Saturday, June 8, 2019

Weekend Wine Pairing at Stoned Steaks

What a way to end the work week!



Last Friday, Tim and I were invited to enjoy a night of steaks and wine at Stoned Steaks located at Sct. Rallos, Quezon City. To tell you the truth, I usually prefer staying home on Fridays, but I'm so glad we came out because, let me tell you, that evening was one for the books! I think it was one of, if not the best, wine pairings I've ever experienced. The whole execution was flawless - from the portions and the pacing, to the dishes served, and of course, the amazing wines from Moet Henessy Philippines.
Stoned Steaks first opened their doors in December 2017, offering a wide selection of both Primal Cuts and Dry-Aged Wagyu, and USDA Prime steaks to meet each of your discerning tastes. What's unique about them is that they let you cook your own steak at your own pace, and at your desired doneness on a #CertifiedStoners Lava Stone.
The night started off with some Truffle Parmesan Fries paired with Terrazas Altos Del Plata Chardonnay. I absolutely loved how thin and crunchy the fries were and the dips they came with. The best part? The truffle bits! There was definitely no scrimping on ingredients with this one!

Next came the Oyster Rockefeller with micro herbs and caviar bed in grava rock and rock salt. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of oysters, but this one blew me away! This was paired once again with the chardonnay, which I thought tasted really good and went down smooth.

We were told that the main difference between French and Argentine wine is the altitude. Basically, high-elevation vineyards get (1) more sunlight which causes grapes to develop deeper pigment concentration and (2) tougher skin protecting them from dramatic temperature shifts as well as exceptional drainage.  The constant battle for nutrients in high elevation sites means the vine is forced to divert energy from grape production to simple survival, reducing the overall yield of the vine. Like growing up poor but resourceful, these low-yielding vines give each surviving berry more character and higher quality. (source)

If someone were to ask what my least favorite dish of the night was, it would have to be the Mushroom Soup. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular either. It reminded me of the canned mushroom soup you can find from the grocery. Hmm.. I guess I was hoping it to have more mushroom flavor, or maybe for them to get some of that delicious truffle bits in there, just to make it more special. I dunno, just a thought.
The Grilled Salmon had a lot going on. The salmon itself was marinated in capers and mixed herbs then plated with some mango salsa, Borsao garlic lemon butter sauce, and miso lobster signature sauce. All in all, I think it was cooked really well and the sauces complemented each other though we didn't really get much of that signature sauce in there? Still pretty good, in my opinion.

One of my favorites would have to be this next one - the Salted Beef Slider. I'm not normally into burgers, but gaah, this one was PERFECT. The main star for me wasn't so much the roasted angus ribeye they stuffed in there, but the combination of the four cheeses which are emmental, gruyere, mozzarella, and pecorino (yes, we just had to ask).

They paired the slider with the Terrazas Altos Del Plata Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that goes best with red meat. Loved this so much that I'm squeezing in another photo of it, just because.

Onto the main event, the star of the show, the best part of the night - the Wagyu Ribeye Grade 4.

Cooking on lava stone is one of the oldest and healthiest forms of cooking, the way our Stone-Aged ancestors did it back in the day. Stoned Steaks serve high quality cuts on a 350 Degree Celsius lava rock so people can control the perfection and maintain the hotness and juiciness of their steak. It traps the natural flavor of your steak for a more delectable and unique way to enjoy your meal, something that Stoned Steaks can definitely offer. 

As much fun it is to be able to cook the steak on your own, I wish the staff could give instructions or help out first timers on what to do, like to put the butter before the meat and maybe recommend cooking times for the wellness.. because, you know, steaks aren't cheap and it's very easy to overcook these babies. But yeah, overall it was a great experience - so much so that Tim and I are planning to do it again very soon, especially with Stoned Steaks' unlimited promos!
Prices are as follows: Wagyu Sirloin Gr 11 (Php 2499) | Wagyu Sirloin Gr 7 (Php 2999) | 
Wagyu Ribeye Gr 4 (Php 3499)

Oh and before I forget, the ribeye was paired with Terrazas Altos del Plata Malbec, apparently a wine that's perfect for leaner meats. Also, here's an interesting tidbit I discovered from the world wide web, Argentina “saved” Malbec. Today, Argentina leads production of the grape with over 75% of all the acres of Malbec in the world. In a way, Argentina reinvigorated Malbec as one of the top 18 noble grapes. Now it grows in seven countries and continues to grow in popularity. (source)

Did we enjoy the meal? Heck yes, but it doesn't end there! There's just one more dish and that's dessert.

Everyone, here's Stoned Steaks' Banoffee Moelleux.

After all the amazing dishes we got to partake, we figured that dessert would be more of an afterthought, something that they just had to squeeze in there, you know, to end the meal. But no. They've exceeded all my expectations, I swear. It was so, so good and with every bite, I couldn't help but rave about how delicious it was. And thankfully, everyone in my table agreed.

The Banoffee Moelleux comes with dark chocolate gelato, pistachio, biscuit crumbs, and dulce de leche. Make sure to get a bit of everything in one spoonful! ;)

Thank you so much, Stoned Steaks, for the having us! It was such an honor to have been part of the first few to try your wine pairings! Thanks to this event, I'll be stocking up on Argentine wines! Follow them on their social media accounts for updates on when they'll officially offer it to the public! Perfect for dates and celebrations like anniversaries, birthdays, etc :)
If you want to celebrate in private, their wine room is open for bookings! For inquiries, call Stoned Steaks at (0917) 707-3837 or (02) 866-3807.
Stoned Steaks is located at 55 Scout Rallos Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City.
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Stoned Steaks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato