Malcolm’s Place

Finally! Last night, I knew what the fuss was all about over the Wagyu Kobe steaks!! My Panget and I decided to give Malcolm’s Place a try, since Anton raved about their Wagyu Rib-Eye steak. I’ve been hearing lot of good and bad stuff about Wagyu Kobe beef – some say that its the best beef in the whole world, that it melts in your mouth and that it’s absolutely to die for. On the other hand, I’ve read that there are some animal activist groups who are against the method of Wagyu because its considered animal cruelty. Hmm.. Where do I begin?

We somehow got lost trying to look for Malcolm’s Place – we were in unfamiliar territory. Apparently the Makati that we know of consists of Greenbelt, Glorietta, Makati Shangri-La, Rockwell, Ayala Avenue, Paseo de Roxas, Makati Ave and the villages – mention a street from Salcedo Village or Legaspi Village – we’ll be dumbfounded and confused. I honestly don’t know the difference between Salcedo and Legaspi Villages!

Thanks to the nice manager Pam, she led us to the resto in no time. When we got there, my Panget and I were really excited – I think the staff were excited too! They were all smiley and friendly to us. They led us up the dining area since the ground floor was mainly used for cooking and preparing the orders. My Panget and I liked the amibiance it was cozy, we chose to sit on the sofa since they’re more inviting compared to the ordinary chairs. We were then given the menus – but before it was given, we’ve already made-up our minds on what to get. Thus we ordered one Wagyu Rib-Eye Steak for my Panget and a Sun-Goddess Pasta for me. The Wagyu Rib-Eye steak came with a free soup (of your choice on the menu). You also have to pick what kind of gravy you wanted, a siding, and the butter to be used. Of course for Php1,750.00 it was still kind of pricey, but what the heck right?!

As we waited for our orders to arrive, I had an inkling of wanting to see how the steak was being cooked. I actually wanted to see what their steak looked like raw – because I knew for a fact that Wagyu beef should have fats in the meat – marbling is the correct term I think. I went down and asked one of the servers if I can take a look on how they cook the steaks – of course, they declined and so I went back to our table. A few minutes after, the same server called me and told me if I wanted to check it out – I could. And so I did! I was excited of course, since it was my first time to see what Wagyu and to check out how it’s being cooked. The kitchen was kinda small, but it’s not tight – but maybe on a full night – the chefs will be all over one another. Pam, the manager was nice enough to invite me in their kitchen to take a peek. When I did, our steak was already on the skillet. I was joking with the cook to make sure it’s Medium or else he might need to replace it, he then laughed (he might have been nervous too! Haha) Then it was like he read my mind! Before I opened my mouth to ask if I could see the raw steaks – he opened the door of the freezer and told me ‘Ma’am – this is what it looks like raw’ – Goodness! The steak indeed was marble-y! I can see the fats all over the steak! What struck me more was that – they had loads of steak piled up in the freezer!! Wowowee!! I then became more excited to taste it. I went back to our table and told my Panget what I saw. After a few minutes – our orders arrived. We were quite disappointed with the size of the steak, we took literally, what Anton said that it can feed 3 carnivores on a budget, well – I think the steak will just feed 1 if you’re a meat eater like my Panget and 2 if you’re on a budget, I think the 3 carnivores would be females. But hey, that’s just me.

It wasn’t love a first bite. I actually was disappointed with the first bite. I thought to myself ‘So, this is it?’ Damn, I felt short changed. My Panget felt the same way too! Although the steak was really tasty – the ‘melt in your mouth’ part was no where near our expectations. I had to give it another try, and so I cut on a different part of the steak . Lo and behold, when I bit on the steak – I knew – what the fuss was all about. This was what Wagyu Kobe beef tastes like. I can’t actually describe what it tastes like but here it goes!

As I cut the steak, the steak seemed stiff – but when I bit on it – it was soft, my teeth slid into the meat perfectly. It was as if there was no ounce of stiffness to it. I was able to bite on it without struggle. It tasted gooood, it was different – it was succulent and juicy – the doneness was just perfect. I will quote my Panget on his comment – ‘It grows on you!’ The more you eat it, the more you’ll like it. When he was half-way, I noticed that he was begginging to eat slower than usual, I asked why he was eating and biting slowly, he replied ‘Ang sarap eh! Tsaka mahal!‘ ‘I want to savour the steak – and it’s expensive!’ – Nice one Panget, nice one!

After the main course, we decided to give the Apple Crumble a try – I thought it was kinda dry, but my Panget liked it. I loved the crust though! Both the side crust and the crumble crust. We were also given free coffee by Pam. Thanks Pam!

On a scale of 1 -10, 10 being the highest – Malcom’s Wagyu Rib-Eye steak ranks #8 for the both of us. Will we be coming back for more? Of course! When we find a sponsor that is!

Cheers to Cathy – our server, and Pam – the Manager of Malcolm’s Place.