Ever since my blood pressure had become erratic a few months ago, I have been trying to avoid food events and resto reviews fearing that I’m just putting myself in danger or worse seem pretentious and risk offending our hosts if I don’t try everything they serve.
So I was quite hesitant to meet my good friend Suzette Morelos at Johnny’s Steak and Grill as it might break my No-Steak Policy.
Well, I am just human after all.
I hadn’t seen Suzette that much since our common friend Jeff Valisno passed away last year, and I was really looking forward to our meeting as we had a lot of catching up to do.
Johnny’s Steak and Grill is one of the restaurants at B Hotel QC, which is part of the Bellevue Hotel group.
It seems quite trivial but I’ve always felt special whenever I’m at one of their properties since they would often invite me to be the one of the first whenever they opened a new property or had a milestone to celebrate. I visited Bellevue and B Hotel in Alabang a few times and was among the first ones to “break-in” and evaluate the Bellevue Resort in Bohol way before they opened to the public. I was also there when they first announced that they were building B Hotel in QC, but unfortunately, because of my schedule, I missed a lot of their recent events.
Johnnys is located at the ground floor of B Hotel, and I found Suzette busy working on her computer since she decided to work out of office to make time for me (which was actually quite touching). Her phone rang just as we hugged so she excused herself while I took photos of the interiors.
I immediately fell in love with the clean, minimalistic -industrial modern vibe of the resto. It was simple, cozy and quiet. There were a few other guests eating but unlike other restos during lunch, Johnnys gives you a bit of privacy, some sense of calm—and a place where you can enjoy your food undisturbed by rowdy lunch crowd.
There were several tables and a long bar table at the middle which I think can sit about 40-people comfortably. They are only open during lunch (11 am till 2pm) and dinner which makes it a great afterwork place where you can enjoy a few drinks with friends.
The open kitchen is the focal point of the steak restaurant where you can actually see your steak being cooked. The whole place is instagrammable exuding the hipster vibe of B Hotel, and every corner is a great place to take photos.
“Johnnys was named after Mr. Johnny Chan,” Suzette called out as I told my partner Lou to pose for one more OOTD shot. It just opened in June 26, 2016.
I have yet to meet Sir Johnny, though I’ve interviewed his sons Ryan and Patrick who run the family’s hotel chain.
It was also our queue to join her back at the table.
Suzette was her usual hyper self and our stories would jump from one topic to another while we were deciding on what to order. It was a good thing that the menu was really quite simple, as they are only serving different kinds of steak, side dishes and a few desserts.
I ordered the US Beef Tenderloin defatted 189A 280 grams which was priced at P790. I told her that the prices were really quite affordable, considering you are getting USDA or Angus Beef. Suzette says it’s a way of keeping up with the Chan’s belief of always providing their guests value for money. “B Hotel QC might be a three-star hotel but as you can see, it has a five-star look and service so it’s the same approach they did for the steakhouse,” she said.
The menu is arranged based on the different cuts, sauces, and sides, to help the diner easily make their choice and understand a bit of what they are getting. “You get what you want, the way you like it.”
The price starts at just P680 for the USDA Rib-Eye 300 grams; then US Beef Rib Steak for P700; Tenderloin Defatted at P790; Veal Boneless Tenderloin, P1030; Prime Steer Grassfed Chilled Striploin P790.
The Certified Angus Beef category includes Prime Rib-eye price at P1000; Upper choice of Rib-Eye Bone (OP Ribs) for P930; Porterhouse Steak P1380; T-Bone Steak P2090 and Striploin Steak P1210.
All orders include a choice of side and steak sauce. They also serve Lamb and Wagyu Beef.
If you are not sure as to which one to order you can ask the servers, and they are actually quite knowledgeable to describe the differences of each cut. All steaks come with a side dish (choose from mac and cheese, roasted vegetables, truffle fries, onion rings and steak rice), as well as your choice of sauce (red wine, peppercorn, mushroom or garlic).
I decided to order the US Beef Tenderloin and chose Mac& Cheese as side dish. Suzette urged us to try all the other sides so we ended up ordering the Steak Rice, Truffle Fries and the Onion rings as well.
I liked that the menu has an explanation about the different types of ways to cook your steak. I always go for medium as I feel it’s just the right amount of wellness with all the juices and flavors retained in the meat. The menu also details what you can expect—Seared outside, 25% red center, internal temperature 63 to 68 °C, should feel fairly firm and springy—and how long it would take to prepare—4 minutes.
Suzette and I were in the middle of one story when our orders arrived, and as usual we decided to take photos of all the dishes first.
Word of advice, don’t take too long as the meat can quickly cool down and the fatty part will start to harden.
Despite not being the ideal temperature, you can really taste the flavor, seasoned perfectly, and the meat was absolutely tender. I swore to eat only half, but believe me, no other steak has tempted me like this. (Good thing I brought my meds!)
Even Lou was able to finish her portion even though she could never eat even half of the serving.
The reason? The steak was simple, no clash of magic ingredients , you don’t even need the sauce to add flavor. It was good meat, cooked perfectly.
As for the side dishes, the Mac & Cheese seemed to be the better choice than the truffle fries, but go for the Steak Rice, because as a Filipino, everything is better with rice.
For desserts we ordered the Belgian Chocolate cake which Suzette said was included in Inquirer’s Philippines Best Desserts list, and rightfully so. Like the steak, you really will be at a loss for words once you try out this cake—not to sweet just the right amount of creaminess and a perfect finale for whatever steak you ordered.
As Mr. Ryan Chan said in an article I read, “Here the customer has the privilege to place their order, enjoy and choose their preferred meat cut size and watch the chef prepare it from the kitchen, giving the customer a sumptuous dining experience. It’s comfortable yet not too extravagant—no frills, just steak. “You’re in and out of there in fifteen minutes.
No frills, just steak you can enjoy quietly. And that will make you come back again—and again.
Diet and Doctors be damned.
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Johnny’s Steak and Grill is at B Hotel, Scout Rallos, Quezon City. For inquiries, phone 990-5000 or email [email protected].
