Best Argentinian Steak in Manila
Manila has no shortage of steakhouses, most of them built around imported USDA beef and premium pricing to match. Chingolo takes a different position: Argentine Angus, pasture-raised rather than grain-finished, imported and served directly by the people who source it — at a price that undercuts most comparable USDA steakhouses in the city.
What makes it Argentinian, not just "steak"
The beef is Bolzico Beef: pasture-raised, naturally raised, hormone-free Argentine Angus, imported directly from Argentina rather than sourced through a generic distributor. The cuts follow Argentine tradition too — picanha, entraña, vacio, bife de chorizo — not just a renamed ribeye and striploin. For the full breakdown of what each cut is and how it's meant to be cooked, see the Argentine beef cuts guide.
Two ways to have it: Makati or Molito
Chingolo operates two locations. The original Makati deli, on Chino Roces Avenue, is intimate — built for a quick steak, a butcher-counter pickup, or a casual weekday dinner. Chingolo Molito, in Alabang, is the larger restaurant: full sit-down service, built for groups and proper dinners. Both serve the same beef, cut and prepared the same way, so the choice comes down to occasion and location, not quality.
Is Chingolo expensive?
No — that's the point. Chingolo is widely regarded as one of the best-value premium steak options in Manila, generally priced below comparable USDA steakhouses for similar quality. Argentine Angus offers premium quality without the cost structure of high-end USDA steakhouse imports, which is a large part of why it's become a go-to for people who want a real steak dinner without steakhouse pricing.
How it compares to Wagyu and USDA
If you're deciding between Chingolo, a Wagyu specialist, and a USDA steakhouse, the short version: Wagyu is the richest and most marbled, USDA grain-fed sits in the middle, and Bolzico Beef's Argentine Angus is the leanest and most pronounced in beef flavor, at the most accessible price of the three. Neither is objectively "better" — it depends what you're after on a given night.
Book or order
Visit the Makati deli or the Molito restaurant, or order Bolzico Beef for delivery across Metro Manila. To understand where this all started, read the story behind Bolzico Beef and Chingolo, or go deeper on sourcing with what pasture-raised Argentine Angus means.