Wolfgang's Raises the Steaks With Grilled Exclusives at City of Dreams

Wolfgang's Steakhouse
UG/F City of Dreams, Entertainment City corner Macapagal Avenue, Aseana Avenue, Parañaque City
Contact: 8536-9287, 0956-794-0075
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WolfgangsSteakhousePH
Open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Monday to Sunday

(SPOT.ph) Steak screams success. Accomplishment. Triumph. Glory. For so simple a dish on paper, steak also happens to be some of the most hankered-for indulgences around, that is, when done right using great-quality meat. One place that does the dish great justice and more is Wolfgang's Steakhouse. Since making their Manila debut in 2016, the meat mogul from Manhattan's built quite the name for itself in this part of the world—so much so that videos of young adults dropping five figures on a single Wolfgang's meal have risen to popularity on Filipino TikTok.

The brand recently opened their newest outpost at City of Dreams Manila—and they're coming in hot with a grill concept and exclusive dishes to boot. SPOT.ph sat down with Wolfgang's Steakhouse's own president and co-founder Peter Zwiener to learn more about the new outpost, as well as how they manage to keep Wolfgang's fire alive.

Also read: The Serious List: Your Comprehensive Guide to Steak and Where to Get It in Manila

Here's what to expect at the new Wolfgang's Steakhouse branch at City of Dreams:

Wolfgang's Steakhouse Fires Up the Grill

The new City of Dreams branch houses the brand's first grill concept in the country. "How that differentiates from the regular Wolfgang's Steakhouse is that we are going to be offering more items, and some of these items are more... moderately priced," Zwiener explains in an exchange with SPOT.ph. "We will be more adventurous in some of the dishes that we have."

Zwiener shares how the brand takes a slightly different approach in their Manila locations versus the American outposts. "The game plan here in Manila is to open up small locations, because usually the Wolfgang's [branches] globally are a lot larger," he explains. "But what we do in Manila, because of the traffic issue and all that stuff, we decided to strategically open up more, but smaller sized Wolfgang's, so we could be in different strategic parts of town." That's not to say it's limited in size, however—far from it, as the branch boasts 350 square meters of space.

Their premises retain much of the cozy, brooding atmosphere Wolfgang's restaurants have come to be known for, with a bar where you can take your pick from their classic tipples; a whisky lounge; and a wine cellar. Yet there's plenty to look forward to available only at the City of Dreams branch—beginning with their beef options. There's the decidedly decadent Grilled Barbecue Short Ribs (P4,788) that's so dang tender, it hardly requires much effort to slide off the bone. On the lighter end of the spectrum is the zingy Skirt Steak Lomo Saltado (P2,388), which levels up the Peruvian classic with USDA Prime Beef skirt steak sauteed with tomatoes and onions.

For that poultry hankering, the Roast Chicken A'La Brasa (P1,588)'s got your back, what with hormone- and antibiotic-free whole chicken fired up to golden-brown, subtly charred perfection. Prefer porcine? Consider the Grilled Barbecue Baby Back Ribs (P3,588) that uses U.S. Pork baby back ribs, glazed with Wolfgang’s Steakhouse BBQ sauce. Don't discount their salads, either; the Burrata Salad (P1,088) goes for the tried-and-tested combo of burrata cheese, sweet and succulent tomatoes, roasted capsicums, and grilled portobello mushrooms.

Of course, purists can still go for their signature steaks—which employ dry-aged USDA Prime Black Angus beef that are shipped straight from the U.S. and chilled, never frozen. Take your pick from options like the glorious Porterhouse (starts at P4,488/one kilogram); the leaner Filet Mignon (P4,288/450 grams); the decidedly indulgent Rib Eye (P8,988/900 grams); and more.

The steakhouse is far from done, however. Zwiener hints at the next locations they'll be opening: one in Cubao, followed by one in Boracay.

Wolfgang's Success, The Steak-Splurging Phenomenon, and Why Quality Is Key

Wolfgang's—which still goes the classic route, sans unnecessary fuss—remains a top-of-mind steak spot amid other the rise of other steakhouses in the city. Perhaps it comes down to the brand's ability to adapt to different locations (e.g., this casino branch's keeping open until "late night, till three, four in the morning"), and circumstances (e.g. their shifting of focus to their mobile kitchen trucks given the need for social distancing during the pandemic)—not to mention their way of focusing on the quality of their steaks first and foremost.

"You can't really get any better steak out there because we buy the best," Zwiener explains. "We treat our steak the best as well because we don't freeze it and we age it a certain way. So there's really not going to be any better quality of beef."

It's this emphasis on quality, he says, that continues to draw in crowds—and that likely explains how Filipinos would spend up to tens of thousands on a single meal at the restaurant. "People did focus on their dining, [such] that a lot of the disposable income has now gone to eating. And part of the true pleasures of life is eating great food," Zwiener shares.

Steak, of course, is well-loved across various occasions and audiences: "It's great for families, great for business, great for celebratory issues, great for just about any occasion. A great steak works," says Zwiener.

Zwiener likewise points out the "growth" of the Philippine economy, vis a vis facets like the "youthfulness of the population" and their exposure to higher-quality food via the Internet or traveling. "They understand what the international Western food tastes like, and they want it. They want to get the best, and why not get it here at Wolfgang's?"

"I think people that want [steak]... [eventually] realize that not every steak is the same. You can go to different steak houses, you can get a steak in a different restaurant. But once you eat a Wolfgang's steak, you typically don't want to eat any other steak, or you don't understand maybe why is this so different than all the other steaks... We are confident that our steak is the best."

UPDATE (May 26, 12:38 p.m.): The article has been updated to include the locations of upcoming Wolfgang's Steakhouse outposts.

UPDATE (October 2, 8:08 p.m.): Wolfgang's Steakhouse has reached out about their revised opening hours. The article has been updated to reflect this development.

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