Pepper Lunch - Sunnybank

Japanese food enthusiasts like many of my readers and myself included would no doubt have been extremely excited to hear of the Grand Opening of Pepper Lunch, the infamous Japanese chain, which opened its first QLD store at Sunnybank just over a week ago. Perfect timing for an end of year foodie gathering with Joe K, Brisvegustarion, Just Island and The Invisible Food Critic. Arriving just past 6, there was already a queue outside, thankfully Joe had already negotiated with the manager and we could get a table after a short 20min wait. 

As mentioned in numerous reviews, the restaurant focuses on meats grilled on a hotplate, DIY style. The menu clearly reflected this and there were very few other options. Other options though did include everyone's favourite ice cream! 

For those unfamiliar with DIY cooking, a convenient sign on our table explained it quite well. 

What I did find confusing though was the ordering system. Rather than going to the counter near the kitchen, they had an ordering station close to the door which was surrounded by people waiting to be seated. It took us quite a while to understand the system, which should hopefully be more apparent when the crowds lessen. 

Taking it in turns to order, we were given a number for our table. 

Our food arrived at lightning speed after. This was my classic beef, arriving just after Joe K’s jumbo beef. Whilst smaller, I found the size to be ample and good value for money. After noticing quite a few photos being taken at the table, the manager came to give a demonstration of how to cook the dish, using my classic beef as an example. The end result was a cross between beef stir fried with rice and Korean Bulgogi. I enjoyed the delicious garlic butter which infused the whole dish and the delicious crispy rice at the bottom but found it to be somewhat bland for a whole meal, and whilst the meat quality was better than Zen Flavours it was definitely way overcooked for me. 

Other dishes around the table included the Wild Wagyu Steak with added egg,

Teriyaki Salmon,

Hamburger and premium steak combo,

and Eel Pepper Rice.

Having ordered a set, I had a side of chips. Considering it cost an extra $6 for this and a drink, it wasn't that great value. The chips were freshly fried and quite hot, but generally lacked crunch and the wow factor. Some options for sauce or seasoning could have easily rectified this though. 

Brisvegustation, being the healthiest out of the group, ordered a salad to go with his eel pepper rice. It came confusingly served in a cup with a hole at the top, which made it not too conducive to shaking with sauce.

 

Rounding off our meal, around the table we had both the premium and standard matcha and chocolate varieties. Whilst the appearance was quite aesthetically pleasing, the consensus around the table was that it tasted not far from a McDonald's sundae. In summary, I had a great night at pepper lunch, catching up with some wonderful people to round off the year, but other than satisfying my long term curiosity, the food at pepper lunch was really mediocre at best. 

Price range: $15 - $35pp

Taste: 6/10
Value: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 8/10

Miss Kays - Brisbane CBD

After our wonderful experience at Melt Brothers, owners Justin and Felix passed on our contact to the management of Miss Kay's Burgers, which the also happen to have founded (pretty awesome life achievements imo). Receiving a gracious invite from the manager, the Tomcat family and I soon found ourselves at their CBD store to try out a few of their menu options. 

Decor was largely the same as last time with its red brick theme and neon lighting. Tres American. Unlike last time though, the upstairs seating was fenced off and we had the whole area to ourselves, which we really appreciated. 

 

As expected from a burger joint, the menu consisted mainly of burgers with some sides and a focus on shakes, the true American way. Ordering at the counter downstairs, we were given a number and waiting patiently for our food.

Luckily it came quite soon to much oohing and aahing. 

This was the signature double cheeseburger. It came with two patties, double cheese, mustard, ketchup, onions, pickles and miss Kay's sauce. The bun was served fresh where I would have preferred it toasted. Both patties erred on the side of being well done, where I would have preferred it to be on the rarer side, but the sauces added much to the texture. 

Whilst we were keen to try out this month's special, mozzarella burger, that was sold out and we were recommended the poutine burger, cos who doesn't like chips on their burger. Other than chips, it also contained a beef patty, bacon bits, haloumi, gravy, pickles, lettuce and mayo. It was by far my favourite burger that meal. The gravy and chips made the burger a very comforting and homey experience while the pickle added some extra zing to the burger, and the haloumi added some depth to the overall texture. 

Our third and last burger was the Get Clucked. It contained a very healthy piece of lemon pepper chicken breast, pineapple, guacamole, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Like the beef, the chicken also erred on the cooked side and was a bit dry. This was slightly alleviated by the mayo, but could have been better. Given the pairing of guacamole and pineapple, this was the freshest tasting of our burgers, drawing sharp contrast to the poutine burger. It had a decidedly summery theme to it and whilst not the type that I would usually order, I still found it to be quite enjoyable. 

