When the dearly departed Meson G just didn't click with the neighborhood, owners Tim and Liza Goodell shuttered it to open this brightly hued concoction. Our sadness aside, the neighborhood seems to have responded favorably, as men with an extra shirt button undone flock here with girls flitting about in click-click-click heels.

Our bitterness is tempered by Meson G chef Josef Centeno's move to Opus Restaurant, where we can actually afford to sample his cuisine (three-course tasting: $30). Anyway, where were we? Oh right, Red Pearl Kitchen. We can't honestly say we're crazy about the décor, filled with bright reds, yellows, oranges and eclectic/ironic Asian-themed imagery; yep, we've seen kung-fu movies on the flat-screen by the bar. But the drinks at that bar are good: We recommend the Jade Mistress, sweetened with apple and given a kick with basil and Thai red chiles. And the food ain't actually bad. The family-style options include the expected wontons, dumplings and spring rolls, with unusual options thrown in like strawberry-cinnamon ribs, duck-banana lettuce wraps, and a "hot pot" filled with short rib, pumpkin and curry. For dessert, the correct answer is the pot de crème with banana fritters. —Lonny Pugh