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    Sizzling Lunch

    4.1 (108 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Sizzling Lunch Takeout or Delivery

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    SIZZLING LUNCH ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Sizzling Beef Pepper Rice
    Olivia C.

    First time to this Berkeley location since it had moved from Telegraph Ave. Walked in and the door notified everyone that someone had walked in. There's a wait to be seated sign but I was motioned to the counter since it was just me. I sat down and scanned the QR code to begin the ordering process. A cup of cold water was brought and I quickly ordered my beef pepper rice. There are options to remove items if you don't want green onions or corn, for example. It did take awhile for it to come out given that there was only two people in front of me who hadn't yet received their food. So if you have an hour lunch, this may not be the best place for you to go. That being said, if you have the time, the flavor and experience is worth the try. I would have wanted a few more slices of beef to mix with the rice, corn and green onions to feel more full. The rice however was perfect. Crunchy rice from the sizzling plate was spot on. The plate was hot enough to quickly cook the very thin strips of beef. I also had added on the garlic shoyu and teriyaki sauces that were at the counter. Definitely would recommend for the experience but maybe not if you're hungry and only want to order one dish. Server was polite and the restaurant itself was clean. The restroom is out the back door and is a little dark but also clean. Would I go back? Absolutely if I have the time!

    Onion Beef Pepper Rice
    Alice H.

    I wanted a quick meal, so I ordered the Onion Beef Pepper Rice, which came with Green onions, corn, garlic butter, salt, pepper, and Fried Crispy Onion. The portion size was great, but the flavors felt a bit mild for me. I ended up adding the garlic shoyu and teriyaki sauces, though I could mostly taste the sweetness and saltiness. Overall, it was a mixed experience. But I'll definitely come back to try it again another time.

    Garlic Beef Pepper Rice Cheese Corn
    Kathy N.

    I didn't realize Sizzling Lunch moved to Shattuck! There's only street parking and it can be rough depending on what day and time you go. I stopped by twice in one week (because it was so good). Once on a Saturday around 6pm, I had to drive around for like 15 minutes before I found parking and another time on Monday around 5pm and lucked out on finding parking right in front. When you get seated, you'll scan the QR code to put in your order. You can pay through there or at the register. I ordered the garlic beef and corn cheese. It's definitely recommended to add all of the sauces and seasoning on the table otherwise it's going to taste bland. I wasn't the biggest fan of the corn cheese, I think it cooked too fast and got too crispy at the bottom for my liking. Overall I would obviously come back. Staff are super nice. The restaurant is spacious but can get full.

    Online menu where you place your order online
    cristina p.

    We came for my sister's birthday with a group of 13. Usually it's very overwhelming having to order for everyone and everyone ordering all at once lol. However, the ordering process here made it so easy! You scan a QR code from the table and you just place your order, that's it! No one takes your order, but they are on standby if you need anything! I got the spicy garlic beef pepper rice with an egg and it was very tasty! I like how crispy the rice gets when you just leave it alone for a bit. The spice level was just enough for me. There are sauces that you can add to the dish if you need more flavor. They also offer Sugar Mama Sugarcane! We didn't get any when we came in, but we've had Sugar Mama before and it's one of the best sugarcane drinks!

    Front entrance
    Mary K.

    If you're looking to have a good hot plate sizzling lunch or dinner this is the place to go plenty of seating and no wait unlike other places in the area. Friendly service and food is quick to arrive because the meat choice will cooks on the hot sizzling plate you have to flip and mix everything together a little different but good! The wings had a nice batter crunch. There are no paper menus so you do have to have a phone to scan the barcode to order. The food was good and satisfying. Will definitely be back since it's close walking distance.

    Diana T.

    Yum! I was craving Sizzling Lunch in the middle of a 2 hour car ride and rushed over thinking there might be a long line. Parking was a nightmare but we were seated right away! We sat by the window and was annoyed by the flies but the food made up for it. A hot sizzling plate of food never misses. I'll be back but perhaps will sit somewhere else in the restaurant?

