MEAT PLUS

4.5 out of 5 stars

I cannot --- CANNOT ---- stop raving about Meat Plus. It's an eatery that has been a cornerstone of Subic. Your trip would not be complete without a visit to this restaurant (then, of course, a hop and a skip across its duty-free stores to burn off that steak you've eaten).

The rating spiked up since my last review not only for staying alive for over a decade, but that it has maintained its superb service, facilities and quality of meats. You may queue up to pay akin to a cafeteria, but the difference ends there. The restaurant is bright, airy and comfortable (except when the crowd spills through its doors); the bathroom is spotless; the condiment options are great; plus, I really appreciate their huge steak knives. How about the food, you ask? Imagine spending a little more than grand for two massive ribeye meals (and drinks)? And it's not just some run-of-the-mill beef, but USDA standard Angus beef from US or Australia!

So please, if you can, just open the chiller to the side of the counter and take out your Angus steak! Don't bother ordering the smaller, local ones from the placard up front. Prepare to drool as your stare at the picture below. I promise you --- it tastes just as good as it looks.

USDA Angus Ribeye (500++ PhP)

Meat Plus MENU. Click on the pic below to magnify.










MEAT PLUS
Building 65 Sampson Road
Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Zambales 2222
tel: (047)252-7091
fax: (047)252-6365

open 10am to 9pm

PETER LUGER'S

4 out of 5 stars

Has Peter Luger grown tired of us, or have some of us simply grown tired of it? This venerated and venerable New York institution opened in 1887, and visits to the steakhouse around its 120th birthday suggested an inconsistency at odds with its legend. When Peter Luger is on its game, the gruffness of its waiters is pitch-perfect — more amiable than obnoxious — and the charred, sizzling, butter-doused porterhouse is a steak more breathtaking than any in the city. But sometimes the service is just plain chilly, and the steak misses its mark, and that's when you notice the flaws in other menu items and wonder why you shouldn't just visit one of Luger's rapidly expanding number of clones, which are less brutally illuminated, more consistently courteous and, unlike Luger, take credit cards.

---Frank Bruni

I begin the review by a passage from Frank Bruni, one of my all-time favorite food critics. Apparently, most of the reviews on it in the NY Times has been written by him, who maintains a love-hate relationship with Luger’s.

And I can understand why. Service can be pretty erratic at times, efficient the next; steak can taste breathtaking at one visit, the meat not so great the next, masked by a truckload of butter for its sauce.

I heard a lot about Luger’s ever since I was a child. Bar none, the steak place of choice would be Luger’s. Sure, we may have up-and-comers Craftsteak and BLT Steak, and even similary old and established places like the Strip House or Keens Steakhouse, but nothing comes close to the porterhouse whose taste has been imitated even by Wolfgang. In own country, the prized steaks of Mamou copy their technique, serving the platter on top of inverted plates, with the steak cut into long strips, drowning in butter.

Upon entering, you’re confronted with a bar up front, the dining rooms dividing into two at the corner of the bar. Lots of traffic up front, waiters talking loudly, moving through crowds impenitently. The place has rich wooden accents, the place brutally lit, the dining rooms even brighter with its light-colored walls.

We reserved a table weeks ahead, but we still weren’t able to get one within 30 minutes. The service is brusque and slightly peevish, to the point that you feel apprehensive on inquiring about the table duly reserved for you.

Regardless, the food is supposed to make you forget everything. But before we get to the steak, maybe it would be best to elaborate on the ritual that is Luger’s. My friend told me in all seriousness not to order from the menu…in fact, not to even ask for the menu. I looked at her in a weird way. No, it’s really like that, she assures. It is standard to get the porterhouse, calling it steak for 2, 3 or 4. That was the only choice that made sense, along with the creamed spinach (of course) and the German potatoes (naturally). If one ordered off the menu, you’d get sneers from the staff and people coughing out “tourist.”

Not wanting to be made fun of, we did exactly as was told. Some of us still took a chance and tried asking the waiter what pair of side dishes would be good with our steak for 4. With a suggestion that sounded more like an order, he barked “German potatoes” and the “creamed spinach.” And yes, we’re back where we started! Adding only a slab of bacon as appetizer, we were set for our dinner. Before the waiter placed our orders, he brought two breadbaskets, containing various white and wheat bread, some with oats, rye or salt. They were huge and hearty, much like how the rest of their food would be, with the only complaint that they weren’t hot and probably have been out of the oven for the past hour.

