Sebastian’s Just Might Be Your New Regular in Rockwell

Several dining establishments have opened and closed in the retail space on the ground floor of Edades Tower in Rockwell, Makati over the years, but its current occupant might just stick around for a while. Sebastian’s is a new all-day restaurant from the Antonio’s Group best-known for its flagship property in Tagaytay, and there’s reason to believe the city’s most fastidious diners will welcome it with open arms.

A bright white Sebastian’s sign in front of the restaurant advertises it to pedestrians and passersby on the Amorsolo Drive side of Powerplant Mall. Muted lighting and warm wood furniture lend the interior a cozy, laidback atmosphere; fancy enough for a special meal, but still casual that it doesn’t feel like it’s a major splurge. Clearly the proprietors went to great lengths to bring the Antonio’s experience closer to Manila and make it a place where city folk can visit more regularly.

The name comes from Chef Tony Boy Escalante’s son, who, earlier this year, took over day-to-day operations and expansion plans as business development manager of the Antonio’s Group. The younger Escalante is, of course, no stranger to the inner workings of the company, having acted as managing partner of the group’s city concepts for the last few years. This time, however, the new venture carries his signature as well as his name.

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The first thing you need to know is that Sebastian’s is open for breakfast from 7 a.m. to 12 noon, after which the restaurant moves toward a more traditional brasserie format, with steaks, lamb chops, fish and chips, pastas, salads and other dishes designed to work for everything from a quick meal to a longer dinner.

I stopped by for an early supper with a friend and the host insisted on starting the meal with a cocktail. I chose the Lemon Drop and paired it with Truffle-Baked Oysters. Fat and creamy, the oysters were more than filling and set the stage for the meal ahead. While my companion ordered the Wild Mushroom Soup, I chose the French Onion with Gruyere and a piece of toast. Both were exactly what we had expected: warm and comforting.

For full transparency, I was transfixed at the sight of the sizzling steak served at the next table and inquired with the waiter what it was they had ordered. Call it table envy, but I decided on having the Carrara Wagyu MB5 Ribeye for our main dish as well. It came with a side of steak fried rice and honey glazed carrots as well as a selection of sauces, but truth be told, I hardly used them as the meat was tender, succulent, and flavorful on its own, which is a measure of good quality.

My companion is having an aversion toward pork and beef and so she chose to have the Duck Leg Confit served with orange jus, mashed potato, and sauerkraut. While everything else on the menu looked and sounded appetizing, I kept coming back to the Local Favorites section and, specifically, to Chef Ricky’s Beef Mechado. I ended up ordering it as well and was not disappointed. The meat flaked at the slightest touch of my fork and the flavors captured the homestyle recipe of Sunday lunches when I was growing up.

There were no complaints with the beef overload, but I was ready for dessert. Waitstaff suggested the flambeed mangoes called the Mango Jubilee, which was served with a shot of Don Papa Rhum and prepared tableside. The touch of showmanship and pizzazz aside, it was exactly the sweet ending I had been craving.

There are many more items on the menu that I was unable to try, and this is exactly why repeat visits are encouraged. There’s the popular Antonio’s Steak Tartare, which is a longtime favorite from the Tagaytay restaurant, the Baked Coral Grouper, made with locally sourced lapu-lapu from Palawan and the Visayas, and the selection of pastas and pizzas. There’s supposedly even a secret menu that features chicken nuggets and an unagi rice bowl, which is a wink between Escalante and his executive chef AC Agra.

“We want to encourage guests to come every day, so the menu is filled with easy, go-to dishes, the kind of food you genuinely want to eat,” Basti Escalante says in the release.

With the perfect storm of good location, good ambiance, and, most importantly, good food, we see no reason Sebastian’s won’t become your new regular in this corner of Makati.

Sebastian's by Antonio's is located on the ground floor of the Edades Tower and Garden Villas in Rockwell Center, Makati City.