When it comes to high-end, prestige American steakhouses, one of the fabled brands would be Smith & Wollensky. Founded in Manhattan in 1977, it may not have had the provenance of Brooklyn’s Peter Luger, which started business in 1887; but as founded by Alan Stillman and Ben Benson, the distinctive trademark green and white building on 49th and 3rd Avenue quickly carved out a name for itself. In 1997, Ruth Reichl, then restaurant reviewer of the mighty New York Times, referred to Smith & Wollensky as the “steakhouse to end all arguments.”

Now there are Smith & Wollensky steakhouses in Chicago, Boston, Miami, Las Vegas, London, two in Taiwan and in Seoul. The first one in Southeast Asia has just opened its doors, and it can be found on the second level of the Finance Center in BGC. Beyond the expansive dining area, across the escalator foyer, there’s a Smith & Wollensky bar lounge where live jazz music will be played, and one can still order food from across the hall.

Before you ask, there is no actual Mr. Smith or Mr. Wollensky. Urban legend has it that Stillman randomly picked out the names from the phone book, and when he added first names to the fictitious pair, they were the names of his dogs. Known for their high-quality USDA Prime steaks, butchered and dry-aged on the premises, the original Manhattan steakhouse has been immortalized in such films as The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and American Psycho (2000). Currently, Smith & Wollensky is owned by PPX Hospitality Brands and Danu Partners.

For the sampler menu served during the formal opening of the dining establishment, the starter consisted of their Angry Shrimp and their Hokkaido Sea Scallop. The shrimp was a delight — crispy battered and with spicy lobster butter. The scallop was the real thing, plump and oversized, served on a corn custard. The lobster butter and the corn custard were rich and revealing, in the sense that we were being forewarned that dieting and eating light are not in the Smith & Wollensky DNA.

A signature Wollensky Salad came out next. And to continue that theme of doing things differently, as the photo of the salad shows us, the lettuce, tomato and mushrooms are joined by slabs of Canadian bacon. Super good, wonderfully healthy ... and not.

For our mains, there was a carving of the Uni Fillet, which is literally a filet mignon cut topped with a dollop of Japanese sea urchin. This was paired with their Prime New York Steak, and there was bone marrow in the center of the plate, serving as the butter we could smear on our steak. Indulgent? Definitely. Delicious? Do you need to ask?

A demonstration of the American Wagyu Swinging Tomahawk (44 oz.) was done, with the other side of the room being treated to the Chateaubriand (32 oz.). Both were served to us on top of the two original cuts, and my vote is for the Tomahawk’s marbling, which doesn’t go to the extremes of traditional Japanese Wagyu marbling. Loved this sampling of four different cuts that are offered at the restaurant.

Our sidings included the terrific Corn Manchego, the creamed spinach and the sauteed mushrooms with chorizo. All were terrific. There was also a foie gras rice served, and this addition of rice to the Philippine menu is a concession to how much we Filipinos love our rice.

Dessert was called Gigantic Chocolate Cake, and don’t think for a moment that this is overstatement — it’s five layers of rich chocolate cake, served with a chocolate cookie shaped like a cow holding up the cake.

The promise of Smith & Wollensky Philippines is to offer the true experience that one would enjoy whether in a New York, Taipei or London Smith & Wollensky. Yes, it may take a deep wallet to enjoy this on a regular basis, but one will not feel they haven’t been offered the genuine thing. The dry-aging happens right in the restaurant, and it’s conveniently located right as we enter. Plus, they’re serving rice!