391630 Sat Apr 14 09:02:37 -0700 2007 32 19 Outer Boroughs 0 2480450 My wife and I ventured to Little Pepper in Flushing, located in the old Spicy and Tasty space. A few months ago we visited Spicy and Tasty and enjoyed it but weren't blown away, perhaps we ordered wrong or they just really cut back on the spices for us. Our experience at Little Pepper was everything we had hoped for at Spicy and Tasty but didn't get. We only tried 4 dishes but were blown away by all of them. I really think that Little Pepper is a step above Spicy and Tasty. Our dishes 1) Soft bean curd with spicy sauce: silky soft tofu with peanuts, cilantro and a not overwhelmingly spicy sauce. The peanuts were a great textural contrast to the soft tofu, and the cilantro helped cut through the rich spicy sauce 2) Pork Dumplings with spicy sauce: a pile of dumplings came in a large bowl of sauce, almost like a soup. The spicy sauce was completely different than the one that came with the tofu, not quite as spicy and with more of a sweet taste. The dumpling dough was also a little sweet which complimented the pork meat and really enhanced the spicy flavor in the sauce. This was our favorite dish of the night. 3) Dried Green Beans: my wife's comparison dish that she orders at every Chinese restaurant, she learned to love it during her study abroad in Beijing and she said that Little Pepper may have made the best rendition of it that she's had yet. I don't think it's a typical Sìchuān dish, but it sure tastes good. 4) Lamb with Spices: The dry cooked lamb with cumin and spices is my favorite dish at Waterfront International, and at Little Pepper they took the dish to another level. The Sìchuān peppercorn and chili combination left your mouth on fire but begging for more. I couldn't handle eating the entire serving of this, due to the heat but I'm happy they didn't hold back for me. In terms of pure enjoyability I probably still like the Waterfront International version because I can actually finish the whole dish, but the flavor profile of the Little Pepper version certainly more sophisticated and more satisfying on an individual bite level. Our grand total with beer and tip was $36, a total steal. I definitely look forward to going back and exploring the menu more, as we waited for our check we noticed the wall specials and my wife tried to decipher a few of them but her Chinese is kind of rusty. She was able to identify the main meats in each dish but the cooking methods weren't familiar, we'll have to ask for help next time. One more note, we went at 7pm on Friday and the place was 100% empty except for us. I know Spicy and Tasty gets the hype on this board but Little Pepper deserves some love too. Go check it out! Little Pepper (Xiao La Jiao) 133-43 Roosevelt Avenue Sat Apr 14 09:02:38 -0700 2007 11712 Astoria Lurker 1 2480496 Yes! I love this place! Lots more good dishes await you, some of which are discussed here. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/311139 One of my favorites is the water-cooked (水煮) stuff (beef or fish) Sat Apr 14 09:30:54 -0700 2007 2480450 11362 Brian S 2 3218497 Brian do you know if there an on-line menu for Little Pepper? I have tried with no luck.. Tue Dec 18 09:37:06 -0800 2007 2480496 12618 erica 3 3218602 http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/xiao-la-jiao/menus/main.html Tue Dec 18 10:02:23 -0800 2007 3218497 17642 David W 4 3218622 David, thank you..How did I manage to miss that? Tue Dec 18 10:05:38 -0800 2007 3218602 12618 erica 5 3250124 just so you know, some of the prices, especially the braised dishes, are incorrect. the take out menu that i have prices the braised sliced fish as 11.95. Mon Dec 31 14:15:40 -0800 2007 3218622 13959 cervisiam 1 3240319 I just want to chime in here and say that I had one of my best New York Chinese meals ever at this restaurant last night. The restaurant was empty when we arrived at 6:15 but by the time we left after 8, every table was taken with Asian diners. And every other table had a hotpot at the center. There is very limited English spoken here, as others have noted, but the staff is very friendly and most willing to help in deciphering the menu, including the separate hotpot menu which is written in Chinese only. Thanks to all of the tips here, we did not need a menu, as I had everything written down in advance. Note that the numbers are only on the paper takeout menu, not on the table menus. Here is what our group of 7 devoured; unless otherwise noted, everything was fantastic: Cold Sichuan noodles..best I have had Dry cooked lamb with Cumin..not over-the-top spicy. I think..no, I am quite certain, that they toned down the spice for our group.. Dried sauteed green Beans..the only dish I was not wild about Bamboo shoots appetizer Pork dumplings with spicy sauce Won ton in soup (excellent chicken broth; wontons good..thick skin) Crust of cooked rice with pork..a standout. Not spicy. Tea smoked Duck. Now on my list of Top 5 NY Chinese dishes. I liked it better than Wu Liang Yu 86 and I like theirs a lot. Eggplant in garlic sauce..I was too full to try this but everyone else liked a lot. Shredded pork with dried bean curd...a standout. No spice, though. Shredded pork with bamboo shoots. Much like the dish above. I cannot stop thinking bout this, it was so good. Again, no heat. Fried won ton with pork. Order of