Pepper Lunch is a franchise that has over 200 stores across Asia and it’s specialty is DIY cooking. It’s point of difference is a patented iron plate that uses an electromagnetic cooker to heat it to 260 degrees in 70 seconds. The plate then remains at an 80 degree temperature for more than 2o minutes, which is enough time to finish your meal.  The concept is very similar to a stone grill except you’re using a hot plate.

When it comes to putting ingredients on a hot plate, the possibilities are endless. Beef, chicken and seafood are the proteins of choice. These are then combined with various other ingredients such as curry, kim chi, tangy lemon, pasta and traditional Japanese flavours.

The setup is almost like a Japanese version of McDonalds. Decide what you want and go up to the counter, order and then pay. The dining area is a big open space but it appears they’ve tried to cram in as many tables and chairs as possible.

For lunch, I ordered the Kim Chi Beef Pepper Rice. The meal arrived less than 10 minutes after ordering and out came a sizzling hot plate. From what I could tell, there were thin slices of raw beef, corn kernels, kim chi and steamed rice.

One of their specialties is the roasted black pepper inside the rice. Combine this with the spicy kim chi and the sizzling hot plate and you’re set for a very exciting experience. To my surprise, it was very tasty. The corn and the cabbage from the kim chi gave it a nice crunchy texture. A generous amount of steamed rice was provided, and it was properly cooked.

The staff were friendly and the service was fast and efficient. The atmosphere can be a bit vibrant with full house, but it was more relaxed sitting on the outside. The cost my meal was $11 which was fairly good value. The other dishes range from $9.30-$18.30 depending on what you get.

Would I go back to this place again? Definitely. Of course, as you’re cooking the food yourself, make sure you wear clothes you’re about to wash.

WHERE: 80 Gouger St, Adelaide