bon appétit!: Tony Romas, Alabang Town Center

It was a nice Wednesday morning when we decided to go South. It was one of the rare opportunities that we got a weekday free so we decided to go to ATC. When we got there, we were already starving but got confused as to where to have lunch since there are quite a lot of nice places to choose from. To avoid argument and stop prolonging our agony, I (Sam) took the initiative of dragging Justin to Tony Romas. Tony Romas Glorietta 4 is one of my family's favorite restaurants. I just love their Baby Back Ribs. Justin hasn't tried it yet so I told him we could do so in their ATC branch.

Steak Combo a thick (juicy?) 6oz steak with a choice

of Grilled Salmon.

Justin : This is among the restaurants I used to pass by in my younger years, but never had the chance to try. I always wondered how the food here tastes like. Well, obviously, it's about time.

The dining area was eeriely quiet just as lunch service was about to start. We were being seated at the corner booth when a waft of that ol’steak house reached my nostrils. The smell of wet gym socks just reeked from the old carpet. I expected the buttery smell of beef fat filling the room. But no. It was wet socks which definitely did not whet my appeitte.

Now for the food, although quite generous in portions considering the price of the plate was still quite reasonable, I would say it was rather under seasoned. The salmon was over cooked but not charred; the coleslaw was borrrrriiing and the vegetables were crunchy…. I mean, under cooked. They could have cooked the vegetables long enough while the meat was being done. The butter sauce,was... butter. Couldn't they serve fresh, cold butter that melts through a steak? That'd be much more appetizing than just plain gunk in a bowl for a supposedly healthy plate.

The steak was perfectly cooked. The meat quality was probably a B grade. That explains the perfect cooking- but it actually resulted to a damn dry taste which is quite unfit for a filet mignon cut. The method was good but the flavoring - FAIL.

So, what i’m trying to say is, that's great food for a mindless carnivore (due to the hefty portioning). but not for the meat connoisseur.

Oh... and the waiters were horse playing in front of our table while making fun of the Korean family on the far end. What a shame. They could have been more creative than that. Tsk. Would I come back? Maybe not. I'd spend my money elsewhere for a better experience.

Fire Wings

Jumbo wings in their famous spicy BBQ sauce. Served with

Bleu cheese dipping sauce.

Sam: I've always loved Tony Romas. Glorietta 4. The ATC branch was quite a surprise for me, honestly. It didn't have the usual great rib/steak house feel in it. It sure needs some updating in terms of decor, music, the staff's demeanor, and just the overall vibe of the place. It's not as inviting as the G4 branch. But, despite the not-so-good first impression, we decided to stay, convinced that Tony Romas is a family favorite for a damn good reason. Well, apart from the fact that we're already famished.

We didn't wait long for the food, which was good. I loved the Fire Wings! It was perfect with the bleu cheese dip. I almost

Sonoma Salad Mixed greens tossed with
green apple slices, pecans, dried cranberries,
Bleu cheese crumbles, red wine vinaigrette
and fried chicken tenderloin

finished the entire plate by myself. =) and the salad, delicious.

The bleu cheese crumbles and pecans really defined the flavor of the salad. I could eat that again and again.

It surely made up for the bad first impression. Or maybe I was just so hungry.

On the whole, I would say that was just a normal lunch experience. Nothing special nor remarkable to speak of. I'd say I could get the same or maybe an even better food experience in Italianni's or Friday's..Then, perhaps, I would have to continue raving about Tony Roma's Glorietta 4 and how it became a family favorite so ATC would get a clue.