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Chef Josh Boutwood with the astronaut. Jeeves de Veyra

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Jeeves De Veyra

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142785728EXTERIORS.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The Test Kitchen at One Rockwell. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>There’s more to The Test Kitchen than meets the eye.</p><p>It’s an origin story not just of a restaurant, but of Bistro Elite — and the making of Chef Josh Boutwood as a culinary brand.</p><p>Boutwood, The Bistro Group’s celebrated executive chef, looked back at the period when the restaurant group had just opened Denny’s, its first 24/7 diner concept. With research and development running around the clock, someone had to cover the graveyard shift.</p><p>Mindful that his Filipino staff had families waiting at home — while his own children were in Sweden — Boutwood decided to take on the overnight work himself. He spent long nights in the kitchen, catching only an hour of sleep before reporting back for his day job.</p><p>The grind eventually caught up with him. Boutwood likened the experience to “hitting a brick wall” and realized he needed a creative outlet once again.</p><p>The group’s chairman, Jean Paul Manuud, had an interesting suggestion: Turn the test kitchen in a hidden corner of Kamagong, a couple of blocks away from the Bistro Group HQ, into a restaurant where he could be as playful with his food as he wanted.</p><p>“It was a small space. We were a much smaller group back in 2017. All the dishes, the training, even marketing across all of The Bistro Group restaurants from 2012 to 2018, passed through that test kitchen,” Boutwood beamed with pride.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142901308JOSH in Kitchen.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Chef Josh Boutwood at the kitchen of The Test Kitchen. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>It was cramped. It was only open for dinner. They just had two tables where guests had to squeeze in and do communal dining. Parking was almost non-existent. </div><div><br/></div><div><strong>A surprise hit</strong></div><p>Boutwood changed the menu every day, handwriting it on scratch paper in the late afternoon, and then printing out the menus right before opening. Guests who came in didn’t know what they were going to get or even how many courses the tasting menu would have, until they sat down.</p><p>“It was super simple. We&#x27;d always add one here, we&#x27;d always add one there. We&#x27;d always add bread somewhere, so that people thought they were getting six courses, but, in actual fact, they were getting nine! That was unheard of all the time as well,” he said.</p><p>Boutwood and the group didn’t expect The Test Kitchen in its first form to become a hit.
And yet it did.</p><p>They were surprised by how quickly word of mouth spread, drawing in foodies of every stripe — including critics and connoisseurs — eager to experience The Test Kitchen.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142989269INTERIORS 1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The interiors of The Test Kitchen at One Rockwell. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>The Bistro Group’s restaurants, most notably Italianni’s and TGIFridays were big hits with the B market, but they didn’t have any immediate plans to venture into the elusive upper A class of diners.</div><p>“So you know, everything started from this very small hole in the wall, a renovated test kitchen turned restaurant, serving food for 20 guests a night. And suddenly everything else popped up from there,” Boutwood said.</p><p>The little experiment that passed with flying colors paved the way for Bistro Elite, the group’s higher-end dining category. From The Test Kitchen came a new wave of concepts — Savage, then Helm, followed by the growing lineup of “by Chef Josh Boutwood” restaurants.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Subtle signs</strong></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759143085207JOSH with Astronaut.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Chef Josh Boutwood with the astronaut. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>If you know what to look for, there are subtle signs that mark a Josh Boutwood restaurant. One of them is the astronaut, first seen in the Kamagong test kitchen. Originally a nod to TGIFridays — The Bistro Group’s first major success — it was Boutwood’s way of linking his experimental space to his main job as corporate chef. At TGIFridays, the astronaut out front signaled you had arrived. For Boutwood, however, the symbol eventually took on a deeper meaning.</div><p>“I also love the fact that an astronaut pushes boundaries and reaches places that no one else dares to go,” he explains.</p><p>Besides the astronaut, the sourdough with a side of whipped butter is served in all of Bistro Elite restaurants. The hack is leaving some bread to wipe off every bit of sauce or drippings from the other entrees.</p><p>When The Test Kitchen moved to its new space in One Rockwell, some things had to change. There is still a tasting menu, but there had to be an a la carte component for repeat visitors.