The slab of Canadian bacon came way before the steak did, and it was literally just a big slab of bacon. More of a fatty teaser, the four of us merrily picked on it while we ate our bread and chit-chatted on their NY moments. And after probably ten minutes, our steak came, along with the spinach and the potatoes.

Canadian Bacon

The waiter put two inverted plates in front of us. Then he set the steak on top of it. It was already sliced, ready for serving,. He then put some of the strips of meat on each of our plate, then scooped up the juice and butter and drizzled it over our steaks.

(after the waiter served out steak)

(our half-eaten steak for 4)

What left us awestruck though was the size of the meat. My picture (with my point and shoot camera) could do it no justice, as it was of more gigantic portions in real life. My closest estimation would probably be thirty inches in diameter. Yes, thirty inches of sizzling meat, charred on the outside, and medium-rare on the inside, with its own cattle flag proudly stuck in front of the meat. It was USDA Prime Beef, family selected and dry aged in their very own aging box.

up close and personal

Porterhouse is similar to the T-bone, both containing two valued portions called the tenderloin and the short loin found on the middle-rear back of the cattle. Between the two, the tenderloin is the better area of beef, which the porterhouse contains compared to its T-bone counterpart. Because of this, an extra muscle is located in its center on the upper side. Needless to say, it is a choice cut of beef.

(picture off of the NY Times)

As much as the presentation was great, beef gigantic and its magnificent appearance, there was something off about it. The meat wasn’t as tender, with a big chewy part due to the muscle in the middle. Perhaps it wasn’t properly aged, and the meat was slightly overdone in the tenderloin area (it cooks faster than the short loin). Our friend apologized for the visit, and said that it wasn’t like the last time she ate here: where the beef was luxuriously rich, crunchy on the edges, but tender near the bone, its intense meaty taste melting in your mouth and giving in to the slightest movement of her knife. Also, I read a later review which said that “If you have more than 2 people in your party, order multiples of steak for 2. If you order the steak for 3 or 4 you won't get the same cut and you'll miss out.” I wished I got to read this before going there and blowing off around a hundred dollars.

I liked its steak sauce, though. It was very tangy, with strong hints of tomatoes, onions, horseradish and molasses; slightly sweet, but with a zesty kick at the end. My friends loved the creamed spinach, but detested the Germen potatoes, saying that the latter was overcooked. On the other hand, I preferred the German potatoes to the spinach, because the latter had this aftertaste that didn’t match the flavor of the steak sauce. Besides, I liked crispy potatoes, and even if it was slightly dry, the steak’s sauce compensated for it. Oh well, each had their own preferences, but the consensus was that steak looked better than it tasted.

Steak Sauce

Creamed Spinach

German Potatoes

All in all, Peter Luger’s was an experience that I wouldn’t mind trying again for a better steak experience. It might have been off because there were too many people at that time, with nary a chair empty in both dining halls.

Bring cash and leave your sensitivities at the door. This is an institution that one HAS to go for that great NY steakhouse experience.

ate in:
Brooklyn, NY
Peter Luger, Inc.
178 Broadway
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11211
Reservations:
(718) 387-7400

other branch:
Great Neck, LI
Peter Luger of Long Island, Inc.
255 Northern Blvd.
Great Neck, N.Y. 11021
Reservations:
(516) 487-8800

MALCOLM'S PLACE

2.75 out of 5 stars

A piece of wagyu by any other name...... doesn't taste the same. This I've learned in Malcolm's Place, a two-storey corner cafe specializing in different wagyu cooking methods.

Take the intro any way you want, good or bad. It could swing both ways. Good because I've never tasted wagyu in so many different varieties. Bad because in some ways, the wagyu just tastes like....regular beef.

When you enter the place, it feels very airy with their floor-to-ceiling glass walls and exposed kitchen with glass dividers. When you eat upstairs on the second, it's less roomy, but more cozy with colorful cushioned seats and small booth areas. The ambience is very laid-back, and you can really let your hair down.

