Elbert's Steak Room

JJ

5.0

First time to go and I will definitely be back. We ordered the USDA prime grade ribeye and it was excellent. The soup, salad and wine were the perfect complement. Suggest to dim even for a bit the lights by the wall. They were too warm and it felt like I was under a spotlight.

Adrian Carlo Valero

5.0

Back in grade school, my english teacher instructed our class to write about the best meal of our life. I wrote about my first visit to Elbert’s Steak Room.Over ten years later, Elbert’s is still the best meal of my life.I’ve gone here many times to celebrate special occassions such as birthdays with my family. The staff has mastered the art of running a fine dining restaurant. This hole in the wall is an absolute escape, like falling into a wardrobe leading to Narnia. Everything here is about perfection. I distinctly recall how vast the white table we are always seated at is. Their glasses have a cool shape, and drinking water becomes really delicious. Onto the food. The service bread—an Elbert’s signature for me—is an absolute treat, naturally puffed into perfectly sized pull-off pieces. Paired with the soft butter, the bread is the perfect starter. We were offered fresh oysters straight from Roxas, off the menu. These oysters were served with rock salt, vinegar, and tomato sauce. They were the fattest and freshest oysters I’d ever had. It was a bite of the beach; and the oysters taste as if they were kissed by the bright sun on the beaches of Roxas in Palawan.This was followed by their signature salad: crisp mixed greens and sweet cherry tomatoes with the perfect drizzle of vinaigrette and walnuts. Upon finishing our salads, our soup was served. Their cream of asparagus is a mainstay, creamy, spicy, yet never too thick.For the main event, our steaks were served. These are the crown jewels of Elbert’s Steak Room. I have ordered two kinds of steak here—the ribeye and the striploin. The ribeye of Elbert’s Steak Room delivers what will always be the peak enjoyment of my taste buds. Elbert’s has achieved the perfect balance of seasoning and cooking for their steaks. Their is a perfect char and buttery crust. Every bite is juicy fat with tender meat.Recently, I have opted for the leaner and more balanced meat-fat ratio in the striploin, colloquially known as the New York strip. It surprises me how the striploin is easier to eat than the ribeye. While the ribeye is all about pure meat decadence—it’s designed to deliver maximum punch on its own—the striploin is a slightly more mature order that lends breathing space for the wine and the side dishes. Nonetheless, the striploin is just as soft as the ribeye and is surprisingly easier to cut. Again, this steak is crafted with perfection, never too hulking as to hit the right spot in the stomach.Speaking of side dishes, I used to order duck fat potato wedges—crispy with the right gleam of brown and gold. Now, I’m back to Elbert’s creamed spinach: which got me into the wonders of creamed spinach. We like their pomme frittes too, with a guilty side request of tomato ketchup.Each dinner meal ends with a tasting course of dessert and tea or coffee. Their chocolate pudding in a golden biscuit cup has, for a decade, been the perfect closer to a perfect meal.