Wilson Fu, owner of Red Pepper, a traditional Chinese restaurant on Curry Row. (Photo: Natalie Rinn)
Looks like David Schwimmer has a new takeout option: Red Pepper just opened across from Ross’s new place, on what used to be known as Curry Row.
Wilson Fu – who briefly tried his hand at serving “Satan rolls” and ramen in the sub-street-level space that used to be Calcutta — said traditional southwest Chinese food was hard to come by. “I tried so much Sichuan in Manhattan and none of it satisfied my tastes,” he said (we didn’t ask how he felt about Hot Kitchen, right around the corner).
Inside Red Pepper. (Photo: Natalie Rinn)
Red Pepper’s dishes (see the menu below) run the full gamut of heat — from mild to “tongue-numbing.” The hottest, says Fu’s son Alex, is produced by a peppercorn that actually helps bring out the dish’s inherent flavor. We took his word on that one, but one thing’s for sure — between Red Pepper, Hot Kitchen, and the phaal challenge at Brick Lane Curry House, this might be the hottest block in town.
(Photo: Natalie Rinn)
You can wash down the spicy, savory goodness with wine — white, red or plum — and yes, there’s still Japanese beer on tap. If you find yourself there on date night and conversation’s at a lull, look to the walls. Fu says all the Chinese prints come from his personal collection and are one-of-a-kind. “You’ll never see anything like it again,” he says proudly.
Between that and Schwimmer’s urn, the block is getting classier by the second.
The Red Pepper Menu by Daniel Maurer
Red Pepper is open from 5 p.m to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday. 324 East Sixth Street; (646) 370-5112.