Houston Sichuan mainstay, now serving $9.99 lunch combo specials at its Montrose location, plus crawfish (in season).

315 Fairview St, Houston, TX 77006
(832) 649-7175
Website

11:30AM–2:30PM, 4:30PM–9PM  (Tue–Sun); Closed Monday

Almost everyone in Houston could write their own review of Pepper Twins, the flourishing local chain known for its spin on Sichuan fare made with carefully procured proteins. Despite our devotion to dishes like Fish Loves Tofu, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and anything on the menu preceded with “Pepper Twins,” it seemed unnecessary to cover them for this blog, until two exciting developments recently surfaced on the company’s official Instagram account:

1. Sichuan Crawfish (!)
2. $9.99 lunch specials (Fairview St. location only, Tue–Fri 11:30–2:30)

Our attention doubly-seized by Pepper Twins’ astute social media team, we set out on a mid-week quest to fill up on discount delectables and rectify the dearth of local Sichuan crawfish coverage.

Spicy Sichuan crawfish ($8.99 / pound): Although we’d hotly anticipated this seasonal item, we kept our heads and stuck to the minimum two-pound order, since we were also lining up two lunch sets. After a few minutes spent with our plate specials, we received a large stew bowl filled with a volcanic-looking sauce and a tower of mudbugs, along with a pack of dispensable plastic gloves. Robustly sized, the crawfish in their Sichuan bath did not disappoint. The shellfish had been tossed with a garlic head’s worth of whole cloves in a deliciously dank sauce that oozed powerful mala and five-spice flavors and boasted a slick of chili oil on the surface. The crawfish themselves tasted like they had been cooked in clean boil water (or possibly water with beer added, as suggested by a server we talked to at another location) and seasoned afterwards. Our solution to the resulting slightly-bland tail meat: dip it in the sauce. These don’t quite achieve the flavor level of Khon’s crawfish, but they present an exciting alternative to other local styles, and we would order them again in a hot minute. (We also saved a to-go container of the spectacular sauce for home-cooking purposes.)

Pepper Twins chicken ($9.99 lunch special): Pepper Twins chicken equates small chunks of boneless bird stir-fried with red and green Sichuan peppercorns, diced Thai green chiles, and garlic. This is a favorite at our local Pepper Twins on West Gray and it did not disappoint at Fairview. The blend of multiple peppercorns and fresh green chiles produces a spicy, complex, and almost medicinal variation on the mala theme. We ordered this plate with garlic cucumber and vegetable fried rice—the cucumber was simultaneously refreshing and picante, and the fried rice was well-prepared and non-greasy, with a welcomed green accent courtesy of chopped fresh broccoli. The $9.99 lunch portions did not skimp on any item.

Thai chili scallion lamb ($9.99 lunch special): This dish was a bit of a wild card because we were new to anything labeled Thai on the menu. Cooked in a savory brown sauce with chopped green chiles and scallions, the moderately-spicy, high-quality lamb tasted rich and savory, but we personally prefer the more assertive seasoning of Pepper Twins’ cumin lamb (also available as a lunch special). For this plate, we ordered the fried rice again but chose vegetable spring rolls as the side. The spring rolls were, in our opinion, fairly dull, starchy filler compared to the far-superior garlic cucumber. Unless you personally object to choosing raw vegetables over fried things, order the spicy cukes. With the lamb, as with the chicken, you receive plenty of top-quality Sichuan fare for your $9.99 investment.

Conclusions: Pepper Twins’ Montrose lunch specials are muy bueno, and the Sichuan crawfish provides an exciting way to switch up your springtime freshwater crustacean-gorging pattern. Head over and order some soonish before they disappear.