It's a welcome treat that they offer you fried wonton skins to nibble on while ordering from the menu. You dip it in this mayo-calamansi sauce that was a little too sour for me. But hey, it's free, who's complaining?

Being the "trying-to-be-healthy" people that we are, we started with the Kani Krunch (165 PhP) and the Napa Time (160 PhP). The first is made of greens, jicama, mangoes, kani and the same fried wonton skins (that were served as freebies) on oriental dressing. Jicama is english for "singkamas," and even if it's somewhat bland, it absorbs all the dressing, and is a good complement to the salad. Even the wonton skins gave the Kani Krunch it's Krunch, but the dressing somehow tasted off, like it was a little too sour, or it had too much balsamic vinegar. It would have been better if they used the bright, citrusy accents of a Yuzu dressing and perhaps exchanged the wontons for avocado or fish roe.

The Napa Time was, I think, a better salad. It was composed of mixed greens with candied walnuts, grapes, goat cheese and drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Goat cheese has a bland but rich taste, so it matched the sweetness of the caramelized walnuts and grapes. And they were very generous with the fruits and cheese, too, which is always a bonus. The salad was tossed perfectly with the dressing just coating the salad instead of drowning it.

The Wagyu Salpicao tasted great. It was seasoned thoroughly and had a well-rounded meaty flavor characteristic of wagyu. However, it wasn't as tender and melt-in-your-mouth like butter as I expected it to be, what with its high marbling content. It wasn't even just chewy, which is brought about by the finer-marbling of Pinoy wagyu (yes, friends, we have our very own wagyu cattle in CDO cross-bred from Australia). It was tough, hard to slice through and had ligament portions. Maybe we can attribute it toughness to other factors like the way the meat was stored, or how it was cooked, but certainly something wasn't entirely right in the process. Don't get me wrong, though. It tasted delicious because it was so flavorful. It just wasn't tender enough to bring in all that hype about wagyu. Being the eater that I am, though, I inhaled this dish in a matter of minutes.

The Wagyu Burger Steak was alright. I wasn't really sure whether this was a burger steak or a wagyu stroganoff anymore since it's been awhile since I ate here writing about it now, but I do remember the salpicao tasting a lot better than this dish in terms of seasoning. Anyway, both of them are not a part of the regular menu, but is only included in the insert, so I'm not sure if they still serve this up to now.

This actually isn't a great loss, because the core menu may actually be more delicious. I've been here before and have ordered the Wagyu Cheese Steak (330 PhP) a couple of times. It's strips of marinated Wagyu beef tenderloin with sauteed onions and peppers and laid on a French baguette with provolone cheese and a special sauce. It's a favorite of many customers like myself, where the cheese steak is made even better with better quality cattle. Besides, anything stuffed with cheese on it it sure to be a tasty treat. I'd recommend this order for any first-timer who plans on eating here in their foodventure.

All in all, I'm okay with Malcolm's Place. I wouldn't go out of my way to drive here, but if ever I'm stuck in the area, this is one of the places I'd consider eating in. Although there's nothing remarkable about the service and some food options, the restaurant has a good vibe to it, and the old-timer dishes pretty much stay consistent.

Oh, and free wi-fi when you eat here! That can't be beat ;)

click on menu to magnify













Malcolm's Place, Salcedo Village
108 H.V. dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02)844-0000
Su, M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 7:00 am - 11:00 pm

MEAT PLUS

4 out of 5 stars


Here's another Subic eatery to whet your appetite....and it's prices are very, very reasonable. That's why during peak hours, you always have to wait in line for at least half an hour for a table. My good friend's family part-owns this place, and even she can't get a table herself, haha! What resto am I referring to? Meat Plus, of course!

You haven't completed your Subic eating journey till you've stopped over this place. Up and running for more than ten years, it's considered a veritable out-of-town steak tradition. Made to look like an upscale canteen, you pay and order in the front counter, then the food is served to your table.

You'd be a fool not to taste their steak. Meat Plus supplies meat to most of the places in Manila from delis to restos such as Mamou and Tender Bob's. Steak is actually what you go here for. But if you're not into eating steak, they have other dishes, too. Though I wouldn't think it's anything remarkable. I mean, it's good, but it's taste doesn't linger in your memory unlike their premium steaks.

