Have you tried Steak the First on your recent trip to Japan? Did you know they recently opened in Manila?
Steak the First is a Japanese concept known for featuring good value steak with a casual ambiance. The Manila store is located in the posh Net Park building in BGC.
The lines are quite long when they do 50% off during lunch time, but, in contrast, the place is virtually empty during dinner time.
I wondered if the steaks were any good so we met with our blogger friend Cathy, who we met in TBEX Ostrava, to find out. Here’s what we think…
Steak the First Manila
Ground Floor, Net Park Building, 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
Telephone: +632 478-0846
perating Hours: 11.00 am – 11.00 pm
Facebook: Steak the First
Instagram: @steak_the_first
Website: http://www.steakthefirst.jp/
First Things First
Steak the First is located where Grind used to be, and, in fact, they reused most of the old interiors with minimal redesign.
Steak the First Menu: Steaks, Small Dish, Side Menu | Drinks, Wine
The menu is focused on affordable steaks with a supporting cast of side dishes and wine.
The steaks come in 200g, 300g and 500g, and you can inspect the marbling and the size.
We decided to do a steak taste test with 300g each of the tenderloin, ribeye roll and the wagyu striploin.
Appetizers
Caesar Salad (₱230)
The vegetables looked dry and lacking in cheese and sauce.
Truffle Fries (₱200)
The fries were served in sexy thin slices, but there was not much truffle flavor.
Deep Fried Seafood (₱280)
The seafood looked tired. You could eat the whole prawn including its shell.
Steaks
Wagyu Striploin (300g – ₱2,700).
The American wagyu steak was the fattiest among the steaks we tasted, and we asked that it be cooked medium.
You can decide to further cook it with the heating circle or add more flavor by dipping it in its garlic sauce.
2017 McManis Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (California – ₱1,500/ bottle)
Go for their Cab Sauv red wine, which is bolder, to cut through the taste of the meat. It’s also smooth to enjoy on its own.
Rib Eye Roll (300g – ₱1,320).
This was the best for us in terms of flavor, just the right thickness and more on the meaty side.
You can request to have it cooked medium rare with a pinkish center for a good meaty flavor.
Tenderloin (300g – ₱1,800).
The tenderloin was disappointing, served as a blob of meat. We insisted on cooking it on our own tableside, which was a mistake.
Garlic Butter Rice (₱100).
We usually try not to eat rice, but the garlic butter rice with the garlic sauce was perfect for the steaks.
Desserts
Matcha Premium Kaki-Gori (₱200). Shaved ice with ice cream
The desserts were just OK. The shaved ice was not as fine as it should be, and I was not too impressed with the matcha.
Soft Cream (₱120). Soft serve ice cream
The ice cream was melting, and, for some reason, I was expecting it to be creamier.
Final Thoughts
We all loved the Rib Eye Roll cooked medium rare/medium and paired with Cabernet Sauvignon red wine. We usually just enjoy the steak by itself, but, surprisingly, the garlic sauce was quite addicting.
They did not specify what type of meat it was, whether it was USDA choice, prime or other types of meat. The server was not knowledgeable about the origin or how best to enjoy the steaks, so don’t bother asking. I understand they just opened, so they are still optimizing their service and steak education of the staff.
Awesome to finally do a reunion after TBEX Ostrava and have a double date with our partners!
I would totally line up during lunch when the steaks are 50% off. Budget about P1,500/head for dinner and half of this when they go on promotion.
With its high ceiling, Steak the First is conducive to conversations among friends who are into good affordable steaks and red wine.
Steak the First Manila
Ground Floor, Net Park Building, 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City
Telephone: +632 478-0846
Operating Hours: 11.00 am – 11.00 pm
Facebook: Steak the First
Instagram: @steak_the_first
Website: http://www.steakthefirst.jp/
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: We paid for our meal. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions and insights.
P.S. It’s so sad to see Grind Bistro close their stores in BGC. The Net Park building is notorious for high turnover of restaurants.
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