House of Wagyu Stone Grill

House of Wagyu

Stone Grill

5^th Floor The Podium

Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City

(632) 635-3056

105 Mckinley Arcade

Ortigas Avenue Cor. Club Filipino Avenue

Greenhills, San Juan City

(63 2) 725-2811

(63 2) 725-7450

Why two branches in one review?

First off, we want to explain why we make a single review for two branches of the same restaurant.  For one, they are the same restaurant.  Second, we went and tried these branches less than a week apart and we thought it maybe be better to make it into just one review.  We think that two reviews of the same restaurant in one week maybe a little overboard. We hope you agree.

How to get there:

Greenhills Branch from EDSA going north:

House of Wagyu Stone Grill - Greenhills Map

1. Take the Flyover to Ortigas Avenue, San Juan just before Robinsons Galleria;

2. On Ortigas Avenue stay in the middle lane until the first traffic lights (Connecticut); and

3. After the first traffic lights, veer to the right and enter the parking lot after the second traffic lights House of Wagyu should be visible on your left side about 10 meters after the parking areas guardhouse.

The Podium Branch from EDSA going north:

House of Wagyu - The Podium Map

1. Turn right to Guadix Drive just after the SM Megamall and Asian Development Bank; and

2. Turn right to ADB Avenue; The Podium should be on your right side before reaching Doña Julia Vargas Avenue and just after the Asian Development Bank.

First impression:

The place looked expensive and classy. During our visits we usually have 2-4 tables dining with us.  So if you want privacy for an important date or meeting this place would really impress.

Cuisine:

This restaurant offers Australian Cuisine and of course Steaks!

But before we go any further we would like to tell something about Wagyu Beef.  Wagyu beef is commonly known as “Kobe” beef because it was believed that the Wagyu Beef from Kobe were the best and consequently the most expensive.

The Wagyu Beef served in House of Wagyu Stone Grill come from Australia.  The Beef served are graded from 1-12.  The higher the grade the more fat the unsaturated fat and the more scattered the fat is on the meat.  Apparently these fats are healthy and are similar to olive oil.  For more about Wagyu Beef, you can check out this wikipedia link.

What we had:

New Zealand Baked Mussels

To start we tried the House of Wagyu's New Zealand Baked Mussels (Php295).  These Mussels really looked like they came from New Zealand... they were huge!  The presentation was great and it had that distinct taste of fresh mussels.  We thoroughly enjoyed this appetizer.

Escargot Au Reisling

We also tried the House of Wagyu's Escargot Au Reisling (Php375).   We’ve tried the ginataang kuhol in Filipino Restaurants and wanted to try how they are done in other cuisines.  Fortunately for us, the snails were served out of the shells, which made them easier to eat.  Amazingly, the butter, garlic and white wine mixed into the dish subdued the strong taste of the snails almost better than the gata usually does. 

Gambas Al Ajillo

Our “last” appetizer was Gambas Al Ajillo (Php275).  It looked really delicious, a little greasy, but the garlic bits scattered all over the dish made it look really appetizing.  The huge green pepper added the necessary color to complement the hue of the shrimps.  Even though it looked a little greasy at first, but because of the extra virgin olive oil and the garlic you’d barely think it was sautéed at all!

Fresh Four Season's Juice

We tried their Fresh Four Season’s Juice and Fresh Orange Juice.  The juices were made just after we ordered them, we could actually see the Bartender squeezing the Orange Juice and blending the fruits for the Four Seasons.  As a result, the juices tasted really good.  We don't know if the contents are the same but the glasses in House of Wagyu: Stone Grill, The Podium branch were a bit smaller compared to the glasses in the Greenhills branch.

Rancher's Cut 700 Grams [Rib-Eye with Bone] Grade 8 Wagyu Beef

Now for the main courses!  We ordered the House of Wagyu's Rancher’s Cut 700 Grams [Rib-Eye with Bone] (Php3,600).  This is actually a 400-600 grams of grade 8 Rib-Eye stuck to a 100-300 gram bone.  It also comes with 2 single Caesar’s Salad, 2 Soup(s) of the Day (Mushroom Soup) and 2 Desserts (Vanilla Ice Cream).

Rib Eye 350 grams [for two] Grade 6 Wagyu Beef

We also ordered Rib Eye 350 grams [for two] Grade 6 (Php2,295). This comes with 2 Soup(s) of the Day (Mushroom Soup).

Premium Rib Eye 220 grams Grade 8 Wagyu Beef

 Our third Entrée is a Premium Rib Eye 220 grams Grade 8 (Php2,395).  This comes with a Soup of the Day (Mushroom Soup).

