Before, 22 Prime was Discovery Suites’ executive lounge which they now had brilliantly converted into a steak house. And, to give a more manly credence to this venue for power meetings and area for secret negotiations, they gave it a power menu, which is basically a steak and grill selection.

However, what has impressed me most is the long standing synergy of their two chefs, David Pardo de Ayala, the corporate capo and Chef Ric, the kitchen’s head hit-man.

The menu is a fresh interpretation of old favorites. On one visit, a Caesar’s Salad was given a lift with some bouncy crisp blue cheese fritters. Fresh warm bread, served as starters, came with dips of tomato sofrito, potatoes skordalia, (which was creamy smooth with tinges of garlic and lemon), and a light chicken liver pate.

It also pays to know the chef sometimes, at one occasion I had been a sampler to a brilliantly fragrant concoction of Chef Ric, which was a Tuna Carpaccio with the subtlest perfume of soy, ginger, leek, and infused oil. This was a surprising starter which did not conflict with my red wine. He even reinterpreted his own Chef Ric’s bread with thyme and oysters on a four cheese melt on bread with sun-dried tomatoes. It was simple but truly superb! Another preview of things to come was a grilled prawn and scallop on a cold and herbed spiced fruit soup or salsa with a gazpacho like character.

For main courses, Chef Pardo insisted on a USDA Certified Prime Beef and impressed me with a man-sized 600-gram porterhouse which many steak places are afraid to serve.

The Ribeye is a hefty 400 grams and not an effeminate cut at all. Other choices would be lamb chops, although there’s salmon and prawns. (But who goes to a steak place for salmon and prawns?) Sides are very democratic with a full choice of Twice-baked Potatoes, Potato Gratin, Fries, Puree or Rice Pilaf, and even Pandan Rice for starches.

Well, I did look for Spinach Gratin and it was there (this is a standard, or am I just too old-fashioned?) Other veggies include grilled asparagus and roasted mushrooms.

The outlet head Earl, took good care of our table with such impeccable attention. At one visit his recommendations scored a lot of points starting with a pandan iced tea that was absolutely quenching and palate pleasing. I settled for a Blackened Ribeye this time, while my dining partner had the Wagyu Medallions. My ribeye turned out nicely charred on the outside with the heat of the spices and the right amount of salt.

The wagyu, though lean looking, were bursting with juices and fat, and was creamy on the palate with every bite. The sauces such as green peppercorn, horseradish, and béarnaise were all winners, and though standards, were all well prepared.

I also don’t want to miss mentioning the Asian Lobster Bisque accented by lemongrass on one visit. It is what I would call a simple stroke of genius. You have all the elements of classic bisque with a mysterious back note of lemongrass.

Desserts are straightforward like a Chocolate Marquise that is a rich tasting chocolate mousse highlighted by pistachios (a little heavy on the gelatin but good quality chocolate nevertheless) and a Bouchon-style Crème Caramel as a vengeful takeoff from leche flan. The Tarte Tatin is for people who want a very apple and very chunky apple pie.

These all went well with a Sparkling Rosa Regale, a ruby sparkling dessert wine from Banfi that I had brought which had an incredible perfume to cap the full man’s meal. I’d end this with their strong double and rich Illy espresso.

On an ending note, it’s great to find a steak house with no cowboys and no roughing it up, but just some beef, wine, and good pampering.

You can e-mail me at chefgenegonzalez@cacschef.com.