I think this has been on my list to try for a few months now - not like a "I must try this right now" but more like a "I should eventually try this place because everybody's talked about it at some point or another." - Beef pepper lunch: maybe I overcooked my beef or something, but I thought that the rice was a lot better than the meat. The beef was a bit chewy, maybe because I didn't get the Angus cut or something, but still. The rice was tasty, but not sure if the rice alone merits another visit back here to try other Pepper Lunches. I'm glad I finally got to try it though! read more

Pepper Lunch - Beef Pepper Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

TL;DR - Just as I remember it in HK. A little pricey but food is good; portions are just right and it's in a very convenient location. Great stop for lunch. --- I first tried Pepper Lunch in HK back in 2011 and I was so excited to hear that they opened up a legit location in Vancouver! I visited Vancouver back in May 2015 and one of my first stops was in Richmond for lunch... to Pepper Lunch. Parking is limited on No. 3 Rd... so you're either going to park on the street, at the mall/plaza and walk... or there's some underground parking behind the actual plaza. It's free (for up to 2 hours I think?) so make sure to take advantage of that. When you walk in, there's plenty of booth seating and the whole location probably seats more than 40-ish people. You first order from a menu on the wall and they assign you a seat with a number. I came with my boyfriend and there was no line at all. Probably only 20 or so people inside during lunch on a Thursday so I'm surprised it wasn't busier. If I worked in the area, it's definitely a prime spot for me to grab a quick bite. We got our order very quickly after sitting... probably less than a 10 mins wait (but hey! The food cooks in front of you so not much to wait for). Our order: What they're known for, the Beef Pepper Rice Combo - My boyfriend got the combo since it came with soup and refillable Coke. The beef cooked really fast and there's plenty of rice and corn. It's not small and he was full afterwards but it was his first time there and he wasn't ecstatic to come back. Japanese Hamburger - With corn/veges and no egg. But it does come with rice in a bowl on the side (not pictured). I found that the beef cooked faster than I would've liked so perhaps I didn't turn it over quick enough. The butter on top melted almost instantaneously after I took this photo. Very good burger nonetheless though. Very crumbly which is fine but flavorful and very peppery. Overall we paid about $25 (before tax and tip) and I think that's a little expensive for what it is. You can go to Aberdeen and there's a restaurant in the food court that serves something similar for a fraction of the price. However, Pepper Lunch does offer service and it was average (not spectacular). You have to call over the wait staff to get more Coke or water which I thought was a nuisance but the guy at the front was very patient with us as we humm-ed and haa-ed over the menu for 5 minutes. Other than that, I thought the food was very close to what I remember in HK (both in portions, taste and interactive-ness). You can't really miss it up and the experience of cooking your own food is always fun. The price is only thing I'm wary about but I would definitely come again for lunch if I wanted something more filling. read more

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This is an interesting Japanese fast food chain that serves sizzling platters of food. You order at the front, then sit down. The platters are a combination of vegetables, rice, and protein. The food cooks pretty fast, and they smartly put a paper guard around the platter to protect against grease splatters. Once the protein is cooked to your desired amount, you can put it on top of the veggies or rice to stop cooking it. Unfortunately, if you like to mix your veggies, rice, and protein together, there's not a really good way to do that while stopping your meat from getting cooked further. They don't typically give you extra bowls or plates to put the cooked food in afterwards, but you probably could ask for some. I'd visit at least for the novelty. The dishes seem to have very simple flavoring, the kobe steak I tried was pleasantly flavored with a little pepper. They also provide honey brown sauce and garlic soy sauce for additional flavor. It tastes pretty good, but the portions aren't quite filling. Prices for most dishes are around $9 - $15, while specialty cuts cost over $30. Considering the amount of food you're getting, feels a little expensive. read more

Pepper Lunch - Wagyu Beef Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

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2/5 mainly because the portion was quite small AND there wasn't much flavor going on at all- was really greasy and bland imo . I dont think im coming back read more

It's a nice spot for a quick lunch. The portions are larger. Too much rice though, being a vegetarian the menu is a bit restricted read more

