Pepper Lunch Steak and Rice Sizzle is an amazing dish with sizzling tender sukiyaki beef, pepper, rice and a delicious Amakuchi and Karakuchi sauces that can be on your table in less than 30 minutes. 
Have you ever eaten at a Pepper Lunch restaurant?
Pepper Lunch is not a high-end luxury dining experience by any means. As a matter of fact, you have to first place your order into a vending machine and pick out your items to get your food ticket and to retrieve your food.
However please don't misconstrue. Of course, there are not waitresses fluttering about you waiting on you hand in foot. However, their signature dish is simple, quick, inexpensive, filling, hot, delicious and served to you in a matter of moments.
Two Special Japanese sauces for Pepper Lunch Steak and Rice Sizzle
- Amakuchi sauce which is sometimes called Special Honey Brown Sauce, Pepper Steak Honey Brown Sauce, Japanese honey brown sauce.
- Karakuchi sauce sometimes called the Garlic-Soy Sauce or Pepper Lunch Steak sauce.
I first posted this recipe on November 17, 2011 and I have made this Pepper Lunch Steak and Rice Sizzle dish about a million times since then for my family. I have added some helpful hints and I have sorted out the recipe for both the Amakuchi and Karakuchi sauce to the best of my tasting abilities.
You are never going to believe this but they just put in a Pepper Lunch restaurant walking distance from my home, here in Hong Kong. Life is good! However, when I don't feel like fighting the crowds or walking 20 minutes, making this dish at home is a great alternative.
History of the Pepper Lunch Restaurant
According to Wikipedia, Pepper Lunch restaurant originated in Japan in 1994 by chef and inventor Kunio Ichinose, who wanted to serve quality fast food without hiring a chef. He devised a method using hot metal plates that are heated to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 Celsius) by an electromagnetic cooker. The raw meat with vegetables and/or rice are then placed on the plates, where they cook in front of the customer.
The meal is then mixed with a choice of either the special honey brown sauce (Amakuchi) or garlic soy sauce (Karakuchi). Now there are over 200 restaurants in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Macau, Philippines and USA.
Signature Dish
The signature dish of "Pepper Lunch Restaurant" is their sizzling beef and rice platter. Hands down this type of food that teenagers will come flocking to as it consists of everything they deem edible in Asia in one easy dish; rice, beef, corn and the special yummy sauces.
"There is Always Rice"
You know the everyday struggle I have with raising and feeding teenagers in Asia... "Eww! Are we are on the show fear factor? My goodness, what is that? I am soooooo not eating that. (Grilled squid on a stick, Fried blood, chicken feet, 1000 year old eggs, congee, snake,eel, mystery like meat substances with lots of bones, the list goes on and on). Need I say more????
So our famous family motto is, "There is always rice!" Plain white rice is pure and filling. In addition, rice can be used as way to hide the other weird mysterious foods that end up on your plate during those executive meetings and or other such functions. My teenagers all know the drill, move your food around on your plate, pretend to enjoy and smile while eating the items placed on your plate or hide the weird stuff on the bottom of your rice pile.
Why you are going to love Pepper Lunch Steak and Rice Sizzle
However, men cannot live on rice alone, so that is why this signature Pepper Lunch Steak and Rice Sizzle dish is a perfect family retreat in Asia. Of course it is fun to eat this dish out at the Pepper Lunch restaurant, but it is just as fun, easy and simple to make this dish at home. After several visits to this establishment, here is what I think they put into their signature dishes. (give or take a few ingredients)
Sukiyaki Beef
I use sukiyaki beef that is very thin and delicious and here is a photo of it, if you are wondering what it is. Now don't worry if you cannot find sukiyaki beef you can just use a sirloin or other tasty tender cut of meat you like and slice it ultra thin and against the grain. Some other delicious recipes using sukiyaki beef would be our Sukiyaki Beef Udon and our Asian Beef Roll Ups
Helpful Cooking Hints
1) Using an iron skillet is best as it really holds the heat and can cook the beef even after it is off the burner. However, I do not have 4 iron skillets and I need to use regular skillets for the rest of our family. No worries you will just have to keep the regular pan on the burner for an additional 3-5 minutes to cook the beef and to get the rice crunchy.
2) The crunchy rice on the bottom is the best part. I like to keep my pan on the burner for the additional couple of minutes just to get that delicious rice crunchy.
3) You do not have to use beef, if you are vegan substitute vegetables such as colorful peppers and zuchinni, eggplant or even fried tofu.
