Red Hot Chilli Pepper

It is really sad how this place has fallen over the past year or so. It used to be a hangout place we looked forward to once in 6 or so months to have a nice time, good food, innovative drinks and dessert, all over good service. It has sadly gone down the hill quite shockingly.

Service is at best, mediocre when crowded. The frequency of visiting from the waiting and serving staff is horribly low, there is almost zero personalization or conversation, the staff don't seem to be knowledgeable enough on the menu to give you recommendations.

The ambience is still decent around the bar, but feels like a dungeon inside leading into the 'banquet' hall. It is narrow and does not allow for any privacy or conversation when crowded. Leave alone the fact that there are no views or windows to speak of.

Food, this is the biggest let down. Presentation is a zero, freshness is a 3, taste is a 2 and overall less than 3. The appetizers seem pre-made as evidenced by the speed of their showing up after order, the temperature at serving and the freshness of the ingredients. It sets you off to a poor start and does not get better. The menu is conducive to reuse of ingredients, but looks like the search for efficiency and better profit margins have compromised the quality pretty severely. I was almost left wondering if we were served leftovers from the banquet vs. food made to order!

Being vegetarians, we typically order the Manchurian coins, the Tofu Vegetables and Schezwan fried rice. There is no character, flavor, spice or heat on the food. Quite horrific of an experience, now two times in a row. The hosts do not seem to care or attend to concerns. Superficially they do respond by heating the food and replacing it, but it seemed more like a chore or obligation vs. passion or proactive customer empathy.

When humans lose passion, AI can do better. This restaurant seems to be on a serious decline and pretty desperately needs help. I can't say for sure, but they are either struggling financially or are getting too greedy. It might also have been a couple of bad samples, but with so many things off, is it a really bad sampling or a sign of decline? A premier restaurant lives or dies based on service above everything else and this one seems to be on the wrong trajectory. We will consider other options before coming back to this one.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 2

Service: 2

Food was okayish - not so great.
We went as a big corp group and Folks here added extra items on the bill and are a bit evasive when asked about

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 1

Sanjay was amazing and very helpful taking care of our group of 18 team members. Thank you Sanjay and red hot chilly pepper team!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Sanjay who took care of our very large group was very good and exceptionally attending to details. It was a birthday and he made sure all our needs were taken care of and all the food was exceptional. Sanjay is a great waiter.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Highly recommended and truly lives up to the reputation of being best Indo Chinese in the Bay Area. Service was top notch especially our server Sanjay was amazing. Going to be back surely!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Fav indochinese place in the bay! Been visiting for the past 5 years and the food is consistently great. We are vegetarian and always order the crispy potato, hot & sour soup, garlic noodles, and veg coins. The sizzling brownie was much smaller than we thought.
The service is exceptional - attentive and friendly. We were helped by Mickey.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chilli Garlic Noodles, Crispy Chilli Potato

We went there for our anniversary and thoroughly enjoyed the food, ambience, and service. We ordered the Chilli Fish and Burnt Garlic Fried Rice — both were excellent. For dessert, we had the sizzling Chocolate Lava Cake, which was the perfect finale. The service staff was friendly, and a special shout-out to Mickey for taking great care of us and ensuring the food arrived promptly. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and we’ll definitely be coming back!

I had heard good things about this restaurant, but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. I ordered the firecracker chicken, which surprisingly tasted more like fish to me. The chili chicken was okay, nothing mind blowing, and the chili garlic noodles were decent at best. For the price, I expected much more because this place is not cheap, but the food quality felt lacking.
It honestly tasted like some of the dishes had been reheated rather than made fresh. My husband and I have tried a lot of restaurants, and this one just did not meet our expectations. The worst part was that I had invited a guest, and it ended up being a bit embarrassing. I know some people might feel differently and enjoy it, but this was our experience. Sadly, I do not see myself coming back. The flavors and freshness just did not justify the cost or the hype surrounding this spot.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 2

I love this place but when I order a soup they give literally nothing in a very small box . Something I order in restaurant two people can share it . Disappointed . But coirander soup they have is very good

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

The Service & Food was Excellent.
Sanjay host gave us very good service with excellent recommendation.
Really enjoyed & recomend to.visit this Restaurant.
Pawan Sureka

We came to Red hot chili peppers in San Carlos. It was after a long time that I was trying the Indo Chinese food. And to address our confusion and selections, we were helped by Sanjay. Not only did he help us select the perfect appetizers, and the curries, he also suggested what drinks would go well. Overall he educated us about the menu, food. I liked the place and the service was quick. Sanjay our server took great care of us. Happy experience overall.

10.2025

Let me save you some time — please, please try their Dry Gobi Manchurian (spice level: HOT — only if you dare). It’s insanely good. Like, “where-have-you-been-all-my-life” good. You’ll thank me later. 🌶️🔥

I also tried the Hakka Noodles… let’s just say they were on a silent mode. Bland and boring — definitely not the star of the show.

Can’t wait to go order again and explore more next time — but that Gobi Manchurian? It’s already on my repeat list. 😋

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Service was super slow. Even to order we had call multiple times. Food was okish, not that great. Pricing is on the expensive side. Chilly paneer was ok, with paneer being rubbery. Veg spring rolls were bland. Veg coin manchurian was ok. Would not recommend this place

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

I absolutely love Red Hot Chilli Pepper! The blend of Indian and Asian fusion cuisine makes every dish flavorful with just the right touch of spice. The service was excellent, attentive, and friendly. I highly recommend starting with the Manchurian cauliflower appetizer—it’s incredible. Overall, Red Hot Chilli Pepper offers a fantastic dining experience that I can’t recommend enough!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Almost to no service. We were waiting what seems like forever to get any orders taken. Do not recommend at all.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 4

Service: 1