Little Pepper

Although I don’t get to come often, I really enjoy eating here. My advice would be to have patience and flexibility as it’s a true family run business with a mom and pop team running everything. I do appreciate that they will let you know when food will take longer- have a cold beer or some house tea while you wait for delicious food. I am not an expert but I’ve traveled to China for work a few times and the food here takes me back to there, authentic and delicious!

Little Pepper: A Hidden Gem in Whitestone Little Pepper is a delightful, unassuming restaurant nestled in Whitestone. Street parking was readily available on a Saturday morning. The clean interior and friendly service created a welcoming atmosphere. Our server was exceptionally patient, especially with my son's enthusiasm for authentic Szechuan cuisine. We were thoroughly impressed by every dish we ordered, particularly the mapo tofu and chicken with three type of mushrooms. Even as someone who isn't a fan of spicy food, I found plenty of delicious options to enjoy. Without a doubt, Little Pepper is highly recommended. We'll definitely be returning to savor more of their fantastic food.

As others have said, this is a mom n pop restaurant, as in it is literally run by one mom and one pop. At first I was turned away at 8pm on Saturday, I came alone. But I asked for Mabo Dofu and Dan Dan with the little Chinese I remembered from college, she asked if it's ok if it takes a little longer, and I said "no problem!" And I was in! The Dan Dan noodles were my favorite, they were exquisite. Noodles had a perfect homemade texture. The Mabo Dofu had a great amount of spice and Sichuan pepper. Pork fat perfectly permeated all the sauce.

Holy S*** this place is fantastic. The flavors are balanced. The spicy dishes were hot, but not blinding hot, I could taste the food. I will keep returning to try all the things on the menu. Parking in the area is challenging, but totally worth the effort.

Good Sichuan isn't hard to find in the city, but great Sichuan is not - and Little Pepper reaches those heights more than almost any other place I've had outside of Chengdu. The Dan Dan Noodle has just the right amount of heat (and isn't shy about it), but the Sichuan peppercorn flavor bursts through unlike almost any I've had. This is also true for their clear glass noodle with pork, and their mapo tofu. The Shredded Pork and Bean Curd is a fantastic, less spicy dish to balance the heat of the others, and the ingenious scallion fried rice (where scallion is actually pressed into the grains, creating that green hue and addictive flavor) is an absolute must to cool you down. I didn't love the pork belly in the Twice cooked pork, which is one of my favorite dishes from the region, but the flavor was still great - but mostly everything else was a huge hit. Even the pickled Sichuan veggies are awesome here! Highly recommend.