I have eaten regularly at Red Chilli since it first opened, and have been a huge fan all this time. However, I heard that they have changed chefs sometime last year (maybe in the latter half of the year). Sadly, having been back there several times in the last 6 months, I can say that I feel the food has gone downhill. For example, one of my favourite dishes "yu xiang rou si" (shredded pork cooked with bamboo shoots and mushrooms ect - I don't know it's English name on the menu!) used to be somewhat hot and gently sour, with just a touch of sweetness, but now just has a sweet sauce that tastes like a generic Cantonese or (or Shanghainese) dish from a takeaway! The duck is as good as ever, but definitely I feel several of the Sichuan dishes no longer taste very authentic (or even very good). Maybe this won't worry most people (and it needn't, necessarily) but for me, what made Red Chilli such an oasis was the fact that almost all Chinese restaurants and takeaways in the UK all sell Cantonese food - Red Chilli was the first in Leeds to sell Sichuan and Northern style Chinese food - two totally different styles of cooking. A new restaurant opened in Leeds recently called Home Town restaurant, in Vicar lane, just a few doors down from Tong Palace. It lacks the exquisite decor of Red Chilli, but the food is authentic Sichuan and Northern Chinese cuisine, and after 3 visits, I can confirm that they do it well, and the staff are really nice, friendly and helpful. I hope Red Chilli can improve its cooking again, as it's still a real destination restaurant in Leeds, and for the sake of introducing UK people to other kinds of Chinese cuisine, it's been a great ambassador. But check out both of the restaurants I've discussed here and see what you think!
Red Chilli – Leeds City Centre