The soups and salads were served inbetween the appetizers and the Entrée.  All steaks come with Mixed vegetables and a choice of Mashed Potato, Plain Rice and Garlic Rice.  We all chose Mashed Potato.

How the Wagyu beef were served:

 A very hot stone grill was placed on our table before the Beef was placed on it.  The wait staff informed us that she will turn over the beef once, and after that we can proceed with the dining experience.  The wait staff were educated about Wagyu Beef and did not wait for a manager to answer our queries about the beef.

House of Wagyu: Stone Grill

We were advised to slice the meet as we eat and not to cut the beef in small slices immediately as it may result in over cooking, unless of course you want your meat very well done. 

House of Wagyu: Stone Grill Small Slices

You may request for a replacement stone grill if the stone grill has cooled down.  You may also request for a resting plate if you believe the stone grill is too hot and will over cook the meat according to your taste.   Of course, if you wish, you may ask that the steak be cooked/grilled by the restaurant's chef.  But cooking it yourself allows you to play chef! 

Mashed Potato and Vegetables

We have to say that these were some of the best steaks we’ve had!  No gravy needed.  The meat was very tender and juicy.  Even the steak knives cut through the meat like heated metal on butter, well it's a little exaggerated but you get the gist!  It lets you experience that melt in your mouth sensation.  It truly is an amazing dining experience.  

Flourless Chocolate Cake ala Mode: Cold Stone Grill

 We were quite full after the meal, but we had to try one of their desserts, so we had the House of Wagyu’s Flourless Chocolate Cake (Php225).  The Flourless Chocolate Cake was served with Vanilla Ice cream on a COLD STONE GRILL (freezing cold!).  The presentation was superb, the cold stone grill kept the Vanilla Ice Cream from melting.  But we have to say that texture and the taste of the Flourless Chocolate Cake was a disappointment.  Then, again, we were here for the steaks not the dessert right?

Estimated cost:

A budget of Php700-Php1500 should be enough to sample some of the food.  If you want to sample the Wagyu Beef however, a budget of Php1,500 (or higher) should be prepared.  You could also share the Wagyu Beef to sample a variety like we did and save some, but a word of warning, this might cause some rift or argument as to which had more beef! #LOL

Note: Prices are exclusive of VAT and Service Charge.

You can also buy uncooked Wagyu beef  from their selection.

To check out more of their menu you can get it here.

Conclusion:

7: You guessed it!  Despite the steep prices for the Steaks, the service and the entire experience is something you would like to try again and again, over and over… you get the picture right?  Once you try the steaks here, it’ll surely be the first thing that comes to mind when you talk to people about food for some time.  We were disappointed with desserts; then again maybe we were just too full by the time they were served.

For more about Wagyu Beef, you may want to check these out at Amazon.com

Gyuniku to Nihonjin: Wagyu reisan (Japanese Edition)

The Spa Indulgencia

The Spa Indulgencia
Lower 2nd Floor
St. Francis Square Mall
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong

Note:  Despite the Similarities in the logo of The Spa and The Spa Indulgencia, do not be deceived, they are not related.

How to get there:

From EDSA north bound, a few meters right after SM Megamall, turn right between Asian Development Bank and St. Pedro Poveda College.  Turn right to ADB Avenue.  Turn Right to Doña Julia Vargas St. St. Francis Square Mall will be on your right.

First Impression:


The place looked homey and appeared like a real spa despite being at the second floor of a "greenhills" like mall.

Photo Reference

The lounge chairs are for the Indulgencia Classic Nail Treatment.

Photo Reference

These are the massage beds, it turns out these are 2 of the 3 (or maybe 4?) massage beds in The Spa Indulgencia, from what we've seen.  And these two beds are in one room and separated only by a curtain.

Note:  We were informed that The Spa Indugencia does not have its own restroom and no shower room.  We were already wondering whether buying the Php500 coupon from Ensogo for the Php1,000 service worth it at this point...

Services offered and estimated costs:

Photo Reference

The Spa Indulgencia offers basic spa and massage services. 

What we had:

As noted above we are redeeming our Ensogo Coupon for 1 and 1/2 half Hour Massage and Body Scrub.  But since they offered basic nail services, we also tried their Manicure & Pedicure Combo.

The Spa Indulgencia Ensogo Coupon

Manicure & Pedicure Combo (Php230) - We knew we had a problem when the "manicuristas" were borrowing each others nippers.  Apparently they were missing some equipment.  We had to say that our initial impression was immediately crushed by this incident.  They could have informed us about the situation and we could have simply cancelled our requested service.

