Red Pearl Review

Red Pearl Overall Review

10215 Wincopin Cir
Columbia, MD 21044
Phone: (410) 715-6530

Red Pearl is a Chinese restaurant specializing in Authentic Sichuan/Cantonese Cuisine.  They also have an intriguing dim sum menu.  The restaurant is hard to find as it is at the back of a parking lot, tucked away down a hill by a lake.  Trust us, it’s a bit hard to find but well worth the journey.  The décor is elegant and formal.  There are tables covered with white tablecloths.  The servers were very knowledgeable of their menu and offered great help and assistance along the way.  This is the sort of place adults who are either adventurous and/or already know they like authentic Sichuan/Cantonese cuisine need to try. Not necessarily somewhere I would take the kiddies if this sort of food is not known to them. Though one should remember that they have more mainstream offerings as well. Otherwise I would say it is a wonderful place to have lunch or dinner. Parking is no problem, as a free parking complex is right there. Overall, we give Red Pearl ♪♪♪ and a half note.

Eggplant & Shrimp Paste

Imagine pureed shrimp mixed with garlic and formed into a paste, then nestled in between two slices of eggplant.  This yummy little eggplant and shrimp paste sandwich was steamed and served with a rich and slightly sweet brown sauce.   It was absolutely insane.  So yummy, sweet, tender, creamy and perfect!  This is a must try! 

Spare Ribs

The chef diced the spare ribs...I know diced sounds crazy but that's what he did.  He then rendered the rib bites in their own fat.  It became a gooey, sticky, finger licking good treat.  It was perfectly seasoned and delightful!

Jelly Fish with Scallions

Ok..hang on readers.  I know what you are thinking these two crazy women actually tried Jelly fish.  Yes we did and it was great even though Angela came along kicking and screaming.  The chef cut the jelly fish into strips and marinated them in a scallion sauce and served them cold.  They were the texture of a very soft grissel.  They had a wonderful bite and the flavor was through the roof crazy good!  They had a oniony, sea salty and savory flavor.  It was reminiscent of seaweed salad in flavor and texture.  This was a great preperation of Jelly Fish!

Red Pearl Pan Fried Noodles

Here the chef fried noodles to a crispy hardness and topped it with fish, shrimp, squid, scallops and mixed veggies.  The sauce was a clear white seafood sauce which reminded us of a lobster sauce.  It was very heavy and gelatinous.  This dish was ok...please note that it came from  their "regular" American Chinese menu not the Authentic menu.  

Diced Chicken with Chili Powder

This time the chef diced chicken and coated it in a fiery hot chili powder.  Please note that we did ask the chef to not make this too spicy.  We got a significantly spicy dish.  So order with caution.  The dish was amazingly good dispute the flames shooting from our nostrils.  

Lychee Sorbet

Ummm...ummm...GOOD!  This sorbet was out of this world.  It was made with chunks of lychee fruit mixed right in.  It was sweet, refreshing and yummy.   Melissa had to hold Angela back from diving into the bowl and swimming in the lychee sorbet. 

 

Angela's Review

This time I was the one who was not that keen on eating at a restaurant. I will admit folks that at times Melissa can lose even me with some of the stuff she is eager to try. Looking at the menu and seeing things like jellyfish salad and beef tendon and tripe in a special sauce (ick… right?!) tends to send me heading in the other direction. Not so my girl Melissa. She jumps up and down in abject joy and exclaims, “We have gotta try this!” And so, with some convincing on Melissa’s part, added to the fact that time was limited as were our choices of where to eat, I put my reluctance aside and we decided to give it a try. Then even having decided that I would give this thing a try, upon sitting down, I looked over the menu and could honestly not bring myself to actually order anything I was reading, and so gave over the responsibility to Melissa to decide what we would eat. And I was SO glad I did! I admit it. When Melissa is right, she is just right. This was probably one of the best meals I have ever had. The ingredients were so fresh and delightful, and seasonings and the sauces wonderfully complemented the food. There was just nothing here that I did not enjoy. I give Red Pearl, ♪♪♪♪

Melissa's Review

 

There are times in life when God has you in the right place at the right time.  Red Pearl is a perfect example of this.  Angie and I were looking for Nari Sushi (review will be coming your way soon) but we went to the wrong location and ended up on the other side of Columbia.  We found a different sushi place we wanted to try but they were closed.  So Red Pearl was the only choice.  I took a look at the menu and knew we were in for a treat.  For starters they have a “regular” American Chinese food menu and then they had an Authentic Sichuan/Cantonese Cuisine menu.  With a little coaxing, I got Angie to agree to give the place a try.  It took some coaxing because they had exciting stuff on the menu like duck tongues and jelly fish….ok exciting for me.  I am truly an adventurous eater. The crazier it sounds the more likely I am to try it; so Red Pearl’s menu was a playground of wonder and opportunity for me.  Once we got in there and began to feast upon the food I knew immediately that this was going to be a true delight.  Dish after dish was yummy and exciting.  I loved all the items that we tried from the dim sum menu and the authentic menu.  They were amazing; each dish was full of flavor and intrigue.  I kept asking, what was that and how did the chef come up with those flavor combinations.  I love food that is like nothing I have ever had before.  I crave chefs that challenge my taste buds and expose me to new tastes previously unknown.  The chef at Red Pearl did all that and more. Even the atmosphere was wonderful.  The décor was bright and cheery with a slight sophistication.  If you love good Chinese food and adventurous eating Red Pearl is your spot.  Overall I give Red Pearl ♪♪♪ and a half note.