Proud to be Pinoy

There’s a new hip and happening steak place in town.

Steak Jack is currently packing ’em in at their two addresses: at the Casino Filipino in Angeles, Pampanga, and the spiffy new outlet at The Strip in Greenhills, San Juan. If Steak Jack is attracting the yuppie crowd on weekdays, as well as the usual families on weekends, it’s because the innovative resto is a brainchild of the same youth and dynamic team behind the successful Thai-in-a-Box chain, popularly known as TIB. TIB, in fact, has become a favorite haunt among the hottest stars in showtown: from Kris Aquino to Luis Manzano, from Aiko Melendez to Dominic Ochoa.

Young and brilliant entrepreneurs Oging Sicat, Jojo Sicat, Thess Sicat-Gonzales, Edmon Bautista, and Raymond Pagdanganan joined forces with my good friend Mike Sicat in their new pet project, Steak Jack, which they consider as "the newest baby of the TIB family." Needless to say, they will devote to Steak Jack the same dedication to culinary excellence and quality service TIB is famous for.

After five years of unstoppable growth for their trend-setting Thai restaurant, the TIB team thought it wise to expand and diversify, to offer American delicacies as a fitting complement to the Asian specialties proffered by their original chain.

Business is booming, Oging reports proudly. "To be frank, the food business, in general, is experiencing difficult times. But we are very lucky that we are doing extremely well. I believe it’s because of hard work and dedication."

The ongoing economic crunch is precisely the reason why they decided to open Steak Jack, Jojo evers. "In hard times, we still want to serve good food at a budget-friendly price," Jojo avows. They confidently serve the same hearty steak dinners prepared by posh restaurants and five-star hotels at almost half the price.

And there is more to Steak Jack than just sumptuous steaks. The Steak Jack menu offers variety with a capital V. "We also have grills, pastas, sandwiches, omelets," Oging says, beaming with delight.

"And soon we will be adding more entrée items, as well as more breakfast meals," Edmon enthuses.

"We will be including more barbecues as well," Oging points out. "Aside from beef and pork, grilled seafood items also. Like salmon, tanigue, shrimp. Of course, we also have chicken barbecue and baby back ribs. Also, Salisbury steak, roast beef, and lamb chops.

The entire team endeavors to make the Steak Jack menu not only a feast for the tastebuds, but also hassle-free and oh-so-uncomplicated. "If you look at our menu, what you’ll see are very simple, very familiar dishes," Oging affirms. "Nothing exotic. Nothing fancy. These are food items that we enjoy eating ourselves." These are the same dishes Edmon and Oging whip up at the kitchen when they have family get-togethers.

"That was why we thought of opening a new restaurant," Jojo relates. "It’s because Edmon and Oging can cook lots of great-tasting Western meals that don’t fit the TIB’s Asian concept."

"Also we’ve noticed that one of the most popular dishes in TIB is our T-Bone steak," Edmon volunteers. "The sales performance of our steaks in TIB is quite impressive."

Thus, the Steak Jack concept was born. As expected, among the many best-sellers in the Steak Jack menu are the Tenderloin and T-Bone steaks. "It’s because our steaks are not only delicious, they are also reasonably priced," Oging stresses.

Quite expectedly, the Steak Jack owners are also self-avowed foodies and steak eaters. "My personal favorites are the Tenderloin Steak and the Fillet Mignon," Oging shares. "Those two are among the most tender and juiciest steaks in our menu."

"I go for the T-Bone Steak with Garlic and Pepper," Edmon owns up. "I really love eating the fat on the side. And I usually have it with two sidings. In Steak Jack, diners can avail of two side dishes for only P35."

Among the sidings in the Steak Jack line-up are Macaroni Salad, Corn and Carrots, Corn on the Cob, French Fries, Mashed Potatoes, among other delectable treats. Another popular indulgence is the Choco Mud Pie, which Oging bakes himself. (Truth is, Choco Mud Pie is the new favorite of frequent diner, Aiko Melendez.)

"I always order the Steak Jack Omelet," Jojo pipes in. "It’s egg omelet with a generous ham, cheese, mushroom, and sausage filling." Jojo also relishes the Steak Jack Stew every time he visits the place. "It’s a light stew, with lots of veggies," Jojo quips.

"It’s perfect for vegetarians and those who are on a diet," Edmon attests. "Although it’s light it’s very satisfying."

Both Jojo and Edmon can’t get enough of the Steak Jack Mashed Potatoes. "It’s because, like all our meals, we make our mashed potatoes from scratch, from real potatoes," Jojo declares with palpable pride. "And we source our potatoes from Baguio."

"Which is the best," Oging notes. "Not a lot of people that we can source some of the best ingredients in the country. We don’t have to import. Like Batangas beef can measure up to the world’s best meats. In Steak Jack, we want to support local farmers, local food suppliers."

After all, Steak Jack, like TIB, is proudly Pinoy – just like its youthful and dynamic, innovative and enterprising owners.