Food, Restaurants

Pepper Lunch

Pepper Lunch Hamburger Steak with Fried Egg–cook it yourself!

Posted another entry in the directory, this time for Pepper Lunch in Alabang Town Center, where we had a very late lunch (and consequently also an early dinner) today. I’ve had these pictures for some time now, though that doesn’t really matter: for one thing, they’re pretty consistent with the food quality; for another, we usually order the same things anyway. I’ve always meant to do a pepper steak comparison between this place and Sizzling Pepper Steak (there’s a branch in Festival). The quick summary is the latter is much better value, though since this post is about the former, I’ll stick to Pepper Lunch’s merits here and wax poetic about Sizzling Pepper Steak when its time comes. ;)

The wrapper is there to keep the sizzling juices from jumping all over you (I think). I love the part on the other side where it says, “Hurry hurry!”

For those not familiar with the concept: Pepper Lunch is a Japanese restaurant (”The original from Japan!” they’re quick to claim) that features mostly steaks, burgers, and thin strips of meat that you cook yourself on a sizzling plate (and not just any sizzling plate; apparently this thing is patented). The meat comes with either rice (with butter and lots of corn and pepper), veggies (really fat sprouts and green beans, and again, more corn–not, strictly speaking, a vegetable), an egg (which you also cook yourself), or all of the above, depending on what you order. You also get to mix their special honey brown or garlic soy sauces in, to add to the flavor and to keep the sizzle going when it starts to calm down (which, despite the patented plate, happens quickly).

OK, full disclosure time: despite the fact that they have really high quality cuts of meat and all that, the real reason I like their food is all the corn that comes with it. I’m a corn freak, so just add some kernels, and I’m happy (you can order extra corn for 15 bucks; I think next time I’ll try ordering their Pepper Rice with two extra servings, hehe).

Thin slices of beef with pepper rice, butter, and lots of corn

So far I’ve tried three different kinds of Pepper Rice–beef, chicken, and pork (all P198)–and I enjoyed the pork most; the chicken slices are just too dark and sinewy for my taste. We also order the Hamburger Steak with Fried Egg (P325); the hamburger is minced, not ground, beef: you can think of it as sosy hamburger, I suppose. Someday when I’m feeling flush I’d like to try the Shimofuri Pepper Steak or the Yawaraka Loin Steak (both P615), the serious steak meals here.

Kani Salad before shaking

Spicy Tuna Salad, also before shaking (they’re not quite as photogenic after)

They also have good salads that come in cups for you to shake (remember the short-lived McDonald’s salads?). The Spicy Tuna and Kani ones (both P99) are perennial favorites (today the Kani one was extra good).If you’re on a diet, both calorie- and cash-wise, these are what you need.

Pepper Lunch ATC

The major downside of eating here is you come out smelling like ulam (hmmm, seems to be a recurring theme). When the first few branches opened in Manila, the long lines were also a problem; now that the novelty has worn off, it’s not as bad. An interesting point: they don’t have bottomless drinks, but will refill your sodas (P40 for the first glass, P20 for refills). And they’ve got ice cream, chocolate cake, and crepe cake (available ala mode, of course) for dessert, which ends the heavy meal on a pleasant note.

Pepper Lunch
2nd Level, Corte de las Palmas, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa
556-8498
Restaurant hours: 11AM - 9PM, Mondays - Fridays; 10AM - 10PM Saturdays - Sundays
www.pepperlunch.com.ph
Southbound directory entry

Tags: alabang town center, atc, japanese food, muntinlupa, pepper lunch, sizzling plate, steak

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