The Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro
11 Allegheny Ave, Towson, MD 21204
410 832 7333

What a way to start the New Year with my first restaurant review of 2024. My new strategy this year will be to invite my friends who are die hard foodies to accompany me to the restaurants. The benefit is instead of ordering 1 dish for myself, I'll be able to order a couple of dishes and have a variety of flavors to review.
Well, last night my friends and I traversed to Towson, Maryland, about 40 minutes from Bel Air, MD.
Towson, MD is a college town where Towson University is located, lots of gourmet cuisines from all over the world, from Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Irish Pub, to Subway, Indian & Spanish to Caribbean food.
Last night we went to The Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro, A Northern Chinese restaurant that specializes in hot & spicy. Now, I've been to restaurants who say they specialize in hot & spicy but when push comes to shove, they're not spicy or hot at all until I went to the Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro. 
Since I had my 4 friends we gave a thumbs up to try this place. It was fairly easy to find and as we entered the place was brightly lit and very clean. Art work surrounded the walls of the restaurant probably done by various artist. 
The menu was very unique offering large pictures of the specialty dishes which was very different than the typical menu at any restaurant.
We browsed through the menu book, choose 3 appetizers that was definitely very spicy. One was spicy hot wonton, Dan Dan Noodles that are traditional spicy with minced pork and a cold spicy hot dish of sliced beef tripe and beef.
There was definitely a spicy bite of Sichuan peppercorns with the very hot spicy hot oil. It was very hot that I could barely feel the tip of my tongue. Yes, we had a choice of different degrees of hot but we wanted to see if the normal hot was ok. Well, it was. Then we ordered Fried salty squid, sweet and sour chicken, spicy beef and a soup type base with beef along with a fried beef with chili peppers.
Thank good ness we were able to enjoy a beer and our famous Korean Soju.  
The meal was hot enough that it got pretty warm. 
Now, I knew going in to eat out that I would have to compromise on certain things. Knowing that inflation would take a bite out of the value was expected. We received just the right amount of each dish, no more than what would usually be served prior to inflation but we understood. The price was as expected but the main reason was we got together with the guys to shoot the breeze and share laughs and a few beers.
It was good to get out the first Friday of every month checking out different and interesting foods. The Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro specialized n hot & spicy and I knew the guys would enjoy it. and they did.
The salty crispy squid was crunchy and just the right amount of salt with crushed chopped red and green peppers. The spicy wonton was swamped in hot chili oil and very tasty and delicious. The sweet and sour chicken was crunchy but didn't have enough sauce, I guess Northern Chinese cuisine doesn't give a lot of sauce like Cantonese Southern Chinese cuisine. The beef dishes were spicy hot but didn't have a unique beef flavor, just seemed like they added a whole bunch of veggies, well done over cooked and added beef that although very tender didn't really stand out for overall flavor. Just seemed like all sorts of ingredients were thrown in a pot and simmered for a while. If I visit again, I won't be ordering any beef dish that has a gravy. It might not be their specialty. The menu picture looked much different.
The beef with hot peppers although spicy lacked some flavor, no sweetness or saltiness balance.
Overall, our experience was good from a spicy hot restaurant but the dishes lacked flavor in terms of sweetness or saltiness. they need to balance salty with a sweet just as they should balance spicy with a salt and sweet balance. 
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being excellent, I have to rate the spiciness separate and I give that rating a 10. But for flavor I give a 5 and overall cleanliness of establishment and the great lighting a definitely 10 along with service a 10.
If you want hot and spicy, I recommend this place but be careful when ordering any dish especially the beef with a gravy. The picture may be very enticing but the flavor wasn't there.
Chef Woo Can
www.chefwoocan.com
Amazon Prime Book: "The You Can Do It Asian Cookbook"
#Chefwoocan, #Theredpeppersicuanbistro, #hotandspicycuisine, #szechuanfood, #towsonchineserestaurant, #marylandtheredpeppersicuanbistro
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Food Companies for Dummies!

