On one fateful Tuesday night not so long ago, as I huddled under an umbrella with my flatmates in the queue for Club Salvation, I noticed something that greatly intrigued me. Running parallel to the gargantuan river of drunken students was a wall of glass through which a soft red glow spilled out onto the rain soaked street, illuminating the shivering forms of my fellow Salvation patrons.
Curious, I pressed my nose to the window and was met with one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen: a sprawling maze of mahogany tables, nestled amongst stylish half walls topped with frosted glass, and surrounded by rich wood-panelled walls inlaid with intricate oriental caligraphy. The room was the floor of Chinese restaurant Red Chilli, and immediately I knew it was a place worth visiting.
Specialising in Beijing and Sichuan cuisine, Red Chilli describes itself as a “restaurant with a mission”, that being to “enhance your experience in Chinese food, looking after your pocket, stomach and soul.” I have to say, I disagree with this statement. After eating there, my stomach was so full it was in genuine danger of rupturing – if they genuinely cared so much for its welfare a waiter really should have stopped me during my fourth helping of the crispy duck. Honestly though, it was totally worth it.
On our arrival, we were shown to our table, a cozy little booth that overlooked the restaurant floor. The menu was sizeable and intimidating, full of strange delicacies such as ‘Stir fried frog’s legs with Big Grandma’s chilli sauce’ and ‘House special spicy hot pot with assorted intestine’. We realized we had to leave the westernized, takeaway version of Chinese food that we were so accustomed to at the door; Red Chilli is a truly authentic experience.
We eventually settled on the set ‘Banquet Menu’ (realizing we were totally out of our depth choosing for ourselves) and feeling particularly peckish, we splashed out on the most expensive one entitled ‘True Love’. Red Chilli does not hold back on portion sizes, and when the massive vat of Beijing Hot and Sour soup was hefted onto our table, it was clear this was not a restaurant one can leave still hungry.
The meal was delicious, from the duck the waitress shredded tableside, to the sizzling beef fillet in black bean sauce that’s blasted on a hotplate before your eyes. The only flaw lay in the service, that was occasionally rude, hurrying us for our orders and to finish eating quickly. Despite that, the meal was totally worth the expensive price tag (the True Love menu costs £30 per head), we left so full and satisfied we could not even manage the fifth course of a small plate of orange segments.
Red Chilli is the place to go if you happen to have some spare change left over after freshers’ week and want to eat somewhere completely different to the norm. Able to cater for large group sizes, it’s the perfect environment to get away from the student takeaway ‘sweet and sour chicken’ and strike out upon something more adventurous with your flatmates. We opted for the expensive option, but lunch menus start at a very reasonable £9 per head, and their takeaway menu now offers a 20% off deal – perfect if freshers’ has drained your bank balance. If you want authentic Chinese, incredible food and a unique experience, this is a must-visit during your time at York.