Pepper Lunch, Sydney CBD

This was one of those places that I've dined at numerous times when I used to work closer to World Square. Since leaving that workplace, I have probably been there only a couple of times since then. Nevertheless for me it's an oldie but a goodie because it always brings me back memories of my regular visits years ago.

While it is identified as a Japanese fast food chain with branches spanning across Asia and Australia, this wasn't what I had in mind whenever I go inside this eatery. Mainly because my idea of fast food is anything involving Maccas, KFC etc. When going inside, the decor of the restaurant screams yellow everywhere. Though you can't help smelling the aroma of the food emanated from the hotplates. Yum! 

One of my favourite dishes here is the curry beef. I love the savoury and saucy texture that you get from the curry paste and it just really makes the plain white rice taste so much better. The star of the show is of course the hot plate. According to Pepper Lunch, these special hot plates were created in Japan that were heated to 260 degrees Celsius by an electromagnetic cooker and then remains hot for a while to keep the food well cooked. Just remember to be careful with the hot plate when stirring because tiny hot juices can bounce and hit your skin when it's extremely hot! You can then cook the meat based on your preference. Whether it is rare or well done, I always thought that the beef was juicy and succulent every time I have this dish. It is important to mix the sauce throughout the rice instead of leaving it like a lump in the middle (like I used to do so many times in the past) as it gives it a decent kick of flavour. You can also add garlic soy sauce or sweet sauce to add to the meal. The serving is fairly large and I felt bloated but satisfied after eating this. 

Curry pepper rice ($9.90) - Before shot

Mixing all the ingredients

Like fast food restaurants, you get the choice of miso soup or drink for $2.50 extra. And if you want to upsize your rice to large size then it's $1.00 extra. 

Curry Pepper Rice - After shot

Recently, I was catching up with V after work on a Friday night. We originally planned to eat at Chefs Gallery after our previous failed attempt last time. Once again, we were met with a ridiculously long queue of at least 30 people waiting to get inside. After checking out a few more places, we eventually settled with Pepper Lunch because of the prices and it was less packed. 

While I originally wanted to get the curry pepper rice again, I was keen on something low carb that night and was drooling at the thought of two different cuts of beef in one dish. Thought that both cuts were tender, hearty and incredibly juicy. The veggies on the side helped in balancing your taste buds with the amount of meat on the plate. Overall I thought it was delicious and a great option if you are looking for something that is low carb or just not a fan of rice at all.

Cut steak and hamburger ($13.80)

V was initially in the mood for seafood so he chose the salmon pepper rice. I tried a bit of it and thought it tasted decent but V said that he wished he tried the beef version instead after tasting the beef cuts in my dish.

Salmon pepper rice ($11.00)

If you are looking for a reasonably cheap meal with quick service then this is one of those places. It can get very busy at lunch and sometimes there is a queue when you order the food but compared to many other places, it doesn't take that long and most of the cooking is done by you. It's simple, efficient, tasty and conveniently located near Event Cinemas on George Street, Town Hall Station, World Square and other shops in the area.

Pepper Lunch
537 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9264 3555
http://www.pepperlunch.com.au/eng/home/

The Meat and Wine Co, Darling Harbour

It's my freakin' birthday! Well actually it was last month but I have been a bit slow with the blogging until recently so bear with me while I try to catch up.
This time my birthday falls on a Friday night so it was a good time to go out and go hard. Once again we didn't end up booking (big mistake!) and we (D and myself) ended up in Darling Harbour finding any restaurant that does not have a lengthy waiting time. After failed attempts at Criniti's, Hurricanes and even the Hard Rock Cafe, we settled for Meat and Wine Co where we only waited for about 10 minutes before getting a table. WIN!

Monte select 350g Rib-eye steak served with super crunchy chips ($37)

At this 3-level restaurant, the menu boasts an extensive selection of different cuts and qualities of steaks with premium prices. If you want the best steaks that they offer, be ready to fork out your money. The waiters recommended the Wagyu steaks (lowest price was the wagyu rump MB 6+ 500g at $47) but it was too much money for us to handle. Instead, I settled for the Monte select 350g Rib-eye steak. This was served with super crunchy chips and a choice of sauce (mine was peppercorn sauce) for an extra $4.

Served medium rare, this steak was definitely a winner for me. The meat was so succulent to taste as it falls apart in your mouth. The basting on the meat adds a grilled flavour texture which made it taste even better. Dipping the meat with the green peppercorn sauce added a peppery taste to the meat which I loved and was saddened when it ran out fairly quickly. The crunchy chips were delivered. And as the name promises, how crunchy they were!

Grilled chicken breast served with cherry tomates, zucchini, roquette, eggplant and super crunchy chips, ($26)

D chose the grilled chicken breast with salad and crunchy chips along with his choice of sauce (also peppercorn). I tried a bit of the salad to balance the flavours of my own dish. I did not try the chicken breast but my friend was satisfied with it and it looked nicely cooked.

