Pepper Lunch

The food was incredible .. but the service wasn’t the best .. ordered trio steak and teriyaki salmon double meat .. loved it .. would rate the food 4.5 but service not too great

Arigatou gozaimasu! 🇯🇵

Oh maaaaan, I miss Japan. I miss living in Japan so much, having sushi and ramen everyday and hearing that every single day 🎎

I also miss running into temples in every corner, having to bow and getting not only drinks and snacks from vending machines but actually ordering meals at restaurants with a ticket vending machine!

So, when I found out about Pepper Lunch, I just HAD TO visit. And while there were no vending machine (🤔 major million dollar idea to bring here, just saying) I could hear them saying Arigatou gozaimasu (thank you in Japanese) as well as try some amazing Japanese inspired meals with an Australian twist!

Pepper Lunch is a ‘fast-steak’ restaurant, created in 1994 by chef and inventor Kunio Ichinose, who wanted to serve quality fast food without hiring a chef! He created a method using hot metal plates that are heated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 Celsius) by an electromagnetic cooker 😱 and then the raw food in those extremely hot plates are placed in front of you and they are cook right in front of your eyes!

How insane is it to feel like you’re in Japan and having the food cooking in front of you?!

I arrive during lunch time on a Sunday and clearly it was a popular place! Packed and with an energetic and frenetic vibe the costumers were taking most tables and the waitresses were floating around with the extra hot and feverish meals! And if you think that seems chaotic - not at all - quite the opposite! Such good vibes and such an incredible ambience! 🥳 and once I walked inside I saw that this place worked a little different than post of the ones out there, not only for the the left side being dedicated to takeaway but also because here you pay upfront and when they take your order! Just like in Japan!

There is also a difference in how the tables are disposed and there are no tables or counters for single persons - instead you can find many seats and large tables - again, just like Japan!

Luckily for me, the staff was very professional and proactive and when I got to the counter (after a few minutes of astonishment) I went through the menu and asked for recommendations on what to have. The original meals were created to provide a tasty steak in fast food style at a reasonable price, similar to Yoshinoya, a Japanese fast food beef-bowl restaurant chain, at the time. And when they opened on the menu, there were six different steak dishes and side menus including salad and drinks.

They have made some twists to the original menus and now they serve not only meat but also seafood and more plant based options! I honestly cannot explain my excitement and how COOL it was this experience.

So here’s what I had and my impressions!

- Seafood Pepper Rice - easily the most interesting option! I have to say that all the meals were incredibly tasty and that the rice was PERFECT. PERFECT! They rice is cooked ideally al dente and then topped with some corn and a few other vegetables and is he that slight crunchy feeling 👏👌 that is placed in the middle of the hot plate and around it comes with some pieces of seafood from prawns to scallop pieces. Loved it!

- Wagyu Pepper Rice - same as above but with the most amazing and tender wagyu beef! It come in very thin slices and to be honest I was surprised it didn’t come with much fatty pieces. Not burnt either considering the high temperatures of where it is cooked! It’s seriously impressive. I liked the seafood one more just purely because I am a fan of salmon and shrimps but if you’re a meal lover I would definitely recommend this one or the below one!

- Token Rib Eye Steak - this is certainly an option that most Aussies would certainly love as it basically is a combo with protein and some veggies. It is certainly a low carb high fat option - or so I thought! But it actually comes with white rice on the side 👏 this rice is slightly different than the other ones and here there aren’t any extra veggies of top (it already comes inside the plate!) and it is purely boiled and not with any added sauces. And if you thing that I had had enough rice, trust me that no, this rice will never be enough 👌👏😂 this was just one of the best cooked rice I’ve ever had in my life!