kung pao chicken and an order of sweet and sour spare ribs (which were boneless and surprisingly delicious..ordered for the spice-hater but sampled by me!) I cannot wait to return and apologize for the poor reporting here..I was in such a swoon over the food that I lost all reason and memory. I could kick myself for not bringing home a few extra things.... Thu Dec 27 11:53:28 -0800 2007 2480450 12618 erica 2 3242723 Thanks for the lovely report. I don't think the lamb with cumin is normally spicy -- except, of course, for the cumin. Fri Dec 28 10:07:00 -0800 2007 3240319 11362 Brian S 3 3245267 Thanks, Brian...you are too kind about my "report!" I cannot get that food out of my mind, even 3 days after the fact! Sat Dec 29 12:32:04 -0800 2007 3242723 12618 erica 4 3247194 Ohhhhh you should try the fish! http://www.chowhound.com/topics/467569#3243918 I've been there twice this week. First time, lamb in clay pot, which was very good but not my favorite. Second time, that fish. I noticed someone at another table ordered a simple noodles with beef, and it was served in a cute little miniature wok. Sun Dec 30 11:44:16 -0800 2007 3245267 11362 Brian S 5 3247585 Which one is the lamb in clay pot? There is no such description in English, and I don't recognize any of the Chinese characters for lamb dishes explicitly stating that they come in a clay pot (maybe I didn't look hard enough). I too have been there twice in the past week. I'm hooked on the cowpeas with minced pork (labeled as black eyed peas in the takeout menu). It's the immature whole pods cut into very small pieces; slightly sour and somehow buttery tasting to me. Also got the braised lamb dish. I prefer the lamb with cumin instead and think that the braised fish would be a better choice if one wanted to go with a water-cooked dish. Smoked pork with leeks is another good dish. Thin slices of smoked pork belly. Slightly chewy and tasting of a good barbecue. Could be spicier though. Has anyone ordered the ma la fish dish from the wall menu ($29.95)? It sounds good but eats the budget of 3 dishes. Sun Dec 30 14:28:48 -0800 2007 3247194 13402 Joe MacBu 6 3247849 Lamb in a clay pot is on there in English. Sun Dec 30 16:24:31 -0800 2007 3247585 113604 JFores 7 3248716 I don't see it on the takeout menu. I'll check the dine-in menu next time. Mon Dec 31 01:52:36 -0800 2007 3247849 13402 Joe MacBu 8 3253300 It's not on the takeout menu but it is on the dine-in menu in English, and on the wall in Chinese. Wed Jan 02 09:14:24 -0800 2008 3248716 11362 Brian S 9 3253694 You know what's really funny? People have come around to using it's English name like they do with every other Chinese restaurant. No more "Xiao La Jiao." The Curse of Sietsema has been lifted. http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0630,sietsema,73931,15.html Wed Jan 02 11:06:43 -0800 2008 3253300 10162 Bob Martinez 10 3256922 I use the English name because, as you pointed out, if we send people out looking for Xiao La Jiao, they will be doomed to spend the rest of their lives wearily trudging back and forth on Roosevelt, looking for a sign that doesn't exist. Who is that sad spectre? children will ask, and their parents will sigh and say, it's a story too sad for your ears, the ghost of Chowhound past! Happy New Year! Thu Jan 03 09:40:01 -0800 2008 3253694 11362 Brian S 11 3259120 Brian I am howling out loud just picturing that...and his or her clothing will be all raggedy with big holes and sliding off the scrawny shoulders...the soles of the shoes will be separating from the uppers...the laces will have been long lost...the buggy eyes peering through thick glasses bound with tape...just looking..looking for that sign........ Thu Jan 03 18:53:56 -0800 2008 3256922 12618 erica 6 3248260 I second the cowpeas and smoked pork with leeks. Both are crazy good and unique. Those were standouts from my report earlier this year. Can't wait to go again, been way too long. Sun Dec 30 19:03:11 -0800 2007 3247585 12488 noisejoke 3 3249602 Both times I have had this dish it has been quite spicy tingly with sichuan peppercorns. This is not the norm? Really good! I'm so glad you enjoyed your meal so much Erica, you are making me want to go back now! Mon Dec 31 11:02:17 -0800 2007 3242723 18154 prunefeet 4 3312797 So we finally decided to order take-out tonight from this place, and failed miserably!. The woman who answered the phone responded to my "I'd like to place an order" with "No English" and hung up. I tried again and asked, very slowly, if I could place an order. Again "No English." I asked if there was anyone else there who did speak English, she said no, then hung up again. Third time, I asked if I could simply order by number off of the take out menu, thinking she might at least know English numbers. But again, the response was "No English" and a hang-up. How do other people order from this place? I can't imagine I'm the only non-Chinese speaking Chowhound in Queens! Sat Jan 19 17:29:51 -0800 2008 3249602 16536 jennielap 5 3313520 No English. JK Sun Jan 20 03:59:14 -0800 2008 3312797 11061 johnk 6 3313700 So phone-ahead take-out is not an option for non-Chinese speakers at this restaurant? I guess I'll stick with Spicy and Tasty... Sun Jan 20 06:49:40 -0800 2008 3313520 16536 jennielap 7 3313785 Just go to the restaurant, spend a few extra minutes, it is well worth