With the steaks, you can get the local budget ones ranging from 225-250. I like to indulge and get from the chiller to the side of the counter, where they keep their USDA Angus ones from Australia or the US. Angus is just a type of hornless cattle, while USDA graded means that the US Department of Agriculture inspects it, where it gives its stamp of approval to only 2% of the steaks out there. From highest to lowest, we have USDA Prime, then Choice, then Select, with Prime having much more marbling and younger cattle, leaving the meat buttery, juicy and flavorful.

I think I had the Australian Sirloin (500+), which I slathered their homemade gravy can be seen from the picture. I love java rice, but apparently, it makes a pretty bad combo with the steak, which is why I kept on reaching for Pao's plain rice from his plate.

The steak was awesome, even if it was just USDA Select, because the meat was so fresh and tender. To be honest, there's not too much technique in the way they cook their steaks, cooking mine a little to well when I said medium. But with meat like this, how could you go wrong? You can even just pan-fry it and it would still taste rich and velvety! And for just 500 pesos for a huge slab of meat, who am I to complain? Here's another shot of the steak for posterity's sake.


Pao got the same order, and even if it doesn't look as appetizing in the picture, he had a bigger slab, and I thought his tasted better (You always want what's greener on the other side, haha).
These pictures came from two separate trips to Meat Plus when I went to Subic twice within the span of one month. Our other friend from my "MAS" trip also got his from the chiller. It's a ribeye steak with garlic rice, and it looks absolutely appetizing. Look at the great grill marks on those!

I think it was Micah who had the local Topsirloin Steak (255+), the most prized part in the sirloin area. She had to resend hers to the kitchen because the inside was raw. As I said, the staff may not have the most skillful chefs, but their meat is certainly worth raving about. And check out the prices....they can't be beat!

I was surprised some of my friends got other dishes apart form the steak, but there it is! The following pictures are posts of their other food:

Meat Plus Burger (110 PhP)
2 beef patties, tomato, cheese and bacon

Beef Stew (195 PhP)

Baby Backribs Platter (250 PhP)
with java rice and coleslaw

Grilled Boneless Chicken (130 PhP)
served with steamed rice and mixed veggies

I wasn't able to take a picture of Da'Bomb, but this is a must-order siding from Meat Plus! It's not in the menu, but they know how to cook it. It's basically thin slices potatoes baked with tons of cheese, heavy cream and butter on a ceramic ramekin....mmmmm---mmmm! It's definitely a guilty high-cholesterol pleasure, but since you're splurging on a steak meal anyway, might as well go all out, then exercise the next few days ;)

As I said, your Subic trip would not be complete without passing by Meat Plus! It's down-home comfort food, with friendly and efficient service, and low, low prices to boot!

Meat Plus MENU. Click on the pic below to magnify.










Meat Plus Part 2

MEAT PLUS
Building 65 Sampson Road
Subic Bay Freeport Zone
Zambales 2222
tel: (047)252-7091
fax: (047)252-6365

open 10am to 9pm

RED and ELBERT'S STEAKROOM

Elbert's 4.5 stars
Red 5 stars

Think of the top 5 upscale restos in Manila, and you're bound to hear either "Red" or "Elbert's Steakroom." I just happened to join these two because they both specialize in steak, and they're both fantastic date places in different ways. Let's compare and contrast (I know it's a redundant phrase, i know, hehe) these two, since a lot of bloggers have already done their own reviews on it, to wit:

Elbert's
http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2007/08/elberts-steak-r.html
http://sillingtonhouse.blogspot.com/2007/11/elberts-steak-room-dont-judge.html

Red
http://dessertcomesfirst.com/?p=120
http://allanko.com/2008/08/11/red-makati-shangrila.aspx

1. The Ambience

RED
Red conjures up wide, modern spaces, with high ceilings and wall-to-ceiling glass windows giving a spectacular view of a meticulously maintained tropical garden. Everything is in white, and kept to a bare minimum, from the walls, to the tables, linen and plates. It serves as a contrast to the bold red carpeted pathway and high chairs that aren't only beautiful to look at, but also so comfy to sit in. Certainly, apart from its obvious red theme, this place is the perfect canvas for rich colors brought to life by its food.

