Watching the sizzle at Peppers Lunch

After watching two of our friends get married at St George's Cathedral in Perth, my friends and I found ourselves with a few hours to kill. Though most of us girls wanted to go home and change between the ceremony and the reception, we were all starving from a lack of lunch and needed to eat asap.  

We threw around a few options - The Greenhouse, Print Hall and even McDonalds. With all different tastes and budgets to consider we finally settled on something cheap and cheerful - Peppers Lunch. 

Since it opened I've actually been meaning to try out this place so I have to admit though I was in my lovely wedding appropriate silk dress, I was excited for the food they offer here. The menu is simple - different hot plates of meats with rice or bean sprouts and even some simple teriyaki dishes. And the prices are incredibly reasonable. 

Around the table we choose different items - hamburger with egg and rice, teriyaki chicken, beef steak, curry beef and I'm sure some others I've forgotten. But for myself, I opt for the first menu item, the Pepper Beef Rice. 

When it arrives at the table it comes on a sizzling hot plate - raw beef, rice, corn, spring onions and a liberal dose of pepper. The staff instruct me to quickly stir the ingredients to allow everything to cook through properly and so that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom.

The interesting thing about this delivery of food is that it actually keeps the food warmer for up to 20 minutes longer than normal. It locks in the juiciness of the ingredients and ensures for people like me (slow eaters), that you can really savour your meal.

The beef is surprisingly tender and has the right amount of fattyness that melts as it cooks. The rice is fluffy and soft and the corn incredibly sweet. I have to say, I really was surprised how much I liked this dish even though it was so simple.

Jeremy ordered the curry version of my meal which had a heavy serving of Japanese curry powder on top. He finishes it quickly and happily and agrees with me when I say we need to check this place out again soon.

Pepper Lunch is huge overseas and now that it has hit Perth, I have to say I'm glad it did. It's nothing fancy but it definitely fills the hole in your stomach while tingling your taste buds. Worth a visit? Yes, yes it is.