There’s a new steakhouse in town…
Found in Greenbelt5, CHOPS Chicago Steakhouse boldly claims that it is a steakhouse for steak lovers. It is a collaboration restaurant between the Raymund Magdaluyo group and the Banana Leaf group, led by Peter Ayson.
Does it live up to its promise?
Here is our CHOPS experience:
Related Blog Post: Why Peking Garden serves the BEST Peking Duck in Manila?
Our group, composed of respected businessmen and notable fathers, decided to have our monthly business mastermind lunch last June in Chops.
There’s practically no crowd during our weekday lunch because the resto’s still on soft opening. Steaks + quiet environment = perfect ambiance for our lunch meet, which usually lasts around 3 hours.
CHOPS Chicago Steakhouse Menu: American Beef Cut | Starters, Greens, Daily Bowl | Rib Eye Steaks, Porterhouse, New York Striploin, Beef Tenderloin, Other Cuts | Chops Tomahawk, Chops Non-Beef Selection, Sidings, Sauces, On Top | Signature Entrees, Temptations | Beverages
The Steak Menu can get confusing, and the waiters aren’t that much help because they just recommend the most expensive item in the menu: the Snake River Farms Wagyu (P3,750).
(TIP: It’s a resto marketing tactic to offer you the highest-priced item–not really to upsell but to make the P1,500 steaks seem relatively cheaper and to convince you that they’re the best value choice.)
To help with your decision-making, they can present to you the different steak cuts and sizes available so that you can see the size perspective, the marbling of the meat, and help in the pricing considerations.
The decision boils down to these–Porterhouse or Ribeye? USDA Certified Angus Beef or Wagyu?
If you want a steak good for 4-5 persons, maybe you can consider the 50-oz Chops’ Tomahawk Steak?
The bread served on a chopping board is complimentary. Enjoy it because there are NO complimentary sidings, sauces, and toppings that come with the steak.
Australian Wagyu Porterhouse 14oz (P1,800 +10% service charge). Organic grass-fed Australian Wagyu Beef.
JoMag ordered the Porterhouse, and he loved it because the meat’s well spiced and good on its own.
Creek Stone Black Angus (P1,550 +10% service charge). Prime grade, grain-fed US Beef.
Siding: Truffle Mac & Cheese (P180 +10% service charge).
Sauce: Argentinian Chimichurri (P60 +10% service charge).
On Top: Balsamic Onions (P90 +10% service charge).
I enjoyed the Rib Eye I ordered. The steak had good flavor already and the chimichurri went well with it.
The Truffle Mac & Cheese was really dry and had no flavor, though. A serving of vegetables would have made a better side dish.
The balsamic onions were a really good, sweet treat, complementing the meat.
Make sure to order your steak MEDIUM, cooked with a hot, pinkish center to make it deliciously soft and flavorful.
Ardy, JoMag and I loved the CHOPS steaks primarily because they tasted well. No need for sidings or sauces to enjoy them.
On the other hand, Randy (a lover of American Burgers) did not like their burger.
If you’re looking for a good steak place with a hotel-like ambiance and friendly service, Chops Chicago Steakhouse fits the bill. It might be too early to lay down a verdict if it is really the steakhouse for steak lovers, though. (The other non-steak dishes did not make as much of an impression.)
What do you think?
CHOPS CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE
4th Floor Greenbelt 5 (in front of Peking Garden)
Telephone: +632 945-8088, 945-8188
Related Blog Post: Why Peking Garden serves the BEST Peking Duck in Manila?
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Full Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. We paid for our meals. We are not connected with the establishment or any organization marketing the restaurant.
P.S. Are you an avid steak fan? If yes, do you like CHOPS Chicago Steakhouse?
Seems okay. But why are there no grill marks? Would have certainly made it more attractive. 😀
Noticed that too. No grill marks on meat supposedly “from the grill”. These look broiled in either a salamander or oven, then doused with some sort of infused oil. On some of the photos I can clearly see the fat looking untouched by flames. Can’t tell from the pics if the steaks were even seared! Besides that, isn’t it blasphemy to marinate wagyu?
Unfortunately,not such a big fan of Chops. Ate there last month, mid week with a good crowd. Steaks arrived cold,not sure if it was the air con or something. the fish dish didnt seem fresh and forked out 4K for dinner that was utterly forgettable.
