CRU Steakhouse — Restaurant in Pasay

You’d have to pass through Marriott’s buffet dining area on the way to CRU Steakhouse. This place has the formal ambience that was softened by the friendly and welcoming greetings of Lara, the receptionist. We were assisted to our assigned table which is cozy enough for a date but has a semi-view of full dining/bar/grilling area.

I don’t frequent this kind of place but it’s a nice treat for a special occasion.

We were asked if we want still or sparkling water so I chose the former. I didn’t expect to be served a bottle of Evian water. 😅 If only I knew, I would have opted for Perrier Sparkling water.

Anyway, going through their menu is a bit overwhelming. Just because CRU is a steakhouse, we ordered under CRU Grill in the menu:

250g US Certified Angus Beef prime Striploan 250g US Certified Angus Beef prime Ribeye

250g is the minimum weight among the options. Each comes with 2 sides from Vegetables or Starch selections. We chose the following sides:

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms - not visually appetizing but it was very tasty Maple Roasted Carrots - sliced baby 🥕 is just so-so Grilled Asparagus Hollandaise - healthy and goes well with steaks Twice Baked Cheddar Cheese Potato - ❤️ this. It’s topped with crispy 🥓

We also got to choose a side sauce for the steak.

Drinks. Tempting to drink a bottle of wine but practically decided to have a glass of red wine each. We’re served Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon. It was smooth but with a rich flavor that gave me a warm feeling after one sip.

Dessert. I can’t end a good meal without a dessert. They have a few selections so I decided based on the photos on the ipad menu. The Chilled Chocolate Fondant looks very appetizing because of the red strawberry on top unlike the other desserts from the menu that lack color. To my slight disappointment though when it was served, the strawberry was missing. 😅 Lara who served us this dessert noticed my reaction and asked if I want a replacement. I insisted it’s okay not to but deep inside, I wished it was not misrepresented especially when the basis of my selection was the strawberry! Expectation not met.haha!

Overall, I can give 4/5 stars for CRU Steakhouse.

Also, don’t forget to ask for a parking pass. Good thing it was mentioned to us by Marky, our...

I read the past reviews of CRU in the Marriott Manila and have to wonder, "What happened?"

I travel frequently and am a regular guest in some of the best hotels around the world. I don't expect Peter Luger or Morton's quality steaks in hotel steak houses, but CRU served the worst, most bland, flavorless version of a USDA Prime Porterhouse I have ever had. Even adding my own salt was like putting a band aid on a hemorrhage of poor quality.

From outward appearances, it should have been a good steak. The meat was cooked to medium rare, and slightly charred on the outside. There was visible fat and even a little marbling visible. But from the first bite till the last, there was almost zero flavor. Zero seasoning from the chef for sure, but there was also no hint of the open flame cooking, and even the fatty pieces close to the bone tasted like bland cooking oil. It was so bland and so flavorless that I even wondered if there was such a thing as "fake beef" and that somehow it found it's way into CRU.

We ate the steak for only two reasons: 1) we skipped lunch in anticipation of dinner and were starving, and 2) by the time we were offered a new porterhouse, we just didn't feel like waiting for an "unknown quality" replacement steak and more of the same disappointment.

I cannot recommend CRU for the steak at all, and the only reason I give it one star is for the staff, who were courteous, fast, and ultimately concerned about the bad experience; and also the wine selection. Sides were just average, but not as disappointing as the steak.

I would be very cautious about going again for the steak. Maybe there are better dishes to be had there, but this was a very bad...

Went there for hubby's birthday dinner. Other than the additional pandemic requirements of a detailed health declaration (using pen and paper, no less), and generous spacing between tables, ordering via QR code and online menu, the dining experience is still excellent. Four of us shared two appetizers - crab cake and pan fried goose liver - excellent, beautifully plated. Each of us had soups: caramelized onion soup (no cheese thank goodness, to let the subtle sweet taste of the onions come through), and wild mushroom soup (nice earthy taste, with pieces of mushroom to lend a nice heft to the soup). Three of us ordered steaks (US Prime tenderloin, Australian grass fed rib eye), and the fourth ordered a Surf and Turf. The steaks were cooked perfectly according to each diner's preference, and all had a nice crust seared on the outside. The steaks had a nice chew - none of the mushiness associated with pre-sous-vided (that's a thing now) steaks. The Surf and Turf was half-disappointing though - the tenderloin was great, but the "Turf" portion was made of 3 tiny shrimps. I would think that the Marriott would be able to source at least black tiger prawns. For dessert, the black cherry yogurt was the winner of the night.

Service was excellent, pleasant and attentive but not obtrusive. The server was familiar with the menu and had good suggestions.

Obviously pricey but good for when you want to indulge in...