Of superb steaks & majestic views at the Laolao Bay Grill

IF you think you need a fortune before you can bite into the best and juiciest Certified Angus Beef Ribeye steaks on island, you’re wrong. Not if you dine at The Grill, a spacious restaurant sitting atop the clubhouse of the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort in Kagman.

The Grill offers not only a long list of sumptuous dishes on its menu but the full glass windows provides any diner the most magnificent view of the clear blue waters of Laolao Bay, the well-manicured lawns and golf courses, swimming pools and Jacuzzis and a spectacular view of the newly finished 54-room hotel — the perfect mix of ingredients to make your dining experience a memorable one in this “resort away from the resort.”

Venturing out alone on Friday noon, The Grill’s Food & Beverage assistant manager Renuka “Ren” Sapkota immediately recommended the restaurant specialty — the juiciest sizzling Angus Ribeye beef steak Japanese style served with side dishes of Kobachi, salad, pickles, miso soup, rice and fruits.

Several heads turned our way as a food staff served my steak, drawn by the mouth-watering aroma and the tempting sizzling sounds it made.

I took one look at the huge slab of medium-done, 8-pound $17 steak and knew that there was no way I can consume it all, not even on a very hungry stomach. But there was no stopping me from slicing off a portion of the steak and savoring the juicy, tender beef melting in my mouth.

From the Korean menu, Ren tempted me to try the Hue Dup Bah, a huge bowl of steamed rice topped with fresh sashimi slices, mixed vegetables, and sauces. She also recommended the crunchy Shanghai Lumpia served in a crisp wrapper fashioned into a bowl. Dipping the lumpia into the homemade spicy sauce will make you whistle but if you are not into spicy flavors, they can make the adjustments to your preference.

Don’t miss the other main dishes that are best sellers among The Grill’s diners: such as the Angus Beef Teriyaki Ju, Beef curry, Tonkatsu lunch, the all-in-one Laolao Bento (Japanese noodle, rice, beef, chicken, Coroke salad, and miso soup), spam rice sandwich, fried rice with The Kafe Style, seafood, hamburger, beef or pork cutlet curry, Kimchee noodle, lunch set or the fried Kimchee rice.

Choose from the appetizing list of noodles and appetizers and venture into the Korean menu to have your fill with the meal seats such as Bulgogi, Benjang Soup, Bosam, Bibimbap, and more.

Ren said The Grill serves $15-breakfast choices as early as 6 a.m. every day. You can choose the Korean breakfast sets, Japanese breakfast set of broiled fish, toasted dried seaweeds, cold tofu, fermented beans, raw egg, Tamagoyaki, pickles, bean paste soup, rice and assorted fruits, or American breakfast set (orange juice, soup, fried, scrambled egg or omelet, choice of ham or bacon, toast, salad, assorted fruits and coffee or tea)
Try the VIP dinner sets for an ultimate dinner experience at The Grill. Ren said they are changing their menu always to suit the tastes of their diners.

After a hearty meal, cap it with tempting scoops of mango, ube, or vanilla flavored ice cream

Not hungry? You can order cold cans or bottles of beer, whisky, Shochu, Oolong, soft drinks or wine and while the time away while enjoying the superb view and restful surrounding.

As budget-friendly as the prices at The Grill already are, Ren said  a 10 percent discount applies to locals. The Grill is open from 6 am until 10 p.m. All major credit cards are accepted. For reservations/inquiries, call 236-8829 or fax number 236-8880, or visit http://www.laolaobay.com.

(This article was first published HERE)