Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Fad Foods: Pepper Lunch

Pepper Lunch

Takashimaya S.C
Ngee Ann City B2-33

Isetan Scotts B1

B: Want to join us for dinner?
K: Where?
B: That new place at the basement of taka.
K: Oh! Pepperlunch, I’ve been there!
B: No, we are going to pepper for dinner.
K: No, it is pepperlunch, pepperlunch is the name of the place.

To avoid further confusion, I propose that it should be called pepperplace.

Since the opening of Pepperlunch, we’ve heard endless people talk about it and so being the kaypoh-greedy people we are, we decided that it was something we had to checkout. Sadly, our outing to Pepperlunch was disappointing, we tried half the menu and nothing inspired us to schedule our next visit.

My pepperlunch experience:


From Top Left to Right: "Tokusen" Ribeye Steak, "Shimofuri" Pepper Steak, Combo Hamburger and Chicken, Combo Cut Steak and Hamburger, Beef Pepper Rice and "Yawaraka" Loin Steak

While waiting for my friends to arrive, I stood outside the restaurant watching the info-video about how to cook and to enjoy your pepperlunch meal. Watching the visuals of the red juicy pieces of beef being seared on the hot plate on the screen while hearing the faint sounds of the sizzle and the smelling the familiar smell of a teppanyaki restaurant really began to whet my appetite, wishing my friends would arrive soon. I then began to study the menu and to decide what I was going to have. After watching that mouth-watering info-video demonstration on how to fry the shimofuri pepper steak which was a steak with marbled fat, I decided that that would be my meat of choice.

Thankfully my friends arrived shortly and quickly ordered at the counter because my rumbling tummy couldn’t take the anticipation and the hunger torture anymore. After a chaotic few minutes at the counter where we tried to get one another to order different things so that we could try more things and deciding if you wanted a soup or a drink and if so, what drink or soup, we finally managed to get our orders in and this is what we sampled from the 12 item menu:

1. Beef Pepper Rice
2. “Shimofuri” Pepper Steak
3. Combo Hamburger and Chicken
4. “Yawaraka” Loin Steak
5. Combo Cut Steak and Hamburger
6. “Tokusen” Ribeye Steak

The food comes pretty quickly and you have to either be experienced or have really fast reflexes. With the beef pepper rice, you are required to “Mix! Mix! Mix!” and with the other steaks, you are required to spread the butter on the meat, flip it and cook it for about a minute and then flip it to cook the other side and then mix with the vegetables and sauce. Personally, it is a little too much action for me.

Off all the steak cuts, the Shimofuri and the Tokusen were the best. I would stay away from the chicken cuts because with the hot plate idea, the chicken tends to get overcooked and it would be dry and you would have no one to blame but yourself. On the other hand, with the steaks, there is more leeway for a rare to well done spectrum. The sauces that are available for you to enjoy your steaks with are honey brown sauce and garlic soy, the fore being sweeter and the latter being the salty one. I used the garlic soy, but I didn’t quite get the garlicky taste and if you are too liberal with the sauce, you’ll end up with a really salty piece of meat. What’s the solution? I guess you have to keep tasting as you cook.

My conclusion, the hot plate is a good and interesting idea and the paper ring that surrounds it with the printed instructions is a very important protective piece that helps to contain the oil spatter and for the inattentive from burning themselves. However, food-wise, if I am really seeking a piece of steak, pepperlunch isn’t my choice, plus I don’t really like smelling like teppanyaki after a meal. We spent S$90 for dinner for 6 of us, so it wasn't exactly cheap fast food either.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've tried Pepper Place too. De adventurous me am always keen to try out new food outlets. :) Me greedy!
They jux opened another outlet at Isetan Scotts basement where Kimisawa is. KFC closed down & Pepper Lunch took over.
U shld try No.5 on de menu. It's juicy! I like the Honey Garlic Sauce thou. De best way is to cook yr steak together with the veg. As you cook de steak cut it into smaller bite size portion. When de juices fm de steak oozes out throw in de rice & mix it all up. Put lots of pepper in & jux tuck into it with yr fork.
Their Ice Lemon Tea is nice too. (Thankfully not fm Seasons) I do agree wif you it is pricey for fast food. We spent close to $50 for 3pax.

6:58 PM  

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