    Takoyaki
    Customer A.

    The food was amazing!! I took a video of my partner's and friend's meals but the food I personally ordered were the Tempura Shrimp with Curry Sauce and Takoyaki. The tempura was PERFECT! The best tempura I've ever tasted, it was wonderfully crispy on the outside and the shrimp wasn't rubbery or chewy at all. The curry sauce was a perfect mix and the plate stayed hot for a good while! The takoyaki was also incredible! The octopus wasn't rubbery or overly chewy at all either. :) I look forward to trying this place's food again in the future. The service was nice! There was only one server at the time we came in but she was very accommodating and cordial. When we had an issue with one of our cups, she was quick to help out and resolve the issue by both replacing the cup and drink. The ambiance is good! Decor is simple and nice. One concern is that there were a lot of flies at the window inside the restaurant. And I unfortunately did see one land on two customers' head (two different ones). There was a total of four just sitting on the blinds. Maybe something to keep an eye out for in the future, considering there are many tables near the window.

    Lisa H.

    I was pleasantly surprised at how fast, affordable and tasty the food was! It's a large space with plenty of seating where you order at the table with a QR code. The food came out so quickly, within 5 minutes of ordering and it was indeed sizzling hot. The flavors were delicious for the garlic pepper beef rice and I added lots of the teriyaki and soy sauce. I also got the udon as well and prefer the rice myself because it got crispy on the hot plate. We were in and out in no time. For a fast quick meal I definitely would recommend!

    Garlic Beef Pepper udon
    Aly C.

    ===TL;DR=== - Garlic beef pepper with udon - Garlic beef rice with kimchi ===TMI=== Not sure if it's me, if I grew out of it, or this place is just not hitting the same anymore. Classic sizzling plate meal where you get to add sauces of your choice at the table. It was alright. Flavors were ok. I think they're good for a quick and hassle free meal. iPad orders. When I went, the table and seat was kind of dirty.

    the wings, all but one smaller than my pinky
    Blu M.

    In all honestly, this spot is ok! But nothing to call home about that is for sure. I placed a pick up order at Sizzling Lunch to get a quick dinner to hold me for the night. I already knew that the experience wouldn't be as good considering I was getting everything precooked rather than having the actual sizzling plate experience, so I don't let that hinder my overall score. It took about 50 minutes for my order to be complete. Why? I am unsure! I ordered a garlic beef rice and an order of chicken wings, and the restaurant was not busy at the time (5 pm). So I do not know! The beef rice was definitely the best part. The rice was flavorful and the beef was good. Do wish there was more protein but it is ok. I also enjoyed the sauce that was served with it. Yum! The thing that got me were the wings. What bird was killed to make these? They were SO small and dry! I was hoping that the flavor would at least make up for the negative so far but even that was lacking which is upsetting :( Just not the most tasty moment. I have had sizzling lunch in the past and it has been good, but each experience I have had at this specific location has been leaning towards lackluster :/ I do not think I will return unfortunately!

    Front desk
    Lily C.

    Had the pleasure of dining at Sizzling Lunch recently, and the staff were extremely kind. I ordered the spicy garlic beef pepper rice, and was very excited to receive the quite literally sizzling plate! The food itself was okay -- definitely need to take a pair of chopsticks to flip and cook other sides of the beef while the plate is hot -- and was *very* spicy. By itself, the dish was missing quite a bit of flavor (that or my tongue was just numb from the intense spice), but they have bottles of teriyaki sauce and various other seasonings available to add to your liking. Two cups of iced water later, I left as a full and satisfied customer. Thank you Sizzling Lunch!

    Spicy Garlic Beef Pepper Rice
    Kelly T.

