Red Pepper

One word: over-​priced!
Ok that’s 2 words.
Here’s another 2 word summary: over-​rated!
I only went here because my all-​time favorite lunch place next door is closed for a month. I will post a picture to support my dismal review. I was hangry and thought the garlic chicken would do the trick– not the mini but the regular and at almost $ 10 I thought this had better be good.
I opened the container and was just over the top disappointed with the skimpy serving of chicken. Are you kidding me? I paid $ 10 for this? Scratch this place. I won’t even try anything else in their menu and I don’t care who says this place is great. Oh and the chicken wasn’t even hot!
I’m counting down the days until their next door neighbors return from vacation!

Red Pepper is on Fort ST– so it is frequented by many a student from the area like Reminton and HPU so be– warrrreyyy about going during peak times to them!
I am not a frequent Korean food eater so you can forgive me spelling and not knowing some things that may be basic to Asians. That being said — the food was still good/​decent.
I like the bogogii and the meat jun –anything beef I like cooked well and thinly sliced — so I like those.
The plates that I got already had vegs on the side tray sides. There was kimchee on both, but 1 had bean sprouts, small potatoes, and a lettuce spoon scoop while the other had mac salad, steamed greens and cabbage. So just saying — they weren’t the same. I do not know if it was me or if you are supposed to ask ahead of time before ordering if you want specific sides. I missed that part.
White rice is under both– which hit the local spot in my belly that said ‘hey I need rice today!‘
Next time– I’ll try some of the Fun or noodles that look good from others posts of pics here. I’ll keep away from the ramen that I heard bad things about but I normally don’t order that kind of thing in restaurants when I go out usually — I normally am a meat and more meat with a side of bacon if possible kind of guy when dining out– I have carrots at home.
They have soda that is normal– but they also carry Monster and Juice Monster so I can pretend to be healthy or at least 10% less guilty for having a 10% juice item with my kimchee.
I liked the kimchee here. It wasn’t as pickled or fermented as other places and tasted better. Auntie was so nice– she saw I finished all of my kimchee and asked me if I wanted more — but that was ok for me but still so nice of her to ask –made me feel better.
The place is nice to sit in when it is empty — quiet. There is a fan on hot days to just sit in front of and cool down while enjoying a hot meal.

The food is so tasty, but the meat jun and spicy tofu soup is my favorite! Namul is fresh and service is good!!!

Since the initial opening, this place has fallen into a rhythm and I am happy to report that the soondubu is again consistently good. :) Yay for getting back my go-​to.

First off, Red Pepper is my go-​to place for a meat jun fix! I love love love their meat jun. It’s not as oily as other meat jun around the area, and the batter + sauce are a perfect combo. They offer a mini and regular for their plates. The regular is A LOT of food (though I can finish it because it’s THAT good.) The girl that always works the front is super friendly — I wish they would reopen already because I need my fix!

Decided to eat lunch there today had the fish Jun plate brown rice and it was delicious and the girl at the counter was nice and friendly overall experience was awesome. Highly recommended! All items on menu looked good can’t wait to try something else of theirs.

Ever since my new-​found craving for Korean food while at work… I have been looking up places to get decent meat jun in downtown. Red Pepper showed up on Unilocal and I always happen to walk by this place when I go home, so I managed to plan a day with my coworker to try it out. It’s a cute little place when you step in and I was expecting them to be playing some outrageous kpop or something but I guess they don’t do that anymore lol. Instead, I was greeted with some rather mellow and chill r&b, which I liked too.
Automatically, I scanned their menu for the meat jun. I spotted it for around $ 8-​ish and I turned towards my coworker to ask what she was getting. She was planning on trying their fried noodles. There was a line during lunch time, but that’s to be expected. If any downtown place DOESN’T have a line, then it’s not worth eating at in my opinion… We ordered our food and depending on how many people there were, the wait time followed.
We decided to eat in and we didn’t wait that long till a nice Korean lady (owner?) brought our food to us. As soon as I saw how much meat jun there was in my take-​out box, I was instantly super happy that I came here. The meat jun was thinly sliced and battered just right. I also loved the sides that it came with. Although I don’t think we can choose them… there was kim-​chee, sweet lettuce, mac salad, and some sort of cold, clear thin noodle. All of the sides were proportioned equally at the top of my meat jun plate with white rice.
After eating, my coworker and I came to the conclusion that we really enjoyed eating here. We both liked our food and made future plans to come back. I came back on another day to see if they were really consistent with their meat jun and ordered take-​out. When I got to my office and opened the box, I was surprised to see the amount of meat-​jun hasn’t changed but the sides did. Instead of sweet lettuce and the cold noodles, was this single, baked potato. There was still kim-​chee and mac salad however. I guess the sides depend day to day. I’m not complaining however, $ 8 for a delicious meat jun plate lunch is a good deal. I wouldn’t mind trying their korea moco next time, looks really appetizing from the pictures.

