The art of steak-ing out

Art is not meant to be understood by ordinary mortals. The art of cooking, that is. Life was so much simpler when my definition of cooking revolved around setting things on fire and eating them. As far as I’m concerned, the more you try to understand your dishes and the whole mind-boggling process involved in making it fit for consumption — the crazier you become. This was my sobering conclusion after chatting with the chef/owners of 145° Fahrenheit, the newest, and if I may say, most sophisticated steakhouse this side of Metro Manila.

Incidentally, my mother and I are the last people you would find dining in a steakhouse of our own volition, even if it does have a most kick-ass selection of wine — but more on that later. My mom’s unenthusiastic approach towards steak is pretty straightforward; she isn’t a meat lover. I, on the other hand, have psychological issues with regards to steakhouses in general, the reason for which can be summed up in all manner of words synonymous to “crass.” I’m no restaurant connoisseur, but whereas in other steakhouses I’ve had to suffer through cluttered garden-variety menus, clubby atmospheres, distressed decors, a snobbish staff, and the smell of smoke overriding my cleanly shampooed hair and nostrils, 145° Fahrenheit is a rejuvenating breath of fresh air; literally as well as metaphorically.

Chef/owner Andrew Chua describes the concept as that of a “modern American steakhouse.” And while this is the most concise way of depicting the layout of the place, it leaves too much to the imagination. Especially since 145° Fahrenheit is an architectural sight for sore eyes. The setting has just enough of those subdued, earthen tones and wooden architecture to give it that illusive American-steakhouse feel; while the injection of chic, minimalist details such as the all-white utensils, chromatic light fixtures, and a sleek, avant-garde open kitchen all contribute to its image of the contemporary steakhouse. In a nutshell, it’s got the self-contented atmosphere of a place that’s comfortable in its own skin — er, decor.

It’s great how much the customers factored in the end look and feel of the place. For instance, Chef Andrew elaborates that the whole layout can essentially be thought of as a “special chef’s table” where customers, through proximity to the open kitchen, can feel like they’re a part of the culinary drama at hand. Then there are the upholstered high-back chairs, custom-made so as to cater to the privacy of guests as they huddle around the little round tables. In a way, this makes 145° Fahrenheit friendly to all manner of customers — quarreling lovers, scheming politicians, old ladies’ clubs, crime syndicates...

Moving on, there is, of course, the food. Unless you’ve just freed yourself from a hunger strike or have no friends, there is no reason to dine alone. The servings are huge. As in, one plate of pasta actually means one fishbowl of pasta, in the same way that the Schott Zwiesel cup holding your dessert is really more like the Schott Zwiesel goblet. Sharing is the norm, so to speak. Not that you’d really want to, however. Chef Andrew terms their food style as “neo-American,” which involves “cooking food the American way while putting finishing touches the French way, flavor-wise.” In other words, they serve American-based food with a twist of French... and we’ll leave it at that. Meanwhile, allow me to tickle your taste buds as I enumerate some of the dishes my mother and I got to taste.

For soup we had roasted pumpkin, which is different from run-of-the-mill pumpkin soup due to the obvious fact that it’s roasted. Apparently, roasting the pumpkin enriches flavor by letting the natural sugars caramelize. Topped with a swirl of cream, light spices and an “extra” ingredient that chef/owner Jeremiah Go smilingly refused to disclose, this concoction fueled the start of our guilty dining foray. Salad was beef parmesan arugula, a combination of mixed greens, shaved parmesan, candied walnuts, balsamic vinegar, and grilled beef. I believe “flavor dynamics” was the term used to describe the variety of flavors imploding in our mouths. For the appetizer, we had thinly sliced strips of raw Japanese beef; not really part of my “stuff-to-try” list, that is, until I actually tried it. The US Wagyu carpaccio is a gastronomical delight, with truffle oil and balsamic vinegar serving as sauce and the itty-bitty microleaves liberally sprinkled all over the dish. I must mention that the microleaf has this subtle peanut-buttery flavor that is both cute and alarming, as it is, after all, a vegetable. Then, our main course, the US prime Angus short ribs, arrived in all its 34 ounces of glorious, marbled meat. After the first tentative bite, I think my face melted a little. Soft. Tender. Juicy. Not unlike the hotdog, only better. Way, way better. Well, I did hear Chef Jeremiah remark that it took two hours to braise the steak... One can only hope that they stay consistent with the preparation procedures, something that most steakhouses forget about sooner or later. Finally, we topped it all off with a strawberry trifle for dessert — complete with its delectable layers of cake and disarmingly huge container.

The menu is not without pasta or seafood, however; both of which are my definite gotta-haves the next time I come back. After all, 145° Fahrenheit, does boast about its prime steaks and seafood, as is written beneath its logo. And as I mentioned earlier, though primarily a steakhouse, 145° Fahrenheit has an impressive selection of top-notch wine — 90 to choose from, to be more exact. Roughly 70 percent comes from the legendary vineyards of Napa Valley, with the remaining 30 percent coming from Australia, Chile, France, Spain, Argentina, etc. The meticulous wine list ranges in price from as low as P300 to as mind-blowing P20,000. Ah, the wrath of grapes. There’s something for everyone, at least.

In any case, 145° Fahrenheit has effectively set its own standards by calling itself as such, since 145°F is regarded as the perfect temperature of meat at medium range. Any establishment crazy enough to indirectly call itself “perfect” must at least have the tenacity and guts to follow through on its self-mandate. Especially in the cutthroat, dog-eat-dog (or is it cow-eat-cow?) world of the steakhouse industry. I don’t think the owners are too worried, though; they know that quality is a long and winding road. And as far as reputation-building is concerned, I believe 145° Fahrenheit is ready to divide and conquer — one steak at a time.

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145° Fahrenheit Prime Steaks and Seafood is located at UG Flr IL Terrazzo #35 Tomas Morato cornerScout Madriñan Quezon City. For reservations please call 703-2725.