    Wow! I was quite blown away by how delicious the food was here. Back in OC, we have something similar called Pepper Lunch, though it is not as good as it was here. I think what really made this dish so tasty was the seasoned butter that they used!! Really added such nice depth and richness to the rice when mixed all together. The spicy sauce that came on top of the rice was also sooooo good and well seasoned, though it was a LOT spicier than I anticipated. It's the kind of spice that builds up in your mouth the more that you eat it. I also had the potato croquettes and they were perfection. So crispy on the outside, soft and a bit sweet on the inside, it pairs so nicely with the main dish. Would definitely recommend this place!! Portions are pretty big.

    Curry Beef Rice with Cheese
    Elaine C.

    If I could eat here every day without having digestive issues, I WOULD. I looooooove sizzling lunch. Service is incredibly quick--there's barely any wait time between ordering and getting your food. The food arrives on sizzling hot stone pans, and I absolutely adore getting to mix everything up and scraping the crispy bits of rice off the bottom. I usually just order the classic garlic beef pepper lunch, but my boyfriend ordered the curry beef rice with cheese. I tried some and it was MOUTHWATERING. If you are a fan of curry, it is a must try! It's definitely on the heavier side, though, so be prepared to spend some time on the toilet later. The interior is so cute and spacious, and they have a good range of seating options. The bar style tables make it very solo dining friendly. Pro tip: drench your rice in the spicy miso sauce. I can eat that sauce straight.

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    4 months ago

    I was very disappointed after seeing this on Check Please. My food was just so-so prices weren't worth the what I paid. Not going back

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    6 months ago

    Got food poisoning here Saturday. Workers were chill tho. Place was clean too. Fast service.

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    7 months ago

    Food was good, service was fast, I enjoyed my meal! Very basic but delicious. Good sauce options

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    7 months ago

    Great food, great service, great vibes, definitely would recommend. Everyone should go check it out!!

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    7 months ago

    Service is really quick, many options to add on top of ur original order, places a clean and nice!

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    Pretty decent size and flavor. Service was great especially for a first timer. Will definitely go back again

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    Page 2 of 3

    Sizzling Lunch Reviews in Other Languages

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    Hana Japan Steak & Seafood

    Hana Japan Steak & Seafood

    2.9(882 reviews)
    2.6 miWest Berkeley
    $$$
    Takes reservations
    Full bar

    In all fairness, we came here because of a Groupon and for me that usually indicates the restaurant…read moreis trying to push for new customers. We made the drive and glad we did it, but it's not enough to make us return. I wish them success because hibachi is totally fun. Our chef was excellent! Entertaining enjoyable, all of the things. That said the restaurant was definitely old and dated but not in the nostalgic way. Food was pretty ok. Pricing is expected but would've been frustrating had it not been for Groupon.

    Completely disappointed. I would never go back. I can't believe they are in business to be honest…read more The ambiance is so dirty and out dated. They haven't put any love into this business in a long, long time. It being a restaurant and a place you eat, it needs to be clean and not smell offensive. Do me a favor and take the elevator up and let me know how it smells, I had to hold my breath. OK so lets start with the food. The salad was literally soggy and not flavorful. I usually give leftovers to the homeless or take home for myself but that salad I wouldn't even give away to the homeless, yes it was that undesirable. The tempura shrimp was not crispy as it should be. The food was just ok and the portions were not equivalent to the price your paying. Im sure plenty of people might be OK with mediocre but unfortunately I am not. The only bright side was the friendly staff which reminds me, Our wings came out way after the food that I even forgot to take a picture of them. The waiter apologized for it and gave us a free drink. Something is better than nothing. I did appreciate that. P.S. the parking lot is run down and unsafe to walk if your in high heals. There is no love or passion left in this joint, only cashing in on the allure of hibachi cooking. No thank you.