This was one of the most amazing birthday dinners I've ever had. I will definitely come back for more sometime soon with a bigger wallet to try the wagyu steaks and some of their other dishes on offer. They also have a bar for some drinking action but we decided to save out livers for clubbing later that night. A must try for meat lovers!

The Meat and Wine Co
L1, 31 Wheat Road IMAX Theatre Complex, Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour
Contact no: (02) 9211 9888
http://themeatandwineco.com/

Santos, Canley Heights

Firstly I would like to say, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Thanks to everyone who has supported my blog so far especially to my old coworkers who have spread the word around the office. Already this year is looking pretty awesome with a couple of trips happening this year for me. This week, I will be heading to Lake Macquarie aaaaannnddd *drumroll* Hunter Valley! I will try to recount my dining experiences in these locations in the near future unless the copius amounts of wine makes me forget everything.

NOW onto food!

Our original plan was to go to Holy Basil, a local favourite. But it was too packed and we were already very hungry so we went across the street to the very quiet but interesting Santos. The menu looked good as well ranging from steaks to pastas and pizzas to Kilpatrick oysters!


I had the spaghetti aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil) which was covered with chopped chilli pieces and shaved parmesan cheese. I was a bit surprised about the parmesan cheese as it was not mentioned in the menu (a no-no for the dairy intolerant) but it added a decent bite to the dish. The chilli was a major kick to my tastebuds but it did not overpower the dish which I enjoyed.


My friend (the same one who had bad luck with the schnitzel in the previous blog entry) got a massive steak in front of him. This we asked the waiter who cheerfully said that they did it on purpose to please them - especially the guys. Thankfully it was not as bad as he managed to eat it up without any trouble. I got a few pieces and wanted to dig into the steak as well! Despite my friend ordering well-done (gasp!), it was actually very tender to chew. It was served with chips and salad which I helped to eat as well. The chips were well cooked and the salad was a good match against the meatiness and starch.


The waiter serving us was very friendly and hilarious so it has bonus points for customer service. It is interesting to note that Canley Heights is now becoming the ideal late night culinary destination in Western Sydney due to the traditional Vietnamese restaurants, the success of Holy Basil and Fat Panda and recent openings of numerous cafes such as V Lounge. With that, Santos is a great alternative to all of that hype when you are in need of a European feed or you are not feeling up for Asian food. Give it a go!

Santos
231 Canley Vale Rd, Canley Heights
Contact no: (02)9727 0580

SIFF 2011 Let's Do Lunch - Mad Cow, Sydney [CLOSED]

I've been planning to check Mad Cow for a while but the menu prices usually put me off a bit. This is coming from someone who lives less than 5 minutes from Cooks Hill Hotel ($10 steaks!) and used to dine on $5-6 steaks back at uni while the prices of steaks at Mad Cow range between $36 for a minute steak to $110 if you want a wagyu sirloin.

As part of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival, Mad Cow and numerous restaurants across Sydney are offering a $38 Let's Do Lunch set menu including a matched glass of choice.

Mad Cow's Let's Do Lunch menu

At Mad Cow, they are offering a wagyu 250g rump steak with spicy barbeque sauce, shoestring fries and green salad. On the Let's Do Lunch menu at the restaurant, they also offered two other dishes they weren't listed on the SIFF website: mushroom risotto and a pan roast fillet of cone bay barramundi but hey it's Mad Cow! Might as well try a steak when you have the opportunity.

Complementary bread and butter

The staff were very attentive. One of them asked if this was my first time trying out a LDL meal. In fact it was. It took a while for them to get the complimentary bread but they apologised immediately. The bread was sooo good! From what I remember, it was the Sonoma Soy Linseed bread. I might buy the loaf when I get the chance.

Wagyu rump steak (250g) with spicy BBQ sauce

When the waiter presented the steak, my initial reaction was "that's a pretty small steak". It was good that the fries and salad were included otherwise I would have ordered more. The wagyu steak was tender, juicy and oozing with flavour. The barbeque sauce was the perfect match with its tangy spicyness that complemented well with the steak. If there is anything that I have learnt, it was do not underestimate the size of the steak. As small as it looked, I almost wasn't able to finish up the steak because it was more filling and denser than I thought.

Check out the steak!

This is a knife!

The chips and salad were great side dishes. While the chips are addictive with its crunchiness, the salad balanced out the oils from the steak and chips as well as the butter and the carbs from the bread.

Shoe string fries and green salad

Shiraz - definitely an ideal combination with a meal like this

I would definitely recommend coming back here to try out the steaks or check out the non-steak dishes or even Mad Cow's signature steak tartare and some of the other starters. For a deal like this, it is definitely worth the experience - and the cost! Plus you can't go wrong with complementary red wine.

Mad Cow
Location: Level 1, 320 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Contact no: 02 92403000
http://merivale.com.au/madcow/