4) Many people use super thin slices of fatty salmon or tuna belly instead of beef or even super thin slices of pork.
5) If you cannot find super thin and beautiful sukiyaki beef at the store , then try purchasing a sirloin steak, put it in the freezer so it gets firm and then cut into super thin slices. Make sure it is unthawed and dried all the way before cooking.
6) If you need to follow a gluten free diet then please substitute soy sauce with tamari and you can have the garlic- soy (Karakuchi sauce). However you cannot have the honey -soy sauce mixture as the oyster sauce is not gluten free. If you really want to try an alteration to the honey -soy sauce, remove the oyster sauce and replace with ¼ cup water with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and mix until it is a slurry and add to the honey soy mixture and cook until bubbly and thick.
7) If you are diabetic, you can still enjoy the beef but instead of the rice sizzle add some vegetables. Instead of the honey in the honey soy mixture add a sugar alternative to taste.
8) Kids and adults both love this dish!
Delicious Japanese Side Dishes to go along with your Pepper Lunch Steak
Garlicky Sesame Stir Fried Beans
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This is our re-engineering of the recipe just by taste and watching them make it in the restaurant. Feel free to adjust ingredients/amounts and let us know how it goes.
Pepper Lunch Steak and Rice Sizzle
Ingredients
Amakuchi (Honey - Soy Sauce)
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup tamari (soy) sauce
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon water
Karakuchi (Garlic-Soy Sauce)
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic
peeled and minced - ½ cup tamari (soy) sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
ground - ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pepper Lunch Beef (serves 4)
- 4 tablespoon canola oil
(1 tablespoon per person) - 1 onion
Large onion chopped finely (¼ onion per person) - 2 cloves garlic
peeled and minced (½ garlic clove per person) - 4 cups precooked japanese white rice (1 cup per person)
- 1.5 pounds sukiyaki beef
If you cannot find sukiyaki beef, you can use sirloin and freeze and then cut ultra thin - 1 teaspoon pepper
(¼ teaspoon per person) - 1 cup corn (can use cooked fresh, frozen or even canned)- ¼ cup per person
- 4 teaspoon butter (1 teaspoon per person) or margarine if you need to keep it dairy free.
- 2 tablespoon green onions thinly sliced for garnish - optional
Instructions
- Make the special honey brown sauce (Amakuchi). In a small pan add honey, soy sauce, oyster sauce mix and water. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes and set aside.
- Make the garlic soy sauce (Karakuchi). In a small pan add your oil and then add your garlic and just sauté until slightly aromatic then add the tamari (soy sauce) and pepper. Mix the cornstarch and water together to make a slurry and then slowly add to karakuchi sauce and cook until boils and slightly thickens. Set aside.
- Make your Pepper Lunch Steak. In an iron skillet or a heavy duty pan, heat up your pan to a high heat, add your oil, onions and garlic and cook just until aromatic, add 1 cup of rice (per person) in the middle of the pan, then add the beef around the rice. sprinkle pepper on your beef, add the corn on top of rice and then place a dab of butter on top of your corn/rice mixture.
- It is at this point that in the restaurant pepper lunch they would remove from the heat and serve to you. It is up to you but if you have 4 iron skillets and can get the pans super hot to cook the meat then by all means remove from the heat and serve. However, I only have one iron skillet, and only 3 burners and 3 regular pans and 4 mouths so feed.
- For those of you that do not have an iron skillet or really like their beef more well done or even crispy then keep on cooking for a little bit (3-5 minutes) and turn over the beef and let the rice get a little crunchy on the bottom as that is my absolute favorite part.
- Garnish your pepper lunch steak and rice sizzle with a little green onion and serve with both the delicious special honey brown sauce (Amakuchi) and garlic soy sauce (Karakuchi). Enjoy!
- Bring the Japanese Pepper Lunch Beef Sizzle piping hot to the table in the iron skillet pan and set on an oven safe mitten. (Be Careful, it is VERY hot) Yummy served with edamame and Japanese pickles on the side. ITADAKIMASU! - Lets Eat!
