The Best Steak in San Pablo City

Me and Ilyn were fortunate enough to be invited to try out the menu of a restaurant being developed by friends here in San Pablo City. It's actually already semi-open, but not yet for the general public. It started out as a simple cafe for customers of a spa, but they're now trying to expand it into a full blown restaurant/art gallery.

The owner clearly not only loves cooking but is dedicated to providing the best they could possibly offer.

Our meal started out with an appetizer consisting of wheat pandesal with olive oil/balsamic vinegar dip. I didn't finish it because I didn't want to be full before I finished our meal. I did finish the salad which came next, which consisted of lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, baby arugula, candied walnuts, grapes, and orange. I liked it because it was different from the kinds of salad usually served in San Pablo restaurants (to be honest, I'm kind of tired of Ceasar and Greek salads) and it was very light and refreshing.

Next came Potato soup with croutons. Like the salad, it was very light and of an appropriate amount that didn't threaten to overwhelm the main dish, which was the steak.

The steak was an 8oz Rib Eye cooked medium rare which comes with gravy and mashed potatoes or rice. This, as far as I know, the only restaurant in San Pablo which serves steak specifying weight and one of the few that allows you to choose doneness. For example, you cannot specify doneness with Si Christina's steak. It comes in only one: well done. When I tried it, I was disappointed because it came out as super well done (meaning burnt). For a price tag of more than P1000, I think they could do a better job and get a better quality steak. You can choose doneness with Simple Treat's steak, but it's so thin sometimes it doesn't matter if you choose medium rare because it comes out as well done no matter what.

This 8oz Rib Eye was perfectly medium rare, and it's the softest steak I ever had, not only in San Pablo, but in the Philippines. The only thing that came close to the softness of this is the Filet Mignon I had at Donovan's in San Diego. I wish I could say it's the best steak I ever had, but this comes as a close second. The best steak I had was also served in this place a few weeks ago when they were trying out a much bigger Rib Eye, US Prime Angus Steak, 1 and a half inches thick and done medium rare. That was just incredible, and we're grateful that we were asked to try it. They will try to add it to their menu soon. I don't know how expensive that steak will be (I think it will be very expensive), but the 8oz Rib Eye they served us was P795. For that price, I guarantee it will be worth it. It's the best steak you can have at that price.

The meal was closed out with a desert of mini blueberry muffins, cinnamon roll, and a pot of hot Secret Garden red tea.

The entire meal cost P1,100, which is very much worth it, in my opinion.