The Test Kitchen MNL: My First Taste of Chef Boutwood’s Fare

Having opened a number of successful restaurants in recent years, and driven by the raging demand for tasting menus which his concepts usually have, Chef Boutwood is easily one of the most buzzed-about chefs in the Metro right now.

RAW TUNA (P690)

Admittedly late to the party, I only ended up tasting his fare for the first time ever last December for an early Christmas get-together with my barkada. We skipped the tasting menu and opted to split a couple of appetizers and entrees amongst ourselves instead.

ARANCINI (P320)

We started with the Raw Tuna, which featured a colorful plate of luscious slices of fresh tuna, juicy cubes of sweet watermelon and cherry tomatoes – all dressed in a light vinaigrette. Definitely, a delight to devour as its flavors were as vibrant as the dish appeared. We followed it up with the Arancini – which opened up to an immensely tasty chorizo filling – each ball generously topped with pecorino romano.

DUCK PROSCIUTTO (P360)

To be honest, it was the Duck Prosciutto that I anticipated to try the most among our chosen appetizers – it was an assembled like a thin crust pizza with brioche toast as its base and duck breast, carrots and feta cheese as its toppings. I loved how overloaded each slice was – however, I felt that it was too dry – and the toast tasted a little bit too burnt for my liking.

CHICKEN, TRUFFLE (P1100) and SEA BASS, CAULIFLOWER, XO (P1795)

On to our mains, I couldn’t help but be won over by the Sea Bass – apart from its perfectly cooked meat, and immensely crunchy deep-fried skin, it was paired with a fragrant medley of XO and dashi sauce– which complemented the fish without masking its natural flavors. I wasn’t too excited about the Chicken – but it did boast of tender and juicy meat despite using chicken breast and was stuffed with a generous layer of truffle. Admittedly, I was never a big truffle fan, so I can’t help but favor the sea bass over this. Nonetheless, it delivered on taste and quality.

72 HOUR SHORTRIB (P1950)

I am still drooling over the 72-Hour Shortrib – thick tender slices of its short ribs were dressed in a tasty sauce and served with daikon radish, eggplant and mushroom – truly each bite of this was heavenly.

RICOTTA, PROSCIUTTO TORTELLINI (P1200)

The Ricotta and Prosciutto Tortellini paired excellently well with the 72-hour Short Rib as its delectably creamy brown butter sauce seeks to do nothing but satisfy one’s palate.

Do leave room for dessert! I wasn’t able to snap photos of our desserts – but I thoroughly enjoyed its Honey dessert!

The Test Kitchen MNL

GF, One Rockwell East Tower, Rockwell Drive, Makati City

Date of Visit: December 22, 2022 with Elaine Co, Angelli Dykimching, Jessica Lee, Ina Tan, and Hazel Yap