The first Pepper Lunch franchise in Canada is launching in Richmond. The restaurant will be located at 150-5951 No.3 Road, with another one coming soon to Downtown Vancouver.

The concept is already popular in Asia, Japan and Australia. The Pepper Lunch brand specializes in crating sizzle plates featuring big flavours, and quality, local ingredients.

Diners cook their steak, meat of choice, and seafood to-order on a special, patented hot plate created by Pepper Lunch founder, Chef and Inventor Kunio Ichinose. The plate uses proprietary, electromagnetic cooking technology and is sizzling hot at the table, about 260 degrees Celsius – the plate will remain at that temperature for approximately 70 seconds. After that, it will remain at approximately 80 degree Celsius for more than 20 minutes.

The most popular dishes are the original Beef Pepper Lunch and Pepper Steak, usually served with a choice between two sauces, a honey brown variety called Amakuchi or garlic soy sauce called Karakuchi.

Pepper Lunch Canada steak dishes will only use Canadian Certified Angus Beef (CAB), in addition to as local ingredients in each market as possible, such as B.C. steelhead salmon. Black pepper is freshly ground up daily. For those who are familiar with the Pepper Lunch menu, favourites also include Beef and Pork Curry Rice, and Sakura Pork Pepper Rice.

I found the prices to be rather affordable for the portions and the quality of the food. For example: the Salmon Pepper Rice picture above is only $10.95

The restaurant is also kid friendly. High chairs are available per request, and kids receive colouring sheets and crayons to keep them entertained. Also, all dishes can be made without pepper for the kids.

Follow them on Twitter: @PepperLunchCA