We were quite surprised when we were charged Php245 for this service, it turns out we charge 1 Manicure (Php100) and 1 Pedicure (Php145) each and not the combo price of the service we requested, which was weird specially when we specifically requested for the Combo service.

1 and 1/2 Hour Massage and Body Scrub (Php1,000) - The massage was good.  We do not really know why we were caught between disappointment and pleasure at this point until we remembered that were not having basic massages but we had body scrubs coming up.  It was also quite disturbing that the attendants who had no clients to attend to were very noisy.  And despite the god massage, we were not relaxed at all.

The Body Scrub was weird.  We were scrubbed in the same bed we had our massage.  Remember we said earlier that they had no shower room and restroom?  This is where it all matters now.  After the srcub, we were the therapist washed away the "scrubs" by pouring water from a pail beside the massage beds...  We knew then that this was an experience we will never forget and wouldn't want to have again.

If you still want to try their services after what we said, you can get discounts by availing of group purchases from sites such as Ensogo and Groupon if they are still available.

Conclusion:

2: We recommend you try other spas and salons for the same services offered.  The massage was good and that is the only reason why we did not make this into a 1 experience.  We had a terrible body scrub experience and didn't feel that all the dirt from the scrubbing was washed away.   The "manicuristas" sharing the nipper while working on their clients was a big downer.  On top of that, we felt like it could have been done better.  But if you're getting a basic massage, the masseuse in The Spa Indulgencia could be worth your while and it could be a 4 leaning to a 5 if you are able to avail of their promo prices, otherwise it would be a 4 leaning to a 3  for the regular prices.  We still think that Php275 for a 30-minute massage given the facilities is a little steep.

If you have comments or recommendations, please don't hesitate to drop us a line on the comments page.

If you are looking for a Healing Spa Basket for yourself or for purposes of a gift you might want to check this product from Amazon.com

Cajun Red Rock by Chef Tony

Cajun Red Rock
The Atrium, Level 3
SM Megamall
Mandaluyong City

Cajun Red Rock - The Atrium Level 3 - SM Megamall

How to get there:

Its the widest building along EDSA between Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue. You won't miss it.

Photo Reference

First Impression:

The place looks cozy,  like a TGI Friday's with the lights on!  They have tables with sofas but these are almost always the first ones taken.  The design of the logo and the restaurant itself reminds you of Chef Tony's Popcorn!  Of course we found out while taking a look at the menu that it was indeed Chef Tony's Restaurant.

Cuisine:

More American than Cajun.  Country and BBQ to be more precise.

What we had:

After our orders were taken, we were surprised with a plate of regular popcorn as appetizer.  It is a Chef Tony's restaurant after all.

Cajun Red Rock - Tony's Special Iced Tea

The picture of the Tony's Special Iced Tea (Php110) on the table menu was interesting because of the two colored liquid "mixture" so we just had to try it.  It was a pleasure to find out it was not all about presentation, the iced tea was actually good, especially if you like a hint of vanilla in your tea.

Tony's Favorite Chops with Saffron Rice and Crispy Mojos

We tried Tony's Favorite Chops (Php275) with Crispy Mojos and Saffron Rice as side dishes.  The chops were tender and cooked just right.  The BBQ sauce tasted sweet and just right.  The Crispy Mojos were actually made of sweet potatoes, and is quite different from your regular mojos.  It is a little think for some of us but the it presented a new way of enjoying sweet potatoes.  The Saffron Rice, was simply delicious, it goes well with the chops.

Bourbon Chops with Baked Mashed Potato and Country Potato

We also sampled their Bourbon Chops (Php320) with Baked Mashed Potato and Country Potato as side dishes.  The sauce just gives a hint of Bourbon, not too much and goes well with the chops.  The Baked Mashed Potato were good, it is made from real potato from what we figure as it still has some of the skin left.  Not your usual powdered mashed potato from fast food joints.  The country potato were cooked just right and goes well with its cream sauce.

Estimated cost:

A budget of Php400 - Php500 should be enough to get a sample of some of the restaurant's specialty.  Of course, if you order a full slab of Baby Back Ribs that would be a different matter altogether.

Note: Menu prices are exclusive of VAT add 12%.  No Service Charge.

Conclusion:

5: Most of the food looked and tasted good, but the service when we were there was very slow.  We were informed later that 2 of the wait staff were absent and so the 3 wait staff we saw running around were doing all the work.  With a full wait staff this could be 6, could be, but for now we leave it as a 5.  It is still worth trying out.

