Red Pepper
Monday, July 26, 2010
Red Pepper
14 Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000
(61) 03 96545714
14 Bourke St
Melbourne VIC 3000
(61) 03 96545714
Red and green pepper side by side (sisters restaurants they are), but it seems like only Red Pepper was open on a fine Saturday afternoon we decided to drop by to have lunch, whereas Green Pepper was dark, seemingly empty, and definitely closed.
Upon entering, you feel that you have entered a restaurant situated in... India. Of course, majority of their patrons are Indians (general classification), plus their service staff (other than one other non-Indian service staff). The restaurant has a pretty quaint look, not very big, but there's a upstairs.
Service in the restaurant is really slow. To start, I went with my friend's toddler, who needs a high chair. It took them almost 15 minutes to give us a high chair. There was no table service either. All customers order at the counter, which you will have to pay the bill after you've finished ordering. We asked for water for our table, which took them another 10 minutes. And our food took another 15 minutes to come out. I must say it was at least 30 minutes after we sat down that we actually had food on our tables. More time was then needed afterwards to question each other what each dish possibly could be since there was no introduction when the dish was served. Basic service was indeed lacking.
The food there was not too bad though, even though I am no Indian food expert. The mango lassi drink that I've ordered tasted fine surprisingly, given that I am no fan of yoghurt. The different types of naans we've ordered tasted good, and I must say, overall, I've enjoyed the meal.
Outside of Red Pepper.
The dining area downstairs
Aloo Palak with 2 pieces of naan (Indian flat bread) - potatoes in spiced spinach.
It looks like curry with thick layer of oil, spicy which psychologically tells you it tastes like spinach. There are potato chunks in it too.
Chicken Tikka with cheese kulcha, salad and chutney.
The chicken was well baked, and the cheese kulcha (another type of flat bread) was good. The chutney was good too.
Not a salad fan though, but I picture it to be good for salad lovers.
Aloo/Gobi/Mooli/Onion Parantha with Dahi. Menu said there are 2 pieces. However I think we got 3 pieces.
Parantha is another kind of Indian flat bread. This one is served with home-made butter and stuffed with potato/cauliflower/radish/onion mix.
Overall (out of 5 stars per category):
Food: Taste: **** Fragrance: **** Appearance: ****
Having tried a few Indian places before (however inexperienced), this place serves pretty decent food.
Service: *
Really slow service. You want to eat there, you have to have time.
Staff do not give you a friendly feel, though they are not unpleasant. Seems like there's a discrepancy between the ambience the place gives, and the service quality.
Customers will really appreciate if staff members can at least tell them what each dish is when they serve each individual meal. Not everyone knows Indian food well enough to differentiate which delicacy is which. Customers do not like the 'go-figure-yourself' game.
Price: ****
Lower-end prices ranging from $3.50 to $12.00. Pretty reasonable and affordable, since it's in Melbourne City itself.
Ambience: ***
Pretty old place, but still tidy and reasonably comfortable. Bustling, but you can still chit-chat whilst enjoying your meal. Music is almost inaudible though (unless it's covered by the noise).
Accessibility: ****1/2
Located near Parliament Station and tram stops for tram 96 and 86 on Bourke Street, it is indeed a place accessible to most people, if they are in/near the city. Just a few steps up will be the Parliament House. Easy to spot, and impossible to miss.