Would rather get a seat at the misono table at Kimpura anytime
how much is the 50oz?
this got me thinking, are you accurate when you say they marinate the meat? since this type of cuts should be dry aged, rubbed or spiced- and you are paying premium. i find this review quite misleading.
Yes, you are right… it's probably not marinated but rubbed or spiced.
No price. It says based on Market Prices…
I have to say that for the last couple of hours i have been hooked by the impressive posts on this site. Keep up the great work.
😉
Hi Anton,
There are 8 classifications/grades for US beef. I’m not familiar with the Asian types like Wagyu but here are the basic 3 that would be helpful:
USDA Prime -> superior grade with amazing tenderness, juiciness,
flavor, and fine texture. Has the highest degree
of fat marbling and is derived from younger beef.
Served only at the most exclusive upscale
restaurants/hotels.
USDA Choice -> second highest gradest beef. Less fat marbling
than prime. Less tender, juicy and flavorful,
with a slightly more course texture versus Prime.
Served at mid-scale/price restaurants.
USDA Select -> the lowest grade of steak you will find at a
supermarket or restaurant. You will find it
tougher, less juicy, and less flavorful since
it’s leaner than Prime and Choice with very
little marbling. Usually sold at supermarkets,
or casual low priced restaurants.
I had to learn this in school as part of the curriculum. Here’s the link for more info:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Inspection_&_Grading/index.asp#5
That is why sometimes you’ll see ads for a low priced steak but of the same cut (filet mignon, new york steak, ribeye etc) and then at upscale restaurants, it’s triple or quadruple the price. It’s the quality.
I don’t know why restaurants over there are advertising SUPER PRIME when that grading of beef doesn’t even exist here, at least not that I know of (and I dine at upscale steakhouses in LA and Vegas for business) I think it’s more of a marketing gimmick.
Anyway, I hope this helps 🙂
Broiling is a great method to get that perfect piece of meat, especially when you don’t have access to a grill. Unlike a grill, your broiler provides consistent temperature control and the convenience of indoor cooking 🙂
That piece of wagyu looks like a top blade steak. It’s actually pretty good, but they have to remove that tough piece of sinew in the middle. I prefer my steaks medium rare since it makes for a jucier steak.
This place is not worth going. The service is lousy down to the waitstaff knowing nothing and the food is bad due to an over cooked steak. Overpriced and not good is the bottom line. Meat from the USA is always graded by the Ag department inspector even if it is wagyu or angus. As such, the restaurant should know the grade. Here, when you ask the question, they stare at you as if you’re speaking in Greek. Bad sign for a high end steak place. Would understand if it were the P99 steak place but the price here is more than 10X that. Sides and sauces will cost another small fortune.
You made some good points there. I did a search on the topic and found that most people will agree with you.
Gourmet Secrets
Marketing themselves as a high end steak place and being a restaurant specializing in steaks i was expecting to enjoy my dinner there… NOT!!!! I got the 28oz ribeye and was byfar the worst steak i ever had for its price. First it was not trimmed properly making it very difficult to slice. Next, i ordered my steak done medium and they served it just seared on the outside end extremely rare on the inside. I don’t think it was seasoned well either.Getting the argentinian chimchurri i believe is not a good companion to the steak sinceit was really overpowering and filled with garlic. The taste of the meat is completely gone paired with this. I think the piece of meat i got was not of good grade in the first place. Being cooked medium rare it was really tough. Your mucles of masticaton would really be working hard. Lastly serving the steaks w/o any side dish nor sauce is just plain BS!! For this price range i would consider mamou(not really advertised as a steak house) over this no questions.
anton!! is this better than myron’s? myron’s is definitely my go to place for steak!…that and elbert’s 🙂
I agree 100% with what B David has to say. Chops being a steakhouse should definitely follow through on delivering excellent steak especially with their prices.
