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| - I was looking forward to trying Lucky Red immediately after I read about it's grand opening, mainly because I'm a huge fan and supporter of Banh Mi Boys (BMBs), I absolutely love their food (refer to my BMB review). I wanted something new, something exciting. The concept for Lucky Red is almost identical to BMBs, so it seems like they took what was good about BMBs and added a few new items and finishing touches.
This location, being in Chinatown has a bao-centric menu. The distinction that BMBs is about Banh Mi, which are Vietnamese, and Lucky Red is about Baos, which are Chinese, was surely made by the two locations.
One thing I did really like was that they introduced the option of baked baos, in addition to the traditional steamed version. Sorta like Milk Bread burger buns, a bit more bite than the steamed counterpart. The baos I tried were the fried fish and pork belly, on baked baos; as well as grilled chicken and cheesesteak, on steamed baos. I think that certain fillings go well with the baked baos, while others fair better with the steamed bao. The opened options are welcomed in my books.
My favourite was the fried fish bao. The fish tasted authentically Chinese in flavour-it was like they cooked the fish next door in a Chinese restaurant, brought it over and stuffed it in their bao. It was crispy, tender, and the sauce with toppings complemented the mild flavor of the filet. My second favourite was the pork belly on steamed bao, an old favourite of mine from the BMBs menu. But I actually think it's different. The recipe uses a pork belly of a different cut, thick and in chunks instead of slices. They were also topped with green onions, cucumbers, peanuts and not with cilantro or pickled vegetables, like daikon radish and carrots. So the flavour of these baos were definitely more Chinese in flavor than Vietnamese.
My Favorite part of the Lo Mein was the pork belly! Although the Lo Mien, (topped with corn, green onions, and salty/sweet sauce) was filling and tasty, I don't think I would order it again. The bowl was too simple of an idea, I would much rather get the kimchi fries which is more imaginative and creative. Flavour wise, it's just also much more compelling.
For 4 baos, a noodle bowl, and a Vietnamese iced coffee, we paid just shy $30. Lucky Red is priced similarly to BMB. In my opinion, the meal was fairly priced, considering it was not only tasty and filling but also a new taste experience. I have never complained about the prices from BMBs (in fact, I have praised them for it) and likewise here. Maybe the noodle bowl could be a dollar cheaper though because for $6.99, in this area, I can find pretty good alternatives. Last, the iced coffees are filled with too much ice! It's cold, that's for sure but I want more than 6 sips to my drink!
Overall, I see myself coming back for more. With more room, it's very comfortable. The food is tasty, diverse, new, and fairly priced. I can't ask for too much more for a quick bite. If Lucky Red opened before BMBs, I would give it a higher rating. I appreciate the changes, but the new items are my least favorite - baos and fries are still my favorite and definitely the things to get here!
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