A Madison state of mind

Give me a really good steak and I turn into a happy carnivore. At Madison, a tony restaurant in Greenbelt 5, I wolfed down 200 grams of medium-well grilled US certified Angus beef to satisfy the meat-eater in me. With the steak knife as my weapon of choice, I enjoyed every bit of the meat — tender, savory, luscious! (The slight marbling in the middle of the meat was another yummy treat.)

What makes Madison’s steak different from others is that each slab of meat is pampered with coffee rub and is seared on lava rocks so you see the steak sizzling all the way to your table. That’s just a couple of trade secrets that Ruth Velasco-Co is more than willing to share. Ruth is the gorgeous managing director of Strategic Brands Network that owns Madison and other establishments like Super Sandwiches, Häagen-Dazs, Max Brenner, T&T, Zing Juice, Scoozi and Thai Patio.

As if the slab of steak was not enough, Madison was really successful in unleashing more of the “caveman” in me with its to-die-for US beef short ribs de Provence with potato marbles and vegetables. Each slice of the baby back ribs provided a joyful excursion for my taste buds. It was really no trouble at all to enjoy this specialty, especially since the meat fell from the bone like an unzipped dress. The dish was so delicious that I even fed on the bones. Shameless on my part. But when you really enjoy good food in a place where you’re comfortable, you need no apologies for such behavior. After all, the people at the table next to you are doing just the same.

The two-month-old restaurant is classy, all right. Scenes of New York are depicted on wall photos. The state-of-the-art interiors of the 200-square-meter restaurant (that sits more than 100 guests) were done by Ruth’s husband, Arnold Co. Ruth notes that Arnold is a businessman by nature, not an interior designer. For a businessman with such artistic panache, Arnold could surely give any self-respecting interior designer a run for his or her money. 

At Madison, a customer is in for new and great things in dining. Aside from the glorious steak and the baby back ribs that made me reunite with my meat-loving self, Madison is also a place for pizza, pasta and seafood.

In fact, upon entering the restaurant, you encounter the pizza-making station replete with all the toppings like mushrooms, bacon, red eggs, red and green bell peppers, anchovies, white cheese, garlic cloves in olive oil, tomatoes, onions, Vigan longganisa, and chicken teriyaki. Yes, you can make your own pizza here, Italian-style because the crust is thin. The heat coming from the brick oven will entice you to don an apron and slap together your own pizza. Five minutes is all it takes for you to bake your own.

Still on the subject of pizza: I recommend the dory fish pizza. Slathered on a thin crust is a whole white fish grilled to perfection and served with garlic confit. There’s a heavenly taste that is produced as you chomp a slice of the mouthwatering dory on the thin crust smothered with tomato sauce and cheese. The aromatic taste bursts in the mouth with the garlic confit adding extra flavor. The dory pizza is definitely a favorite on my list.

Highly recommended, too, is the refreshing crab Caesar salad with baby romaine hearts, bacon and boiled egg. The crispy spinach and feta ravioli with tomato coriander sauce is another must-have.

I was told by those who have visited Madison before me that the following, too, are highly recommended: tom yum seafood pizza, prawn anchovy and salsa verde pizza (served with grilled lemon), the rosemary citrus chicken, braised lamb shank with oriental spices and wild rice with vegetables, and grilled seafood linguine with tomato vodka sauce.

“It’s Madison because everything that everybody likes is here. Everything that is New York — everything great, everything new,” Ruth explains.

The electronically operated peppershaker was new to me. It’s so cool to use as you season your food. You can adjust it to “fine,” “medium” or a “coarse” setting depending on how you like your pepper.

For a non-coffee drinker like me, the Delonghi Nespresso coffee maker is definitely a new discovery. This red, stylish, heavy-duty, automatic coffee maker is capable of making barista quality espresso. I chose a coffee capsule that had a “decaffeinato” label on it and in a jiffy I had my aromatic serving of decaf.

I paired my coffee with sinful servings of mud pie and cherry cheesecake and discovered all the more that dining at Madison is like no other destination on earth.

* * *

For dining reservation or catering services, call Madison at 756-9000 or 728-9000.

* * *

E-mail the author at bumbaki@yahoo.com.