I like the breakfast with eggs and things. Very good and not oily.
The honey chicken is great and so is the tofu soup.
Very nice staff and quick service.
Clean and nice environment.
High quality food.

Best Adobo fried rice I’ve ever had, though I haven’t had a lot of pork adobo ever. The soft pork is cut into bite sized bits under a bed of fried rice all under two over-​easy eggs pan fried to perfection with no burnt parts. One thing that stood out about this dish is that they add some peppercorn mixed into the fried rice as well which provides a contrast to the dish’s hearty fried rice flavor. The best thing about the fried rice is that it doesn’t have an oily taste that some other fried rice dishes have that I’ve experienced elsewhere.
You can’t beat their fast and efficient service during the lunch rush. Another plus is that you get a lot of food for the price, so much so that you might have another meal.
They have a wide selection of plate lunch options, everything from simple loco moco to local Korean dishes like Bi Bim Bop.
There are outdoor covered seating right outside the restaurant or seating indoors for those who don’t want to do take out.
Overall this place is well worth the walk to get food.

Staff: Aunty is always smiling and welcoming! And helpful. If the girl is working, she’ll usually play some jams on their stereo (she came in later and started playing some Blackstreet and R&B; got me reminiscing haha)
Food: Ordered the steak and garlic shrimp plate. The steak was on point! Tender. Tastes great with not too much seasoning. Shrimp looks glazed. I could smell it as soon as I opened the plate! Six pieces?! «What what!!» The rice what smothered with flavor; half with steak flavor and half with the shrimp juices. I don’t think I’m finishing this plate.
Layout: They have indoor tables area, a small area with high chairs, and additional tables outside (with an umbrella open over the tables). Signs are posted outside with their featured items. They have menus on the counter for people to grab while they’re in line.
Misc.: This place is usually packed during lunch time, but they’re relatively quicker than other restaurants on this strip. It’s also nice to eat to some jams, and also see your friends walking between classes. This place stands out among the others for me.

I had the mini bbq chicken plate. The plate came with two pieces of chicken, big scoop rice, mac salad, kim chee and a broccoli bean sprout bon chon.
Chicken was hot and fresh with excellent flavor. Every else was tasty as well. Nice touch serving it with kim chee and bon chon.
Nice, clean and bright restaurant.
Service is prompt and friendly.
Much better than the L&L a few doors down.
Solid four stars.

Came here for a quick bite and I was looking for something that I haven’t tried in a while. So I got some breaded pork chops to go as I was in a hurry. Took about 10 minutes, in and out kinda of stop so I was able to make it to class and beat the rain, even with the fair amount of customers they had. Place is small and I’m sure my wife would think its cute, so not a bad first impression so far. Got to class with some time to chow down and was disappointed at the first look of how really thin the meat was. There was more breading on my plate than the two thin slices of chop. I knew I wasn’t going to be satisfied, but already paid. However, I did satisfy my nostalgic appetite from the Philippines lol. I swear they got that pork from some leftover meat house lmao. Anyway, I’ll give it a shot next time butch be awhile.

It was one of those days at the office… you know what I’m talking about… When you say to your co-​worker «Where do you want to eat today?» and you both go…“eh…” So you start walking around… and you end up roaming around Fort Street Mall aimlessly going…“Nah.not McDonalds… eh, Marukame?” So finally we stumbled upon Red Pepper and went… eh sure, let’s try it!
So we did.
It was alright.
The BBQ chicken was decent and so was the bbq beef. The portions were pretty well-​sized for the price, but it wasn’t anything special. It was another Korean BBQ place, but without the vegetable sides and your traditional plate lunch with the rice and salad.
Service was alright. When it comes to downtown, speed is valued, and waiting 10 minutes for your order isn’t exactly the best.

I got the meat jun lunch plate, which was enough for lunch plus two small portions as leftovers. There was a huge serving of meat jun which was not oily or heavy like you may expect.
Plenty of rice, some sprouts and corn, mac salad and cabbage as side dishes. Great value and careful, skilled preparation!
#100in2015 (#62)

I really thought this place would’ve been great based on reviews, but maybe I’m not ordering the right stuff?! Because no matter how many dishes I’ve tried at Red Pepper, each one had its flaws.
First off, if you order any type of soup dish, don’t bother asking them to separate the noodles from the soup (to prevent ultra mush) for you. After five minutes of walking back to my office, the mandoo kook soo was one big ball of noodles with a tablespoon of soup left. The kim chee ramen ($ 7.25) is a joke. it looked and tasted like the instant package mix you get at the grocer for $ 1.99. And their excuse for not separating the INSTANT noodles was because they had to cook it in the soup… sooooo…FAIL.
I also tried other dishes like teriyaki tofu, spicy tofu soup, spicy squid, and pork/squash…all mediocre at best. For $ 8-​$ 10 I expect some decent grub! The tofu dish was dredged in potato/​corn starch (similar to agedashi) and pan fried, but since the tofu overlapped each piece and laid over steaming hot rice, the exterior just fell off which resulted in mushy olé tofu with some teri sauce on it. Spicy tofu soup was okay… nothing special at all. Spicy squid tasted right, but sadly it was tough and chewy. Pork/​squash was prepared like Cantonese-​style beef broccoli, and the squash wasn’t cooked through enough.
Anyway, you get the point… I tried a variety of dishes and was never satisfied with my meal. In addition, the wait for the food can be long at times. It really is a shame that such a nice space in the middle of Ft. Street, just fell flat for me. I think I’ve given them enough chances and my hard-​earned money to say that I will never visit again.

