Sizzling

Review! Charlotte, North Carolina // food stall in Alley 51 selling pepper rice // decent portions

the ELEVATOR PITCH

I’ve mentioned my love for “pepper rice” in my post on Where To Eat in Shanghai, and how my romance with the dish first started at Pepper Lunch (the location I went to was in Los Angeles, but its first location opened in Kanagawa in 1994¹). Pepper rice is essentially a personal-sized Japanese steakhouse meal, where your choice of rice + protein combo is served on a piping hot cast iron pan (that can be heated up to 500°F at some restaurants!) so that you can crisp and char your meal how you like it. I love my salt, I love my flavor, I love my crispy rice and tastefully charred bits. This is why I love pepper rice.

And while Sizzling doesn’t beat The Original (awesome) Pepper Lunch, I’m glad Charlotte’s expanding her Asian cuisine food scene!

side bar: this method of cooking with a hot metal plate is also known as “teppanyaki,” a technique that originated in Japan over 200 years ago. Teppanyaki-style cooking migrated to the United States in the 1960s² in the form of Japanese steakhouses, where steel, flat stove tops are used in a communal dining setting. However, we’ve somehow misnamed it “hibachi” and it stuck 🤷‍♀️ (hibachi refers to “open-fire barbequing”). That being the case, I’ll probably still be calling it hibachi because no one would know what I’m talking about otherwise, ah the evolution of language!

menu items

honest reviews below 👇

Chicken Pepper Rice: (+ Kimchi) I thought the chicken was a little over done here and not as tender as I would’ve liked, but it was also white meat (which is not my favorite). The addition of kimchi added great flavor and bolstered the entire dish to feel like a full meal! (rating: 7.5/10)

👉 Black Pepper Sauce: this is sweet & savory and reminded me of teriyaki sauce; I would’ve preferred it to have more black pepper kick and less sweetness, but my husband favored this sauce over the other one! (rating: 8/10)

👉 Japanese Salmon Soup: I had never heard of this soup before, but it came with a lot of vegetables (and one little chunk of salmon lol). It was a milder flavored soup, not too salty. I would get this next time since it’s a lot heartier than the miso. (rating: 8/10)

👉 Potato Salad: your classic potato salad; on the mild creamy end of salads. I’m not a huge potato salad person so it was average for me. (rating: 5/10)

Salmon Pepper Rice: this doesn’t come with a lot of salmon so be prepared to fill up on rice unless you add a bunch of the other toppings! Overall, still tasty and is a decent meal, but I would need it to come with a larger variety of toppings to give it a higher rating…if you just order it how it comes, be prepared for 80% rice 💔 (rating: 7.5/10)

👉 Garlic Gravy: super savory, with a decent garlic presence. If you pour the entire portion into your rice, it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors but provides a subtle dimension. (rating: 8/10)

👉 Miso Soup: this is just a classic miso soup, with super savory flavorful broth and nothing much else in it (besides the stray small tofu bit, and a piece of seaweed). If you’re looking for something to help wash down your rice, get this. If you’re looking for a meal supplement, get the Japanese Salmon soup! (rating: 4/10)

👉 Cucumber Salad: I was a little surprised this didn’t come premixed with the vinegar-y sweet dressing, and that the cucumbers were spiralized versus smashed. Overall not my favorite cucumber salad as it wasn’t as flavorful, but I enjoyed it more than the potato salad. (rating: 6/10)

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the RÉSUMÉ

logistics // they’ll ask for your number and text you when your order is ready 🔊

menu //

• beverages ($1.50 - $3.75): water, carbonated drinks, tea (oolong, green, etc.), Calpico, strawberry milk, etc.

• entrees ($18.00 - $25.00): pepper rice + various proteins (chicken, salmon, beef, shrimp); sizzling plate (comes with veggie, fries, and choice of protein)

  • extra protein (+$6.00)

  • toppings ($0.50 - $3.00): kimchi, egg, corn, cheese, rice

• sides/appetizers: cucumber salad, potato salad, miso soup, Japanese salmon soup

• desserts ($7.99): a selection of cheesecakes! Green Tea, Sweet Potato, Creme Brulee, etc.

recs // the base prices are already on the higher end, making it unmotivating to add extra toppings. But they do a great job with heating the hot plates to a hot enough temperature to crisp up the rice!

site // Instagram handle: yumesizzling

1. Sandra. “How Much is Beef Pepper Rice at Pepper Lunch? A Complete Guide.” Recipe Foodies. (December 30, 2024)

2. Molloy, Jessie. “The Key Difference Between Teppanyaki And Hibachi.” Tasting Table. (February 25, 2023)