view from the bar area
(c/o Allanko)

the lobby

interiors at day

my family being seated

ELBERT'S
The first thing that comes to mind even before entering this place is their intention to make it obscure, much like an exclusive gentleman's club. The steak room is housed in this dingy old building, where you have to walk three flights of stairs to reach it. The first time I ate here was with my family, and my parents were almost going to walk back down because they started to have doubts about its existence upon trodding on the second floor. But just when you think that you made a mistake, an entire red wall opens to this small, secret room. Albeit its lack of square feet, it is spacious enough to sit 15-20 comfortably. It is literally a room, but the interiors are so rich, from the ornate leather chairs and chandeliers, to the wooden paneling of everything that they can make into wood (ceilings, floors, cabinets, you name it). Since this place already has its own stock of wines to complement the steak, the only thing lacking to truly make it a "man's" room would be a cigar area to lounge in.

Red wall from the outside
(c/o Anton)

Gentleman's Club interiors

Bar Area

my family in the inside corner table

2. The Food

RED
In general, the each food can stand on its own. This place can cater to all types of people, from health-conscious vegetarians to down-and dirty carnivores. The menu is divided into three categories: starters, entrees and desserts, and though most would just head straight for the steak, their other viands are just as good as (but of course never better than) the steak.

Before anything else, their complimentary bread is one whole loaf of crusty potato bread with whole bits of potato and what seems like pimiento inside. It came with a creamy and cheesy spread that fit the bread to a tee, along with butter, if you want to make it even more decadent.

My sister, Gia, got the "Duo of Duck Foie Gras" as a starter. When Gia's foie gras came, she was dismayed that the other piece was chilled, and she ate it quick so that can leisurely savor the seared piece.

As we went on to the entrée, I got the U.S. Chilled Beef Fillet (1980 PhP), Gia got the U.S. Chilled New York Strip (2200 PhP), while the rest of the family (Georgia. Gayle, Mom and Dad got the U.S. Prime Rib Eye (1490 PhP). Gia and I got the chilled steaks because I read about it from Lori’s site who also got to interview the chef, as written down:

“Presently, Red is the only restaurant in the country that serves chilled steaks. How different is chilled from frozen beef? “Like night and day,” affirms Chef Romine. “The most important part about serving a chilled steak is you know exactly the shelf life of the steak. It’s 45 days for a chilled, vacuum-packed steak. With frozen steaks sometimes, you never really know how they were handled. For chilled steaks, you know how long it’s been aged, you know how long it’s been handled, you know how fresh it is. We’re bringing it in (from the US) twice a month because demand’s been so strong. A frozen steak is great if it’s been properly handled and properly thawed out. But with a chilled steak, it’s never been frozen. With a frozen steak, it develops a thin film and when you thaw it out, the blood comes out and the juices. With chilled meat, it never really bleeds when you grill it until you slice it.”

U.S. Chilled Beef Fillet (1980 PhP)

U.S. Chilled New York Strip (2200 PhP)

U.S. Prime Rib Eye (1490 PhP)

The chilled steaks definitely taste different from the normal ones. It tastes fresher, and is denser. When you look at the pic, and when I first saw it, I felt shortchanged since it seemed too small. But actually, it is quite thick, one of the thickest steaks I've ever cut through, and by the time I was finished, I was ready to burst.

The menu is short and simple, but extensive enough to cover a whole gamut of cooking styles. They change their menu after a few months, so it's like visiting a whole new restaurant on your next visit. For example, I've taken a few pictures from Lori's site (http://dessertcomesfirst.com/?p=392) and Allan's site (http://allanko.com/2008/08/11/red-makati-shangrila.aspx) to show you how varied their food could range. Note that most of these weren't on the menu, so we must've all gone at different times:

lobster roll (P325), a visually riveting dish of minced lobster and pear formed into a sushi roll. The individual portions are misted with a hot and sour jus which sit contentedly on mint oil, a flavor component echoed by the garnish of shredded mint leaves. It is at once crunchy, soft, zesty. (c/o Lori)

pan fried foie gras with milk risotto
(c/o Allanko)

