Elbert's Steak Room is one of Makati's secret food treasures that is slowly being known to food enthusiasts all over town. Every review and feedback given speaks only of one thing: GOOD STEAK. This really excites me despite the fact that they have quite an expensive menu.
The night of our dinner at Elbert's finally arrived. Finding the restaurant can be a bit tricky. First, you have to locate the building (Sagittarius Building III is located right in front of a Mini Stop along H.V. dela Costa in Salcedo Village). After getting a good parking slot, just ask the friendly guard in front and he will lead you to a narrow staircase where you have to climb all the way up to the 3rd floor (let's just say you really have to work up an appetite!). Finally, you're at the 3rd floor, the next step is to find the entrance to the restaurant. Similar to the tip given to me, just look for a bright red wall - - this, you'll realize is actually the door.
Walking inside Elbert's Steak Room, instantly made me understand why it was called such. The space is very small yet cozy and inviting. There are less than 15 tables (or maybe 10) available so placing a reservation is highly encouraged. The room nearest to the door immediately caught Paul's attention. I was told it was the Gentleman's Cigar Room which actually is the restaurant's smoking corner. Paul liked how the room was decorated which reminds him of The Godfather movie.
Browsing through the menu, we finally decided to share the steak to have more room for the sidings and dessert! Following their lead, we got the USDA Prime Grade Ribeye Steak (Php. 2,200) and added Php. 400 for an additional soup and salad. To complement this, we also got Truffled Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach for our sidings.
After taking our orders, Elbert's well-trained server returned with a basket of warm Fantan Bread. I truly enjoyed biting into the soft bread with a thin spread of butter. Mmmmm...
The soup for that night was a combination of Cream of Garlic and Tomato presented in a Ying-Yang style. I liked the Cream of Garlic while Paul preferred the Tomato soup more. I guess, I'm really more into light, creamy soups over the tangy, chunky type. The salad, on the other hand, was truly refreshing. We all enjoyed the crunchy fresh greens topped with shaved parmesan cheese and diced tomatoes mixed with Elbert's signature balsamic vinaigrette. Finally, the highlight of that evening's meal was served. Presented in a clean white platter, I took a short moment to smell and look closely at the delicious looking thick slice of steak in front of me. "This is perfect", I thought to myself.
I sliced through the thick cut of meat and took a small bite. I'd say, it was love at first bite! I like it because it's so tender yet they have kept the sides crunchy. I also enjoyed this with a small serving of Truffled Mashed Potato (Php. 200) and the Creamed Spinach (Php. 200), which was my favorite siding that evening.
Truffle oil is truly a gift from heaven. Elbert's Mashed Potato was made extra special, thanks to this flavorful addition. However, what caught my fancy was the Creamed Spinach. It reminded me of the night when I attempted to create one at home but ended up pulling the entire dish out from the dinner table and setting it aside because it tasted really wrong. I might have to work on the recipe again soon. Everyone ate their dinner in silence, it's as if no one dared to speak loudly to avoid disrupting the wonderful steak experience that we were all enjoying. Needless to say, dinner at Elbert's gave us a glimpse of what it will be like in Steak Heaven.
Elbert's Steak Room is located at the 3/F Sagittarius Building III, 111 H. V. de la Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines. Do call them for reservations at 0915-3151813 / 339-3363.
