Compliments to The Chefs In 2017, I had the great honour of attending a lunch hosted by @nederburgwine at @thetestkitchenct with @_justmich_ It was the thrill of my life. To taste, to see, to experience. To marvel at the theatricality of dining. To be in awe of the benchmark that was set. To smile at the innovation and passion. As you close your doors on this chapter, I wish you my best for what comes next. Thank you for your service. #TasteLetsSee #TheTestKitchen #Nederburg (at The Test Kitchen) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSM_xQnqGyg/?utm_medium=tumblr
The Test Kitchen by celebrity chef Josh Boutwood recently hosted a Canadian Steakhouse Pop-up from March 9 to 11, 2021 featuring the exquisite flavors of Canadian Beef. For three days, Chef Josh Boutwood masterfully crafted a series of special dishes from mouthwatering appetizers to delectable seafood and awesome steaks.
The Steakhouse Pop-Up at The Test Kitchen was held in partnership with Canadian Beef and the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines which invited me to join the festivities last week. I had just attended one of their events in December (Canadian Roast and Toast Dinner) at Ikomai and Tochi in Makati, but knowing how much I love Canadian beef and their flavorful steaks, this was an invitation I couldn’t refuse.
The Test Kitchen has evolved from being just a tasting room where Chef Josh Boutwood introduces his culinary inventions to a proper restaurant located at the ground floor of One Rockwell’s East Tower in Makati. The restaurant has a spacious al fresco dining area which is very much suited for the times.
If you want to see Chef Boutwood and the other chefs in action, you can choose to sit at the indoor tables with a full view of the open kitchen. The place has a casual yet also sophisticated ambiance, where friends and family can hang out and safely enjoy the food and drinks.
I always make sure that the restaurants where I dine in are following all the necessary health standards and protocols. Social distancing is strictly followed here at The Test Kitchen, with disinfectants readily available on every table. Envelopes are also provided for face masks and utensils are enclosed in their own sanitized pouches as well.
We started with some of their specialty cocktails. The Fireball (P390) is a combination of fireball whiskey, coffee, rosemary, and cucumber. I had the Ungava Tepache (P390) with its blend of ungava gin, tepache, and pineapples. Complimentary breads were also served on the table together with butter.
For our first appetizer course, the Beef Tartar (P560) was definitely a revelation. This beautifully plated starter comes with raw Canadian beef tartare blended with onions and caraway. The maple and soy cured egg sits prettily on top balancing a fennel lavash. Break the egg open and mix it with the beef to create a creamy and colorful dish.
We also had some Mussels (P490) served with garlic bread. These Canadian mussels are sautéed in white wine, garlic, and parsley. I loved dipping my bread inside the bowl to seep up the savoury flavors of the mussels.
I was surprised with the Canadian Scallop Mousseline (P290) which was unlike any scallop dish I had tried before. The mousseline cream is topped with flying fish roe sauce and dill oil. The result is a salty scallop mousse that you can eat by itself or put on some bread for a winning combination.
But the main attraction at the Canadian Steakhouse Pop-Up is, of course, the steak! We ordered the Canadian Angus Ribeye (24oz-P5200) together with truffled mashed potato and creamed spinach as our side dishes.
No matter how many times I have eaten Canadian beef, I still cannot get enough of it. Chef Boutwood’s own version is simply magnificent. The beef is cooked medium with a crusty outer skin but the inner portions are so tender and juicy. Chef Josh Boutwood is really known for serving delicious and meaty steaks, so this collaboration with Canadian Beef is really a gift for foodies.
So what makes Canada Beef exceptional anyway? They say that it is Canada itself - the land where the cattle is raised and its cold climate, rich grasslands, fields, and stunning landscape which makes it highly-suitable for farming. Canada is a sprawling land that stretches over more than seven time zones and is one of the leading beef-producing nations in the world. It is their community of farmers and ranchers who tend to the cattle with values and respect that make Canadian beef truly a cut above the rest.
There’s really no need to add anything else to the steak because Canadian beef is already so flavorful, but all the steaks at The Test Kitchen are served with house mustard, chimichurri and The Test Kitchen steak sauce. So it’s up to you how you want to enjoy your steak.
We also got to taste some of Canada’s seafood as well. The Seabass (P1795) is another exceptional dish served with Tuscan kale and housemade XO sauce. I could not believe how soft and tender this seabass was. Every bite was truly wonderful and I could not have had a better surf and turf combination with the Canadian Angus ribeye steak.
For dessert, we had the Apple Cobler (P390) made with Canadian apples and topped with Vanilla ice cream. We also had the Ice Wine Custard with Blueberries (P220) which was made with wild blueberries harvested from over 10,000 acres in Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The Ice Wine is also a popular sweet beverage in Canada and I enjoyed having it incorporated in this dessert.
The Embassy of Canada in the Philippines is also participating in the 1st virtual World Food Expo (WOFEX) Spring trade show from March 20 to 29, 2021. As a major participant of the show, they have organized a number of events to showcase the best of Canada’s food and its strengths as an education destination. These are the Philippines-Canada Culinary Cup on March 24-25, the first virtual culinary competition featuring students and faculty of Philippine and Canadian schools; the Canadian Gastronomy Masterclass on March 26 where you can savour the best of Canada’s food industry through a virtual showcase of Canadian beef, pork, seafood, potatoes and wines; and finally the Study Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts in Canada Masterclass on March 27 featuring a series of presentations delivered by 12 Canadian schools that offer programs in hospitality, tourism and culinary arts. You can join these exciting events for free by registering on this link: https://forms.gle/G9S6AyDHQGFSVCaw7.
Thank you Ms. Angel Cachuela and my friends from the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines for another mouthwatering evening with Canadian Beef. I’m glad to see that more and more restaurants are now beginning to offer Canadian beef on their menu so I can easily indulge in my meaty cravings.
The Test Kitchen. Cape Town, South Africa. One of the best culinary experiences ever. The flavors from every dish was well thought out and each plate was dressed so beautifully. No wonder Chef Luke Dale Roberts has one of the top 50 restaurants in the world.
This is an incredible place. Voted 61 in the worlds best restaurants 2013.
If you can get a table it's a must. We went for lunch on a Saturday.
Take a taxi to the Biscuit Mill Market (Saturdays only) mid morning and enjoy walking around the stalls, shops, sampling cheese, meats and refreshing cocktails. A mixture of artisan crafts, food, drink, clothes and jewellery. You can wander around for at least an hour or two, just don't try too many samples.
We went all out and had the 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings. All in it was ZAR 700 Incredible Michelin star standard.
