I’m going to come clean and say this out in the open: I’ve recently just started appreciating steak! Yes, I’m one of those people who orders well done steak and have the phrase “Order the chicken you steak hating bastard!” shouted at me. Probably because it’s not an everyday staple at home. Or beef’s just not my preferred meat. And to get really good steak served to you, you have to pay quite a price for it. I know, excuses. But it’s true! 4000Php for a meal?! Sheesh. Anyway, my credit card company had this promo of 50% off for House of Wagyu Stone Grill and after some egging by poeticnook, I decided to try it out.
I ordered the Wagyu Rib Eye Grade 8 Set Meal from the promo menu, because hey, if I’m going to splurge, then go for the best one, right? (Not my words haha) So the set includes soup of the day, Caesar salad, 220g Premium Rib Eye Wagyu Grade 8 on stone grill (yeah, I have to type all of that again haha) with vegetables, Creme Brûlée for dessert, and hot tea (to aid with digestion of this meal for two).
Soup of the Day. This lovely pumpkin soup was sweet and just right to greet my taste buds. It’s light and delicate and had herbed olive oil, croutons, and freshly cracked pepper (available upon request). I remember saying “hi there you pretty thing:” before i started taking it in haha.
Caesar salad. The salad was something you’d find served in any restaurants. Pretty basic with lettuce tossed in Caesar dressing, a little bit too much to my liking as it turned out to be on the soggy end, croutons, freshly grated Parmesan, and bacon bits.
Premium Rib Eye Wagyu Grade 8 on stone grill. Yes I did it again, it had to be done. The servers had this drill of explaining how to cook the steak in the stone grill. It was fascinating to watch them flip the meat after searing one side. I was entranced with the sizzling sound that I even had to record it while it was searing (Ack! What’s happening to me?!) The server did the initial searing and I was left alone to enjoy my steak. So this is how it looked like before i butchered it to pieces, did a few more searing, and devoured all that 220g of beef goodness. The steak itself was superb, I don’t know if you should take my word for it, but for a non-steak lover, I was able to finish all of it. *pats back* It had salt and pepper rub but I like to have food a bit on salty side, so they gave me extra salt. The vegetables that accompanied the steak were nice. I loved the mashed potatoes, found little chunks of potatoes which added texture to it. The rest were just blanched just right so they were still on the crispy side. I specifically loved the cherry tomato, eating it whole and bursting it in my mouth was a nice treat. Too childish, I know.
Creme Brûlée. And now we come to dessert! The ultimate test to this dish is to smack a spoon right in the center and hear that crack of the hard caramel. This Creme Brûlée passed that test, please check my Instagram post for the video. The custard base was delicate and held its shape and it’s just a delight to eat (under 5minutes? LOL)
Verdict: 4/5
All in all, it was a great dining experience. You just have to ignore the servers who are constantly eyeing your table like a vulture to take away any unused things in your table or offer you anything they have in the kitchen. I guess we can’t really blame them, they’re just doing their job. Value for money, I still wouldn’t go to it on a normal day, haha, but if the promo is still on, you could just convince me to go again. The restaurant had a very intimate feel to it, suitable for dates. Soft music is playing in the background and there were several paintings hanging on the wall, too! They display their “steak collection” in their refrigerator which lined the left side of the wall right at the entrance of the restaurant, similar to those steak houses in Vancouver. House of Wagyu Stone Grill is located at the 5th floor of Podium Mall in ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Pasig City, PH.
