On the Go

Let Central Market do all the work in the kitchen with to-go meals

Every day, Central Market chefs craft restaurant-quality entrees and an array of seasonal sides, salads, dips, and sweets to make meal planning or last-minute menus a breeze.

With a variety of options — from brisket and beef bourguignon to lobster mac 'n cheese and overnight oats — there’s something to please everyone.

So whether you're feeding a houseful or grabbing dinner for one this weekend, stop by Central Market for mealtime in no time.

Here are a few favorites for you to simply heat, serve, and savor:

Feed the family
Family casseroles are hearty and delicious one-dish dinners that are ready to heat and eat. Look for flavors like baked ziti, ranch chicken, and cowboy casserole. These family-sized meals feed four to six people.

Or gather your hungry crew around a plump and juicy fire-roasted rotisserie chicken with your favorite chef-made sides, like the fall specialty Moroccan barley salad.

Dinner for one or two
Right-sized dinners with mains and sides made fresh daily, prepackaged, and ready for easy pickup. Enjoy chef-made meals such as harissa chicken, grilled flank steak, and grilled salmon with orzo.

Or build your own meal, choosing from the chef-prepared case that's filled with such mouthwatering items as rosemary chicken breasts, turkey meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans amandine.

Forget the drive-thru
It’s not just dinner where Central Market chefs shine. Start the day with breakfast tacos, overnight oats, cold-pressed juices, and your morning coffee.

Or take a lunch break and enjoy a towering, freshly prepared deli sandwich starring the signature in-house roasted meats, bakery breads, and not a sad fast-food burger in sight.

You’ll also find salads, sushi, and soups galore, all ready for easy grab-and-go. Be sure to look for salad medley snack packs featuring grilled shrimp, tarragon chicken, and even vegan options.

Easy entertaining
Inviting folks over for a little happy hour reprieve or a simple patio gathering with the neighbors on a Saturday night is a no-hassle event when you pick up pre-made cheese and charcuterie boards.

Serve pairings such as sopressata salami and Manchego cheese with Marcona almonds, dried apricots, and cranberries. You’ll also find Genoa salami, creminelli calabrese, pepperoni, and more. Just grab a few bottles (or cans!) of wine or six-packs of beer, and you’re ready to roll.

Game-day ready
Sports and snacks go hand in hand, so make sure you get your hands on Central Market's scratch-made dips, spreads, salsas, and queso.

Try signature items like the beer cheddar cheese spread, chile con queso, and spinach dip, all made fresh daily. And whatever you do, don’t miss the famous Love Dip — it’s a Central Market cult favorite. Serve the tomatoey, garlicky dip cold with crackers, chips, veggies, or anything, really.

For the kids
You’ll also find plenty of tasty options for small hands, like brown-bag lunches featuring PBJ and fruit, kid-friendly salad medleys with savory tuna and couscous or grilled chicken and hummus, and fresh-cut fruit, veggies, and pre-packed dips.

Did you know you can ask the sushi chefs to make special rolls filled with your child’s favorite sushi ingredients? There really is something for everyone at Central Market.

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Central Market Preston Royal is now open — stop by at 10720 Preston Rd.

Pick up some sushi for a quick meal.

Photo courtesy of Central Market

Pick up some sushi for a quick meal.

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Teppanyaki News

Japanese restaurant chain with sizzling hot plates to debut in Frisco

Pepper Lunch

Pepper Lunch is coming to Frisco.

A distinctive Asian restaurant concept with sizzling hot plates is coming to the Dallas area: Called Pepper Lunch, it's an international chain from Japan that does a fast-casual version of teppanyaki, and it's opening in Frisco at 9180 Warren Pkwy. #150, in a busy shopping center anchored by 99 Ranch, in the former Gen Korean BBQ space.

Frisco will be the very first Pepper Lunch in Texas. According to co-owner Phil Guo, it'll open in mid-March.

Pepper Lunch was founded in Tokyo in 1994 by chef Kunio Ichinose and features teppanyaki, a Japanese cooking style where chefs cook on a hot griddle (teppan) in front of diners, creating an interactive and entertaining meal.

But Pepper Lunch takes it a step further with do-it-yourself teppanyaki, with meals served on 500-degree Fahrenheit hot plates, which are patented to stay hot for more than 20 minutes — allowing diners to cook their own food at the table.

All that sizzle has made Pepper Lunch an internet sensation. Cooking your own food at your table is a trend, and Pepper Lunch also has price and convenience on its side: Most of its menu items come in under $20 and can be complete in 20 minutes, making it a desirable option for workers and others with a limited lunch hour.

The signature dish is their Pepper Rice, which comes in about a dozen options, including the best-selling Beef Pepper Rice, featuring sliced beef, white rice, corn, and spring onion, with freshly-cracked black pepper, which is also a signature. ("We crack it fresh every morning," Guo says.)

Salmon terifyaki at Pepper Lunch Frisco.Pepper Lunch

Other varieties of Pepper Rice include Salmon Pepper Rice, Chicken Pepper Rice, Shrimp Pepper Rice, and Tofu & Veggie Pepper Rice.

You can get your meat, rice, and veggies in a teriyaki option or with curry sauce. They also have pastas with cream sauce and your choice of protein. Sides include American classics such as fries, onion rings, or sweet potato wedges, and they offer Kirin beer.

Dallas is part of Pepper Lunch's broader expansion across the U.S. They currently have more than 500 locations across 17 countries.

Guo is a veteran restaurateur who, along with partner Ken Cheng, operates three locations of Jinya Ramen Bar, a completely different kind of dining experience.

"Jinya is a full-service restaurant with a nice bar and intimate atmosphere, and the food is more complex," he says. "Pepper Lunch is fast-casual, more family-oriented, with a faster pace. If you need to, you can be in and out in 20 minutes. But there's heat nothing like it when they bring your plate to your table, and you get to cook rice or steak right in front of your face — it sizzles and pops."

He loves to recall the first time he encountered Pepper Lunch, decades ago, on a family trip to Hong Kong.

"We waited in line for two hours, and I will always remember sitting down and experiencing that sizzling smell," he says.

openings asian