‘I looked at the sea, and it was love at first sight’
+4 
I’m sipping a glass of espresso martini on a Thursday morning in Boracay Newcoast.
I’m joining a special brunch on Feb. 29 at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Grill, the newest location in the Philippines of the internationally renowned restaurant and its first outside Metro Manila. I eagerly await a sampling of flank steak.
The flank steak is one of the new cuts offered at the new Wolfgang’s location that, according to restaurateur Raymund Magdaluyo, one of the people responsible for bringing the brand to the Philippines, is “slightly different” from their original steakhouse format.
They offer the same top-tier USDA prime-quality steaks with the same soul and character, at price points and servings that accommodate solo travelers and casual diners.
The steaks, whether new or classic, come as part of a surf ‘n’ turf menu. It features even more seafood options to celebrate the island. On your visit, order Boracay exclusives—salmon crudo, parihuela, bitterballen, etc.—so others immediately know from which of the six Wolfgang’s locations in the Philippines (or 35 worldwide) you are enjoying the premium fare.
During this brunch, we sit at a table right across that of Magdaluyo, his partners and Peter Zwiener, Wolfgang president and cofounder. He flew in from Cebu for the ribbon- cutting.
Light, bright beach vibe
The design of the Boracay restaurant reflects the vibe Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Grill seeks to foster. Its walls and floors are lighter tones of brown. The ceiling is white, not black, to keep the place light and bright.
An artwork at the entrance reminds you of Wolfgang’s first location at the former Della Robbia Bar in Manhattan. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide views of the spectacular Newcoast Station beach and the iconic Keyhole farther away.
The vistas show everything Zwiener fell in love with at first sight—and everything that wooed me on my very first visit to Boracay Newcoast.
“This all started as a random trip to Boracay,” he would recall during the ribbon-cutting ceremony later. “Raymund asked me, ‘Do you want to go to Boracay on an evening trip?’ I said yes. On the way back, in the morning, he said, ‘Let’s go to Megaworld’s new project.’”
“I wanted to see it,” he would say. “And we came here, got a beautiful tour, and on the map of the floor plan, there was a little ‘W’ at the end of the Belmont Hotel, and it was a space reserved for Wolfgang’s. So I looked at it, I looked at the sea, and it was love at first sight.
“We said, ‘Let’s open up a Wolfgang’s here.’ And a few months later, we’re here—and we’re so happy to be here,” he’d conclude, to joyful shouts and applause.
Customers may enjoy the delicacies with cocktails and other beverages, the sand under their feet, at Wolfgang’s Beach Club. A Wolfgang’s e-trike can pick up guests from wherever they are on the island.
More brands coming
One would get excited, too, that night. I was excited not only for Wolfgang’s launch but also for the prospects that lay ahead for the rest of Boracay Newcoast. The first master-planned community in Boracay, it is a 150-hectare beachside tourism township. It builds on 15 percent of the entire island with an emphasis on sustainability.
Boracay famously closed in 2018 because of unsustainable practices that corrupted the destination’s natural resources. Years before then, Boracay Newcoast already applied sustainable technologies, giving people a preview of Boracay done right.
Wolfgang’s entry is part of a bigger transformation that’s underway. Boracay Newcoast already has an eclectic mix of residential, retail, hospitality and recreational offerings but, with more brands and buildings coming, it “will add to the vibrancy and excitement of one of the best island beaches in the world,” says Monica T. Salomon, president of Global-Estate Resorts Inc. , the Megaworld subsidiary developing the project.
Currently, Boracay Newcoast offers well-paved roads and rolling terrain perfect for jogging, walking, biking and a ride on an ATV. An 18-hole championship golf course is right next door. It also hosts the 1,200-seater Newcoast Convention Center.
It is home to Savoy Hotel Boracay and Belmont Hotel Boracay, two proudly homegrown hotel brands from Megaworld Hotels & Resorts with a combined 1,000-plus rooms. The first one features the biggest party and concertpool arena on the entire island, and the second offers family-friendly amenities. Chancellor Hotel and a host of boutique hotels will soon add more rooms.
At the beach a few minutes away, you can either get photographed or report to work remotely (there’s free Wi-Fi). You may also access products and services at the retail arcade. I memorialized this visit to Boracay Newcoast with a new tattoo from Almon Ink Tattoo Studio at the retail arcade of Savoy Hotel Boracay.
A walk down the retail clusters originating from Savoy will bring you to Wolfgang’s. In a few months, more brands will populate that strip, offering diverse experiences. Wolfgang’s was simply the beginning.
And Zwiener was more than willing to offer Wolfgang’s as a magnet: “We have become known as… one of those types of restaurants that attract people because we do have a brand and a name, and they know that, when they come to Wolfgang’s, they’re going to get the best steak that they can.”
Boy, did I get the best steak that brunch.
