Pepper Lunch
Irvine Spectrum Center
Sizzle it your way. Teppanyaki experience Pepper Lunch combines a choice of uncooked ingredients and a personal 570-degree iron plate. Among its 40 dishes are nearly a dozen do-it-yourself versions of the signature pepper rice, variously starring beef, chicken, salmon, shrimp or tofu; three incorporate kimchi. The fast-casual concept, which debuted 30 years ago in Tokyo, has grown to more than 500 locations in 16 countries.
Botan Sushi
Campus Plaza
Enjoy sashimi, sushi and fusion rolls in a contemporary setting beneath lacy white umbrellas and pink flowers suspended from the ceiling. The Dinosaurian Egg presents deep-fried avocado with crab and spicy tuna. Six styles of nigiri sushi include escolar. Among dozens of innovative rolls, the UCI brings tempura sweet potato and asparagus wrapped in shrimp, salmon, avocado and tobiko. There are bento boxes, too.
Karē Japanese Curry
University Center
Japanese curry, the national dish of Japan, is strikingly different from more fiery Indian or Thai curries – more of a rich brown stew. Karē means curry; here it translates to chicken katsu, beef belly and vegetable gyoza, sides such as shrimp tempura, furikake fries and pickled radish all with the practically obligatory curry sauce served in a modest environment. Spam katsu and fried egg is popular all day; chile powder on request.
