My parents were married on December 18, 1983. This makes them 28 years old. In a day and age where divorce and separation are becoming normal, 28 years of marriage is an achievement. This year, instead of throwing a party, we decided to just have dinner since we love food and no milestone is complete without it.

I had the task of picking the place so this dinner can be blamed on me, partially. My mom wanted quiet, fine dining with good food. After weeding out the other choices (most of which were closed on a Sunday), I settled on The Fireplace in Hyatt which I’ve heard great things about. It’s a steakhouse which is perfect since we’re all carnivores but no worries there are other dishes if you don’t feel like having meat.

Before you go –

1. Come hungry. The portions are generous. Consider sharing your entrees if you’re on a budget.
2. Be prepared to spend since it’s NOT cheap. It will be at least P3000 per person. This might be our family’s most expensive local meal to date. It’s important to note that we did NOT have wine and it was still this much.

Onto the good stuff.. Photos!

Here are the lovebirds checking in with the host for our reservation. Note the bottles of wine. The Fireplace has an extensive selection and the cellar greets you when you first walk in.

The dining area. Quiet. Well-lit. Airy yet intimate. Two areas, one for smoking one for non-smokers.

My mummy

My dad & I

More shots of the Lovebirds

It’s an open kitchen. We sat close to the oven. No, we didn’t feel the heat. The ventilation is perfect in this place. The noise level at a minimum despite the hustle and bustle of the open kitchen.

Yummy yummy walnut bread. Go easy on this or you will be too full for the main courses.

A quick photo of the starters list. We didn’t want to order the Millionaire’s Salad (Php 1,400) for fear that they would ask for qualifications and we wouldn’t be able to produce any.

Starters: They were okay. Nothing too spectacular.  We ordered the Prawn Bisque(not pictured) and Cream of Forest Mushroom (with Truffle Oil). I could barely taste the truffle in my soup. Needs seasoning.

Smoked Duck Breast Salad

Caesar Salad.  This was my favorite out of all the starters. I kept stealing from my mom’s plate.

I didn’t get to photograph the meat selection since I was too overwhelmed. Much of it is Wagyu (Australia, America, Bukidnon) and they have some Angus Beef also. The cuts are your typical, rib-eye, tenderloin, porterhouse and the sizes usually 10 or 12oz.  Since most people are no doubt wondering about price, the Angus was the cheapest and offered steaks in the Php 2,500 to Php3,000++ range. The Wagyu options were in the Php3,000 to Php5,000++ range. These don’t come with sides.

Onto the steaks. While most people would probably share this, Brother & Dad each tackled a 25oz T-bone and Porterhouse on their own. The weight of the bone and the fat counts towards the 25oz but it’s still a hefty cut of meat. We’re a little nuts like that. Haha. Meat is perfectly cooked, juicy and tender. It’s seasoned well and I didn’t find the sauce necessary because it was good on its own.

Brother’s Steak (note the side of Zucchini)

Dad – His steak was the T-Bone. Note the Potato Gratin in his plate which I will talk more about later.

My 10oz Rib-eye was delicious. By far the best steak I’ve had in Manila.

The sides, listed here are imho uninspiring. Each side is P250. I wish they were a little more creative. My fries that I ordered were boring (see photo above.) The zucchini my brother got was okay. The baked potato that my dad ordered was good, he said. But nothing extraordinary. It’s important to note that they serve a complimentary Potato Gratin with your steak. The comments on this were mixed. My brother and dad said it was nakakasuya because it’s too creamy but my mom and I liked it. Either way, unless you really want overpriced zucchini, the gratin will suffice as a side. They probably change it up though, I don’t think they serve gratin all the time.

Mom had the willpower to stay away from meat. She got the Seabass instead.  Gorgeous plating. They give you a good portion of veggies. I didn’t get to try this dish but she said it was very very good.

If you still have room for dessert, get the Hot Chocolate Soup & Vanilla with Cracked Pepper Ice Cream. Chocolate Lovers, this one is for you. It’s actually an extra large Molten Lava Cake with more Lava than cake. It is luxuriously rich and heaven in a bowl. I would come back just for this.

Mom & Brother got Vanilla with Cracked Pepper Ice Cream & Raspberry Sherbet.

THE FIREPLACE
5/F Hyatt Hotel & Casino
Pedro Gil cor. MH Del Pilar, Malate