Testing one, two, three: Chef Josh Boutwood is back with The Test Kitchen 2.0

It is time that Chef Josh Boutwood brings The Test Kitchen to a wider audience

Walking from Poblacion to Rockwell one night, I bumped into a stranger who seemed rather lost. “Do you know where the new Test Kitchen is? It’s supposed to be around here,” he said hurriedly, adding that he was late for his dinner. Since I was heading the same direction as he was, we walked to One Rockwell together, where I saw the restaurant from afar for myself. His claims were true—The Test Kitchen was not in Kamagong, Makati anymore, but in a brand new neighborhood.

It is an understatement to say that Josh Boutwood is one busy man. From managing his restaurants Helm and Savage, to serving as the corporate chef of The Bistro Group, many wonder how he always seems to manage a calm exterior. However, once you get to speak to him, you get get a sense of his sheer passion. The chef—who once described his personality as “obsessive” in another interview—is always pushing boundaries when it comes to creativity, and his new home in One Rockwell, The Test Kitchen is another testament to this.

Upon stepping inside The Test Kitchen part deux, the first thing you might notice is its stylish interiors—a combination of rustic textures and sophisticated touches— which Boutwood says he designed himself together with his partner. There is an open kitchen on the first floor, reminiscent of the first version of the restaurant, a growing number of wine bottles decoratively perched on an indoor ledge (all of which have been consumed by customers), a figure of an astronaut. Expect that the space, much like Boutwood’s cooking, will surprise you with playful touches from time to time.

“I never wanted to bring The Test Kitchen too far away from its original version. I just wanted to make sure it was acceptable to a larger audience,” Boutwood shares. One way he is doing this? By turning his tasting menu into an à la carte menu. One can still taste the very essence of The Test Kitchen, however, because of this particular quirk: their menu, save for a handful of staples, changes every day, depending on what is in season.

“Compared to Savage where we’re focused on using an open grill, in The Test Kitchen, we use whatever equipment we can to ensure that the dishes are balanced and focused on the seasonality of the particular ingredients,” the chef shares. On the second floor of the restaurant, you will find a curing room, with large cuts of meat hang from the ceiling. “Curing is a very new thing in the Philippines. It’s nice to have a place where flavors and textures are constantly developing. A piece of meat at two months will taste differently from if it has been aging for a year,” he adds.

Today’s menu features a few of these cured meats. To begin, Boutwood serves us a delicious Charcuterie and freshly baked bread, as well as Smoked Salmon, Zucchini and Cucumber. By the time the main courses come around, we are more than ready for them. The Lamb, Onion, Shiitake and the Chicken, Truffle, Carrot (a staple in the menu) are masterfully made, and we savor every bite. For dessert, standouts are the Honey, Cream, Pollen and the Burnt White Chocolate, Coffee, Egg. Each ingredient listed in the dish’s name truly stand out in their own ways, and they are prepared in a way that you didn’t know was possible.

An advantage of having The Test Kitchen situated in a neighborhood such as Rockwell is that word of it traveled fast, just like the way I ran into it by chance. “What’s great about this place is the community. You have family, friends, neighbors coming together,” Boutwood shares. These people can be described in the way he talks about the ingredients he uses: “They’re a very cool, eclectic bunch, ever-changing.”

The Test Kitchen is located at G/F One Rockwell, Rockwell Drive, Rockwell, Makati. For reservations and inquiries, you may call (977) 288 5751 or email thetestkitchen@bistro.com.ph.