Very high quality ingredients with a unique serving on a 200 degree hot plate. I had the salmon which is a sockeye and excellent quality. My coworker had chicken and we both tried the miso. Nice and clean place. Manager came out and discussed the quality of the food. Highly recommend for such a good value Be careful....the plates are very hot! read more

Pepper Lunch - Dining room - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

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Absolutely love this place. Food is great for what you pay, and the orders come out pretty fast. I tried pretty much everything on the menu but my favourite remains the Sliced Angus Steak. Try the sweet sauce with the rice and add an egg to your order. Place the egg on the rice and you are good to goDon't pour the sauce while the contents are cooking, it'll splash all over you. Also, be prepared to smell like your food afterwards. Service is great. They offer free refills for fountain drinks. And there is always staff walking around, making sure water cups are filled. Overall I'd definitely recommend this place read more

Still a solid rating from me, service is fast and courteous. The food is always the star, although I typically play it safe with either the beef pepper rice or pork pepper rice; all options smell delicious and in constant rotation. read more

Food is not bad but not worth the money. I paid extra for a 8.5oz beef and my friend ordered 4 oz. When the food is served the 8.5 oz and the 4 oz has the same amount of beef. I have cooked enough beef to tell how much meat there is. I can safely say their 8.5 oz is really no more than 5 oz. What a rip off. Another bad thing, you are not allowed to sit until you have ordered and paid. Wtf! read more

Pepper Lunch - The 8.5 oz is really the same as 4 oz in the background - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

I was disappointed coming here. Having it back in the states, I was expecting the same menu items. It was definitely not the same, so I substituted the rice for udon in the Curry Beef Pepper Rice and add an egg. She charged me $2.00 for udon, which was fine. She said she wasn't going to charge me extra for the curry sauce -- what? I'm literally just subbing rice for udon. My meal comes out, it's just udon and beef. Well, where's the corn that's suppose to be in the curry beef pepper rice and my egg?? All I did was sub out the rice! Come on!!! The beef had absolutely NO flavor, and they added so much MSG to the meal and never came back around to refill my water. They don't even have the potato croquettes! read more

Pepper Lunch - Menu as of 11-27-17 - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

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I ordered 1 Diet Coke and 1 regular Coke. The server just dropped the 2 Cokes on the table. We asked the server which one is the Diet Coke, but the server said that she doesn't know and asked us to taste and find out by ourselves?!!!! This is ridiculous. She then finally gave us new cups specifying which one is the Diet Coke but she gave us unfriendly look and service during our dinner session. read more

I've been waiting for Pepper Lunch to open up here, b/c I'm always at PL when in Hong Kong. A sizzling hot plate with meat, rice, and an egg (extra $1.50) - I'm a sucker for anything on a sizzling hot plate (or hot clay pot, for that matter!). The food tasted fine, but at the end of it, I felt it wasn't really worth my $11 to have rice & beef. I had the regular size, and I really felt the beef portion was pretty tiny. Even after seeing pictures of their "extra" beef option, I think I'd at least triple the beef! It really was a bit skimpy. Maybe its just being in Richmond, the land of cheap food, where I did feel a bit gypped paying $11 for something like this. Their food isn't bad, I just think I'll consider my other options next time. Oh, they really need to improve their hot sauce selection! I asked for some hot sauce, and was given tabasco sauce. I don't know if there's anything else back there, since this was all I was given.. but c'mon, you can't go wrong with sriracha! read more

First time visiting Pepper Lunch Richmond location. Nice clean interior and friendly staff. I had the wagyu beef rice with an egg sizzling plate - the rice was delicious but the wagyu beef wasn't very impressive. Would I go back? Maybe. I am tempted to try their ribeye next tho. read more

Pepper Lunch - Wagyu beef sizzling plate. - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

The food here is super quick, simple, yet super delicious! I find that I can never get tired of all the selections as you can mix and match to your own desire. You need to cook your own food in the hot stone bowl but that part is what makes the visit even more exciting. Will definitely come back! Ordering any pasta dishes, they give you cream sauce on the side. read more

Pepper Lunch - Prawns and mushroom pasta - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

