The prize at steak

When a craving for succulent, juicy steak knocks on your palate, check your wallet first. A good steak meal can range from P150 to P500. But if you’re the type who has no qualms about spending a hefty sum for a prime cut, then dine at Melo’s.

Popularly known as the home of certified Angus beef, Melo’s tempts steak lovers even more with its grade-8 Wagyu steak, which guarantees lean meat gustatory bliss. With a heftier cut and a higher grade, diners with big appetites can now enjoy their steaks to the fullest.

“The Wagyu grade system is a scale of one to 12,” explains Paul Macasaet, outlet manager of Melo's Westgate Alabang branch. “The higher the grade means you get more marbling, which makes the meat tender, juicy and flavorful. But the most commonly used are from grades one to 10. At Melo’s, the highest grade we offer is eight, which is just perfect for steaks.”

Grade-12 Wagyu, Paul adds, is not advisable for steak because it’s too oily. It’s like eating a spoonful of butter with every bite. The Japanese usually cut it into thin slices and cook it shabu shabu or yakiniku style.

Each steak on the menu has been carefully selected to let diners enjoy Wagyu beef at its best. Choose from the rib eye (grade-4), rib eye with bone (grade-6), tenderloin (grade-6), striploin (grade-8), T-bone (grade-6) and porterhouse (grade-6). Prices range from P2,500 to P2,900 per order.

The rib eye steak has a yummy mix of lean meat and fat, giving it a buttery taste. It’s tender and has a velvety texture. “We also have the rib-eye with bone known as the ‘cowboy cut.’ It has a richer, bolder flavor. Pag malapit sa buto mas malasa,” explains Paul.

The Wagyu striploin is full-flavored and juicy, while the T-bone and porterhouse have a similar cut with a T-shaped bone connecting two delectable meat portions. It’s like having two steaks in one serving. Porterhouse includes the top loin and tenderloin.

The tenderloin, on the other hand, is the most expensive because it’s thicker and leaner. It’s so tender you won’t need a knife to eat it.

Diners have the option as to how they want their steaks cooked: rare, medium-rare, or well-done. However, Paul recommends medium-rare because the juices are locked in the beef; the meat will be tough and dry if overcooked.

Aside from grade-8 Wagyu, Melo’s also offers lower-grade steaks for those on a tight budget.

Caron Santiago-Macasaet, Melo’s marketing manager, says, “Our lowest rib-eye, which is being pushed in a cart, is a grade-4. It’s also soft. At Melo’s, we really classify the grade that we offer. We show it to our diners. We don’t just tag it as Wagyu to jack up prices or to attract diners. You’ll be surprised that the prices of our Wagyu selections are quite reasonable.”

The Wagyu steak selection at Melo’s didn’t have a favorable response when it was first launched last year.

“Well, we can’t blame our customers because Wagyu at that time was still very expensive. The diners wouldn’t even bother to look at the menu. Times have changed. We now have an abundant supply of Wagyu beef from Australia,” relates Caron.

Wagyu beef is popularly known in Japan as Kobe. It’s a place where farmers raise the cattle with care. In fact, they get regular massages and wash all the grains they eat with a cold Kirin beer. When the demand grew, the prices skyrocketed. Japan can’t raise as much cattle because they have limited space for farms. That’s the reason why Kobe beef is very expensive.

“Cattle raisers found Australia to be a good alternative. The Australians mastered the art of raising the cattle similar to what the Japanese do. We now have an abundant supply so the prices have dropped,” enthuses Caron.

Caron, together with husband Paul and her sisters Cristina Santiago-Rivera and Camille Santiago, now jointly manage the restaurant, which was established by their father Carmelo Santiago in 1987.

A computer arts graduate from the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, Caron handles the marketing, accounting and operations; Camille, an HRM degree holder from DLSU College of Saint Benilde, manages the resto; while pastry chef Cristina, who graduated from the California School of Culinary Arts, whips up Melo’s delectable desserts.

Cristina’s sweet treats are the best way to cap a Melo’s meal. Diners can choose from 11 luscious desserts. Must-tries are the chocolatta (moist chocolate cake), the strawberry cheesecake (New York-style cheesecake with strawberry slices), and the Midnight Deco, which is Cristina’s personal favorite.

“I’m a chocolate person. Midnight Deco is a chocolate mousse that melts in the mouth. It has a very light, crispy, hazelnut-flavored crust. I can whip up any chocolate dessert that your heart fancies,” she says with a grin.

Cristina started baking when she was nine. She loved cooking pancakes but eventually got bored with its round shape.

“I started making fun shapes using the batter. I would scoop the batter pour it on the pan to make heart-shaped treats. Then I realized it would be easier to make shapes using a piping bag,” she relates.

Cristina is the eldest daughter of Carmelo and Purita Santiago. Her passion for desserts earned her a diploma at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, California. Aside from being the pastry chef at Melo’s, Cristina also runs her own business, the dessert bar Sweet Bella.

At every Melo’s branch, there is always a family member overseeing the restaurant and attending to the guests’ needs. They really take time in getting to know the customers on a personal level.

“Everything really starts from being personal,” says Caron. “We put our name, our time and our passion in running the restaurants. Beyond the great food, we uphold the family tradition of providing a personalized service which our parents started.”

Well, that’s the prize customers get for dining at Melo’s.

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For reservations, visit Melo's branches at 22 Jupiter St., Bel-air, Makati City (899-2456), 58 Bohol Ave., QC., and inWestgate Alabang.