If you like our reviews or have some recommendation, please feel free to drop us a note on the comments section.

If you want to cook some Cajun Recipe's you might want to look into this recipe book from Amazon.com

LEMONGRASS asian bistro

LEMONGRASS 
asian bistro
Ground Floor, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

Note: There is also a LEMONGRASS "asian bistro" in the US but according to the wait staff they are not connected.  We were informed that there are other branches in Cebu, Davao and SM Megamall.  Since they have very similar logos, see here, and food offered made us wonder if the staff was just misinformed.  But then again, we were just there for the food!

How to get there:


Shangri-la Plaza Mall is at the corner of EDSA and Shaw Blvd.

If you are going North along EDSA, turn right to Gourmet Drive right after the Shaw Blvd.

If you are going South along EDSA, turn right after Star MAll (Shaw Blvd.), take a U-turn under the flyover, turn left to EDSA, turn right to Gourmet Drive first street after Shaw Blvd.

First impression:


It gives an impression of class, as if the restaurant is out of place somehow but the place looks cozy and some tables have lounge chairs and sofas.

Cuisine:


LEMONGRASS serves a mixture of the various Asian Cuisines.   More on the Korean, Thai and Japanese side from the dishes we've sampled.

What we had:

Togarashi Spicy Tuna Roll

Togarashi Spicy Tuna Roll

For starters, we ordered Japanese, Togarashi Spicy Tuna Roll (Php195) since we love sushi, sashimi and maki, we thought this would be a great appetizer.  It was a pleasant surprise to find this king of maki in a fusion restaurant. However, we all wondered where the spicy tuna went... we tasted neither tuna nor spice... still it was a great dish to start us off.

Tom Yum Goong Prawn Soup

Tom Yum Goon Prawn Soup

For soup we had Thai, Tom Yum Goong Prawn Soup (Php245).  The soup is mildly hot, just enough for our taste so we enjoyed it.  The prawns looked like shrimps both in the size and appearance but we have to say, this is one of the better Tom Yum's we've tried in the Philippines.

Lemongrass Tea

We tried their Lemongrass Tea (Php105).  What we got was far from what we expected, we were divided on this one.  We all expected some sort of Iced concoction, we were surprised to find out the beverage was a cocktail of different fruits (lemon, aloe and dragon-fruit) with a hint of lemongrass, or as some of us would argue lemongrass boiled in water with fruit bits.

Milk Tea with Black Pearl

It was good thing, we also tried their Milk Tea with Black Pearl (Php125), which washed away the lemongrass taste from our mouths after sipping the Lemongrass tea.  The Milk Tea is what you'd expect it to be, it's good to get something ordinary once in a while.

LEMONGRASS Baby Back Ribs BBQ

The LEMONGRASS Baby Back Ribs BBQ with Rice (Php295) we had was a bit perplexing.  The Baby Back Ribs were soft and the texture was good, but it appears to have been boiled and looked more liked Adobong Baby Back Ribs than a BBQ!  The taste was not bad, but nevertheless, it was one of the more disappointing dished we had this night.

Homestyle Korean Beef Ribs With Steamed Rice - Serving

Homestyle Korean Beef Ribs - Dish

The Homestyle Korean Beef Ribs with Steamed Rice (Php280) was good.   The way it was served with the pot and candle was a great touch but the dish itself falls short of the presentation.  This dish is a little sweet but chili (siling labuyo) is included for those who want a spicier version.

Thai Shrimp Paste Rice Pork

Thai Shrimp Paste Rice Pork

We also tried the Thai Shrimp Paste Pork (Php230). What sets apart from the usual Bagoong Fried Rice we usually have in Thai restaurants is the added peanut bits.  It adds a unique taste to this classic Thai dish.

Mango Crepe Topped Ice Cream

For dessert, we tried their  Mango Crepe Topped Ice Cream (Php145).  The presentation was good, though neither the ice cream nor the mango crepe was topped by the other...  The ice cream is vanilla flavored with chocolate syrup.  The crepe appeared to have pandan mixed into it which gives off it a faint green color and the exotic smell.   The crepe in itself was not that good as it tasted and a had texture more closely resembling pancakes instead of crepes.

Estimated cost:


For a good sample of the dishes served in LEMONGRASS, a budget of Php300-500 should be adequate.

Note: Plus Service Charge. Prices are inclusive of 12% VAT.  

Conclusion:


4 - 5: We see the potential of LEMONGRASS. Unfortunately, we had some disappointing dishes.    We would say it is between 4 - 5.  We remain undecided, but are leaning towards it could be worth your while at the very least.

Lemongrass