Ended up accidentally signing myself up for an improv challenge at Arts at Marks, but life is about adventure and I’m always down for a good time, so hey– no sweat. ;) Only thing was I ended up in Chinatown before my show a little too early and I was starving! Walked down Fort Street to maybe grab a summer roll from the liquor store over there, but suddenly I passed a bright little shop with KPop music playing. «Red Pepper– Healthy Korean Food.» Sorry summer roll, changed my mind!
As I came in looking at the pictures and menu, I was greeted very warmly by the guy working the counter. He asked if he could help me choose, and asked what taste I was craving. «Something spicy?» And then he gave me like 5 recommendations haha! The owner then came out, cute Korean lady with a SnapBack on! Got that style, Unni! Okay! She said if I want spicy get the red chicken plate, and asked how spicy– hot or Korean spicy! I told her «My grandmother’s Korean– I need that Korean spice!» But she was still like «mm this girl is third generation and is haole as hell, imma just go half spicy, half Korean spicy so she doesn’t cry in front me.»
Okay, no she didn’t say that, but she did say she was doing half half so she didn’t scare me away on my first time. I can respect that. When my food came out she brought it to my table and told me if I wanted it spicier next time, she would forreal do Korean spicy. And also that she usually does Mac salad, but said she thought I’d like vegetables instead. Hooked me up with cucumber kimchi and daikon! Yeeeeah! What a mind reader! And it was a LOT of food. Thoughts on the chicken– I was actually impressed that it was pretty spicy– made me nose just start to sniffle. But, I think next time I’m gonna tell her not to be afraid and take me ALL the way! XD

Ahhhh! I’m in love with this place. Just thinking about it makes me happy! …and hungry! Lol
HYPES:
Service is onnnn point! Homeboy was super sweet! Smiling throughout our whole transaction, answered all my questions with enthusiasm, walked some water over to me as I was waiting and updated me on when my food was coming out. This isn’t a fancy dine in restaurant. You order your food, they bring it out to you and that’s that. But damn I was impressed by the service!
I ordered the Thursday special, Gochujong cream pasta. I took a chance on this one and I’m pleased to inform that the odds were in my favor! It was extremely delicious! Packed with flavors! It was creamy, sweet with a little bit of a kick to it. Had mushrooms, peppers, carrots, sweet potato, chicken… oh mah gahhhhhh.
GRIPES:
Aesthetically, not very pleasing to the eye. The sign is really corny, kinda looks like really cheap wall paper or basic Paint graphics on a PC. Which is kinda why it took me a while to try this place out! It just didn’t look serious to me. But in all seriousness, this place is seriously bomb! Can’t wait to try more of the menu!

This new place is conveniently located on Fort Street Mall. The owners completely re-​did the inside, so any look/​feel of the old place is completely taken away.
Red Pepper is a BBQ place that is different from your regular BBQ place… They offer great quality food and pretty generous portions for downtown. Also it feels very spacious when you step inside. not like a cramped sardine in the pool of workers during the lunch rush.
The bright paint and clean walls gives you a feel that you can sit down and relax before having to go back to the hustle of the afternoon. I tried the honey garlic chicken and that was great! And the vegetables are not something that is thrown in either. They are well prepared and cooked just like it was made for you. So be sure to give that your first bite!

Red Pepper is located next door to Fort Street Café.
I love the adorable decore/​stickers on the walls. I also like the cute center pieces they have on the tables along with the korean pop music they play. Definitely a cute spot to have lunch with friends or coworkers.
The Grub.
[[ MEAT JUN $ 8 ]]
I thought the meat jun was good.
[[ HONEY/​GARLIC CHICKEN $ 8 ]]
Honey chicken was tasty.

New lunch spot opened up next to Fort Street Café. Fresh & clean in a vibrant red theme and with a cute girl working the counter, Red Pepper is inviting… Daily specials written on a chalkboard with differing colors of chalk… guess women run the show here!
They have items on their menu that are non standard fare… Korea moco (as mentioned in another review), bulgogi burger, etc.
I opted for their Kim chee fried saimin which sounded interesting.
I thought it was a good vegetarian dish: saimin noodles, kim chee, bean sprouts, assorted veggies (lean portions). Topped with a sunny side egg adorned with furikake. chili pepper flakes add an extra spicy kick – probably has more oomph than most non-​Koreans are accustomed to. Flavor is simple…
I was pleased with my lunch so I could myself returning to try a different lunch item…
Food was 3.5 stars. Plus another half star for the cute korean girl. XD