Taste The Challenge: Ready For Your Mystery Box at Cru Steakhouse?

Go for the box and taste the challenge. At Cru Steakhouse, everybody wins...

Cru Steakhouse adds both fun and excitement to your dining experience with their Mystery Box, a special three-course dinner with curated ingredients to tease your palate and challenge the creativity of Marriott Hotel Manila's best chefs. So go ahead and pick the Mystery Box and just leave it to the talented chefs of Cru Steakhouse to amaze you...

The signature steakhouse of Marriott Hotel Manila, the elegant Cru Steakhouse remains top-of-mind when it comes to premium steaks this side of the metro (for more on Cru Steakhouse, see my previous post, The Meat of the Matter...at Cru Steakhouse). But it gets a whole lot more exciting with the Mystery Box (R)...

The dark wood tones punctuated by splashes of red and the sleek sheen of glass and metal on their open kitchen grill combine for a modern steakhouse vibe, and you just know dinner is always special at Cru Steakhouse. Cru Steakhouse offers an impressive selection of premium beef, each one hand-cut, hand-seasoned, and dry-aged to perfection in a special refrigerated cooler at a constant temperature between 10 to 28 days for rich flavors with depth. From the controlled dry-aging process to the grill, your steaks are handled with meticulous care at Cru Steakhouse. But Cru Steakhouse goes beyond the usual with a cool trick up their sleeves to make your dinner experience even more exciting... 

Executive Chef Meik Bramm presented the Mystery Box at a special preview as guests eagerly awaited the much-anticipated reveal. Taking a page from the popular Master Chef reality show, diners can interact with and challenge the chefs of Cru Steakhouse for inspired dishes created from a random selection of fresh ingredients. The Mystery Box has that interactive element where diners have a hand in the three courses making it even more special.  

It's a cool spin on dinner at Cru Steakhouse with a fun interactive component injected in the experience. And the chefs at Cru Steakhouse get to flex some culinary creativity. You'll never know what's inside the Mystery Box, and that's all part of the fun. Executive Chef Meik Bramm then slowly lifted the wooden box... 

...revealing a selection of fresh produce for an elegant and inspired take on a three-course dinner. Executive Chef Meik Bramm goes through each of the ingredients and the creative process began with his suggestions on the three courses based on the contents of the Mystery Box.

An assortment of fresh, organic cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms, French beans, a green apple, truffle paste, a bowl of Arborio rice and the premium long-fed Stockyard Striploin, the endless possibilities start popping in your head for that memorable dinner at Cru Steakhouse.

Your mind starts uploading possible options for the fresh organic cherry tomatoes. A fresh Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese drizzled in olive oil and pesto is suggested by Executive Chef Meik Bramm, and that sounds real good. And Executive Chef Meik Bramm's recommendations for the other ingredients?

Here's the play. The Arborio rice and truffle paste could be the base for a tasty side, like a Truffle Risotto with the French Beans added with crisp bacon for another side dish. The fresh Button Mushrooms could be sauteed in butter and topped on the steak, while the Green Apple can be used for a dessert. Perfect.

And here's the beef. The highlight of the Mystery Box at Cru Steakhouse is the Stockyard Striploin, an award-winning Australian name known for its long-fed Angus beef. Raised on formulated high energy Australian grains for a minimum of 200 days, the premium beef from Stockyard delivers deep flavors along with a perfectly marbled texture. 

Dry-aged up to 28 days in special chillers at Cru Steakhouse, I'll have mine medium rare. You just don't mess around with beef this good.

Our first course from the Mystery Box is served, a refreshing Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese. Elegantly plated, the sharp yet delicate tartness of the tomatoes deliver a subtle briny sweetness capped by the creamy goat cheese for both contrast and flavor.

As we enjoyed the first course, the grill at Cru Steakhouse is fired up for the steaks. Delicately seasoned with salt and pepper and nothing else, the slabs of Stockyard Striploin are then placed on the grill as the sizzling sound and fragrant aroma triggers your appetite into overdrive.

Turned over just once and no more, with the perfect grill marks charred into the Stockyard Striploin...

...the steaks are then set aside and rested. The open kitchen theme at Cru Steakhouse allows diners a glimpse behind the perfect steak, from seasoning to grilling, with each part of the mouth-watering process masterfully executed.

Meanwhile, the chefs begin plating the main course, preparing the special sides to complete the dish. Like a choreographed performance, each chef completes his assigned dish before being added and arranged on the plate. The steaks, fresh from the grill, are then gently laid on the plate.

But there's one more task before the plates are served. The Executive Sous Chef inspects each plate before adding the final touches, and the diners see it all through the open kitchen layout. It's a performance that adds yet another layer to your dining experience at Cru Steakhouse.

Finally, the steaks are served...

Perfectly grilled to medium rare with a juicy pink center, each bite delivers bold, beefy notes lining your palate with a savory richness. And you don't even need any sauce for it. It's that good. The sauteed mushrooms are all you need. And the sides? The french beans with bacon and Truffle Risotto complete the dish. And to think it all came from a box. That's the Mystery Box at Cru Steakhouse.

Remember the Green Apple? Executive Chef Meik Bramm prepared a  German-style Apple Pancake topped with ice cream for dessert. Soft, light and fluffy with the sweet and tart notes of sliced green apples, it's another perfect ending at Cru Steakhouse. 

Like dinner with a Master Chef challenge, Cru Steakhouse lets you collaborate with the chefs for that ultimate steak night. And it's all in the box. The Mystery Box at Cru Steakhouse is priced at P 3,500 net containing a random selection of premium and fresh ingredients for a sumptuous three-course dinner. Taste the challenge with the Mystery Box...and leave it all to the chefs for another epic dining experience at Cru Steakhouse.

CRU Steakhouse is located at the Ground Floor of Marriott Hotel Manila, No. 10 Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay City or call 246-9069 extension 357 for reservations and inquiries.

Dude for Food is now on Facebook and Instagram, check out the FB Page and IG Feed for regular updates on good eats. Better yet, click "Like" and "Follow" and enjoy the ride...just look for the FB and IG widgets on the right sidebar.