One will encounter the metaphor “salad days” in Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra, as Cleopatra refers to when she was younger, green, and learning the ropes. Steak & Frice (S&F) at Central Square, BGC, is currently in its soft opening phase, with interiors pending finalization, and service and kitchen efficiency still being refined. I’ll refrain from commenting on these aspects as S&F is still in its early stages, and Amado Fores suggests it will take about a month to establish everything smoothly. Despite this, I’m eager to share my excitement about the food, prompted by the buzz around this new eatery and the Fores pedigree, with many inquiring about my thoughts on the concept and the steaks.
I enjoyed Sunday lunch at S&F with two of my three sons and their partners. We shared various dishes, tested different steak sauces and side dishes, believing it to be the best approach to truly sample the food and identify early favorites. Opting for anything less wouldn't do justice to the place. It's not just a typical steakhouse; it seamlessly combines comfort food and familiarity with high-quality beef, featuring subtle twists and surprises in the food preparation.
For starters, we had the Onion Flower and Dad’s Basketball Sauce, and the Cheese Pimiento Puffs (Gougéres). The Dad’s Basketball is a winner, making this familiar dish one to root for. As for the puffs, they’re a nice little starter, that go down easy. Loved the other menu items like the Ratatouille, Like the Movie!, the Potato Soufflé with Sour Cream and Onions, and the Parmesan Soup. It’s a sure bet that they’ll be on my list the next time I dine at S&F.
Of course, what we came for are the steaks, and the simplicity lies in the three options provided: the 400g US Ribeye, rich, buttery, and generously marbled; the 350g S&F Striploin, tender and evenly marbled; and the 250g Chateaubriand, a lean center cut of the tenderloin. The choice then becomes a matter of preference – whether you lean towards the marbling and fat of ribeye or opt for the opposite spectrum, the lean and fat-free tenderloin.
We ordered both the Ribeye and the Chateaubriand. I loved how the ribeye was grilled to the point where there was a crustiness to the edges of the slices. With the Chateaubriand, one is going for consistency, and avoiding the fat. Medium rare with a little bit of bloodiness left is how we like our steak, and S&F delivered!
The options on steak sauces are Peppercorn, Bearnaise, Chimichurri, S&F Steak Sauce, Mushroom Gravy, and Tomato Coulis. Two thumbs up for their Bearnaise. The Chimichurri I’d like a little stronger and more robust. For sidings, the ones that caught my attention were the Korean Creamed Corn, Grilled Asparagus and Cured Egg Yolks, and Truffle Creamed Spinach. The others were your usual suspects.
For those who’re avoiding steaks, the menu does include Chicken Confit, Grilled Salmon, and Cauliflower-Steak. And yes, I will remain silent about why you’d end up in a restaurant named Steak and Frice, and not want steak.
There are crepes and desserts for after your hearty steak meal. The Strawberry and Vanilla Millefeuille was easily the top pick at the table. They also ordered the most basic Crepes of French Butter and Sugar, on the notion that they have to get this right… they did!
Like I mentioned above, Steak & Frice is really about sharing. Take the hint from how the food concept took this to heart with the word “Frice”; with both French fries and steak rice sharing one word - and announcing how it’s a top quality steak house that’s truly Filipino, where having both fries and rice with one’s steak is a given. Take a bow, Amado!