After touring some of the coastal areas of the Province of Batangas, and before driving back to Metro Manila, we decided to grab something to eat. And – thinking that Batangas has ranches – we decided to try any of their steakhouses. Google gave three highly-rated recommendations; we tried the one closest to where we were then, which was Lugod’s Steak & Grill.

So how did we find the place?

@outragemag #LGBT #loveislove search for good, unpretentious #steak #steakhouse in #Batangas ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, for non-locals, this is not an easy-to-find resto. Mainly because it is inside some village; meaning, you have to go through a guard house where you’d be interrogated on where you’re going and why. At least they didn’t ask for us to leave an ID.

Ikalawa, the actual resto is – in a word – unpretentious. This is open-air dining with wooden folding tables, monobloc chairs, bato-bato sa lupa, and electric fans everywhere. Note that because the grillery is right there, too, you’re bound to smell of smoke after you eat here.

Ikatlo, the workers there were nice naman. They knew what’s on the menu, served our orders correctly (and fast, too), and were easy to call when we had requests (e.g. refill water).

Ika-apat, how was the food?

• The Surf & Turf (₱759) was slightly makapal, so you do get more meat… somehow. But even for the asking price, you only get five tiny shrimps and three thin slices of grilled corn as side dish.
• The Australian Porterhouse (₱379) was thin, and – since it was also chewy – was not exactly a pleasant meal. Sadly, after the meat was placed on a sizzling plate, then dumped with gravy, it was served with nothing else – e.g. no veggies, no mashed potatoes, et cetera.
• Major issue with both steaks: They were salty. Really salty. And that’s coming from someone who likes salty food (LOL).
• Extras ordered were Overload Fries (₱199), which was so-so; and two eggs (overcooked na sunny side up).

Is this a must-visit? Perhaps for some – e.g. when we went there, more and more couples arrived to eat, and so it may be a popular date place for the locals. But – again – Google recommended other supposedly well-reviewed steakhouses in Batangas City, not just this, and those others may be worth considering na muna.

Join us as we continue looking for more lafang venues.

Lugod’s Steak & Grill is located at 6400 LT Neptune St., Golden Country Homes Subd., Alangilan, Batangas City. For more information, contact +63 919 549 5356.

So a friend wanted to libre another friend, though the emphasis was to find “something good that won’t empty the bank account”. This was how we came across Blake’s Wings & Steaks, which had a pretty-looking branch along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City, which, admittedly, was a lure for us.

Blake’s, however, isn’t exactly new. The very first branch opened five years ago in Marikina, and it now has eight branches, some are even in malls. And yeah… it is known for offering more affordable steaks (among its numerous offerings, of course), which makes it an okay option for the budget conscious particularly sa presyong Bagong Pilipinas at the time of Bongbong Marcos.

So how did we find this place?

@outragemag Eyeing an affordable #steakhouse dating venue? We #LGBT checked Blake’s in #QuezonCity ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is actually easy to find as it’s basically a stone’s throw away from Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame, Eastwood Malls, Araneta, and so on. Yun nga lang, it is best accessed by those with vehicles; or at least by those who can afford to pay Grab or motor taxi.

Ikalawa, the actual place is… pleasant. Mukha siyang non-mall-based Outback resto, Longhorn Steakhouse, American Steakhouse, and so on with a standalone Western-looking building.
Ambiance-wise, maaliwalas siya since high ceilinged ang place, and the tables were arranged in a way that allows customers to move around pa rin… if that’s what they need to do, of course.
Katabi ng steakhouse ang pizza parlor, so they share the parking… and you can order from the pizza parlor’s menu even if you’re eating at the steakhouse.

Ikatlo, keri naman ang personnel. One of the things we noticed was the number of staff; it almost seemed like there were too many of them. But at least they paid attention to the customers’ needs without being intrusive.

Ika-apat, how was the food?

