My burger experiences run the gamut from Burger Machine to Robuchon, with the fast-food entries in between. But despite that wide burger coverage, my eyes still popped when Chops Chicago Steakhouse’s Triple Bypass Burger arrived at our table.
It was so gigantic it was almost gaudy. Yet like Patricia Field or John Galliano, this burger gets away with it. Check it out: two giant Angus beef burgers, one on top of the other, then topped with beef tips—then with “homemade” bacon; and finally—topped with a slab of foie gras.
You may indeed get a heart attack if you dare finish the entire thing by yourself. But, like a bad relationship, the risk may be worth it. Living is for the brave of heart, after all. Prick the burger with your fork and see its juices ooze out. Slice the bacon and place at the edge of your fork for added porky saltiness. Then spread the foie gras on top for maximum savory experience. Oh, glorious hell.
Signature steak
Don’t think it ends there. As with hell, the sins of this burger go on forever. The chef did not forget to load the carbs and the fat. Deep-fried onion rings are stacked to the height of the burger. And, following tradition, French fries accompany the meal.
Actually, the restaurant capitalizes on steaks, not burgers. It has a signature Tomahawk steak that is 1.5 kg (thereabouts) of prime Angus bone in rib-eye. The servers will show this to you (if you ask) before the cooking, for your appreciation or scrutiny of the steak’s marbling.
If you are used to Grade 9 Japanese Wagyu, this is not the restaurant for you, although it does offer Snake River Farms Wagyu, which is American, and Kitayama Wagyu, which is proudly Pinoy.
But do get off your high horse for a bit because the steaks here are beautifully seasoned and correctly cooked, even if the quality is more commercial than connoisseur.
Best of all, choices abound, from that which will satisfy your pocket to that which will satisfy your palate: Australian Wagyu, Creekstone Black Angus, USDA-certified Angus Beef and, of course, USDA Prime Black Angus. The 10-oz rib-eye is somewhere in between.
No ordinary pork chop
What captured my heart though was the Kurobuta Pork Chop. This is no ordinary pork chop. It is very juicy and oh so flavorful. I love Kurobuta. It is the quintessential pig.
Not a fan of pig? For the pescatarians, the seabass is quite satisfactory. And for the vegetarians, the Portobello burger isn’t far behind. It also packs a wallop—at least as much as a vegetarian dish could.
The setting has a Chicago gangster vibe, but in a comfy way. Hues of red and mahogany, “bricks,” booths. The menu has playful names such as Lucky Luciano and Lamb Shank Redemption. But the resto’s best gangster move comes, unsurprisingly, from the legendary gangster movie “The Godfather”—a dessert of chocolate and cream that should take your mind off murder. If you still have space.
Chops Chicago Steakhouse is at 4/F, Greenbelt 5, Makati, tel. 9458088.
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