Eha says
Bobbi - this post has just taught me a valuable lesson: nearly said 'oh, we do not have that chain in Australia'!: glad I did talk to Mr Google 'cause there is one in Sydney's Chinatown, one just open in Perth on the other side of the Continent and one being opened soon in Canberra it seems! What a huge range of dishes: pages and pages here at a very reasonable price . . . . easy to make food I can see your boys loving . . . Well, I make sauces like these almost on a daily basis: won't it be 'fancy' to be able to give them names now 😀 !!
kitchenriffs says
I love recipes that are oldies and goodies! Really like the highlights on the meat in the top photo. And the dish itself? Really good stuff -- loads of flavor. Thanks.
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
I love the saying that there is always rice. It's something my mom would have said. I bet your kids love this dish 🙂
archi says
wow!!! this is so nice been wanting to have it again eversince i tried it in the philippines...will cook this later....tnx
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks so much for stopping by Archi! This meal is super easy to prepare in your home. I hope you give it a try soon. Have a super day.
MS says
We live in Japan, and my whole family loves going to Pepper Lunch. Any ideas on making the curry version? The sauce that is tucked under the rice in the curry version is much darker than the sauce in the regular pepper lunch.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks for stopping by Healthy World Cuisine. I have never tried the curry version, but I know what you are talking about. I will have to order the curry version on my next visit to pepper lunch and see if we can replicate that for you. Have a super day. Take Care, BAM
jasmine says
what kind of butter pepper lunch put on top of the beef or rice? The color is brown... please let me know. thanx.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Jasmine, thanks for stopping by Healthy World Cuisine and leaving a message. I used unsalted butter on top of my rice just to give it that special added flavor at the end of the dish. (You can also use salted butter or even margarine)
The brown sauce I use on top of the rice and beef is called (Amakuchi) which is special honey brown sauce made with equal amount of honey, soy sauce and oyster sauce.
If you are concerned that your butter will brown too much before your beef has a chance to cook, then you can use a little canola oil and butter together at the start of the dish and this will allow you to cook your beef and rice at a higher temperature without too much browning, however the browning of the rice and beef is my favorite part. Please let me know if you still have questions. Have a super weekend. Take Care, BAM
jordan cheung says
beef pepper rice is my favourite because of the margarine
Marlin says
Well,i've tried it's really a hot favourite delicious meal! Thanks for the recipe my kids & hubby loves it tastes better than pepper lunch so happy I can do it at my very own kitchen gee thanks Bam!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you very much for leaving a message and I am so happy to hear this. Pepper Lunch really is an easy weeknight meal. To make it even faster than 15 minutes from skillet to table, I have started making my sauce in larger batches in keeping in a sealed container the refrigerator as we have this meal almost once a week. Take care, BAM
tableofcolors says
This looks wonderful and something that would go over well at our house too!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank you. Kids love it and it is really easy to make. Take Care, BAM
ioanna aggelidaki says
I think i am going to print this one.... even i won't make it this good, at least i can look at it........!
Healthy World Cuisine says
We just ate this again tonight. A great meal and in no time flat so it is part of usual meal plans during the month at least once.
Dawn says
Wow, this is right up my alley - can't wait to try it!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks! Your kids will love it. Mom's love it because it takes less than 30 minute to make. My favorite part if the crunchy rice bits.
Anonymous says
I made the honey brown sauce using brown sugar, kikkoman, oyster sauce, freshly cracked black pepper, pureed roasted onion.
Ty Fang says
Hi,
For the honey and oyster sauce, just like to check the quantity is it in cup or tablespoon ?
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Ty, thanks for stopping by. There are 4 tablespoons in each 1/4 cup. It is equal amounts of honey, oyster sauce and Soy sauce. I used 1/4 cup (.25 cup) which is also the same as 4 tablespoons of each. So you can make as much dipping sauce as you like just keep the proportions equal. I hope this helps. Take care, BAM
PAM says
Looks like a great dish to make. I love the corn topping--very Hong Kong. I checked the web--for Pepper Lunch in NYC (seems to be only California in the USA) so I'll have to make my own. Thanks for sharing!
Healthy World Cuisine says
California would be quite a hall for you in the kids just to enjoy a little pepper lunch but this little number is so easy to make at home, about 20-30minutes tops. This is a very kid friendly dish and hubby liked it quite a bit as well. Happy Holidays Pam!
Jasline says
Looks delicious! Pepper lunch is pretty popular in Singapore too! Gonna try the recipe some day! (:
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Jasline. If you ever get on a first name basis with the cook at the pepper lunch at the Singapore Pepper Lunch ask him for information on what items are in their special sauces. As you can see, I still have not been watermarking my pictures, so little time and so much to get done. Maybe next month. Take Care