I've been wanting to try this place since it opened, but I had heard rumours that their prices are exceptionally high. Luckily, my cousin planned a lunch with our family, which brought me here today. Are the prices high? Possibly, compared to similar style restaurants in Asia. But there are plenty of affordable dishes here that will leave you full. I opted for the beef pepper rice for lunch. Since I had never been here before, I figured I would try the most basic dish and see how I liked it. The meal came on a hot skillet with thin slices of beef, rice, and corn. The beauty of the hot skillets is they keep your lunch warm, right until the last bite. Pepper Lunch lives up to its name, as the meal is so well seasoned with pepper - great if you're a pepper fan. The dishes come with two sauces on the side - one salty and one sweet. I only tried the salty one (which was tasty), but others at my table said the sweet sauce was just as good. If thinly sliced beef isn't your style, they have different meats (pork and chicken) as well as hamburger steaks and actual beef steaks. You can cook your steak to your liking by putting it top of the vegetables they put in your skillet to keep it from cooking further. What really made this place special was the phenomenal service. I was a little confused when I first walked in, since you put your order in at the counter and pay before you sit at your table. I always find it difficult to tip before my meal, but I wish I had left the staff more. From the minute we sat down, the staff was attentive and friendly. Every single person working in that restaurant had a giant smile on their face. Each time they dropped a dish off at our table (and there were 7), they would patiently explain how to cook our meals properly. They came back several times within the hour we were there to pick up our dishes and to give us more water. The thing that really stood out to me about their service is how well they listened. The staff would come by and ask if we needed anything else, and you could see that they were truly waiting to hear what we said. Even when they came back to ask if we wanted water, they would stand and wait until we answered yes before reaching for our glasses. Their patience and attentive service really blew this place out of the water. read more

Pepper Lunch - Beef pepper lunch - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

3.5 It was a bit of a gong show when I came here for dinner at 5:45pm on Sunday. When I saw a massive crowd standing by the door I almost turned away, but when I told there were only 3 groups of 3 in front of us I decided to stick around. The wait was roughly 30 minutes. The process went like this: -get your name on the list as soon as you arrive -wait for your name to be called -order at the cashier -wait to be seated It was a bit strange to pay for tip before receiving any service or dishes. Anyway, here's my rundown on what we ordered: -pepper beef with extra meat - It didn't seem like a lot meat. It makes me wonder how much meat I'd get if I didn't get the extra meat. The meat comes raw and you cook it yourself on the hot place. The meat was quite juicy and accompanying rice had the perfect texture and flavour. -angus beef and kobe style burger - you get couple slices of meat and a mini kobe style burger. We both loved the kobe style burger so instead of getting half of both we'll just opt for the kobe style burger instead. All in all it was a decent meal but I'd wait a month or two before returning for the crowd to settle down. couple more tidbits: -I did not see any dessert options -no alcohol is served -AVOID peak hours read more

Pepper Lunch, a popular Japanese DIY Fast Food Steak restaurant that will open March 14, 2014 in Richmond #150 - 5951 No. 3 Road. We got the sneak peak and here to share with you what's happening! Pepper Lunch Richmond will be the first franchise in North American and in Metro Vancouver. Pepper Lunch will offer a variety of teppanyaki style meal options where diners can sizzle and cook it their way on a special patented hot plate. You are in control. You can decided how well you would like your steak done. The unique design patented in Japan is part of Pepper Lunch successful formula by Pepper Lunch's founder, Chef and Inventor Kunio Ichinose. It uses a special electromagnetic cooker (the iron plate) will heat up to 260C in 70 seconds and remain hot at approximately 80C for more than 20 minutes. Your food is always hot and customers can enjoy full flavor. Pepper Lunch was established in 1994 in Japan. It currently has over 200 locations worldwide, including Australia and Canada. Pepper Lunch Canada will use only Canadian Certified Angus Beef, and fresh local ingredients. The menu offers a variety of sizzling steaks and meats, pastas, and curry rice. Their signature Beef Pepper Rice. Meals are served with one of two sauces: 1. Amakuchi - honey brown sauce, and 2. Karakuchi - garlic soy sauce. Beef Pepper Rice: Comes on a piping hot plate complete with corn, sprouts, green peas and thinly sliced tender beef. I like to let the bottom cook a little to make it crispy before mixing everything together. New York Steak: A good sized tender New York Steak that is pre-cut. You can cook to your desired level. Place the meat on top of the veggies to stop the cooking process. Add in some rice and let it absorb the au jus. Kobe Style Burger: I love this juicy patty of beef. It is juicy and well seasoned. You know what would be great? To have a combo of this Kobe Style Burger patty with their signature Pepper Rice! read more

