First off, I wanted to share some specials that Pepper Lunch has recently launched. It’s great to see a franchised restaurant able to flex their creative muscles and come up with some great offerings that work with the city they’re in and what people love eating.
The first thing they’re offering is gyozas. Their gyozas are either beef or chicken and they come with 12 pieces per order. It’s great to see chicken as an option for gyozas, as they’re generally healthier than their red meat counterparts. I actually preferred the chicken over the beef, they were lighter, less saltier and were still quite juicy. These gyozas are only offered after 2pm though – so you’ll have to go for a snack or for dinner!
The new dinner specials are the Prawn and Sliced Angus plate or the 300g Kobe Burger. Both specials are served with a bowl of rice, miso, a drink and mochi ice cream for $18.95. It’s hard to pick a favourite from the two, as the sliced Angus was perfect – but I’m going to say my favourite was the Kobe Burger. The burger is massive, taking more than half the grill plate.
Some new menu items include the Maple sliced pork steak, Veggie mushroom burger and Yaki udon.
I’m going to start with the Veggie mushroom burger – mostly because I was surprised how this was not what I expected it to be. In the past, I’ve tried to give veggie burgers a chance but often found them to be either bland or taste like sawdust (not that I know what sawdust tastes like….). This is completely different. This patty is dense, juicy and tastes great – partially because it’s made with mushrooms and I love mushrooms. It’s not too salty but has a good flavour to it.
The Maple flavoured sliced pork steak was one of my favourites. I normally avoid maple items – unless it’s on pancakes – because I find most places that play with maple tend to over do it. At Pepper Lunch, they balance the flavour just right. It is, however, slightly on the sweeter side. If you’re not a fan if sweet in your savoury, then you might not enjoy it. But I do! The smell is so great, but it definitely isn’t over powering in terms of taste.
Finally, their Yaki udon. As a nod to their Japanese roots, you can now order yaki udon with your choice of beef or pork. It’s topped with bonito flakes to give it that fun, wavy look when the steam rises. Some people are put off by it, but I think it brings an interesting dynamic to food.
These specials are available at both Pepper Lunch locations, and by the time I’m writing this, they should be on the menu already! There have been rumours that a third Pepper Lunch will be opening up in Richmond – so I’m looking forward to seeing that happen.
Disclosure: Please note I was invited to try the new menu and my meal was paid for, however all opinions are my own.
