Steak of the Nation: I Love Steak Delivers

Okay, what’s up with the ambiguous headline?

Believe it or not, that’s the name of the best-selling dish at I Love Steak, a quaint, cozy resto that specializes in international steak cuisine and other meat slab art.

This restaurant just popped into my mind when I craved for some high-end dishes (thanks to my girl cousin having the same appetites as mine!).

Located at the heart of Cebu City, this is a chow fest destination easily accessible to many.

I only had one thing in mind when we trekked to the steak house with that unmistakable neon sign: try out their specialty dish!

Aptly called the Steak of the Nation (like State of the Nation Address, for those politically unversed), this U.S. tenderloin steak is served with special gravy on top of it and a generous portion of onion strips and buttered vegetables on the side. At only P130, the dish is quite friendly to your pockets.

I loved the taste of their gravy, although the flavor steeped just a bit saltier than the ideal. For me, at least. The meat is soft enough that I didn’t find myself using a knife for that matter. I wanted to find something extraordinary about this sizzling steak, but that eluded me too. Yet overall, the dish was OK.

You might have some luck with the other steak varieties. For the culinary adventurous, I Love Steak has an assortment of New Zealand and Australian beef cuts a bit pricier than their best-selling U.S. staple. The collection is curiously named Steak with You (Stuck With You — and I’m not sure if there’s any connection). These imported steaks are available at “hungry” serving portions or “starving” sizes, with the starving serve size understandably being chunkier and bigger.

I’d appreciate it if they’d add an “emaciated” steak serving portion, since I’m probably that ravenous than most.

Steak choices include rib eye, tenderloin, porterhouse, and lamb chops, among others. You can also choose your side dish of mushroom, garlic, peppercorn, or demi glace.

For an extra side dish, I just chose a cheap and no-brainer alternative: French fries. The serving size was also enough and adequate for two people.

Note: my cousin didn’t eat any steak that night. Which made me completely happy of course, being the one who promised to foot the bill.

I Love Steak’s service is also great, with service attendants quite attentive and prompt. Combine that with a suitable ambience with a slightly too-much-yellow motif, and you get a great place with which to heartily feast on juicy steak goodness.

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Environment/Ambience: 4.2 out of 5.0

Customer service: 4.8 out of 5.0

Food: 3.9 out of 5.0

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Overall: 4.0 out of 5.0

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I Love Steak
Juana Osmeña St. (in front of Century Plaza Hotel and after National Bookstore)
Mango Square Area
Cebu City 6000
Tel: 505 7755

Schedule:
Mon – Thurs: 10:30 am – 12:00 am
Fri: 10:30 am – 3:00 am
Sat: 10:30 pm – 3:00 am
Sun: 10:30 pm – 12:00 am

Visit I Love Steak’s Facebook account!

Popularity: unranked [?]

Gaisano Country Mall

Image Source: Gaisano Country Mall

I remember years back – sometime in the early 90’s — that my sisters and I excitedly went to a new mall that had just opened. We felt like little princesses rushing down the grand stairs and the sparkling marble floor. Yes, the grocery just looked massive, clean, white, shiny and new. The entire place – the huge columns, the balconies, the escalators, the architecture – was like a castle. 

We ran through aisles and aisles of colorful goodies and junkfood. I remember buying my Yan Yan the first day my family and I went to Gaisano Country Mall. 

Indeed, Gaisano Country Mall is one of the first big malls in Cebu City. It has become a landmark in the Banilad area. Back then, as far as I was concerned, it was a major sign of glorious “civilization”. 

Now that SM City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu are around and constantly expanding and undergoing impressive facelifts, I still feel at home with Gaisano Country Mall. It may no longer be as big as it looked like when I was a kid and it may not have renovated like the other malls, but it still retains its own beauty. 

Gaisano Country Mall is indeed convenient for those living nearby. If you crave for fast food, there is Jollibee and Chowking. Other notable food establishments are Red Ribbon, Pizza Hut, Goldilocks, Black Angus, Lighthouse Restaurant, Family Choice Restaurant, A Taste of Mandarin and Ofukusan Japanese Restaurant. I must say Ofukusan has the best California Makis around. 

Gaisano Country Mall is known to be economical for consumers. Most stores and products there are actually cheaper, compared to most shops, say, in Ayala or SM. The movies are also cheaper! You can enjoy widescreen entertainment for lower prices. A Gaisano Bowlingplex is also located at the back of the mall. 

Gaisano Country Mall is located in Banilad Road, Cebu City. You may contact them at (032)231-1481. 

I still keep going back there for a Yan Yan and other grocery goodies. It’s still a castle to me!

Popularity: unranked [?]