Cover Carmelo’s steakhouse Wagyu rib-eye
Carmelo’s steakhouse Wagyu rib-eye
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The late Carmelo “Melo” Santiago introduced Filipinos to premium Wagyu steak cuts in the 1980s, and his daughter, chef Cristina Santiago, is keeping the pioneer’s memory alive at her fine dining steakhouse in Proscenium, Rockwell
When the late restaurateur Carmelo Santiago and his daughter, Cristina Santiago, opened their restaurant Carmelo’s Wagyu Steaks in Greenbelt 5 back in 2014, they were already building on a well-established name that the elder restauranteur had made for himself with Melo’s. That chain of fine dining steakhouses that he started in 1988 became synonymous with impeccably cooked premium cuts of beef accompanied by top-notch service. Carmelo’s was meant to be an iteration of the modern-day steakhouse with an even higher level of service, with chef Cristina applying her California Culinary Academy background to elevate the experience for their discerning diners.
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Above Carmelo's steakhouse's chef Cristina Santiago
Above Carmelo's steakhouse
Carmelo's steakhouse's chef Cristina Santiago
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Santiago passed away in August 2021 at the ripe age of 78, and not long after, Carmelo’s Greenbelt 5 became one of the casualties of the global pandemic, which saw many enduring brands permanently shuttered. However, when Cristina was presented with one of the coveted commercial spaces at the Proscenium in Rockwell, Makati— “I know how difficult it is to get a space here,” she imparts— she took it as a good sign to revive the Carmelo’s brand. She has made it the fitting homage to her father who was her inspiration to revive her career in food and beverage.
Santiago was not only an icon in hospitality, but he was also a respected figure in the corporate world, holding positions in various conglomerates. But, at home and among friends, he was the resident gourmand. “He just really enjoyed cooking,” chef Cristina says, which was what spurred him to open his first Melo’s and the rest, as they say, was history. Carmelo’s is, in many ways, a shrine where generations of Melo’s fans can come and enjoy great steaks and cherished favourites such as their chicken liver pâté (which is Santiago’s original recipe). Distinctly peppery with a rich, velvety texture, regulars eagerly buy bottles of the pâté during the holidays to be given as gifts.
Above Carmelo's steakhouse oysters
Above Carmelo's steakhouse pulpo
Carmelo's steakhouse oysters
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The dining room has the essential wood panels and velvet chairs but in soft yet masculine tones of walnut and grey. Light dances off the low-hanging chainmail lamps that are a matte gold and washes everything it hits in a warm, resplendent hue. In the private dining room, a photo of Santiago sits on the mantle on top of the faux fireplace. Everything is elegant, decadent, and old-world in feel, allowing Santiago’s signature crimson to stand out as an accent in their stemware and on their attentive staff, who are decked head-to-toe in it.
As Santiago has always had it, the true stars of any of his steakhouses are the prime cuts of beef displayed in their chillers, and the same goes at Carmelo’s. Chef Cristina knows, as her father did, that a perfect steak is a steak cooked according to a guest’s preferred doneness. Simply seasoned and scorch marks perfectly etched by a blazing-hot grill, my ten-ounce Australian Wagyu rib-eye melted in my mouth.
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Above Carmelo's steakhouse Sweet Bella dessert
Above Carmelo's steakhouse Sweet Bella dessert
Carmelo's steakhouse Sweet Bella dessert
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While a Wagyu steak is always a difficult act to follow, chef Santiago does this with ease considering that desserts are actually her strong suit. She owns speciality bakeshop Sweet Bella and her creative confections have landed on many best desserts lists. We got to try two excellent sweets; some preferred the award-winning Pearl (guava mousse layered with mango coulis), while others enjoyed the Angelina, which reminded me of Ferrero Rocher. My sweet tooth delighted in both.
It is never easy to lose a parent, especially when they were an endless source of inspiration and encouragement. Suddenly, it was as if a light source had been put out for Cristina, and what was once a bright and clear path had become dim and obscure. However, her vision for Carmelo’s became very clear: for her father’s memory and legacy to live on. Carmelo’s is a place where their loyal clientele can gather and relive many meals from the past while providing the chance for curious new diners to come and experience why the devoted keep returning for more.
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
