All my life, I never understood the hype of steak mostly because all the variations of “steak” I had ever tried were bastardized versions of the grilled gorgeous marbled meat. Beef to me was either fried to a crisp or masked with a bath of sauce. It was only really in Ruby Jack’s that beef—the best type—is best served stripped of any disguises, offered to you in its medium rare glory.
On the Upper Ground Floor of City of Dreams (after you find your way through its labyrinth parking lot), walk a bit further passed the open casino and you’ll be surprised with gigantic slabs of meat hanging as if it was a window display for carnivores. Chef Eric Turgeon of the steak house imported from Tokyo calls it his butchery. The perfect air circulation within the display also serves its purpose of dry-aging the meat for 30-45 days, removing its water content and coming out with a more flavorful steak.
Straight from Tokyo, the team behind Ruby Jack’s in the Philippines recreated the experience piece by piece with meticulous scrutiny of the original owners from Japan. From the ingredients to the table cloth, everything is the same, mostly imported from Japan itself.
Starters
As tempting as it may be to jump right in to a milieu of steaks, it’s best to whet the appetite while waiting for the meat to be grilled to perfection.
Highly recommended is the Boutique Tomatoes topped with shave red onions and gorgonzola. Using Japanese “Amela” tomatoes dubbed as the sweetest in the world, you’ll understand finally why these red globules were considered a fruit in the first place.
For a more classic take on appetizers, the Ruby’s Caesar Salad has you covered. You have the shreds of parmesan cheese cascading over fresh Romaine leaves topped with bacon dust and panko.
Sizzling Scallops in black garlic butter-lemon uses large pieces of Canadian scallops then drizzled in butter.
Teppan grilled foie gras with caramelized pineapple and black sesame dust is a buttery duck liver from France with Ruby Jack’s mix of spices on the side.
The restaurant is a showcase of culinary meticulousness, not once sacrificing quality to scrimp on budget. Ingredients are always fresh and everything is made in-house. Most impressive is a tank worth 1.5 million pesos to keep their oysters and lobsters alive in the best conditions possible.