your trouble as a Chowhound. Sun Jan 20 07:30:40 -0800 2008 3313700 11712 Astoria Lurker 8 3314375 Yes it is worth the trouble, and I must say that I've never heard anyone say, I phoned Mario Batali's hottest restaurant to order takeout and they refused to take my order. Sun Jan 20 11:31:07 -0800 2008 3313785 11362 Brian S 9 3314719 With all due respect, that is a ridiculous comparison. Batali's places are fine dining establishments. Little Pepper is, to put it kindly, a hole in the wall. Sure the food is great, but it's definitely the sort of restaurant where, given the surroundings, it is reasonable to want to get it "to-go." And in my experience the food travels perfectly well. Sun Jan 20 13:59:12 -0800 2008 3314375 44881 evets 10 3314731 What's wrong with the surroundings? They have a nice interior compared to most places I eat... Sun Jan 20 14:05:50 -0800 2008 3314719 113604 JFores 7 3314014 In my experience, the home style dishes here are head and shoulders above Spicy and Tasty. Then again, after my first trip to Chengdu Heaven I've been spending every trip to Chinatown in the basement of a steamy mall getting eyed like a 3 headed dragon by Chinese passers by. No reason to write off Little Pepper. I wouldn't want many of their dishes if they sat anyway. Ma po do fu or double cooked pork would both get kind of rank if they sat. For that matter, most pork belly would just rubberize. Sun Jan 20 09:12:48 -0800 2008 3313700 113604 JFores 8 3314558 Well, I don't know how a take-out order would fly at Babbo; I've never tried that. In an ideal world we would go to Little Pepper and, I'm sure, get our socks knocked off by the food. But the truth is that we have 3 small children, none of whom like Chinese food, and we don't get a lot of chances for dinners out. So if we want to have the good stuff we have to compromise and get it to go. And until I learn the pronunciation for the dishes I like (or they get someone who speaks a little English), we'll have to forego Little Pepper. By the way, the double-cooked pork from S&T travels just fine. Sun Jan 20 12:50:03 -0800 2008 3314014 16536 jennielap 9 3315256 I'd follow Astoria Lurker's advice and place your takeout order in person. It's easier to communicate in person, where you can point at the menu. Then take a stroll - maybe a half block east, to pick up a bag of frozen dumplings at Best North Dumpling ( http://www.chow.com/digest/1743 ), or around the corner for a smoked chicken at Tian Jin ( http://www.chow.com/digest/4029 ). Sun Jan 20 17:33:14 -0800 2008 3314558 10496 squid kun 5 3328920 I've eaten at Little Pepper a bunch of times and they really don't speak much English. I get by through pointing at the menu items (which are in both Chinese and English, although not the items listed on the wall, which are only in Chinese). I imagine that if I tried to call in an order there would be virtually no chance of communicating what I want. That much being said, I'd still try to go and order in person. If you're doing takeout (as opposed to delivery) it will only be a few extra minutes. Every time I've gone I have (deliberately) over-ordered and taken portions home, and everything I've had seems to do fine with reheating, so takeout shouldn't be a problem. Thu Jan 24 13:15:26 -0800 2008 3312797 12880 LloydG 6 3330049 I'm there during work hours and have taken to over-ordering takeout pretty much by necessity. You can get a few items for $10-12 and spread it over a few days if you have access to a microwave; this way I get a little of each item each time, and it breaks down affordably to boot. I haven't had any problem showing up in person and pointing to the menu either, and it really doesn't take much time. They even offer tea while you wait. Thu Jan 24 18:32:21 -0800 2008 3328920 12713 TongoRad 1 4810058 I just dined here for my second time. By chance I ended up eating two of the same dishes I had at the first meal---I'm usually more adventurous---and was as wonderfully happy this time as last. While many previous posts have focused on the barely ESL staff, we were greeted with warmth and guidance on menu choices; one order was not available and another was suggested with relative ease. (There was also a slight, seemingly innocent, fascination of my enjoyment of the Tsingtao.) We ordered the braised fish in spicy broth, and I can't think of any way I'd want to change the dish. Cohesive, balanced, and full of character. Also, one serving could easily be a quick snack for 2 or 3 over cheap beers before a night of painting the town red. We also had the lamb with cumin that has been mentioned by many other ChowHounders. While I loved the crispy bits, I sometimes desire a more substantial piece of food---especially meat---to fully explore the flavor and textural spectrum. Heavily spiced with cumin, this dish brought a huge, late heat that grew with time. I love spicy more than most and this dish almost broke me... made me "emotional," let's say. I found myself having the great debate of "m m goodness" vs. "can I take the heat?" But that's not I debate I mind having. Out for under $40 bucks (for two) with drinks, I find good reason to make this a more regular chow. Fri Jun 26 20:21:58 -0700 2009 2480450 165265 Crisp Otter 2 4816107 Thanks for the report. Have they moved to their new location yet? Mon Jun 29 15:18:28 -0700 2009 4810058 12618 erica