Steak made right at Highlands Prime Steak House

MANILA, Philippines - Highlands Prime Steak House at the Mall of Asia (MOA) in Pasay City is a spacious restaurant with a log cabin interior that provides a wonderful view of Manila Bay, especially during sunset. The seats give a romantic view of the sea, no wonder guys choose it as a venue for proposals. This, however, is not the only thing that the restaurant takes pride in- its wholesome meals and excellent service make for a wonderful dining experience every food enthusiast needs to try.

Manager Kaye Chua says the owner of Highlands Prime Steak House, Christopher Sy, wanted to bring the renowned steaks of the exclusive Highlands Steak House in Tagaytay closer to Manila, and a romantic spot by the seaside was the perfect location.

Highlands Prime Steak House with a 200 seating capacity is led by Chef Ian Calma, who ensures all ingredients are fresh and held to the highest standard. To maintain this quality, Chef Ian goes to work three hours before the store's opening, to prepare ingredients, dips, dressings, gravies and even the croutons used for the salads.

The restaurant boasts its bestselling steaks- sirloin, rib eye and tenderloin, and other equally satisfying options that include pastas, pizzas and sandwiches. The prices may seem higher than the typical restaurant, but Highlands Prime Steak House is beyond the usual.

For starters, the restaurant's Cream of Mushroom Soup (P180) with Puff Pastry is a delectable treat made of fresh button mushrooms sauteed in garlic and onion, white wine and stock. The soup is simmered and finished with truffle oil that complements well and brings out the flavor in the mushrooms. The soup does not have cream, but it's as good as, or even better than the traditional mushroom soup.

The Cowboy Buffalo Wings (P400) is also a must try for friends who want to share or for those who can't get enough of good stuff. The wings have the right amount of spiciness that works well with French fries and the blue cheese sauce especially made by Chef Ian.

Highlands Caesar Salad (P350) tries to go beyond the ordinary with the way its ingredients are made. The salad is tossed in special Caesar dressing made of egg and olive oil, topped with grilled bacon bits and garlic herbed croutons made straight from the restaurant. The dressing is not too strong compared to common dressings, and it's salted with anchovies which gives a more interesting flavor than table salt.

The restaurant's piece de resistance, the Prime Rib (P1,900/14 oz., P1,530/10 oz.) is a 28-day-old US-certified Angus beef seasoned and grilled to perfection. Highlands serves its steaks to a default medium doneness, but anyone can have it his or her way. The steak is juicy and marbled just right, and comes with either peppercorn or mushroom gravy.

For dessert, one should try the Carrot Cake (P200 per slice, P2,000 whole cake), made with real, fresh carrots and crunchy walnuts. The cake has a pudding-like consistency that blends well with the light frosting.

The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Saturday.