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    Hana Japan Steak & Seafood
    Hana Japan Steak & Seafood
    Hana Japan Steak & Seafood

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    Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - smoking cocktail

    Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant

    3.2(763 reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$

    We can for my brother's birthday. The service was great, the show was fun and the food was…read morestandard. I think the food itself is probably 3.5 stars- consistent, but nothing to write home about. But our cook- Memo is the reason this gets bumped up to a 4. Interactive, fun and a memorable dinner to celebrate my brother's birthday! Also the amount of food was VERY generous!!! Pretty much everyone in our group had leftovers to take home- some of us had full meals!!

    Pretty bad experience last night at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant Alameda last night. Granted, it…read morewas Valentine's day, but still . 1. I wanted a particular seat so I could stretch out my right leg due to recent knee replacement surgery. The staff member refused to do it because they didn't want empty seats between us and another party that was already seated. Except there wouldn't have been any empty seats, because there was another party about to be seated at the same time as us; it was just a matter of where we, and the other still-standing party, would sit. They actually had to get a manager involved so I could sit where I wanted to. 2. We had a coupon for a free appetizer, up to $12 value. The only restriction was that it couldn't be combined with other offers. Nothing on the coupon said anything about restrictions for Valentine's Day. Staff said they weren't sure and would check, but did NOT say we couldn't use it when they took the order, so we ordered an appetizer. And then at the end of the meal, they refused to honor the coupon. 3. None of the single teppanyaki dishes were available; you could only get combo dishes (e.g. chicken & filet mignon). Issue is not a limited menu for V-Day, because chicken, filet mignon, shrimp, we're all still available. You could modify a combo dish to get two of the same item, but doing so was a lot more expensive than the regular price for a single dish. 4. The kid's order of filet mignon tasted funny. . Overall, a really negative experience.

    Photos
    Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - The grill

    The grill

    Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - Banzai (Steak/ Chicken / Shrimp

    Banzai (Steak/ Chicken / Shrimp

    Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - Pomegranate Martini - Made with Ketel One. Absolutely delicious!

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    Ippuku - Sashimi combo: tuna, fatty tuna, sea urchins and ?

    Ippuku

    3.9(1.5k reviews)
    0.2 miDowntown Berkeley
    $$$

    Walk-in at Ippuku in Berkeley came with a pretty long wait, and there is no online waitlist which…read moremakes planning difficult. We were seated around 7:30 (which is still prime dinner time imo) only to be told that many of the menu items had already sold out, which was disappointing. The items that were still available were good and we still had a nice time overall. FYI, the non-alcoholic beverage selection is quite limited. At this price point, the wait plus the number of sold out dishes makes us question whether we would come back.

    This place has been on my want to go list for a while, and I finally got to try it! We didn't make…read morea reservation and walked in instead. We waited for about 30 min and the restaurant texted us once the table was ready. We ordered quite a few dishes and started with Omakase gushi, which came with chicken breast, thigh with leek, heart, cartilage, and minced chicken. We also ordered the oden set, sasami, tori tataki, gyu-tan, enoki bacon, and buta bara. Evertyhing tasted pretty good, but the most impressive dish was sasami with umeboshi, which was inner bresat with umehad was the inner breast with umeboshi. It was my first time trying raw chicken, and it tasted really good. The chicken breast was really tender, with a tuna-like texture, and without any slimy or odd flavors. Ever since then, I've been telling my friends to try it. The Tori Tataki was seared chicken breast sashimi with ponzu, which tasted a bit plain compared to the sasami. So I would highly recommended to get theeir sasami!

