The Cheese Steak Shop Review!

It was Lester who first told me about it.  ”Hey,” he started, “there’s a new cheesesteak place in Makati.”  I’m usually wary of Lester’s recommendations, partly because we don’t exactly have the same tastes in food, mostly because he eats weird things like snake’s hearts.  I brushed it off.  A couple of weeks ago, I overheard somebody raving about this cheesesteak place; it was so good, she said,  that they ordered a couple to go.  I began to wonder if it was the same cheesesteak place – if maybe this was the universe telling me to try this fucker out.  ”It’s cheaper than Elbert’s,” I overheard her say.  I was sold.

I love cheesesteaks.  It’s beef and cheese and bread – staples on my “favorite foods” list – and so I consider myself a sort of cheesesteak connieusur… coneuser… and so I consider myself a sort of cheesesteak snob.  I was starving by the time we got to the place, which was PACKED TO THE NINES.

The Cheese Steak Shop is originally from San Francisco, claiming to be serving authentic Philly cheesesteaks since 1982.  By authentic, they mean that they ship their ingredients from the US.  To be fair, the place does have that 80′s US vibe – the requisite walls plastered with old movie posters and newspaper clippings, the large menu on the wall.  Speaking of which:

They’ve got a lot going on on the menu, but since it IS The Cheese Steak Shop, we went for the Classic Philly Cheese Steaks, which come in 7″ and 10″ varieties.

There really isn’t much of a difference between the 10″ and the 7″, except there’s a lot more beef in the 10-incher.  Funny thing we noticed was that the 15″ cheesesteak costs P720, while the 7″ is only P280.  Who’s the idiot who is going to buy the 15-incher instead of 2 7s?  Seriously?

I loved how the condiments were in these cute containers, but I’ve gotta say, everything tasted pretty watered down.  Watered down mustard is disgusting stuff – I feel like throwing up just thinking about it.  Anyway, let’s get to the cheesesteaks!

The cheesesteaks themselves were just OK.  A lot better than Charlie’s, but inferior to Elbert’s.  The beef was of good enough quality, nothing to really write about unless you are a food blogger and have no choice.  Thinly sliced sirloin, I would guess; a 10″-er had around 3oz of it.  I asked about the cheese they used, and because the lady behind the counter didn’t have a clue, she just said American- personally, I think they use some combination of Monterey Jack and cheddar.  Won’t I just look like an arrogant, incompetent ass when it turns out they actually use American cheese?  Haha.  The cheesesteaks are served with onions and peppers, which we had on the side because we’re purists.  Yes, I know Bourdain wouldn’t approve, but in true Bourdain fashion: FUCK HIM.

There’s a chicken variety, which wasn’t bad, but always go for the beef.

The bread was the real winner here.  It was soft, unlike Elbert’s breads.  They import the bread from the famous Amoroso bakeshop in the US, and they claim that it doesn’t get soggy, which I have to try out for myself.  There was an oily sheen to the bread I didn’t like, though.  I’m guessing egg whites?  Anyway, bread was good, period.

The Steak Fries were a bit soggy and a bit of a letdown.  But you still gotta have the fries, right?

And a couple of Solas to wash it all down.

Overall, a pretty OK dining experience.  It wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad, and it really is cheaper than Elbert’s¹.  I would probably eat here if I needed a quick protein + carb fix, though.  Do I see it working out?  Being a cult hit?  No, not really.  In fact, I’m not sure it’s going to last a year.  It’s a shame because the cheesesteaks weren’t bad.

The Cheese Steak Shop Review! 2011-12-13

t was Lester who first told me about it.  ”Hey,” he started, “there’s a new cheesesteak place in Makati.”  I’m usually wary of Lester’s recommendations, partly because we don’t exactly have the same tastes in food, mostly because he eats weird things like snake’s hearts.  I brushed it off.  A couple of weeks ago, I …