1. We started with the Kani Mango Salad (₱395), which – according to the resto’s menu – combines shredded crab sticks and fresh green vegetables with their “own organic sweet balsamic vinegar”. But, TBH, lower your expectations. Not tasting like Japanese kani salad, this one’s quite bland, though at least the veggies were fresh.
2. Yep, Blake’s has more expensive steaks – e.g. Angus Ribeye Prime Grade Steak for ₱2,995, or Australian Porterhouse Steak for ₱1,695. But for this visit, we tried their more practical “Winner Steaks It All!” offerings. Particularly, the ₱495 Flat Iron Steak, and the ₱465 Porterhouse Steak.
   Notably, both steaks were well-seasoned. But opt for the Flat Iron Steak na lang when you’re here since the slab of meat is heftier, meaning mas may makakain ka at may malalasahan; and it’s better cooked since hindi siya chewy like the Porterhouse Steak.
3. We ordered two pizzas from Big Mama (the pizza parlor right beside the steakhouse) – i.e. Pesto Garlic Shrimp (₱629) and Hawaiian (₱539). This is supposed to be “New York-style pizza”, although marketing-wise, that claim is always problematic. Which part of New York are they even talking about, considering that different nationalities form different boroughs prepare pizza differently. The pizzas we got may have been typically greasy, but taste-wise… we couldn’t even remember tasting pesto and shrimp, or the pineapple slices. Di naubos.
4. Blake’s has its own chili sauce that’s available for sale; grab if you can because this one’s quite good. Tamang anghang that doesn’t take over the taste buds, but adds umami to whatever you’re eating.

Buod: if you’re looking for not-expensive steaks that are actually well-seasoned, include Blake’s in your list of to-check venues. We are certain there are others pa. But at least we know okay food can be had naman pala without overspending.

And so join us as we look for more lafang venues.

Blake’s Wings & Steaks – Katipunan is located at A186 Katipunan Ave., Brgy. Blue Ridge A, Quezon City. They’re open from 10AM–10PM on Monday–Thursday; and from 10AM–11PM on Friday–Sunday. For more information, contact (02) 8635 2097 or (0917) 985 4078.

Yeah… there are lots of seafood restos, some even selling unlimited supplies (particularly shrimps, mussels, squids, oysters and, if you’re lucky, crabs and lobsters) for just a few hundreds of pesos. But the seafood offerings aren’t always complete since these restos do not always offer most of what’s good from the seas.

And so it is with interest that we dropped by Tuna Republik, which – basically – conceptualized tuna as fastfood.

@outragemag Looking for affordable #tuna meals? For this #LGBT trip to #Bulacan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

The branch in Pulilan, Bulacan only opened in January 2025, and… at least when we went there, it has yet to gain traction. Walang tao. Too bad, really, for a franchise that’s targeting the no-meat crowd.

Now… how was the experience for us?

Una, the venue is relatively new, and so everything here was… sariwa. The pitchers even had price tags pa. Spacious and airy, this place seems ideal for events.

Ikalawa, the staff were not noticeable. Yung pegis parang fastfood, so the people are there… but aren’t there. Servers lang.

Ikatlo, price-wise, affordable naman siya – e.g. they have rice toppings for those with tight budget, ranging around ₱100 lang, while the meals are around ₱200-₱300 naman. Presyong group eating for most of the offerings.

Ika-apat, taste-wise, most of what we got were better than okay.

1. Sashimi (₱249) was good as it wasn’t malansa, and didn’t taste frozen and wasn’t flaky. But the accompanying toyo was… almost bland, so di nakatulong.
2. Tuna Belly (from ₱350) was good, well grilled… albeit small ang size.
3. Tuna Pancit (₱249) was quite good; it made me forget there’s no meat in it. Malasa, the sahog weren’t overcooked, di mamantika, and so on.
4. Sizzling Tuna Sisig (₱199) was the one that disappointed. Walang oomph, so it tasted like fried fish flakes lang. Pretty when served sa carajay, but there’s not much of it, too.

Tuna Republik is like… a karinderya (local eatery) pretending to be a fastfood while offering tuna-centric food. Try to visit if you are willing to spend to get not-bad tuna-revolving offerings. Hindi naman siya disappointing. And that’s even if we have misgivings.

Otherwise… join us look for more lafangan venues.Tuna Republik Pulilan is located at 112 Plaridel-Pulilan Diversion Rd., Pulilan, Bulacan.