    Photos
    Ippuku - Cool shochu dispensers

    Cool shochu dispensers

    Ippuku - Ippuku salad

    Ippuku salad

    Ippuku - Beer and sake

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    Beer and sake

    Skates On The Bay

    Skates On The Bay

    3.5(3.3k reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$$

    Ordered ToGo on a Saturday about 2:30 pm, which I thought was a good time, since it was after the…read morelunch rush and before the dinner crowd. But no. After ordering at the desk, waited 45 minutes, and then asked how much longer. Turns out, my order was sitting behind the desk, but have no idea for how long. I was sitting right in front of them. So, 1star on service. No detailed receipt. If you call, no answer. Food was excellent, although pricey. The mussels were yummy and will order again. The artichoke dip we had before, and I forgot to order TWO servings! So very very good!! The clams we had before and were delicious, so ordered again, but this time they were very spicy so will NOT order again. Other than spicy, had little flavor. Overall, very good food, beautiful place, extremely busy even at 2:30. Will order 2 artichokes dips next time and the mussels.

    AI suggested this for neurodivergent child, saying it was large so noise dispersed ... just for…read moreother parents out there, no it was noisy. I called to make reservation explaining waiting didn't work for our son and she said if we came at 8 instead of 7:30 we wouldn't have a wait. We went at 7:45 and waited half an hour (just missing the sunset over the water ;( We got our food an hour later. fortunately we got an appetizer in only half an hour and he was ready to go after that. So we ate very quickly and packed his up. The mahi was dry, the green beans were mostly yellow (old), the couscous good, melted in your mouth except for the pieces that were literally hard as rocks (maybe rocks?). The waitress forgot about the non alcoholic drink, when reminded after 40 minutes, she apologized and it came in 10 minutes and was way too surgery... was supposedly ginger, elderberry, lime (hmm... didn't taste the elderberry and the drink was clear no blue/purple so ...?) too much trouble to get the waitress and ask about this. She was very nice, just not on it. My husband and son left (we had 2 cars) and the waitress came 5-10 minutes later asking if we wanted dessert ("we" weren't there anymore) The hostess that seated us was very sweet and on it. I never post reviews but wanted to get it into the AI that parents with autistic children use to scan for places.

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    Skates On The Bay
    Skates On The Bay
    Skates On The Bay

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    Benihana - San Francisco

    Benihana - San Francisco

    2.9(2k reviews)
    10.7 miJapantown, Lower Pacific Heights
    $$$
    Kid friendly
    Full bar

    I love the Japantown location Benihana. They have way more entertainment than the nearby locations…read moreI've visited in San Bruno and Foster City. The chefs call them their pepper butter as Mexican Ice Cream and Soy Sauce as Coca Cola and I'm all for it. To top it off, the food tastes perfect. They always cook my steak to the perfect temperature (Medium Rare), and the way the hibachi cooks the shrimp makes them extra tasty as well. We tried the Benihana Trio (comes with Chicken and Steak and Shrimp) and it was a very generous portion. It also comes with onion soup and potstickers and salad as appetizers and ends with ice cream. And the best part is that it's right in the mall so you can enjoy the rest of Japantown afterwards :)

    We walked into Benihana on a Thursday night around 6:30pm and we were seated right away. When we…read morewalked in, our server was already introducing their new Wagyu options to the others at our table. When it came time to order, the restaurant was so loud that I couldn't even hear our server. I would say that the service was not amazing the whole night. Our chef was great and it was only his fourth week working there. I could tell he was trying his best. However, our server paid minimal attention to us and seemed annoyed the whole night. When she came over to ask others for their dessert preferences, I asked if I could order after we finished our meal. She then told us our meal didn't come with dessert anyways, which was not the point. She then checked and realized our meals did come with dessert and brought over our ice cream before we were done with the man course. Of course, the ice cream melted. Overall, the food was ok, but definitely overpriced. The filet mignon quality was average. The chicken fried rice barely had any chicken and it was a $9 add on. I definitely wouldn't recommend going for dinner, but they did have some specials that seemed like a better deal if you want to sit at the bar. Maybe that would be better.