Earlier this evening we got the 10oz Creek Stone Black Angus and 14 oz Wisconsin Prime Rib Eye. Shortly after ordering(5 mins), both steaks arrived at our table. It was so fast that we assumed the waiter got the tables mixed up but sure enough they got all our orders right. As we get to slice our steak, it was noticeably not-fresh-out-the-grill warm. It looked like as if they served us someone’s cancelled orders that had to sit on their kitchen for quite a while. OR the steaks were pre cooked! Nevertheless, both steaks were HORRIBLE. We ordered medium and it turned out rare. The Wisconsin ribeye was chewy and tough with all the connective tissues. Most of the Creek Stone Black Angus (10oz) was pure fat! (have the pics to prove it) Who knew P1550 steaks were fat with a marbling of meat?
I dont mind paying 4k on a steak dinner but with CHOPS I rather lose my wallet than having to force my self finish the steak.
I would say Myron's is still better. This is a good alternative if you are looking for other steakhouses to eat in.
Anton
I don’t know why restaurants over there are advertising SUPER PRIME when that grading of beef doesn’t even exist here, at least not that I know of (and I dine at upscale steakhouses in LA and Vegas for business) I think it’s more of a marketing gimmick.
Posted by: christine | Sunday, July 08, 2012 at 04:16 PM
——-
hello christine. you must be referring to elberts. i asked them about that and they openly admit that it’s a self-grade and is made up by their supplier. i got to compare both super prime and prime and had to admit that it was well worth the price difference and it’s no marketing gimmick. the super prime is really far more flavorful than the prime. not just more marbled, but so much richer in texture and flavor. i fully understood where they are coming from because it would be unfair to call such superior steak just a prime. besides, their menu lists their super prime as “super” prime (with quotation marks). you can see for yourself in their website steakroom,com. you should try it, i’m sure you will agree on what i’m taking about.
^ I believe that “super prime” comment came from the attached menu in this post. But I understand your point. I’ve been to Steakroom many times and my favorite cut is the “super” Prime NY strip. You can really taste the difference over a regular Prime grade, so I have no problem with the premium pricing.
As for this Chops place, I went there a few nights ago and was utterly disappointed. It has nothing to do with being on dry run. The steaks themselves aren’t to blame either. The owners simply don’t know what they’re doing.
For starters, I would never ever show raw meat to the customers. I hope they have a good operating budget to classify those sample steaks as wastage because they should not ever be served to customers, for both food safety and quality reasons.
I don’t understand how our steaks could be served cold. They also seem to not know how to cook steaks because it was very obvious they do not use high heat and they seem to be lacking a proper grill. I can’t blame the meat because some of those steaks are the same ones served by Cru, Fireplace, Elberts and Red.
As far as commercial steakhouses go, Chops is sadly a poor wannabe. Morton’s may not even be a great steakhouse, but they get the job done. This Chops is the kind of place that will get a host embarrassed for taking her guests to such a poor quality restaurant (I really felt sorry for our host).
From my experience, it is obvious that Chops went all out in the conceptualization of this new restaurant, but the one thing they took for granted is the method of cooking steaks. It’s all fluff and no meat (no pun intended).
As a certified carnivore, I would recommend Batangus in Metropolitan Avenue over Chops. Yes, it’s that bad and it’s a step backwards for the steakhouse industry of this country.
J
Ordered the Wisconsin Prime Rib Eye and the tomahawk steak for a party of 7 and it was one big DISAPPOINTMENT. Ordered it Medium rare and got it rare. Stay away from this restaurant if you are a discerning steak lover. You are better off eating in Mamou, Fireplace, and Relik.
Ate there 2x. Food and ambience meet expectations. HOWEVER, on both times I dined at CHOPS, the dishes served were NOT true to the description in the menu. You need to call their attention and almost fight/demand for the missing item/s which doesn’t make me feel good at all! A tuna dish that indicates arugula salad in the menu was served without it and the waitstaff after consulting the kitchen says, it’s just a garnish! There’s not one leaf, not even 1/8! And the menu specifically indicated arugula salad! After a long debate, they served the arugula salad. Excuse me, I wasn’t looking for an enormous serving, just an appropriate mini siding, right? On the second visit,
a meat dish, specifically indicated onion rings, and again I had to raise why it was missing! Not 1 or 1/2 onion ring in sight! So after discussion, they served the item. I can’t help but think these guys are systematically scrimping after the menu had already been printed? How sad ;( Please, please shape up!
Hi Anton what’s your top 10 steakhouse in the country?
I Elbert’s