DIY concept of cooking your food (it’s half way cooked anyway) on their patented hot plate that keeps your food warm long after the sizzle is gone. The hot plate was smartly decorated with a paper protection to avoid getting your hands or arms charred –this I appreciate a lot since I am so clumsy to a T. I grazed my right arm several times over the paper shield and stopping mid-track to thank the paper shield from getting my skin scorched.
The wait was 30 minutes. Honestly, I’m not the type who would wait more than 15 minutes to get served or seated. And to wait on a line at that! But with all the hype about Pepper Lunch and my mounting curiosity, I gave it a go. At Pepper Lunch, you cannot reserve a table ahead of your order. You have to fall in line first, have your order taken at the counter and only then a table number is provided.
While waiting in line, you can watch how to cook your food in the plasma screen placed in front of the counter. I was surprised that the customer before us paid over PHP 3,000 while the other counter’s bill was somewhere near PHP 7,000. I didn’t see how big their group was but I think a lot of them ordered the Shimofuri Pepper Steak, which is in the range of PHP 650. Price is all in, which means it includes service charge and value added tax. They also offer a shake shake salad for only PHP 99 served in a plastic cup.
I’ve been itching to go to Pepper Lunch since I’ve read Fran’s entry on Pepper Lunch. With a busy schedule, I’ve been yearning day after day when I’m finally sinking my teeth into some flavorful and aromatic meat! Thank God, I found time last Saturday in between the Dialogue event at Starbucks (5-630pm) and the TF Party at Ced’s (8pm onwards). However, after trying to fit it in my schedule, the STILL long wait in line dampened the mood a bit. I’m glad that as soon as we were seated, the food arrived within 5 minutes.
On the Table:
Cut Steak and Hamburger Combo Ala Carte PHP 280
Since Franny was raving about this order (http://frannywanny.blogspot.com/2008/06/hi-im-fran-and-im-pepper-lunch-fan.html), I’ve been dying to try it out. On the hot plate were thinly sliced beef strips with bigger amount of fat and hamburger patty served with mung beans sprouts, carrots and string beans. As Fran attested, the burger patty was really flavorful. I’m such a sauce fan though that I cannot pass up the chance to try the sauces. 2 sauces are available on the table. One is the honey brown sauce while the other is garlic soy sauce. I like the former while CW like the latter.
Curry Beef Pepper Rice PHP 258
Ooh yummy! It is right exactly how I like my curry. Japanese curry!!! The reason I had my arm over my hot plate was because I kept getting food from CW’s plate.
Plain Rice PHP 40
Pepper Lunch claims they particularly make this special ground black pepper by only using the peppercorn shells. I can’t believe that there is an option to say “no pepper please.” Pepper is pepper. That’s why it’s always on the table whichever restaurant you go to. Salt is only placed on the table because pepper needs company. Who wants pepper to be lonely? Pepper is not a gold fish. Pepper cannot live alone. Even if I don’t touch the salt, I’m glad salt is there for pepper’s companionship. Salt makes you bloat. Pepper is heavenly. I love pepper. Period.
Pass the pepper please!
Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/480/08_0614-_Pepper_Lunch