I've seen Pepper Lunch in Asia and when I heard it was opening in Richmond, I knew I wanted to try it. I got the beef pepper rice. Food comes out on a sizzling plate, the sauces are tasty and the meat is good but I'm not a huge fan of how much amount of pepper they put on it. I know it's called pepper lunch but I think they could tone down on the pepper a bit which I found took away from some of the taste in the dish. The manager was friendly and welcoming and the staff were very cheery and happy. It's a good place to try! read more

Went on the soft opening day a while back. We were in like for around 45 minutes and they were sold out of a lot of things. We ended up getting the curry beef pepper rice and the chicken pepper rice. I really LOVED the taste of pepper. And I loved the curry. I am not really a fan of chicken so that one was just alright. I thought the portions were pretty big. My friend and I were really full and we still had quite a bit left. As it was the soft opening date, the place was super busy and I appreciated how the staff tried to be as polite as possible. Richmond is far, but I'd go for Pepper Lunch anytime. **Get the combo! It comes with a miso soup (that is really good) and a drink that comes with one free refill. It's cheaper than just getting a drink so.. read more

Tried this place for lunch with the gf, really busy place(probably cause it's new). You order your food first, pay at the cashier, then you get seated and they bring the food to you when ready. I ordered a curry beef pepper rice + an egg on top and made it a combo with a green tea(hot green tea...bag in water) + miso soup. Overall the taste was decent, not amazing, not bad, just decent. Curry powder instead of sauce, raw egg cracked on top(however was cooked by the time it arrived). The chunks(thin slices of meat on top of each other) were very tender, very delicious. Pros: -Unique at least in BC -Decent price for what you get -PPL eat fast and leave, so even if it's really busy you'll get a table pretty quickly Cons: -Poor service, or at least lack attention to detail. 2 Different servers kept bringing me empty bottles of Tabasco sauce. -Combos aren't worth it, the miso soup was very bland and I don't just mean lacking salt(which isn't a bad thing), but very lil taste to it I'd probably try this place again and order their steaks, they look good...won't get a combo tho. read more

Can look crazy busy from the outside, but go inside to check. They ask you to pay at the front first, hence the big line up you see when passing by. read more

I would give this place less than one star if possible, starting from the customer service. We walked in at 7:57pm and proceeded to wait till about 8:05. Not a single person came to greet us or sit us down. I decided to approach the kitchen area to ask the staff there if we seat ourselves or order at the front, only to be told "we are busy". After a while someone finally came to the front to take our orders. Needless to say, customer service was horrendous as there wasn't a single apology given nor service recovery. The food came out, minimal portion, taste lacking, for $20 worth of what seemed like t&t purchased "wagyu" beef. The other order of curry beef sizzling dish was also lacklustre in flavour, portion, and felt like a quick money grab. Won't be coming back to this location, as the boss was also in the back kitchen and did not provide service recovery, just walked past and counted his money. Good luck! Overall review: Ambiance: 0.5/5 Food taste: 1.5/5 Food aesthetics: 1.5/5 Customer service: 0.5/5 Total review: 1/5 read more

It's simple and straightforward Order at the counter. Your choice of beef/chicken/fish dish on a hot platter. Vegetables and/or rice accompanies the dish. Extra toppings are around $1.50, which is high for something like corn or kimchi. It's worth getting more toppings, but watch your lunch price skyrocket if you add too many toppings and combo it with a drink and miso soup. The meal is interactive and fun. I ordered the beef and rice dish (signature dish) with kimchi and egg on a combo. The meal was decent. No element on the plate overwhelmed the other. The rice slowly crisps and the meat slowly cooks from rare to medium (so move it around if you like it raw). The sauces were probably not really all that interesting despite how much they hype it. I'd argue eating it plain is a nice reminder how tasty unsauced meat and rice tastes like. Miso soup was standard fare. A great lunch place and definitely worth trying. Just be careful on going over board on toppings. read more

