum of $500 for a food package. Luckily, a friend of mine recommended Red Pearl. Boy am I glad I took his advice. I called and without any problems the manager reserved the lounge area for my guests and I...FOR FREE!!!!! It turned out to be BEAUTIFUL! The lounge is plush and dark and just the right size for a group of 20 to 40 people to comfortably hang out and eat and drink. There is a flat screen in there and plush chairs and beds to hang on. They assigned a waitress to us and she was awesome! She kept everyone's bills straight and there was no problem with money or anything at the end of the night. The staff was amazing. The moment I walked in with the cake, they met me at the door and took it straight to the kitchen. They were supposed to charge us $3 per slice but they ended up not charging anything for cutting the cake. Whenever my guests needed more tables to eat or chairs to sit, the staff was right there providing whatever we asked for. The food was delicious and the drinks were fantastic! I recommended the Red Pearl martini to everyone...and there wasn't one person that tried it and didn't love it. I love choosing locations that not everyone has already been. Most of my guests said they had passed there many times and never noticed it. But they all left raving about it and vowing to come back many more times for dinner and happy hour. I was very pleased.

Pros: Nice, plush, romantic decor and ambience. Great service. Great food. Great drinks. Female valet leaves cookies in car for you.

Cons: I had absolutely no complaints

03/16/2008 Posted by therlp

This is a chain restaurant. Nothing more. Nothing less. Don't be confused by the reviews here that suggests it is something that it is not. If you do, you will ultimately be disappointed. The food is decent, but it is clearly the work of short-order cooks, not a chef. Think a Chinese version of the Cheesecake Factory. Nothing too imaginative, fresh or healthy. Just very formulaic food that they can make in any of their restaurants. The service is earnest, but incompetent. Our waitress tried really hard, but she had no knowledge of wine, forgot about stuff we ordered, never followed up on drinks. She had a really cheerful disposition, but clearly had not been trained to serve well. I ordered a sake sampler that came out with a laminated guide that was beyond dirty. The atmosphere is really cool - red, bold, open - but, in the end, it is just a well-decorated Chinese Olive Garden. And, to be fair, the crowd reflected that lack of sophistication. So, if you want to impress an uncultured date, or perhaps you have family coming into town from Milwaukee who want the "true Hollywood experience," even though they really couldn't handle it if you gave it to them and might want to wear a Brett Farve jersey or a cheesehead to dinner, or maybe your 16 year old daughter and her friends want a big night out, then this is their place. And it is good for what it is. If you expect anything more, prepare to be very disappointed.

Pros: Ambiance, design, the bar

Cons: service, menu, price for what it is

02/25/2008 Posted by letyg

RPK is full of energy. The music is playing and has an upbeat feel. We had excellent service. The food was delicious. The vegitables were fresh and crunchy. The filet mignon dish was fabulous. We can't wait to go back. (disappointed with the female valet, park your own car, plenty of parking on melrose).

Pros: Food, Ambience, Cocktails

Cons: valet

02/15/2008 Posted by thedoublem

I was at Red Pearl last week waiting in the bar for a friend to arrive when I got a call saying she wasn't gonna make it. Upset and hungry, I decided to order a drink and an appetizer before leaving. I ended up getting a very unusual ginger mojito cocktail and some edamame. By far the best peas I've ever eaten and a cool vodka I've never seen before was used in my drink. I think the bartender said it was called Alchemia or Alchemy or something, but it was in a beautiful looking bottle. I'll have to go back for a full meal with someone who won't bail on me!

01/02/2008 Posted by piperfoodie

Despite warnings from friends, we went to RPK last Sunday night for dinner. We really liked the dining room, and we were greeted warmly at the door. From there, it went downhill. 35 minutes to get our drinks, 45 minutes to get our food, then we sent back 2 of our four dishes because they were prepared incorrectly. The Won Ton soup was very good, and the Peking Duck was ok (at least we didn't have to drive to SGV). Service VERY slow and inexperienced (though very attractive and friendly). Manager didn't seem to care about what was going on in the dining room. No need for us to return.

Pros: Friendly Staff, Very Nice dining room

Cons: Limited Menu, incorrectly prepared, Slow Service

12/17/2007 Posted by chefonpatrol

We tried 8 dishes amoung 5 people and not one was good. The service was really bad and she kept forgetting our drinks and the one coffee arrived 27min after it was ordered. We needed the drinks just to get the GROSS for down. Please do not wast your night or money here.

Pros: Nothing

Cons: food and service are really bad

11/04/2007 Posted by ltdangle

We'd eaten at Red Pearl Kitchen in San Diego and loved the food so we were excited when a friend was having her birthday drinks in a private room at the Los Angeles location. We went early to dine and couldn't believe it was the same recipes. We got a caramel chicken dish that was nothing short of gross... gristly in spots then so soft in other parts I wondered if it was fully cooked. We didn't eat more than 2 bites (one each) before thinking better of taking another. Then we ordered a beef with mint dish that also had a terrible texture and a terrible flavor. Didn't take a second bite of that either! The apps were equally disappointing. Despite our not touching our entrees, our waiter never asked if there was a problem when bringing our check. Nice decor but you could get better food from any chinese take out.

Pros: nice lighting

Cons: terrible food

09/22/2007 Posted by unshakablematt

I liked the decor, a bit like a chinese restaurant at a huge casino. Larger than life light fixtures, statues, and lots of red color throughout. It was early in the evening and therefore still nearly empty, so the wait staff was a little slow at first. I know, they are still prepping for the evening to come. In short, the food was only okay. they offer you a discount to come back Monday nights for 1/2 off, but it still wouldn't be worth returning. I will try back in a half year or so to look for improvement.

Pros: Colorful Decor

Cons: Bland Food

07/15/2007 Posted by patuli

What a great place - nice ambiance, the deep red tones and flattering lighting. I love any place that has candles on the table. Our server was friendly, helpful in explaining the menu. The signature cocktail, The Red Pearl was delicious - enough so for me to want to get pomegranate juice and replicate the drink. We ordered mostly small plates to share, everything was delicious. The shrimp skewers were cooked perfectly, seasoned nicely and almost everything seemed to have a delicious little sauce accompanying it. Loved the duck-banana lettuce wrap. Yummy place, look forward to going back again.

06/21/2007 Posted by shadow13

I love the female valet, it's nice different touch. Our party got the chef's tasting menu. Each course was better than the next. Great Saki selection.

Pros: yummy desserts

Cons: over stuffed