The Dining Hit No One Saw Coming, Starring Canadian Beef

There’s something theatrical about the way a good steak hits the grill. The sudden sizzle, the curl of smoke, the promise of flavor so rich, it borders on primal. At Flame, Discovery Primea’s modern European restaurant with its cinematic skyline views, that drama just got a bold new script.

This month, Canadian beef takes center stage.

Aptly titled Fire & Flavor: A Culinary Collaboration, the month-long showcase is a partnership between Discovery Primea and Canada Beef. I was invited to the launch, an elegant affair that drew Alberta’s agricultural delegates, diplomatic representatives, and Manila’s food cognoscenti into Flame’s sleek dining room.

Instead of your typical ribbon-cutting, we had a conversation in the form of four courses, each one exploring the distinct character of Canadian beef.

“More than a menu, this is a celebration,” said Issa Litton, who opened the event with a toast to collaboration and culinary kinship. “This is a spotlight on what happens when exceptional ingredients meet thoughtful technique.”

David Pardo Ayala, Discovery Primea’s General Manager, added, “With Flame’s signature open-flame cooking style, the partnership with Canada Beef is a natural fit.”

Chef Luis Chikiamco brings the fire to Canadian beef at Flame | Photo: Discovery Prime

Canadian beef doesn’t need much to shine. What it needs is a fire—literal and figurative. And Chef Luis Chikiamco has just the spark. Together with his team, he crafted a limited-time menu that ranges from the refined to the robust, highlighting the tenderness, deep grain-fed marbling, and soulful richness of Canadian beef. Each course spotlights a different cut, a different culture, a different kind of experience.

It begins with Canadian AAA Ribeye Beef Tartare served with crostini, sharp mustard, briny capers, and red onion. Clean and bright, it’s beef in its purest, most honest form—unctuous, silky, and deeply satisfying.

Bright, light, and silky Canadian AAA Ribeye Tartare | Photo: Discovery Primea

Then a soulful nod to Asia: Canadian Beef Short Plate Pho, reinvented with mushroom gyoza, Asian vegetables, and a dark, spice-laced broth that speaks fluently of depth and comfort. The gyoza, with their delicate skins and earthy filling, become small revelations in a bowl that’s anything but simple.

The comfort and elegance of this Canadian Short Plate Pho | Photo: Discovery Primea

But the showstopper is the Duo of Beef: a lavish Rossini-style Canadian dry-aged ribeye paired with foie gras, Napa cabbage, king oyster mushrooms, fermented garlic, and an intense Bordelaise sauce. It’s opulent, powerful, almost operatic. Alongside it, in comforting counterpoint, is meltingly tender Braised Canadian AAA Short Ribs atop a velvety celeriac purée, crisp potato chips, and vibrant asparagus and baby carrots.

The Duo of Beef: bold, luxurious, unforgettable | Photo: Discovery Primea

And because great beef deserves a sweet encore, dessert arrives in the form of a Maple Syrup Burnt Cheesecake, its deep amber crown resting on a pecan crust and topped with blueberries. It’s sweet, nutty, and gorgeously Canadian.

Maple Syrup Burnt Basque Cheesecake with pecan crust and berries—sweet, smoky, and deeply comforting | Photo: Discovery Primea

More meaningful than the meal itself were the conversations. Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson, spoke of sustainability and stewardship, of the quiet work that happens on ranches before any cut of meat reaches the kitchen. Canadian beef, he reminded us, is the product of generations of care.

Discovery Primea GM David Pardo Ayala with Alberta’s Agriculture Minister, The Honourable RJ Sigurdson | Photo: Discovery Primea

That ethos is embodied by Brodie Haugan, a third-generation Alberta rancher who introduced a short video on how Canadian beef is raised with precision, integrity, and passion. “This is about more than taste,” he said. “It’s about trust.”

Representing Canada Beef, Albert Eringfeld, Vice President of Export Market Development, echoed that sentiment. “We’re thrilled to share not just our product, but our story. It’s about partnerships like this—bringing Canadian beef to a place like Flame, where respect for ingredients is embedded in the DNA.”

Brodie Haugan, a multi-generational cattle producer represented Alberta’s ranching community | Photo: Discovery Primea

The guest list, naturally, was a who's who of the Manila's culinary scene: Chef JP Anglo of Sarsa, members of the Canadian Embassy including Diedrah Kelly and Louise Pasadilla, and top voices in Manila’s lifestyle media. I found myself at a particularly fun table—seated with photographer Tom Epperson and his wife, stylist and author Jenni Epperson. Over tartare and phở, we had one of those unexpectedly rich conversations that roamed from movies and music to Mongolia and the great hypothetical: What cuisine could you eat for the rest of your life, no takebacks? (Won’t tell you our answers. But it was the perfect thing to chew on between bites of ribeye.)

The limited-time menu has more offerings including this delightful Josper-Grilled Rib Eye Kare Kare | Photo: Discovery Primea

The beef came grilled, charred, rare in the middle. It came with jus or glaze or little else at all. Each dish let the ingredient speak for itself—lean, full-bodied, complex. A beef tartare revealed nuance; a ribeye showcased power. It was a study in contrasts, and a masterclass in balance.

This is beef with something to say.

And for a limited time until July 7, you can experience it, too.

Fire & Flavor runs until July 7 exclusively at Flame, Discovery Primea. Reserve a table. Sit by the window if you can. Order the beef. It’s more than a meal—it’s a reminder that fire, in the right hands, becomes flavor. To book, call +63 2 7955 8888 or email primea.restaurants@discovery.com.ph