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142384229josh at rhe fermentation room.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">The fermentation lab at the second floor. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>What hasn’t changed is that it still does double duty as a restaurant and test kitchen. While the other Bistro Group concepts have their own R&amp;D teams and spaces, The Test Kitchen goes further. It’s not only where recipes are developed but also where processes are refined.</div><p>On the second floor is a fermentation lab that produces ingredients for Bistro Elite restaurants, as well as for Boutwood’s pop-ups and collaborations.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142462387FOOD - DUCK PROSCIUTTO ON TOAST.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">This is not pizza but duck prosciutto on toast. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>Take, for instance, these thin slices of brioche topped with cured duck breast from the fermentation room with pickled carrots and an emulsion of garlic and cheese.</div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142534186FOOD - BEEF WITH FERMENTED KIMCHI.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Beef with fermented kimchi. </em>Jeeves de Veyra</span></span></span></div><p>Or consider kimchi — already fermented by nature, but here taken further, dried and funkier still, then paired with steak bavette and gochujang for a bold, Korean-inspired twist.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Triangle Methodology</strong></div><p>For the Bistro Elite restaurants, there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it adherence to what Boutwood dubs the “Triangle Methodology,” the harmony of three core ingredients and flavors listed on the menu. You can taste them separately or together, each bite designed to reveal new layers.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142581386FOOD - Truffle Chicken.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Truffle chicken. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>For example, the chicken breast stuffed with a layer of truffle paste is already tasty by itself. But then there are dabs of caramelized onion puree, which add sweetness, and the slightly sharp white onion puree that balance out the truffle notes.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142623629FOOD - BERKSHIRE PORK CHOP_.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Berkshire pork chop. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span></div><p>The tender pan-fried highly marbled Berkshire pork is complemented by the gentle heat from the mustard cream and punctuated with briny tangy capers.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142693089HAMACHI.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Hamachi. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>The Hamachi reminded me of a Peruvian-Japanese preparation where the sashimi is served in a sauce. This one has a light ponzu sauce with bright, sweet fruity notes from the orange slices.</div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:783px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759142732547FOOD - SEA BASS with TAPIOCA CRISP.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Sea bass with tapioca crisp. <em>Jeeves de Veyra</em></span></span></span>The sea bass isn’t just about flavors but also the combination of textures from the buttery fish and the squid ink tapioca crisp paired with the XO sauce made from scratch and the smoked dashi.</div><p>And these are just a glimpse of the inventive dishes you’ll find at The Test Kitchen.</p><p>Boutwood closed with a heartfelt nod to his “first-born” restaurant.</p><p>“There&#x27;s an undeniable connection between the first born and myself,” he mused. “I have a debt of gratitude for The Test Kitchen because I wouldn&#x27;t be where I am today. It&#x27;s opened so many doors. It&#x27;s propelled myself and my team in spotlights that we would never have thought would have been possible.” </p><div><br/></div><div><em>The Test Kitchen is located at the G/F One Rockwell East Tower, and is open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. </em></div>

<p>The Test Kitchen isn’t just another fine-dining spot in Rockwell — it’s the restaurant that sparked a culinary movement. What began as a cramped Kamagong hideout for Chef Josh Boutwood has since evolved into the flagship of Bistro Elite.</p>

The Test Kitchen isn’t just another fine-dining spot in Rockwell — it’s the restaurant that sparked a culinary movement. What began as a cramped Kamagong hideout for Chef Josh Boutwood has since evolved into the flagship of Bistro Elite.

How The Test Kitchen sparked a culinary movement for Chef Josh Boutwood

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How The Test Kitchen sparked a culinary movement for Chef Josh Boutwood

Jeeves De Veyra

Published September 29, 2025 06:54 PM PHT

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Updated September 29, 2025 09:13 PM PHT

Read More:

The Test Kitchen

Josh Boutwood

The Bistro Group

Bistro Elite

Makati eats

Rockwell

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