Only been once, but the food tasted pretty good and it was a new experience for me. Never really tried a meal like it. The ordering process was a bit confusing at first though. read more

Team Tastic came here for a weekend lunch and we ordered the Curry Chicken Pepper Rice with Egg Combo (with a soda and Miso Soup) and an 8.5oz Sliced Angus Steak with a side Miso Soup. Both dishes come on piping hot metal plates and the food is cooked right before your eyes. There are instructions on the plate liners to help you cook your steak your preferred way. The chicken comes pre-cooked but you still get a satisfying sizzle listening to your rice and egg get baked. The curry is actually a powder on top of the chicken pepper rice but the taste is mostly there especially if you get an egg with it. The steak was incredibly juicy (I preferred mine to be medium-well) and the rice on the side wasn't too sweet so it was a great savoury combination for lunch. The Miso Soup tasted a little better than the typical pastes used in average Japanese restaurants but not a game-changer for me. My favourite part was adding the Honey Brown Sauce (Amakuchi) to everything I had - rice, steak, bean sprouts. Everything tasted so much better with the sweet sauce and made my taste buds come alive. The sizzling food isn't just a novelty here; it's actually good, better than Teppan Kitchen, and the foolproof design of the plates keeps food warm for slow eaters like myself. I love to eat but this is the most fun I've had doing it in a long time. read more

This is like a food court/ cafeteria style japanese fusion diner place. The food is cooked on sizzling hot iron plate and you eat off the plate. It's not a new concept in the neighbor hood as there are something similar in Aberdeen food court already, however the menu selection is more diverse and the salmon steak I had was juicy and delicious. 3.5 stars. read more

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Food was amazing, service was incredible. Honestly the perfect portion size. Must try, probably one of my favorite restaurant now. read more

Pepper Lunch - So good. Must try!!! - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

When you walk in Pepper, an overwhelming of smoke smell rushes in your face with a welcome. The smell sticks with my nose as I enjoyed my time at Pepper's. The food came quickly as I sat down. The sizzling hot pan had the music to my stomach. It was like lava in my mouth as I take a mouthful of rice mixed with cheese and egg. The two sauces that Pepper provided was a bounce to make an unforgettable experience. Definitely coming back for Pepper. Not just for the food, but also for the clean environment and the friendly service. read more

Over all a very nice lunch. Found the price of the mushroom and tofu as little high when compared the the meat dishes but food and fast service. read more

If you like hot skillet food, this is quite good. Lot's of little customization potential. I started with the basic Pepper Beef on Rice option, and added an egg and mushrooms. I will add cheese next time, having seen it on some of my friend's plates. There is enough variety to keep this place interesting, for sure. You do order at the counter right next to the door before you go to your seat and wait for the food. Very short wait, as the food is dumped on in quick order, and in the case of the beef, still red as you mix it in with a raw egg, all being cooked on the hot iron skillet that it's served on. They had 3 or 4 sauces to mix into the food, so you can experiment with a few flavour profiles. read more

Had to order first before sitting down, which was a bit unexpected for me. Got the sliced Angus and Kobe Style Berger Steak. The sauce is pretty yummy. Would definitely go back again. read more

Pepper Lunch - Hamberg Steak - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

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The first time I ate at a Pepper lunch is almost 20 years ago in Mipitas California. When I heard this place was opening up I was pretty excited. I don't know they put in the rice but it's pretty yummy. There isn't a lot of specific flavour, but I like the taste of the sizzling beef on the rice. This place is on par with the CA location, although my friends found a place on the top floor of Aberdeen Centre that sells the same thing for cheaper and uncles a drink too. If you haven't tried this sizzling hot place lunch, it's worth a try. read more

