Awesome CRU Steakhouse Anniversary! @ManilaMarriott

We love good steaks, which are culinary staples in any milestone celebration with your special someone. We’ve been to most of the steakhouses in Manila, and we decided to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary with our all-time favorite.

CRU is the award-winning steakhouse of Marriott Hotel Manila located in Newport City. We were pleasantly surprised by how Cru was able to maintain its steakhouse charm and continue to reinvent the steakhouse experience.

Here are some tips for celebrating your milestones at CRU Steakhouse this 2018…

CRU Steakhouse
Ground Floor, Marriott Hotel Manila, 2 Resorts Drive, Pasay City, Manila
Operational Hours:
Sunday to Thursday, 6:00pm-10:30pm
Friday and Saturday, 6:00pm-11:30pm
Telephone: +632 988-9990 local 8109
Website: Cru Steakhouse

(Dress Code: Strictly Smart Casual. No shorts for men, no flip-flops)

The place is romantic with comfortable seats, a luxurious space, and booth options for added privacy.

The centerpiece of the ambiance is the open steak flame grill where you get to see how the steaks are prepared to perfection by the chef de partie.

We’ve actually outgrown US Certified Angus Beef. We now prefer grain-fed or grass-fed beef from Australia, like Mulwarra Wagyu or from Stockyard Long Fed Angus Gold.

They have a decent selection of wines and alcoholic drinks as well as good choices for their house wines by the glass.

The bread is a loaf medley of different flavors (including pesto and tomato) served with herb butter and goat cheese.

Grant Burge “Benchmark” Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley, Australia (₱275)

The house red is enjoyable to drink and a decent pairing for the meat. I prefer a bolder, old world Cab Sauv for my steaks though.

CRU Appetizer Sampler – Signature (₱990). 9 CRU starters on one board include 3 soups: onion, mushroom, and shrimp gumbo.

We love how you can taste all the appetizers and soups in this one platter.

The mushroom soup was our favorite because you can really taste the mushroom with a silky smooth consistency.

Bite-sized entrees. Scallops, chicken wings, yellowfin tuna, beef carpaccio, crab cake, and goose liver.

You can choose your own appetizers or just decide to eat each one in two bites.

The beef carpaccio, scallops, and goose liver were memorable. Our least favorite was the chicken.

Calamansi Sorbet

I like how they serve a big scoop of calamansi sorbet with a creamy house-made feel and a sour-bitter aftertaste to clean your palate.

Long Fed Gold Rib Eye (₱2,350). 250g Australian Stockyard Premium.

I like how this steak tastes even better the more you chew on it. You can taste the beefy flavor in the finish.

I like steaks that do not need any sauce to enjoy, cooked medium, with a well-grilled char on the outside.

Grilled Marinated Portobello Mushrooms and Black Truffle Risotto

The steak comes with 2 side dishes. We found the mushrooms and truffle risotto to be perfect pairings for the steak.

These are served in generous portions on hot cast iron pots to keep them warm throughout the meal.

Don’t forget to request for Cru’s signature Truffle Mustard for your steak.

It’s really the best and if you’re lucky, the chefs will give you a bottle of the sauce.

Salmon Fillet (₱1,600)

The salmon is also grilled to perfection with just the right seasoning. The 250g size is already quite big and good to share between 2.

Creamed Spinach and Truffle Mac and Cheese

I also liked the creamed spinach as a pair for steak in lieu of rice.

The truffle mac can actually stand on its own and is best eaten while the cheese is still melted.

We loved our Cru steakhouse wedding anniversary experience! We’re amazed at how the place has withstood the test of time and despite other steakhouses opening in Manila.

Sizzling Matcha Brownie (₱400). Matcha-infused brownie, scoop of ube ice cream, Baguio strawberry, pili nut brittle, matcha cream sauce.

Cold Ube and Hot Matcha combination that works really well with the brownie. So good!

Supreme Tarte (₱450). Noir Supreme 72% dark chocolate, chocolate sable, cocoa nib tuile, chocolate ganache, chocolate cremeux, chocolate pastry cream, chocolate sponge, chocolate crumble, meringue kisses.

For chocolate lovers! We just found the shell a bit hard, but it was good once we mangled it. 🙂

Best to combine the different bits and pieces of this dessert in one bite.

CRU is the perfect place to celebrate anniversaries if you are looking for tried and tested food, ambiance, and overall experience. It’s really good value for money, being able to taste all the appetizers and soups on one platter and having noticeably bigger side dishes that can even stand on their own.

Order the Long Fed Gold Rib Eye, which is cheaper but tastes better than the US Certified Angus Beef Prime. We’ll always prefer a la carte than the set menus. Budget about P2,500/head.

It would be nice to have a dessert sampling plate so we could taste all the desserts. They could also maybe serve salt on the side and go easy on the seasoning.

The service is attentive and friendly, and even the chefs contribute to the less stiff atmosphere and enjoyable steak experience.

Congrats to CRU for the consistent service and quality of steaks even after all this time!

(Dress Code: Strictly Smart Casual. No shorts for men, no flip-flops.)

Live an Awesome Life,