Red Pavilion Mandarin Cuisine in Meridian is the real thing, authentic quality Chinese food. Having moved to the Treasure Valley from an area where the population of Chinese residents is 17 percent and great Chinese restaurants are practically on every block, it was a shock to try several restaurants here which were basically glorified Panda Express’ and which were supposed to be ‘good’ Chinese food. However, after researching places to try and armed with the info that in addition to the regular menu there was a ‘secret’ menu that contained even more authentic dishes, a group went to Red Pavilion to try them out.
Both menus have some crossover dishes as well as some unique specialty dishes. The interior is bright, cheery and the servers prompt and friendly. For an appetizer, the potstickers were nice, fried to a golden brown and with a nice dipping sauce. They were followed by the Hot and Sour Soup, which was quite tasty and filled with bamboo shoots, tofu and wood ear mushrooms. On another trip the soup was War Won Ton, an interesting version of the Chinese standard. The soup broth was dashi, an interesting choice, a very mild fish-based broth. Pork dumplings filled the bowl along with chicken, beef and shrimp. It was a decent soup, but a little bit of a let-down since it lacked the BBQ Roast Pork (Cha Siu) slices that really make War Won Ton special.
On another visit the soup was ordered off the ‘secret’ menu. This was a Fish Soup with Chinese Pickled Vegetables. This was a wonderful soup, the fish tender and flaky, the broth with a faint touch of the sea but not overpowering. The surprise was the pickled vegetables, slightly tangy, a little crunchy and with a wonderful flavor. This is a dish that can hold its own with any of the better Chinese restaurants in San Francisco or Seattle. As with the other soups, it is served in a large tureen along with small bowls for the individual diners.
Red Pavilion Mandarin Cuisine does a nice job with the standards for the main courses. Ruby Red Pork was nicely done, the tender pork lightly breaded and fried crisp and served with a luscious sweet and sour sauce. Served on a bed of shredded cabbage, the dish was tasty and well done. Flaming Garlic Pork was also good, a mixture of vegetables along with the thin slices of pork and garlic, spicy but not overpowering. A Veggie Deluxe platter contained plenty of sliced vegetable in a garlic white sauce that is perfect for vegetarians.
Mongolian Beef is a traditional dish that was done nicely, the tender beef slices complemented by both sauteed onion and fresh green onion pieces. The tasty sauce was mild, listed as a chili sauce but cooked so anyone could eat it. Of course, you can also request chili paste on the side to reach the desired level of hotness you can prefer, or just tell the server to make the entire dish hot. Beef Chow Fun had a nice amount of wide, tasty noodles mixed with the tender beef slices.
Honey Almond Shrimp was nicely done, the sauce made with a hint of mayonnaise and the sliced almonds nicely fried with a honey coating and adding some nice crunch to the dish. The shrimp themselves were plump and cooked nicely, still juicy inside. Of course, Chinese restaurants serve a lot of chicken dishes and Red Pavilion Chinese Cuisine is no different. Kung Pao Chicken was a good choice, spicy and with plenty of crisp green peppers, peanuts and jalapëno in it.
The menu also has plenty of noodle and rice dishes to order. One of the nice things about Red Pavilion is that the menu is big enough for choices, without having the wild number of dishes to wade through that many Chinese restaurants have. Red Pavilion Mandarin Cuisine is kid friendly and there are several options for complete children’s meals including main course, side dish and drink. As a special note, the menu mentions that any dish can be ordered as a gluten-free choice.
Overall, Red Pavilion Mandarin Cuisine has something for everyone. Those who enjoy the basics can stick to the main menu, nicely done and with excellent descriptions of the dishes. Even the spicy dishes default to a mild taste, so everyone can enjoy them. Just by asking for hot, though, you can get the zing the spicy fans desire. For the more adventurous, just ask to peruse the secret menu. There, you’ll find more unusual dishes to try. The staff is very good at explaining about the various dishes. It is a nice touch and allows for the tasting of dishes not normally found in Boise area Chinese restaurants.
Red Pavilion Mandarin Cuisine and its sister location, Red Pavilion Chinese Cuisine in Mountain Home, are succeeding in bringing authentic Chinese dishes to the Treasure Valley. They are a great choice for enjoying Chinese food the way it should be enjoyed.
Red Pavilion Mandarin Cuisine
1760 S Meridian Rd #102, Meridian, ID
Phone (208) 895-5880
Website: www.redpavi.com
