Pepper Lunch @ Pavilion

The above is their all famous Beef Pepper Rice which I ordered from the new (well not so new now lol) Pepper Lunch restaurant at Pavilion, where all the food stores are. Based in Japan, the dishes remind me of Korean’s Bibimbup (which I cooked once myself). How to locate it?

Easy. It really stands out so there shouldn’t be a problem looking for this colourful restaurant. It was complete with a widescreen TV showing you how to perfectly cook your ready-made meals to perfection. The intended effect was right on the spot; it made crave to try it out.

Even if it means blowing a hole in my pocket. The dishes here are on the pricey side for a fast food-style selection. Nevertheless there were quite a number of interesting selections, but upon recommendation I went for the original dish that made Pepper Lunch what it is today.

After paying for my order I was given a counter just like everyone else. What happens is that at the kitchen the dish gets prepared immediately to be placed on a sizzling stone bowl in such a way that when we receive it, it would take at least 10 minutes for the dish to be well done. I was anticipating this when….

I noted a bunch of japanese people who were talking beside me. They looked like businessmen and women and when what looked like a VIP came through the entrance they were ushered to the table beside me. I suppose the guy who’s looking towards my camera should be one of the owners.

Here’s the bill for my meal… A little pricey overall don’t you think?

Anyway, it wasn’t long before the dish came, all sizzling and ever so aromatic.

First thing I did was to open the soup cover to take a whiff at their soup. There was a choice between soup and a drink, and I opted for soup instead. It was a tad bit salty but I guess you just cannot escape Ajinomoto wherever you go (apart from good ol’ home cooking, that is hehe)

The bowl comes with a protective barrier so that bits of rice and oil won’t jump out on you. Kinda smart if you think about it. Gave it a quirky look that you’ll tend to remember for a long time haha. Must think about these things when I finally open a restaurant of my own :Dd

As you can see, the contents were still raw showing that it’s freshly cooking. The aroma is just wonderful and simply amazing as fats from the beef gets burnt into the sizzling oil, giving flavour to the rice.

This is a closer look at that dish. My camera’s lens keeps fogging up but it was well worth the shot. I was salivating then, so close to all the action triggered my extrasensitive nose to breathe in delicious air around it 😀

Now, Pepper Lunch’s specialty is their sauces as well. They have two main sauces which are the Garlic soy sauce as well as the honey brown sauce. The trick is to add the right amount of each to the dish, along with pepper (more if you want) to create the tasty dish to your own liking. I poured ample amount into it for maximum flavour without it being too salty.

So the magic starts as we mix the contents together, just imagine the aroma of cooking beef fats with the sauces, all stirred with sweet corn and rice to go around…

MAGIC

The meat cooking so excellently. I love mine to be not too cooked, just right juicy 😉

And it’s done! Eating it while it’s hot allows for maximum flavour. Of course, don’t burn your tongue 😉 I added some soup into it to cool it down.

And finished up the bowl in no time. Needless to say the portion was quite heavy and I felt so full. That was the day I wanted to cut my hair too but I think I had a little too much rice and got so sleep that I wanted to go back to catch some much needed sleep… Haven’t been sleeping for sometime lol. But I hate sleeping. I really do. it’s like the biggest waste of time! Unfortunately my body doesn’t agree with me sigh. OK i’m being sidetracked haha anyway that’s the end of my tasting session with Pepper Lunch.

My honest review? Once and it’s enough for me. A little too pricey to come back again but should an occasion occur, I would love to try their steaks, apparently it’s quite promising! Anyone up for it? 😉