From Bistro Group to Culinary Independence
Josh Boutwood joined The Bistro Group at their Manila offices in 2012 as a corporate chef, where he learned the intricacies of backroom operations, the logic of financial management, and the complexities of motivating teams. This foundation proved invaluable when he ventured into opening his own concepts, bringing both culinary excellence and business acumen to each project.
The Test Kitchen: Where It All Began
On February 1, 2017, Boutwood opened The Test Kitchen, a small tasting menu restaurant that showcased his playful side and transformed simple ingredients into clever compositions. The restaurant remains one of Manila's most progressive dining destinations and serves as the birthplace of concepts that later evolved into his other restaurants. The Test Kitchen continues to operate as a space for culinary experimentation and refinement.
Savage and Helm: Exploring Fire and Intimacy
In 2018, Boutwood launched two distinctive concepts in quick succession. Savage, which opened in April, explored pre-industrial dining and more primal cooking methods using charcoal, wood, and fire. Four months later, he opened Helm, an intimate 24-seat tasting menu room that earned recognition as a Tatler Best 20 restaurant, where Boutwood prepares high-concept, multi-course dinners. While Savage closed in 2024, Boutwood announced plans to reopen it in 2026 at a new location. Helm continues to deliver exceptional fine dining experiences.
Ember: Elegant Meets Casual
Ember opened in May 2022 at Greenbelt 3 in Makati, bridging Boutwood's fine dining expertise with a more accessible format. The concept focuses on cuisine that is easy to understand and humbly delicious, requiring no pretension to enjoy. True to Boutwood's philosophy that veers away from limitation, Ember's menu doesn't focus on a specific cuisine but rather showcases what the chef does best in an elegant yet casual setting. The restaurant continues to draw crowds with its fire-focused cooking and approachable sophistication.
Juniper: Expanding Beyond Makati
On February 21, 2025, Boutwood opened Juniper at Shangri-La Plaza Mall, marking his first restaurant outside Makati and BGC. This latest venture brings his refined yet approachable style to a new audience in Quezon City, offering affordable lunch menus alongside dinner service. Juniper represents Boutwood's continued evolution as a chef, making quality dining accessible to a broader Manila audience.
Current Restaurant Portfolio
As of 2025, Chef Josh Boutwood operates four restaurants under The Bistro Group's Bistro Elite line: The Test Kitchen (opened 2017, Fort Bonifacio), Helm (opened 2018, Fort Bonifacio), Ember (opened 2022, Greenbelt 3, Makati), and Juniper (opened 2025, Shangri-La Plaza, Mandaluyong). Each restaurant showcases a different facet of his culinary philosophy while maintaining the commitment to quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation that defines his work.
Cooking Philosophy
Boutwood's approach veers away from limitation, refusing to be boxed into a single cuisine or style. His nomadic upbringing--moving between England, Boracay, and Northern Europe--shaped a culinary perspective that draws from multiple traditions while remaining focused on ingredient quality and technique. Whether working with fire at Ember, creating playful compositions at The Test Kitchen, or delivering multi-course experiences at Helm, Boutwood consistently demonstrates that exceptional food doesn't require pompousness, just skill, creativity, and respect for ingredients.