Novel churrasco dining experience at Chateaubriand, Roxas Boulevard

Being a certified carnevore, I jumped at the chance to dine at the Chateaubriand Premium Steak Restaurant, braving last night’s rainy weather and the perennial traffic from Quezon City to Pasay.

I’m used to eating steaks and grilled meats in a more casual, even American West-style setting, so setting foot on Chateaubriand’s walkway and stepping into its posh dining area was quite a novelty.  Nope, no cowboy hats adorn the walls nor down-home-type bric-a-bracs lie about.  Instead, opulent white chairs and tables are artfully arranged on the restaurant’s elegant marble floors.

The focal point of the sprawling dining area may be the tastefully presented buffet spread.  This buffet is pretty extensive with over a hundred items, catering to almost any preference as it includes:

  • a classic salad station
  • “Create Your Ceasar Salad”
  • authentic Brazilian dishes
  • Continental cuisine
  • imported cheeses
  • fresh fruits
  • a chocolate fountain
  • international breads
  • various types of pastries and desserts

However, as the restaurant’s PR representative Mikaela Mutuc tells it, the all the inclusions in the buffet actually are intended to serve as sides to grilled meats that the restaurant serves.

Well, true enough, the meats do take center stage and how!

The meats are all premium cuts, most of which are sourced from various countries, grilled and served churrasco style.  By flipping the medallions on your table, you signal the churrasco boys to bring their grilled meats and other grilled items in skewers straight from the churrascaria to your table and cut off a generous and juicy slice for you right before your eyes.  These include:

  • Picanha (signature Brazilian rump cap) – the real star of the show, IMHO!
  • Alcatra (top sirloin seasoned with a rich soy glaze)
  • Garlic Steak (sirloin marinated with garlic and fresh herbs)
  • Linguica (classic pork sausage basted with garlic butter
  • Frango (chicken quarters marinated with lemon rosemary)
  • Presunto (tender ham leg with pineapple glaze)
  • Milho Assado (baby corn roasted with garlic butter)
  • Abacaxi (pineapple with cinnamon and brown sugar)
  • Caramelized Banana (bananas with cinnamon and brown sugar)
  • Roasted Mixed Vegetables

More grilled treats may be added to the dinner menu such as:

  • Chuleta (rib eye with mesquite crust)
  • Fraldinha (choice flank steak marinated in Brazilian spices)
  • Lombo (pork loin with a delicate herb marinade)
  • Carneira (boneless lamb leg with a minted oil rub) – another winner for me!
  • Bacon-wrapped chicken breast with peri-peri marinade)
  • Pescado (grilled marlin or tuna)

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To add even more flavor to your meats, you can dip or slather them (up to you, really :-)) with any or all of these three sauces:

  • Chimichurri
  • Salsa Rojo
  • Chateau Steak Sauce

Note: Other sauces and dips are available at the buffet but these are the essential ones.

You can wash down your meal with any or all of the three juices available: Honey Orange, Four Seasons and Strawberry Iced Tea.

The service staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the resto’s offerings.  The churrasco boys, in particular, even give diners tips on how to better enjoy their selections and gamely display their grilled meats for food photos.  They are also quick to assist requests and queries.

Feasting on churrasco at the pre-Grand Opening rates below is actually a steal:

  • weekdays dinner: Php2,000 (Php1,600 within October 2018 at 20% discount) + 10% service charge
  • weekend lunch: Php2,000 (Php999 within October 2018 at 50% discount) +10% service charge
  • weekend dinner: P2,200 + 10% service charge

If you want some spirits to go with your meats, you can get some by the glass at Php300 per glass or treat yourself to Chateaubriand’s wine buffet at Php599 + 10% service charge.  Other alcoholic beverages and cocktails are also available.

Birthday celebrants also get to eat for free on the day of their birthday as long as they are accompanied by a full-paying adult, or on any other day of their birth month as long as they are accompanied by four full-paying adults.

While the churrasco-style dining may have casual roots, Chateaubriand’s opulent surroundings and top-rate service staff make it a fine dining experience.

Chateaubriand is located at Unit 105 Sunset View Towers, 110 William Street corner 2230 Roxas Boulevard, Brgy. 13 Zone 4 District 1, Pasay City.  For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 821 2031 or +63 905 1403748.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant.  All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Need some tips to maximize your eat-all-you-can experience?  Read my buffet survival guide.

 

Filling family lunch at Peri-Peri, Eastwood

Peri-peri (also spelled as piri-piri or pili-pili), is a type of chili that is grown in Southeastern Africa, taking its name from the Swahili term for “pepper.” Also known as the African bird’s eye chili, its cultivation and culinary use was spread by the Portuguese to their Indian territories.

When combined with salt, garlic, lemon, oil and vinegar into a sauce, called the peri-peri sauce, it provides a distinctive flavor to the chicken dish that also bears its name.

At Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, the chickens are trimmed of excess fat and marinated for 24 hours to achieve a tender and juicy meat before grilling, giving diners an explosion of spice and smokiness with every bite. Despite its exotic food offerings, Peri-Peri is actually a home-grown brand, part of the I-Foods, Inc. group, and has been in operation for over decade.

During a weekend shopping trip at the Eastwood City Mall, the family stopped over at this restaurant for lunch. We ordered:

  • Mozarella Sticks (Php150), served with marinara sauce and Ceasar dip. These crunchy sticks whetted our appetite for more.
  • Quarter chicken with Java Rice (Php195) for the little boy who is not so into side dishes.
  • Quarter chicken with Java Rice and Coleslaw (Php230) and a side of Hummus (Php65) for his dad.
  • Quarter chicken with Tortilla and Coleslaw (Php230) for me.
  • Quarter chicken with Java Rice and Bacon Mac & Cheese (Php240) for my soon-to-be college girl.
  • A carafe of cucumber lemonade (Php160), a really refreshing thirst-quencher during that hot day.

The array of side dishes we ordered and the sauces we chose from speak to the versatility of the peri-peri chicken in terms of taste. It can go well with rice or tortilla, accentuated by hummus or coleslaw.

All in all, the variety in taste and texture made for a filling family lunch.

This Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken is located at 2nd Floor, Eastwood City Mall, Libis, Quezon City. For reservations, call +63 2 4706884.

Other branches in Metro Manila are located in:

  • Alabang: Evia Lifestyle Center along Daang Hari Road (Tel: +63 2 8381016) and Lower Ground Floor, Alabang Town Center (Tel: +63 905 1113747)
  • Taguig: Ground Floor, Uptown Parade, Bonifacio Global City (Tel: +63 2 7174408) and Ground Floor, Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill (Tel: +63 917 4222097)
  • Pasig: Capitol Commons, Shaw Boulevard cor Meralco Avenue (Tel: +63 2 6560518) and in Ayala Malls Feliz, Dela Paz
  • Marikina: Ground Floor, SM City Marikina along Marcos Highway
  • Mandaluyong: Fourth Floor Building A and Third Floor Bridgeway, SM Megamall in Ortigas (Tel: +63 2 9412511)
  • San Juan: Second Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills (Tel: +63 2 6558355)
  • Makati: Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center (Tel: +63 915 4055614)
  • Quezon City: Third Floor, Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao (Tel: +63 2 2934947), Ground Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman (Tel: +63 2 2838917), Ground Floor, Trinoma Mall, Baging Pag-asa (Tel: +63 2 7184391) and Ground Floor, Brittany Square, Belfast Road corner Mindanao Avenue, Novaliches
  • Manila: Ground Floor, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Learn more about South African cuisine by checking out these books on Amazon.com!

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