It was a Tuesday evening after work where a few of us, good friends decided to catch up. We decided to try a restaurant we had not been to before. We headed to Red Pepper Restro in Gairidhara.

The location was not very difficult to spot, as we were all well acquainted with the area, and had to just keep our eyes open to spot it. The restaurant is close to the four-way junction in Gairidhara. We reached the restaurant at around 5:30 in the evening. The parking space could accommodate around three cars, and few motorbikes. The premises seemed like a residential house converted into a restaurant.

The bar is situated right at the entrance (ground floor) towards the right side, which seemed strategically located. There were a few set of wooden tables and chairs placed on this floor. The second floor was more of a lounge section, with spacious and comfortable couches. The balcony on this floor was also well utilised with a few seating arrangements.

We also had a look at the terrace, which had a few set of tables and chairs. We preferred the lounge section for the comfort it offered. The furniture seemed adequate and comfortable, although it appeared a little past its better days. Overall, the ambience of the restaurant was decent enough.

We ordered four items, starting with Chicken Kathi Roll as recommended by the waiter, along with Chicken Szechuan, Chicken Wings and Chicken Momos. The kathi roll, unlike other kathi rolls I’ve had in other places, had a lot of gravy in it. While this surprised me, it did a good enough job to satisfy my taste buds.

As for Chicken Szechuan, it had the usual tangy taste that suited my palate, however, the chilly/spice was overwhelming. It was served alongside a plate of steamed rice, and the portion was generous.

The chicken wings were crisp outside and done adequately well inside. The chicken momos had a generous portion of meat stuffing; however, it felt like the ingredients that usually make it succulent and special were missing. The food experience overall was above average with a good scope for improvement.

The service was quick, which is commendable and the waiters were responsive and friendly. But it did seem like the waiters needed some technical training to refine their skills. It reflected in the way they served us the dishes, which they did very amateurishly. They also forgot to provide us the cutlery after serving us our ordered dishes, and we had to remind them after waiting for some good number of minutes.

All in all, my overall experience at Red Pepper Restro was good. Its greatest strength is its reasonable pricing. The quantity they serve is also noteworthy. The timely service and the pleasant staff members complement the overall experience. Overall, it offers bang for the buck!

So next time when I am in the area, a little hungry and with a limited budget, I know where to go!

Avishek K Karky is a Programme Manager and Lecturer at Ace Institute of Management, and also an MPhil Scholar at Kathmandu University. He enjoys playing lawn tennis and the guitar, in his free time

RED PEPPER RESTRO RATINGS

Ambience : 7.5

Food quality/presentation: 8

Quality of service: 8.5

Hygiene: 8.5

Value for money: 9.5

Overall satisfaction value: 8