The Smith Butcher & Grill Room has been getting very good reviews by word-of-mouth and on the internet. So, as this month it celebrated its first birthday, we decided we were well overdue for a visit. Smith B&G is an unexpectedly cavernous space on H.V. Dela Costa in Salcedo Village, Makati. Although I am no vegetarian, such altars to the tasty cow would not necessarily be my first choice, however, as a barbecue on the 37th floor is out of the question, Smith B&G turned out to be an excellent alternative. And the menu was by no means limited to steaks.
Our friends had arrived earlier than us, and were waiting at a large table complete with cow hide sofa. Industrial chic has become popular in Manila, and Smith B&G has followed the trend, with its large open dining room, huge wrought iron chandeliers and large, rustic wooden tables. This often means a lot of background noise, but much to my relief that is wondrously lacking at Smith B&G. So much so that we failed to notice how the restaurant had filled up as we chatted. Or perhaps the clientele was just more subdued than usual. The service was somewhat slow and piecemeal, but the staff were smiley when they showed up, although they would do well to get to know the menu.
On that first visit, we examined the menu in minute detail. For an appetizer, I spent some time trying to decide 
between the three way scallops – a ‘ménage a trois’ – and the kinilaw. Our waitress recommended the former, so I went with that. The scallops were served attractively on a piece of black slate: the first one I tasted was apparently smoked and served with wasabi foam, but it had been just a tad overcooked and was uncomfortably rubbery. The ceviche was the best: melt-in-the-mouth delicious, please bring more, and the third was seared with a Parma ham crust which was a great combination of both taste and texture – but again, a lighter hand was needed in cooking the scallop. I returned for the kinilaw catch of the day the following week and it was perfection, served in a refreshing ginger and citrus marinade under a glass dome.
There are quite a number of raw selections on the menu. Apart from the ceviche and the kinilaw, there is steak tartare, beef carpaccio and sashimi, all of which have rated well with my fellow diners, although some diners may need a translation for the steak tartare accompaniments: calamansi aioli, pommes allumettes and biodynamic mesclun.
The steaks come from all over the world, although quite a number of them were missing when we visited mid-week. No Japanese or Irish or Aussie porterhouse or US 900g T-bone, which was a bit disappointing. Nevertheless we all found something to eat: the One & Only and I made do with the chateaubriand. This was beautifully cooked – medium rare, so tender in the middle with just slightly crisped edge – sand served on a large platter with a choice of four vegetable side dishes. We decided three was enough and chose a lovely combination of creamed spinach, pommes Lyonnaise, and a dish of grilled vegetables. Please note, the selection seems to change regularly.
Red wine seemed the obvious way to go with steaks, and there is a range of choices and prices: from a couple of French and Californian reds at under Php 2000, a Languedoc-Roussillon Carignan, Grenache, Syra at Php 2500, An Argentinian Malbec at Php 4100 to a South Australian Shiraz at Php 8500. Don’t worry if you prefer white, there are a few of those too.
On the second visit I was the early one – unexpectedly, thanks to a very efficient taxi driver – but I was more than
happy to sit with a Hendricks and soda, deftly accessorized with cucumber, while I waited for my friends, and enjoyed the easy listening background music that didn’t include Air Supply. My drink came promptly, and otherwise no one fussed me. I was peaceful and comfortable and I got extra time to study the menu. This time, I was keen to try the veal cheek ravioli with mushrooms, until my friends suggested sharing the chateaubriand and I couldn’t resist. The chef certainly gets points for consistency, it was perfectly cooked again, and we managed to share it three ways without a fight.
I also like the open plan kitchen at Smith B&G, as I was able to have a lovely chat to Canadian Chef Steven at the kitchen window.
When it came to dessert the cheese trolley was a bit tired and the crackers were cheap and nasty – and let’s face it, it’s never a good idea to slice the cheese in advance or leave it out in tropical climes – but the Manchego almost made up 
for the very aged (and not in a good way) Stilton. So on the next visit we dodged the cheese and chose instead to share a scrumptious white chocolate and macadamia nut cheesecake. And now I will have to go back again, because cheesecake is the favourite dessert of my One & Only, and he missed out that night as he was travelling to Georgia.
Smith B&G is not cheap, but it has been consistently good and the service is friendly and unobtrusive. And most unexpectedly, there is a good sized car park out the front. Parking. Yes, really. I promise. In H.V. Dela Costa!
*With thanks to Google Images for the shots of the restaurant, and to my trusty new phone for the food snaps.