Date # 21: Sizzlin’ Pepper Steak

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  My mother introduced me to Sizzlin’ Pepper Steak a few years back, and I’ve been a fan of it ever since. At first I couldn’t understand the concept behind grilling on a plate, but I enjoyed my food every time. 

  Note: This picture was taken in their Trinoma Branch—we ate at their Katipunan branch though.

  Unlike most establishments, Sizzlin Pepper Steak makes its customers write their orders on paper and lets the staff send the paper off to the kitchen. I personally find it quite a hassle, they have a handful of waiters anyway, why the pencil and paper? 

  I got myself a glass of Orange Juice (P75). It tasted like it came straight out of a can.

  I told Douglas I wanted a Gyuniku Beef Pepper Rice (P215). Douglas wanted the same order, but since I called it first, he decided to try something else. 

 In case you don’t already know, Sizzlin Pepper Steak serves their dishes on a hot plate. The idea is to cook the ingredients the way you like them—you can choose either to leave them a bit raw or to let them simmer for a while to make it a little well done.  

  The Gyuniku Beef Pepper Rice had pieces of thin beef strips seasoned with salt and cracked pepper, topped with Japanese mayonnaise. It was served with rice and raw egg. The Gyuniku Beef Pepper Rice came with donburi sauce, which is a sweet concoction. I felt I had to add more flavor to it, so I ordered an additional Teriyaki Sauce. I liked the combination, although you have to ease up a little in combining the two since it can be too flavorful (mine became too salty because I was careless in adding sauces).

  The winning factor is the Japanese mayo and the raw egg. The mayo added a contrasting subtle flavor to the strong flavored meat while the raw egg provided a smooth and silky texture to the entire dish. I’d definitely prefer this over their traditional beef pepper rice.

  Because I had “stolen” Douglas’ order, he got himself a Crab and Egg Pepper Rice (P260) instead. The crabs were too soft—you can barely feel them when you chew. We were even thinking it was all just artificial flavoring, until Douglas encountered some random crab “skin” or whatever it’s called (it’s that white film coating a crab). Encountering those pieces of skin proved that the dish used real crabs, but it made the whole experience quite unejoyable because Douglas had to spit the skin from time to time. Still, he said, it felt more processed even with the skin. It would better if they provided cleaner cuts of crabs, and if they didn’t have such a soft “barely there” texture.

  Taste-wise, it wasn’t anything special either. It’s exactly what you’d expect—a crabby taste, and a scrambled egg taste.

 I ended up feeling bad for stealing his order. He complained that mine was so much more worth it even if his order was more expensive.

Overall Verdict: I’d recommend the beefy items over the other ones. The Gyuniku Pepper Rice is definitely something I’d come back here for.

  Sizzlin Pepper Steak is cheaper than its international counterpart, Pepper Lunch. If you make the right orders, you’d see that Sizzlin Pepper Steak can actually be a sulit alternative. Couples need to experience something good with not spending too much, right? :)

Sizzlin Pepper Steak

Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City

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Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

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