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Fine dining restaurant Helm re-opens with an ultra-private, luxurious surprise
Diners across the Metro can finally satisfy their hunger for exquisite restaurant fare and feel at ease with the thought of revisiting one of the city’s top fine dining haunts. Throughout the pandemic, Helm has been closed as its leading chef focused on other concepts better geared towards takeaway orders. Now, with diners increasingly eager to dine in more regularly, Helm is ready to welcome us back.
Its ethos has always been about seasonality, with a produce-first thrust. This has become an even greater challenge during the pandemic as chef Josh Boutwood has not always secured the exact ingredients or variety of produce that he needs or wants. However, this has presented a great opportunity for the talented chef, inviting him to innovate with what he can get his hands on instead. The menu remains seasonal and still progresses through 11 courses, guiding you through a multi-cuisine experience that boasts flavours of the world with every dish served.
Read more: Chef Josh Boutwood Opens Savage, More Re-Focused Than Ever
A shocking twist is that…the entire service will be run by chef Boutwood, and by chef Boutwood alone. That’s right. No servers. No sous chefs. Just Josh. He has designed the menu so that he can handle cooking while tending to guests' water and wine needs too.
Like you, I was surprised. In fact, my jaw hung open as he disclosed these plans to me over the phone. This impressive endeavour is made a tad bit easier given the fact that chef Boutwood is limiting capacity to both a minimum and maximum of four guests at a time; each service must be a four-top, so no two-tops allowed. All guests must also be from the same party, as chef thinks this will put everyone at ease in the restaurant’s intimate setting, and simply make service run more smoothly.
Read more: Meet Metro Manila's Top Sous Chefs
'Why on earth would this top chef want to undertake this challenging endeavour?' you might ask. To that, Boutwood says: “People want an experience. I want to make it memorable and unforgettable. That is my mantra now. Your experience here will give you the most value for money. I want to dote on my customers the most I can. If I make a mistake that’s on me. I am taking this very personal this time around.”
Read more :21 Filipino Women In The Food And Drink Industry To Know
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About
Isabel loves to learn, and see things from different perspectives. Connecting with people and engaging in new experiences to broaden her horizons is what inspires this storyteller, keeping her constantly curious, and excited for what's to come. An absolute love for all things F&B ignited a hunger to devour content from this world and keeps her jumping into tasty adventures around the globe. From the beauty of simple bites, to nuanced fine dining tasting menus, street food, and the art of entertaining, the multi-faceted nature of the dining experience is something she can't get enough of. A good cup of coffee or a glass of wine paired with a dash of witty conversation is a quick way to win her over. This editor loves travelling, food, music, skincare, fitness, and is only friends with people who love dogs. Guilty pleasure?: Binge-watching TV shows and movies she has already seen.
Work
Concept creation is the name of the game and branding takes centre stage in Isabel's day-to-day schedule. From producing shoots, conceptualising bespoke projects for our partners, relationship management, to cooking up features and events for Tatler Dining, this editor is a tried and tested foodie at heart. She mainly writes content for Tatler Dining, engaging in captivating discussions with restaurateurs, chefs, producers, and food enthusiasts to tell must-know stories. Aside from that Isabel manages Tatler Dining's flagship events like Off Menu, or Cocktail Festival and puts together the Tatler Dining Guide, our annual listing of the best eats around town.
Follow her on Instagram @isabelvmf.