I ordered the curry beef rice. Food quality is about average. However, they have now started to take reservation, which causes a rather long waiting time. We already talked to the owner about this reservation issue, hopefully he will cancel it. read more

Pepper Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

I was in Richmond today and made a visit to pepper lunch on 3 road for a late lunch/early dinner. I must of missed the lunch special pricing because I paid around $15 dollars for the spicy pork with cheese added. Food was piping hot and delicious, it cooks right in front of you. Quite the experience. The staff were very friendly and helpful in making my choice but don't think it is worth the price. read more

Pepper Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

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Always loved Pepper Lunch, I literally had it every place I knew had one during vacation. This one is consistent with most of it. The ones I went to are as follows (by distance from me): 1. Milpitas, CA 2. Vancouver, Canada 3. Tokyo, Japan, 4. Hong Kong, Hong Kong Believe it or not, the meat in each area is different. Canada's store being no exception to that. In all honesty, this was the 3rd best. Hong Kong had the best, then Tokyo. The one in the US needs a bit of work but overall this place is good. You can order from the phone and pick it up. The food was hot and overall very good when I had it. They also give you a set of sauce which is great. Menus are posted online from other Yelpers. read more

Overall this place is pretty good, but is by no means a "new concept". Teppan Kitchen has been open at Aberdeen for years, and offers better value with a very similar menu. Their daily special includes a drink and miso soup for ~9 dollars. Although the meal tasted pretty good, at pepper lunch i found the wait to be too long, and there were less options for sauces. Also for 11-14$ per person, not including drinks, I felt I wasnt getting my money's worth. Another thing to note, I ordered a pork dish and found that the hot plate didnt seem to fully cook the meat. I felt fine afterwards, but it is still concerning - especially for those with sensitive stomachs. I think for this kind of meal, I'll stick with good old TK. read more

Portions are small and meant for lunch so when going here for dinner don't expect a lot of food. Also the restaurant could use more ventilation considering all the hot plated food happening. It gets stuffy in there really quick. read more

Summary: Customer Service 4.5/5 Atmosphere/Decor 5/5 Food Quality 5/5 Food Quantity 3/5 Price 4/5 Pepper Lunch is a very popular Teppanyaki-style restaurant originated in Japan. They've since expanded into eastern Asia, and now in BC's Asian-heartland. The Japaneses-origins influences the loud greetings you'd receive when you take your seat. Majority of the waitresses have the same happy, energetic demeanor which creates an enjoyable experience and atmosphere. As they try a new concept in ordering, you pay at the cashier and seat you when your food is ready. The cashier has the dispair and enthusiasm as someone who works at McDonalds. (It's a bit of a trade off for efficiency, I suppose). The decor is one that is clean and well kept. It has a gloominess of the typical steakhouse in its color-scheme, but the openess from windows and open-kitchen gives it a warm-feel. Definitely recommend for a third-fifth date. Excellent for kids (just be mindful of the hot plates! We ordered the Kobe Burger with Egg and the Pepper Steak Rice. The Kobe Burger was very moist, the garlic margarine was spectacular in enhancing the pepper flavors. (I wish they gave a bit more with the veggies). It also comes with a bowl of rice. The Pepper Steak Rice had a mount of rice with garlic margarine in the middle, slices of steak on the side. Personally I felt there was not enough steak and mostly just peppered rice. My recommendation is to mix the rice with the sauces and keep the rice on the hot plate, (some delicious crunchy rice). As for the quantity of the meal, for someone who eats small portions, it was pushing on too much (due to the rice). For an average male, it would be described as "just hitting the spot" for a lunch. :) Again, the pepper rice meals are lacking in protein which was disappointing. As for price, it's whats expect of the area you're in. There are plenty of Asian style cuisines in the neighborhood with similar food per cost ratio. read more

Really busy restaurant, looks pretty cool but the taste is so so. Good for one time visit read more

Pepper Lunch - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia

Simple fast quick and easy lunch on a Thursday in Richmond BC. Hot plate of my usual pork pepper rice! read more

Pepper Lunch - Pork Pepper Rice - Japanese Near Me - Richmond, British Columbia