Steak on the beach: Wolfgang’s opens in Boracay
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It started out simply as a Christmas eve meal with the family.
Raymund Magdaluyo, with his ex-wife and their kids, found themselves shivering in the frosty weather of New York City during the last days of 2013. He looked for a restaurant where they could take refuge from the cold, and also a place to celebrate Christmas in, and they ended up at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse on 54th Street.
After eating, he chanced upon a poster by the bar that summarized the story of the brand. It also mentioned that they were about to open a branch in Roppongi, a lively entertainment district in Tokyo, Japan.
Magdaluyo figured that if Wolfgang’s was opening in Tokyo, then they might be open to the possibility of setting up one in the Philippines too. He immediately called his assistant to set up an appointment with Peter Zwiener, Wolfgang’s founder Wolfgang Zwiener’s son.
In 2016, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse opened its first Philippine location at Resorts World Manila, Newport Mall, Pasay City. The culinary institution now has 35 branches worldwide, the latest addition of which is found at Boracay Newcoast, Megaword’s sprawling 150-hectare tourism township. It’s the sixth branch in the country.
On the beach
“We are in Waikiki Beach (in Honolulu, Hawaii) as well, so the concept of having a steakhouse on a beach is not totally foreign for us,” said Peter Zwiener, who flew into Boracay from Cebu—where he found a few spots to open more restaurants in—to cut the ceremonial ribbon. The new Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Grill is located on the retail row of Belmont Hotel Boracay. Zwiener was previously invited by his local partners Magdaluyo, Marvin Agustin and other friends to Boracay for a quick getaway. While there, he was told about Alliance Global CEO Kevin Tan’s massive development. (Alliance Global is the holding company that owns Megaworld.) The restaurateur was prompted to check out the property. It made sense for him to grab a space, since it was just meters away from the beach and offered a stunning sea view.
“Initially, when we thought of putting Wolfgang’s on a beach, I didn’t think it would compete with the big cities,” Zwiener said. “And [Waikiki] actually surpassed the sales of the big cities because so many people come for vacations and so many are looking for a great meal, too. And so it’s a wonderful opportunity to have this [in Boracay]. We’re excited about it. We love beach weather. We’re beach people, even though I grew up in New York. It all works out well.”
The Wolfgang Steakhouse Grill, which is slightly different from Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, is the first one outside of Manila. It has the basics of the original, but also has friendlier price points with the addition of different steak cuts like flank and skirt, as well as smaller portions. There are only four Grills in the world; the rest are found in New Jersey, Araneta in Quezon City, and City of Dreams Manila.
More inviting
On the island, guests can still have their fill of the signature burger, meaty entrees such as petit filet mignon, steak salpicao, charbroiled flank steak and the grill sets, which include prime dry-aged sirloin and rib-eye steak with sides and dessert.
But definitely not to be missed are the Boracay exclusives, which even the Waikiki branch doesn’t carry. There’s the bitterballen or beef croquettes that come with horseradish cream and steakhouse peppercorn sauce; salmon crudo, which is thinly sliced chilled Norwegian salmon doused in a lemon and herb dressing; and the parihuela, a traditional Peruvian fish and seafood soup.
In addition, there’s beach tacos, broiled lobster tail and deep-fried halibut served with house-made tortilla; a deep-fried halibut sandwich served with aioli; a ceviche sampler made up of a trio of variations featuring sea scallops, yellowfin tuna and red snapper; and a mouthwatering plate of poached lobster spaghetti.
A picturesque beach view, an appealing surf and turf menu, friendly restaurant service and a good line-up of refreshing beverages and cocktails—Boracay has definitely gotten a lot more inviting with the opening of a world-renowned and much beloved steakhouse. INQ
Wolfgang’s Steakhouse Grill is at Boracay Newcoast, Belmont Retail Cluster 3, Brgy. Yap, Malay, Aklan. Call tel. 0915-7572867; email reservation.boracay @wolfgangssteakhouse.ph
