Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Restaurant Experience @ Brick fire Steaks and Chops

Steaks hot off the... oven?!

In a new casual dining steakhouse in Katipunan, that’s exactly what you’re going to get: juicy, succulent steaks and chops cooked in the 400-degree dry heat of a brick fire oven.

In contrast to the traditional grilling and frying methods, cooking in an enclosure of a brick oven locks in flavor and allows the meat to cook in its natural juices.

“The meat is also cooked in the same temperature all around,” explained Tadi Diaz, one of the co-founders of Brickfire Steaks and Chops; he is also the restaurant chef.

The result of this cooking process is what Tadi and his business partner, Aaron Macalinao, call “fork tender”. Your fork sinks right into the meat without much of a fight.

As Aaron described it, “It’s the kind of meat you can eat without your jaws aching from chewing.” Aaron’s family who has been in the meat industry for the last twenty years, sure knows his meat.



The idea of opening Brickfire also came to Aaron and Tadi in the most unusual way. The two who are bikers just suddenly thought of opening a steakhouse while they were speeding down a trail.

“When you think of steak, you think that it’s expensive and it’s not something that you can eat everyday. We wanted to change that,” says Tadi.



With dishes that start at P120, their steaks and chops are mouthwatering delights that are easy on the pocket.

“We use only local Batangas meats, but it’s good tender meat,” explains Aaron.

Here are some of the dishes on Brickfire’s Most Wanted List.

Cheesy Nachos and Fries, P150

Feel right at home by munching on nachos and fries. The unlikely combination is blended together with the drizzling of melted cheese and cream cheese.


Cowgirl Annie


Cowgirl Annie, P120

She’s a little bit sweet, and just a bit tangy or as the boys say, “everything you’re looking for in a T-Bone Steak.”



Cowgirl Annie comes in two flavors from its two marinades—a honey mustard marinade if you want to get on her sweet side and a simple marinade of salt and pepper if you want something more tangy.

If you add another P100, you get two prawns and have an instant surf and turf dish.


The Duke


The Duke, P250

At Brickfire, The Duke is actually a “king”.



The best seller, a chunky tenderloin that is the “fork tender” epitome. Seasoned in a simple marinade of salt and pepper, the Brickfire oven cooking really brings out its natural flavor. The mashed potato side dish make it the all around steakhouse classic and favorite.


Los Indios


Los Indios (starting at P89)

You’ve never seen adobo quite like this one. Served in a bamboo shoot with a tomato salad on top, and a boiled egg on the side, the Los Indios is both a gustatory experience and a dramatic reveal.



Demonstrating how it is to be eaten, Tadi takes us through the ceremonial unravel. “You take down the tomato salad which serves as your dip. Then you lift the bamboo shoot to find the adobo wrapped in a banana leaf. Eat with the hard boiled egg and rock salt on the side.”

Los Indios is classic adobo, but nothing like you’ve served or had at home. It also comes in pork, chicken, sisig and a spicy variant.


Broccoli Tex Mex


Broccoli Tex Mex, P160

To temper your carnivorous side, try the Broccoli Tex Mex, a dish that makes eating your vegetables fun and delicious. Although, the fact that it’s such a pretty dish makes you think twice about eating it.



Steamed broccoli is arranged in a circular formation surrounding a hearty serving of melted cheese and sour cream. The mix of green, yellow and orange make are a bright and cheerful reminder that eating healthy doesn’t mean eating something less delicious.


Baked Fish


Baked Fish, P250

Brickfire’s Baked Fish is another dish that needs to be revealed before it is opened. The cream dory is wrapped tight inside tin foil and baked with mayonnaise, tomatoes and cheese.

When you crack open the foil, a surprise fragrance of lemongrass will tease your nostrils; this is a dish that tastes as good as it smells.



Recently, Brickfire added breakfast favorites to its list of steaks and chops. Now open starting at 6am, sunrise favorites like tapa and corned beef can be had all day.

But don’t expect this to be your typical tapa and corned beef. The tapa is crispy and also more tangy, while the corned beef is served in soft chunks. Served with egg, coffee or iced tea for just P120 to make every morning open with a good start. Brickfire also serves other breakfast favorites like bangus and longganisa also for P120.



Whether it’s a hearty dinner you want or a filling breakfast to start the day, Brickfire’s oven-roasted meats are sure to give you hot off the oven satisfaction at a friendly price.


Additional photos courtesy of Nikka Sarthou.
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