When food companies started filling supermarket shelfs with products, they took advantage of the food process by automating everything to make more product in less time. They took advantage of all the chemicals that would help them save monies, increase shelf life and make their products taste so good.
They were banking the generations to just buy their product based on heavy marketing and repeat buyer ship.
Initially, it worked, and they were making monies that way. Cut expenses where possible when producing product and maximizing profits. They figured putting more products out there will give the consumer more selections to choose from, thereby increasing the use of more chemicals to allow these products to have more shelf life. 
Well, sometimes if you don't change, consumers taste change, there's more information on the internet and trends develop pro and against the current standard.
Do your research companies.
This is what we want:
1. Narrow down the products based on sales threshold. Anything under discontinue. There is way too much to choose from.
2. Focus in on the best sellers and research how can you make it better without any artificial chemicals, preservatives, additives, nitrite, nitrates, high Fructose and any other ingredients that are bad bd bad.
3. If you do this, then your less likely to worry about shelf life because the item will sell quickly in a short period of time. I think you'd rather know that the customer wants the product. 
4. Marketing, should not be deceptive and fancy packaging adds cost. Just develop a simple package no nonsense to keep cost down.
5. Fancy pictures professionally done is deceptive. 
Health, nutritional value, taste should be natural, therefore using the highest quality of ingredients creates more taste. Cost, don't worry, consumers will pay higher prices if they are getting better value.
6. For those consumers struggling with higher food prices, reduce the quantity and therby lowering the price. Instead of buying 8 hot dog package, maybe offer 4 package at 1/2 the cost.
7. Give the consumer what they want and you'll be surprised that they will be d evoted to your brand. If you continue to cover every corner of the food business, then consumers will be confused as to what to buy. You want to avoid confusion.
8. Focus on those products that can be made well, appealing to consumers and reduce the remainder of your product portfolio.
I teach Asian cooking class at the local college and the general consensus is they want to avoid buying products with all the bad stuff in it, just tired of being ripped off. They prefer to learn how to eat better, using natural ingredients, light sauces that don't overwhelm the flavor.

Chef Woo Can
www.chefwoocan.com
www.etsy.com/shop/creationsbywoo
YouTube: Chef Woo Can
​Amazon Books: Search: Chef Woo Can or The You Can Do It Asian Cookbook
 
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Meal Prices Are Crazy!

I know inflation has taken a chunk of profit from business and yes, they have to work twice as hard to make what they made pre pandemic but lately prices being charged at restaurants is crazy!
The mind set of management is to compensate for high prices is to charge higher prices to the customer. In theory it sounds ok, but when you go out to eat recently, look at what you're paying? It's not gradual increase but a sticker shock increase.
On top of that they are requiring a mandatory gratuity charge and the cost of soda and coffee is a hefty increase. I see what management has to do, trying to cover price increase in their supply chain. BUT, is that the right way to approach this problem? Yes, the pandemic killed all merchants and even put some out of business and when it was all over, there was an opportunity to get back to making money but then inflation hit so overall it was a slow start, a double whammy!!!!!
But the real victims are the customers who frequent these establishments that take the brunt of all the hits! Today they're getting less and paying more. It's not worth it but if you're going out to eat to socialize maybe its ok.
So, what are merchants doing. They're substituting ingredients that are cheaper, glamourizing their health benefits while maximizing profits. 
The customer is saying, I know these ingredients being used for the dish and are doubly amazed at the price for the dish. Soda is $ 3.00? Coffee, $3.00? You got to be kidding. My view is this. Maintain a modest price increase that's fair. You might not make as much profit, but you'll get the volume of customers. The more customers, the more profit, however small it is growing. You get a steady customer base and through time with a little increase your customer base is growing. As for the vendors who supplies the ingredients. If the vendor is not helping you and all you hear from them is well, the supplier I'm getting it from is charging higher, so I have to do the same, remember there are lots of vendors out there. Choose one that is willing to work with your business.
The other avenues out there, shipping food companies only has a fraction of the public interested. Yes, convenience is key but the overall food quality if fair and the price being paid is so, with next day service prices ridiculous.
Frozen dinners? Other than the front picture, they're terrible. It's whatever excess surplus the food manufacturers have and try to sell it to make some kind of concoction of a dish. 
So, what happens, more and more people are enrolling in food classes, learning the ins and out of the food business and realizing that they are not so concerned with your health but the bottom line growing, and you'll return to buy their products again. High preservatives, additives, nitrates, sugar, sodium, any chemical that will make their dish delicious. I see it in my classes. My students are learning to eat better, more nutritious methods and ingredients and they see the difference. They admit that it's a 360-degree lifestyle change but mixed with exercise blood pressure down, blood sugar down, cholesterol down, more energy, feel good, positive, less stress. I can go on and on, these are testimonials that I get from my students. Eating a different way but only if you want to.

