LEO/LHB Eats: South India, West China: hot new ethnic spots

[Robin Garr]

<table border="0" align="left" width="310"><tr><td><img src="http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/royalindia_dosa.jpg" border="1" align="left"></td></tr><tr><td>Indian brunch: Masala Dosa, a South Indian vegetarian treat, is the large lentil crepe at lower left, folded around curried potatoes; also pictured are three white rice-based idlys, a cup of spicy sambar lentil soup, and a pool of green coconut chutney. Photos by Robin Garr.</td></tr></table>LEO's Eats with Louisville HotBytes
South India to West China: two hot new ethnic spots
(Royal India; Red Pepper Chinese Cuisine)

You don't have to be as old as the (Tuscan) hills to remember the days when "Northern" Italian fare first became a local craze, serving dishes like fettuccine alfredo and veal piccata. Before long, "Northern" was in, "Southern" was out, and to this day, as much as we may still love pizza and spaghetti with meatballs and other hearty red-sauced Italian comfort food, we don't think of it as, well, upscale anymore.

Now get ready to broaden your culinary horizons with a couple more ethnic compass points. Two fine new restaurants are breaking new ground for Louisville with exotic, spicy South Indian and West Chinese cuisine.

<b>Red Pepper Chinese Cuisine</b> is the latest tenant in the Moorish-looking building on Brownsboro Road that has housed a string of short-lived eateries since the four-star Shariat's closed in 2003. Now the domain of a skilled Sichuanese chef who arrived recently from Chicago's Chinatown, it's no mere chopsticks house but a classy restaurant offering both familiar Chinese-American dishes and a much more interesting "authentic Chinese" menu.

<b>Royal India</b> joins a growing strip of restaurants that is turning the blocks of Oechsli and Sears avenues ("where the old Sears used to be") in St. Matthews into yet another restaurant row. It joins Havana Rumba, Del Frisco's, Equus and Café Lou Lou within a two-block stretch, making it profoundly difficult to decide where in this neighborhood to dine.

<b>Royal India</b>
4123 Oechsli Ave.
896-0025

<b>Red Pepper Chinese Cuisine</b>
2901 Brownsboro Road
891-8868

Full reports in LEO and on LouisvilleHotBytes.

Red Pepper Chinese Cusine has a "To Go" menu posted here:
http://www.ocaky.org/oca/OCAKYRestaurants/red_pepper_to_go_menu.pdf
I added a link to it on http://www.MenusOfLouisville.com

[Robin Garr]

Red Pepper Chinese Cusine has a "To Go" menu posted

It should be noted, however, that their "authentic Chinese" menu is not shown on the to-go menus.

I am very happy that we are getting an Indian restaurant that focuses on southern Indian cuisine.

[Robin Garr]

I am very happy that we are getting an Indian restaurant that focuses on southern Indian cuisine.

To be more precise, it's an Indian restaurant that includes Southern Indian cuisine as a small (but not insignificant) part of its menu. The proprietor told us that he has both a North Indian and South Indian chef working in the kitchen.

But I'm with you. I've missed my dose of dosas!

By the way, the proprietor, who I don't believe recognized me as a critic but was happy that Mary and I really liked his food, was urging us to get together a group of friends and come in with advance notice, and he'll whomp up an off-the-menu authentic Indian banquet. If there's any interest among the group, this might be a great opportunity for an ethnic offline.

By the way, the proprietor, who I don't believe recognized me as a critic but was happy that Mary and I really liked his food, was urging us to get together a group of friends and come in with advance notice, and he'll whomp up an off-the-menu authentic Indian banquet. If there's any interest among the group, this might be a great opportunity for an ethnic offline.

Sounds like a great idea. I'm in.

::raises hand::

I love Indian. Usually quite veg friendly, too!

ME ME ME

So is the pan fried tofu on the authentic chinese menu then??

[Robin Garr]

So is the pan fried tofu on the authentic chinese menu then??

Yes. I'm sorry, I thought that was clear in the article: Everything I reviewed is from the authentic menu. The regular menu is all very well-made, but frankly it's all the familiar Chinese-American dishes that everyone else has, just made well above the median. But the authentic menu is what will make me a regular there. Frankly, I think the authentic dishes at Red Pepper are a cut above the authentic menus at Oriental House and Jasmine.

I love the pan-fried tofu!

Yummy! I did get that impression from the article, just wanted to make sure as I am hoping to talk the husband into trying some carryout for dinner - so I printed out the menu that was available online.

We both have different preferences in our chinese carry out. It would be GREAT to find a place that we BOTH agree on, and in our own neighborhood even!

By the way, the proprietor, who I don't believe recognized me as a critic but was happy that Mary and I really liked his food, was urging us to get together a group of friends and come in with advance notice, and he'll whomp up an off-the-menu authentic Indian banquet. If there's any interest among the group, this might be a great opportunity for an ethnic offline.

Count me in, too.

By the way, the proprietor, who I don't believe recognized me as a critic but was happy that Mary and I really liked his food, was urging us to get together a group of friends and come in with advance notice, and he'll whomp up an off-the-menu authentic Indian banquet. If there's any interest among the group, this might be a great opportunity for an ethnic offline.

Count me in, too.

I'd love to join in. Maybe this can be this first Tues destination this month or next.
I highly recommend Red Pepper, too. So few places you can get dried pig's intestines. OK-so maybe I didn't get that particular dish- but the variety of dishes offered and especially the vegatable preparations are a real boon to us Crescent Hillites. (Crescent Hillers?) (Crescent Hillbillies?)

::raises hand::

I love Indian. Usually quite veg friendly, too!

absolutely. southern Indian cuisine is usually vegetarian.

Robin, I hope you will corral some folks and schedule the feast. Sign us up! A few years back, we attended a party for an Indian doctor. All the families got together and created this unbelievable feast...buffet style. The food was amazing. So many people have a limited experience with the cuisine...I know my experience before that night was Tandoori Chicken and curry!