Pepper Lunch is a casual, Japanese DIY BBQ franchise. My partner and I dined here recently and the experience took me right back to dining in Tokyo alleyway restaurants. The atmosphere, flavours, smells and style all reminded me of Japan and it was just like being back in that wonderful country.
The DIY BBQ involves semi-prepared meals that are served on sizzling hot plates. When your meal arrives at your table you take over as the chef and cook the meat to your liking.
Deciding what to order was tricky because everything looked interesting. My partner ordered the Wild Wagyu Steak from the new menu. He was very pleased with the deliciously seasoned marbled beef that was tender and juicy, served with a secret butter sauce to complete the meal. The DIY aspect also allowed him to cook the beef exactly the way he liked it.
I couldn’t resist trying the Ebi (prawn) Katsu Sizzling Curry – a favourite of mine. It was served with rice, corn and curry sauce that I poured myself. The prawns were packed with flavour and the Panko crumb was crispy and delicious – I had to get every last bit of meat out of the tail. The curry sauce tasted just how I remember it in Japan, slightly sweet and with a subtle amount of spiciness. If you love spicy food then you can turn up the heat and ask for ‘hot’ or ‘devil hot’.
Overall we really enjoyed our dining experience at Pepper Lunch. The service was great, and the food was fast and full of flavour. The prices were very reasonable, especially considering the location of the restaurant – right in Garema Place.
We are looking forward to going back to Pepper Lunch soon and trying other items on the menu that we were eyeing off. Two words – Teriyaki sauce.
I would recommend Pepper Lunch to:
- Anyone who loves Japanese cuisine,
- A curious foodie who wants to try something new, or
- A city dweller wanting something cheap and delicious!
Amelia Bidgood
Amelia is the Founder and Editor of Eat Canberra and the Founder and Managing Director of Eat Canberra Food Tours. She's a qualified journalist, presenter, freelance writer and also runs a boutique communications agency working with small business owners on all things social media, content creation and marketing. She's taught cheesemaking classes, judged hospitality and tourism awards, completed the WSET Level 1 Award In Wines, loves to cook and has travelled to 23 countries. She's also passionate about mental health and has recently started studying to become a Counsellor.