Sizzling Out...

one thing i've realized in manila is that places, people and events are very much the result of hype and very good public relations. saturday night i joined friends to have dinner in The Sizzling Pepper Steak in the new Terraces of Ayala Cebu.


we had to wait for about ten minutes before they can sit us. fortunately, their guarantee of a fast heating hot plate made the wait much shorter before our orders were served.

they are known for their Sizzling Pepper sets that has the mixed seafood, beef, pork and chicken variations as well as their own version of the salisbury steak that is paired with breaded chicken, shrimp or bacon. they do serve kiddie combination meals (on hindsight, after seeing euan down a plate, i also wanted to swap my order for his...sigh) - for more pics and commentaries, click on read.more


andrew's tenderloin steak got served ahead of everyone else and it was interesting to note that hot plates are fitted with a carton tube that fits the rim - the better to contain the sizzling hot fat dripping from the meat. each table comes with a blower that sucks out the steam coming from the sizzling plates, and it sucked more than just the steam, we were also roasting inside the restaurant. i guess that's part of the ambiance.

my chicken sizzling pepper steak got served next and the hamburg steak ordered by ivan and darryl followed shortly. i would have ordered beef or pork but the description perked my attention as the chicken dish is supposed to be served with an egg sauce. by the time they served the sizzling plate, the egg has formed into some sort of pancake around the rice. the chicken is uh... cooked but tasted curiously like it was steamed, the meat was chewy and the chicken skin rubbery. there's no word to translate this in english but it tasted "malansa", ir the best alternative to describe the flavor is that of raw fish. if i wanted sashimi i would have ordered that.


ron ordered another pork sizzling pepper steak and it looked promising, but as we all know, some promises are made to be broken. i couldn't resist dipping my fork into their "version" only to find out that the meat has fried literally to a crisp like consistency because of the heat coming from the plate.

satisfied with the meal? no. coming back? no. ambiance good? yes. result of hype? yes. i predict in six months time there'd be no people lining up to have a meal in this restaurant.

if you want steak, check out merto, black angus or my personal favorite: Carlito's Way. half the price, twice the size, double the taste. need i say more?

The Sizzling Pepper Steak
2nd Level, The Terraces
Ayala Center, Cebu City
Philippines

Comments

Bon said…
toink!! Louya gud!! hahahaha
6:13 PM
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