Chilean sea bass with cauliflower puree, red caviar and champagne foam
(c/o Allanko)

fried valrhona chocolate moelieux bonbon.jpg
(c/o Allanko)

Red dessert sampler
(c/o Lori)

ELBERT'S
If you're anything but a carnivore, skip this place. This restaurants centers on one type of food and that alone: steak. (Yes, they do have seafood, but it isn’t listed down, and I’m not sure if they prepare it as well). As a matter of fact, all the other courses just play a supporting role to the steak, which is the climax of this whole gastronomic experience. But of course, since this is a review, I’ll take you through every course leading to their crowning glory.

Their bread basket has one loaf that flutes out like a puff pastry fan, very light and chewy and served with soft herbed butter.

The salad was simple but delicious; mixed greens with bell peppers, onion and cherry tomatoes tossed in a simple Asian vinaigrette with mild ginger undertones.

The pumpkin soup was also thick with cream (yum!) and decorated with seasoned croutons. Really, they tease you with these courses just enough for you to salivate for the steak.

The whole family got the “Super” Prime Grade Ribeye (2,900 PhP), and it was heavenly! It almost cut through like butter, and the meat was velvety when you ate it. It was also huge, and I never got to finish everything in one sitting. Never do you order meat to be well done in this place, because you never get to appreciate the quality of the meat when it’s that burnt. The taste is rich, needing no more additives. But when requested, they still provide you with sauces: (from upper left clockwise) red wine and shallots, béarnaise, au jus, and peppercorn. Because there was a lot of marbling in the meat, there was also more fat, though.

Along with the steak picture are also side dish choices of (from left to right): traditional pommes frites (or French fries, in other words), truffled mash potatoes, porcini mushroom risotto and creamed spinach. Each cost 150 PhP each. And unlike Red, these side dishes are good, but pretty plain and served in small plates which can serve only one. Like I said, if you’re not getting steak, just don’t go here.

food other people got were the following (c/o Anton):

Steamed Salmon (600 PhP)

Filet Mignon (1,600 PhP)

New York Strip (2,300 PhP)

3. The Service

RED
Just like the Shangri-la chain of hotels, Red’s service is impeccable. Dishes are taken out unobtrusively, food is brought promptly and your water glass is never empty. In all the times I’ve been here, I’ve always been treated like a VIP, which is how any other person would feel with that much waiter-to-customer ratio.

ELBERT’S
The first time I was here was with my family. They were very courteous and prompt, but the food came in so slowly. We even had to talk to the waiter several times so that they’d bring the steak out.
The second time I was here was with a date, and they weren’t as nice; we didn’t even have the free dessert plates they usually give out! Sorry to say, but I think you get better treatment if you look like a CEO or you’re with a huge family.

4. The Price
Red and Elbert’s have one thing similar about them: they’re both heavy on the wallet. Make sure to have at least three thousand per person to make sure you don’t end up washing the dishes. Red’s steak is cheaper than Elbert’s, but their appetizers and soups are understandably more expensive, where the starters don’t even have any price listed in its menu! Elbert’s, on the other hand, already has the soup and salad complimentary with the steak. You only need to pay extra for the sides, your drinks and perhaps your dessert.

5. The Verdict
If I had to choose between the two, I’d choose RED. Not only are the choices more varied for all kinds of palates, but they change their menu every 3 months, so you’ll feel like visiting a new place every time you revisit. The ambiance is also unrestricting, very clean and modern, while the service is a lot better. I’m not discounting ELBERT’S, which I would also rate with nearly five stars. For sure, if you’ve never eaten in Elbert’s, you NEED to go there cos it’s a whole new different experience, from their secret room up to their ginormous steaks.

Hope this article whets your appetites into trying steak that is out of the ordinary. Happy eating!

MENUS (click to magnify)

Red

Elbert's

RED
Lobby Level, Makati Shangri-la, Manila
Ayala Avenue, Makati City
8400884

Elbert's Steak Room
3/F Sagittarius Bldg, 11 HV De La Costa Salcedo, Makati
339-3363 or check out www.steakroom.com
info@steakroom.com or reservations@steakroom.com
M, T, W, Th, F, Sa: 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm