Today, I revisited the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant. Recently a new stall called Mr Peppery rice open at the food court, so I decided to try from this stall.
This time, I ordered Sliced beef Teppan Pepper rice from the Mr Peppery rice stall, which cost RM16.90 per plate.
This dish arrives on a sizzling hot iron plate, with a neat mound of white rice in the center topped with sweet corn, chopped spring onions, and a heavy sprinkle of cracked black pepper. Thinly sliced beef surrounds the rice, gently cooking on the hotplate’s surface heat.
The beef’s natural juices mix into the rice as you stir everything together, creating a savoury, slightly smoky taste driven mainly by black pepper and the meat itself. The high heat gives subtle charred edges to the beef, adding depth and aroma.
The concept originates from Japanese teppan (iron plate) cooking and was popularised in fast-casual format by chains like Pepper Lunch in the 1990s. The idea was to let customers mix and control the doneness themselves, using intense heat to bring out natural flavours.
n Malaysia, the dish evolved slightly depending on the outlet — some versions include butter, while others focus purely on pepper, meat juices, and sauce for a lighter but still bold experience.