On top of out three burgers, we also had three sides. These were the onion rings which came super crunchy and freshly fried. Whilst Tomcat found the batter to lean towards the thicker side, I found it to be quite delicious and part of the onion ring experience. 

We also had a serve of sweet BBQ wings. Given the sauce, the skin was as expected no longer crispy, and the sauce absorbed well into the meat, giving it a very smoky, sweet, and tangy taste. 

Our final side was of course the dirty fries, topped with Miss Kay's seasoning, cheese sauce, tomato chilli and chives, the flavors exploded in my mouth. The fries were deliciously crunchy and soaked well in the sauces. The chives added a whole new dimension and I couldn't help but think it would be perfect if it had added bacon bits. 

Drinks included the Cee Lo Green and Puff daddy milk shakes. Both were amazingly rich and creamy with delectable minty and caramel tastes accordingly. As you can see the portions were amazing, but we definitely needed water to clear our palate rather than be overwhelmed by the thickness of the drinks. Without a doubt, we really enjoyed our experience at Miss Kay's, whilst some improvements can always be made, the substance was all there and we would be back without a second thought.

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Miss Kays, but our opinions, as always are solely our own.

Price Range: $10 - $25pp

Taste: 7/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Environment: 8.5/10

Narati Noodle and Grill - Sunnybank

Readers who have been following popular food trends will no doubt have heard of the increasingly popular Chinese food of the moment, malatang (literally spicy soup). With quite a few stores serving it now, I was keen to get a second taste following my intriguing experience at Chongqing street food several weeks ago. Luckily for me, the Tomcat family and I were invited by Narati Noodle and Grill to try out their malatang and other foods. 

Being situated in the ever popular Sunnybank Plaza, the place was near full when we attended on Friday night. 

 

The menu was one of the shortest I've seen. Other than malatang, it had a selection of noodles and grilled meats. But of course we were there for main attraction, malatang. 

Step by step process is as follows: Step 1: Get a bowl from the side table. 

Step 2: select meat, vegetables and noodles accordingly. 

Step 3: Take it to the counter for weighing and payment. 

Step 4: design your own sauce, and go back to your table to wait. 

Our food came quite quickly. First off was Mrs Tomcats favourite lamb soup with noodles and Turkish bread. Being big fans of garlic, she and I both agreed to add copious amounts to the bowl. The broth was light and tasty with strong lamb flavours, thankfully without the gamey taste. The noodles were very tender but had a bit of bite to it, whist the bread was tasty but could have been better if toasted. 

Our main even arrived after that lamb soup, to much fanfare and admiration. Our malatang, came non spicy with copious amounts of garlic, spring onion and some extra prawns. To be honest, dear reader, I was a little concerned at some of the elements being overcooked or undercooked as I didn't have the benefit of being able to control the boiling myself (OCD right there). However I was pleasantly surprised by the result. Meats were cooked well, prawns weren't overdone and noodles were tender. The soup was also quite delicious with the lack of spice not detracting from my experience at all. 

Our next noodle dish was the XO sauce stir fried beef noodles. Even for a main, I was surprised and impressed at the quantity, but thought there could have been more beef. Again the noodles were very tender and the dish very flavoursome, albeit a bit on the salty side. 

Next to come were chicken skewers, which came in a serve of three. These were heavily peppered and came with considerable spice, which I quite enjoyed. The meat wasn't overdone, and clung to the skewer quite a bit. I also really enjoyed the marinade which had infused deep into the meat. 

 

In addition to chicken, we had a serve of spicy and non spicy lamb. Like the soup, I was very impressed at the strong lamb taste which again wasn't too gamey. Whilst I do prefer my lamb like my beef, rare, the texture was still quite good despite it being well done, making it a nice way to round off a very satisfying meal. 

Espresso and Matcha were invited guests of Narati Noodle and Grill, but our opinions, as always are our own.

Price Range: $10 - $30pp 

Taste: 8/10 

Value: 8/10 

Service: 7/10 

Environment: 7/10

Rainbow Ice Tea - Sunnybank

Saw the mixed reviews on Rainbow Iced Tea and decided to check it out for myself one Friday night after work. Unlike quite a few of the flashy new chain stores, the setup was definitely far more homey and felt less commercial.

Ordering at the counter, I note that the menu contained quite a few flavoured milk and fresh tea alternatives.

Also at the counter was a display of the toppings available, but as my readers would know, I tend to avoid them and rather settle on tea to better appreciate the taste. But not tonight. Tonight has to be about trying the signature drink.

Ordering a pearl milk tea with half sugar no ice, it was made very quickly. The tea itself was fine, reasonably creamy and quite refreshing, however I would definitely have preferred the tea to have been a bit more fragrant. Pearls were also amply soft but could do with some better texture. Definitely not my favourite tea, but not a bad choice.

Price range: Under $5pp

Taste: 6/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Environment: 6/10