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    Benihana - San Francisco
    Benihana - San Francisco
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    Iyasare - Assorted nigiri

    Iyasare

    4.0(986 reviews)
    1.8 miFourth Street, West Berkeley
    $$$

    Started with a drink and the iyasare kakiage tempura which has burdock root, onion, sweet potato,…read moreshiitake, enoki, carrot, shungiku, and bonito soy dipping sauce. Highly recommend the iyasare kakiage tempura, wish it had some less sweet potatoes and more of the other ingredients, but overall it was savory and very sweet from the sweet potatoes. I enjoyed the kara-age curry rice which is a japanese style fried chicken thighs in a tokyo style curry sauce, a small salad, and koshihikari rice. They gave sooooo much kara-age chicken and it was quite filling. Good dish to share with others. Lastly, we had to try the iyasare mentaiko pasta which is a spicy cod ros, spaghetti, ikura, shiso, and kaiware. It's quite heavy and creamy, but definitely worth trying if you like the ingredients!

    Saw this on the Michelin Guide so wanted to give it a try. On the edge of Berkeley, the location…read moreand ambience makes it a nice spot for a date. The food itself was solid, with the best dishes being the Chef's Recommended tuna tartare and branzino. The rolls were fine, nothing out of the ordinary. While the dishes were enjoyable, the price was on the more expensive side. For the quality of the food ultimately it's difficult to say that it's entirely worth it. For a dinner for two, you're looking northward of $150 and while that's fairly common in the Bay, you can find better restaurants at that price point.

    Photos
    Iyasare - Water being poured..

    Water being poured..

    Iyasare - Kakiage Tempura

    Kakiage Tempura

    Iyasare - Shisho smash - bourbon yuzu & shiso

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    Shisho smash - bourbon yuzu & shiso

    Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya

    Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya

    3.9(442 reviews)
    0.5 miDowntown Berkeley

    Top contender for Japanese cuisine in Berkeley--equal parts sophisticated and scrumptious…read more Highlights include: - Sea Bean & Corn Tempura: a savory funnel cake worthy of a Michelin star thanks to its texture and the side of matcha salt - Salmon sashimi: succulent with fresh wasabi - Wagyu Shime Special: insane price for insane flavor--a generous portion of veggies and wagyu in a big ol' iron bowl of bubblin' broth

    Ate Christmas dinner here with my mom as our celebration tradition is usually a Japanese…read morerestaurant. The ambience was intimate and cozy yet elegant, and the staff was very attentive and kind. I loved the decorations, the plates and silverware, and the food was just as intentional in flavor and selection. For appetizers we had: Anchovy Stuffed Olives Tempura - Tempura Spanish alives stuffed with anchovies $9 Kombu Tsukudani - Premium Hokkaldo kelp, say sauce, bonito, shiso, sesame seeds, enjoy with sake or rice $6 For our meal we had: Saba Bouzushi - House-cured saba mackerel bouzushi - stick-shaped sushi, also called battera, served with shiso, sesame, scallions, topped with Hokkaido shiraita kombu, ten pieces $29 Gindara Yuanyaki - Local black cod marinated in soy sauce and shikuwasa Okinawan citrus juice served grilled $34 Steelhead Trout Nabe - Norwegian ocean trout raised sustainably in the clear, cold ford where the seawater meets fresh meltwater from the glaciers in the mountains. Enjoy the rich flavored, melt-in-your-mouth fish, hotpot with dashi broth, mushrooms, napa cabbage, burdock, clear noodles, tofu, mizuna, scallions, yuzu kosho $39 We've been to many izakaya spots and this place had some of the most unique flavors I've tasted. The Saba Bouzushi stood out to me because it reminded of Filipino paksiw but as a roll! The Gindara was buttery and soft and had a yummy smoky flavor. The Nabe was perfect for a rainy evening - hearty, fresh, and so well balanced in flavor (I loved the yuzu kosho the had us add for a citrusy, peppery flavor)

    Photos
    Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya - Inside

    Inside

    Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya - Chicken Karaage

    Chicken Karaage

    Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya - Fancy cola

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    Fancy cola

    Sizzling Lunch - teppanyaki - Updated May 2026

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