A no-nonsense steakhouse: Johnny’s Steak and Grill

Serving steak and not much else, Johnny’s Steak and Grill is the kind of restaurant you go to when the craving for meat hits. Photo: Johnny's Steak and Grill

Johnny’s Steak and Grill serves steak and not much else. It’s the kind of restaurant you go to when the craving for meat hits and you can’t be bothered by anything else on the menu.

Named after Johnny Chan, the chairman of the company that owns the Bellevue Hotel in Alabang, Johnny’s Steak and Grill is located at the ground floor of B Hotel in Quezon City, which is part of the same hotel chain. Its interiors echo the industrial design aesthetic of the hotel lobby upstairs: exposed concrete, timber walls and white brick accents. There are floor-to-ceiling glass walls while the floor is composed of black and white tiles.

The focal point is the open-plan kitchen, separated from the dining area by a glass wall through which diners can watch the chefs in action. It’s not a big space, which makes it ideal for cozy dinner dates or quiet nights out with small groups of friends or colleagues.

The Porterhouse. Photo: Suzette Morelos

Diners need only choose from among six main items in the menu: Rib-Eye Steak, Rib Steak Tomahawk, Porterhouse Steak, Prime Striploin, US Beef Tenderloin, and Lamb Rack. They can then decide which kind of sauce they would like to smother their meat (Shallot and Red Wine, Peppercorn, Mushroom, Garlic), and the side dish that would complete the meal (Mac & Cheese, Roasted Vegetables, Corn, Peas & Carrots, Truffle or Cajun Fries, Onion Rings, and Steak Rice.

Head chef Ely Manito said they make sure to use only US Prime beef for Johnny’s, unlike other steak places in the area that offer promos like “unli-steaks” but use subpar meats.

“We want our customers to come back,” he says. “It’s all about the quality.”

It’s no empty boast; I ordered the Prime Striploin (CAB Upper Choice Striploin Steak, P1170), had it cooked medium, and was not disappointed. Lightly dipped in peppercorn sauce, the meat is exactly how I imagine perfectly good steak tastes; no magic tricks, no superfluous ingredients. Good meat, cooked just right.

The Lamb Rack. Photo: Suzette Morelos

My companions ordered other things on the menu (the lamb, the veal, the rib-eye) and all were adequately pleased. The side dishes almost seemed unnecessary, although the steak rice should satisfy that uniquely Filipino craving for kanin.

If diners want something else (perhaps a salad or a fish course), they should really go somewhere else, although Johnny’s has thoughtfully prepared for such an eventuality: they can order from the café in the hotel upstairs. It’ll take a while (servers will have to run outside and up to get it), but at least you can’t say they’re not trying.

True, you can head on over to the restaurant that serves the cheaper unli-steak meal, which isn’t too far away, but ask yourself if you really want to stuff your tummy with anything less than quality meat. If the answer is no, Johnny’s is a safe and easy choice. — BM, GMA News

Johnny’s Steak and Grill is at B Hotel, Scout Rallos, Quezon City. For inquiries, phone 990-5000 or email info@thebhotelqc.com.