Chef Woo Can
www.chefwoocan.com
www.etsy.com/shop/creationsbywoo
YouTube: Chef Woo Can
Amazon Boks: Search Chef Woo Can or The You Can Do It Asian Cookbook
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We're Hiring? How Serious Are You?

We've seen this all over the place. Corporations are short on staffing. They post signs on their premises, advertise on social media and even using recruiting services to hire potential candidates. But nowhere is this being done more so in the food service business. Now, let's analyze this correctly by asking why? It seems a lot of problems are the result of not addressing the why factor?
I'll surmise that the food service business is a tough business since you're dealing with potential customers and as we all know customers are very unique in their own way.
They're tough, very emotional, darn right violet and can be verbally abusive if they don't get what they want right away.
Who would want to work at a food service place. Unless your immunity system that's tough as nails, no one can especially teenagers working parttime or a summer job. They do not want to put up with that but with all the good jobs gone, they have no other option that to take one of these jobs. Yes, the minimum wage has increased depending on what state you're in but still, is it worth it? 
So, a corporation needs to fill the position because it will provide the service the customer needs, so if you can talk, walk & read, you got the job. BUT you have the worst personality, terrible attitude and unable to prepare to deal with difficult people. There's argumentative without understanding the customer is always right and literally vindictive and harsh to the customer.
That's what's happening right now but management is happy they got a body to fill the position.
This idea of customer hot line to complain about service is bogus. It's this illusion that the company wants the customer to know that they care. Right! They are only concerned with increasing sales whether the customer comes back or not. It's the numbers stupid! Never customer satisfaction!!!!!!!
So, as a parent or individual that is busy with work driving around all over the place, and we want to take a break, we stop in at a local fast food, and all hell breaks loose or go to the Drive in and the order is wrong and when addressed, common sense is lacking on the part of the customer clerk, it's a nightmare break!
So, corporations continue to function and turn a blind eye with poor customer service, revenues reported are slowly declining to the point that its now being addressed. Solution at the local level, they need to hire more staff, they do and no follow-up because with more staff, most customers can be served and revenues are back up, but the quality of personnel is compromised, high turnover, more training, more mistakes if not trained properly. Hire more unqualified personnel, deal with high turnover, it's a vicious cycle. But rather than revamp the policy of hiring and developing a program, the problem will never be addressed.
Customers like me will no longer frequent an establishment that is rude, impolite and brash. 
Corporations think that customers frequent their establishment for the food. In part that is slightly true but how they are treated is the defining moment.  Really!!!!!
If there is no incentive that motivates a candidate, they why in the hell would they subject themselves to an environment that's naturally toxic?
It's the nature of the beast food service. Either love it or hate it.
Higher wages? maybe must represent the ideal worker in customer service in the worst-case scenario.
Corporations are losing money hiring, rehiring, quitting staff, training cost, time does impact companies. They look at iit as an expense, rther then look at it as building the foundation. Their position is we spend to train, then they leave. But if you hire the right people, the % of leaving is much less.

Chef Woo Can
www.chefwoocan.com
www.etsy.com/shop/creationsbywoo
YouTube: Chef Woo Can
​Amazon Books: Search "Chef Woo Can or The You Can Do It Asian Cookbook"