The Temperature of A Perfectly Cooked Steak

My mom has been dreaming of dining in 145° Fahrenheit ever since she had read reviews about the establishment in many publications (Yummy Magazine, the Philippine star). Though she doesn’t exude the aura of a steak-eater, when she is faced with a juicy cut of beef, she can’t help but chomp till the last bit.

Last July 24, my mom finally got a chance to chow at the much talked about 145° Fahrenheit. It was her 4?th birthday (I was told to keep this a secret).



When we entered the modern decorated abode of 145° Fahrenheit, we felt like we entered a California steakhouse. The tables are draped with fine white linen; the walls were adorned with a wine list and a large wine cabinet. The beautiful stainless steel open kitchen completes the ambience of a contemporary steakhouse.

When we were handed the menu, I was not that excited since this restaurant is known for their steak,since I don’t eat beef. Luckily, when I opened the neat menu, I spotted many other equally mouth-watering meaty alternatives, like New Zealand crusted lamb chop, roasted Cornish hen and duck breast with foei gras. For more aquatic choices, they offer lobster, prawn, sea bass (which are nearly extinct, btw), black cod, and Norwegian salmon. I was deciding between the seemingly fresh sea bass and the Cornish hen. Though I should be eating more fish, I couldn’t help but choose the Cornish hen, since it is my favorite poultry. We wanted something light as an appetizer to accompany the bread and whipped sweet butter, so we ordered the artichoke salad. My mom and dad ordered the medium rib eye to share. I ordered my Cornish hen, my sister ordered salmon with clam chowder sauce, and my brother ordered the sea bass.

As we were waiting for our orders, the wait-staff was attentive to our whims like water and drinks. We were the only one in the restaurant until an old couple entered and were treated with the same attentiveness as us. We made an observation that there were tons of old couples and families “dinnering” there that night.


artichoke salad

The artichoke salad, which we thought was just going to be a plate of artichoke hearts, consisted of salad greens, candied walnuts, artichoke hearts, bamboo shoots, and a sort of red wine vinegar dressing. The crunch of the walnuts complemented the softness of the salad greens and artichoke hearts, and I enjoyed the sort of sweetly sour-acidic flavor of the dressing.

sea bass

The sea bass was soft and flaky, as it should be, and was resting on top of some sort of weird looking rice pilaf surrounded my mussels. The Norwegian salmon lay on top of a bed of mashed potatoes enclosed in steamed clams with clam chowder sauce. The salmon, which my sister preferred raw, was cooked well and was light, but the clam chowder sauce did nothing for the flavor. It is better enjoyed when mixed with the mashed potatoes.

Norwegian salmon

The Cornish hen was elegantly displayed with a side of roasted broccoli and carrots. The soft texture of the hen showed that it was cooked excellently, and it was a little spicy too (I like spicy). I opted for a side of mashed potatoes, but I wished I had gone for the creamed corn since my sister had extra mashed potatoes.

Cornish hen

The supposed forte of 145° Fahrenheit is their steaks. The name of the restaurant itself is the temperature for a perfectly cooked juicy piece of steak. My parents ordered the rib eye, apparently from New Zealand. My mom really liked the steak, but my dad was on the opposite end. My mom found it charred and mildly flavored while my dad thought of it as too chewy. Even though I was tempted to ask for a piece to truly understand its flavor, I didn’t because I don’t eat beef.

rib-eye

The sleek ambience combined with the great food and warm hospitality makes for a good dining experience. Though the steak was supposedly not as amazing as we thought, the food tastes awesome. 145° Fahrenheit is somewhere that can be enjoyed by all generations who enjoy good food in a fitting setting.