- Miso Soup - I asked for two sides, one of them being a miso soup as it is obviously a massive thing in Japan 🤗 with some dashi and what I think was seaweed, green onions and silken tofu it was so delicious that it was gone in seconds! Not overly salty and with huge chunks of tofu (or dashi? 😂) it was just lush! 👏 size wise I think it was just perfect otherwise if it were bigger, then it would have probably been too much salt content 😂

- Sweet Potato Wedges - peeeeeerfect! I am a huge sweet potato lover and these were so on point, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Slightly salty but not too much which I gladly appreciated and the portion served was just right 👌 I have also to highlight that it comes not in a bowl but in a metal container and I really loved that touch 👏

- Apple Mint - Actually I am not sure what was in this drink as I didn’t ask. I would say that it could be a soda drink but the truth is that is it not sparkling which is common in those 😂 I think that is why I loved this so much, since I am not a fan of sparkling soda drinks! But either way it was very refreshing, and it came with a sweet apple taste and a mint hint. It also comes with some mint leaves that were surprisingly good! And the funny thing about this one is the straw! Actually the end of the Straw is quite different that your usual straw and it is certainly designed so you don’t leave any liquid at the end! In one word: yuuuuuum!

It’s amazing how these experiences open your mind to so many things you would never think that you would love and I can definitely say that I truly want to visit again. As a friendly note I would just love to see more plant based and vegan meals on the menu as well as some allergen friendly ice cream - I sure was jealous of not being able to have one! 
Either way this place reminds me and makes me feel like I am a step closer to Japan and the service and food was so outstanding that they sure deserve a 5 star rating. I will certainly be back soon 🇯🇵❤️

This quick and easy casual diner is located just on Elizabeth street right in front of the tram stop.

Would usually have the premium steak (with rice) and pepper salad. Makes it a complete meal and the portion is reasonable.

They do have a good variety on their menu ranging from salads, to pasta and vegetarian options!

Quick and easy lunch option in the CBD

LOVED:
🔸the range of food from rice, pasta, salad and meats
🔸great quailty beef
🔸trio meat, so I get a chance to try a few different meats on the same dish, because choosing is hard sometimes haha
🔸tasty sauces availble
🔸 serve makes it quick and easy

FEEDBACK:
🔹the servers seemed unsure on the orders and whether we had all our dishes, was constantly asked after each dish that was brought out

Stone grill is such a good idea to make your own steak, meat etc i really enjoyed going here! They also have self serve machines where you can use and take a seat straight away as well which is so convenient. So delicious !!

Great place for some hot dinner! Ordered the Wagyu beef sizzling curry and rice dish. It's served on the hot plate and the beef cooks instantly. Very delicious and got a decent portion size. The curry is served in a separate bowl and so you can mix it your way! Will definitely visit again !

Date/time of visit: 28 May 2022 @ 7:00pm (approx) This was my second visit to this particular Pepper Lunch (the first was years and years ago), I have also visited the one in Hawthorn (years ago), and one in Tokyo (in 2019). Pepper Lunch feels like it is kind of a fusion of Japanese-western (Australian/American) foods. For me, some things work, some don't. I didn't like the Pepper Lunch meal I had in Tokyo but I have liked the meals in Melbourne. So, for this particular review - the ordering system was via touch pad (ipad-like) at the entrance to the restaurant. This was painful and slow. Payment was via the same touch pad using EFTpos machine attached to the pad. Then you had to wait to be seated. This whole process put me off Pepper Lunch (until tasting the food). Pepperlunch used to have paper protection around the sizzling plates to stop sauce/fat splashes onto skin and clothing. This no longer appears to be the case. The chicken katsu curry was delicious. The curry sauce reminded me of Japan, having good Japanese flavours. The chicken katsu wasn't what I would consider a traditional chicken katsu. However, the breadcrumb on the chicken was delucate, light and the chicken katsu was cooked very well. The chicken was kind of sliced but I would've preferred a knife to cut it properly (you are given a spoon and fork). The curry sauce was served separately and you add it to the dish. Be careful vecause the dish is extremely hot and the curry sauces sizzles and spits when added to the hot dish. The curry on the hot dish can also evaporate, which was disappointing but I had enough on the chicken and rice to ensure the flavours remained. This dish made up for the painful ordering process. My partner's sizzling kimchi pepper rice (with beef strips) was also enjoyed - my partner loves Pepper Lunch. Drinks might be slightly over priced. Chicken Katsu sizzling curry was good but may also be slightly overpriced. Kimchi pepper rice price was fine. Overall enjoyed the meal and happy with it.