Gordon Ramsay plans to open a ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and three more restaurants in Manila

When asked about his media presence, Ramsay shared that social media is crucial in today’s world. “It’s a great way of marketing yourself and establishing confidence. These chefs deserve the following. No one gets to see the 12-hour prep time—only the three minutes of devouring,” he shares. He then recalls his online interaction with TikTok’s ‘Lumpia Queen’, Abi Marquez, and invited her onstage. “Abi did something special this morning. She took Beef Wellington and put it inside an incredible spring roll. It was absolutely stunning.” To which Marquez jokingly replied that he spoiled the surprise.

Also see: Who is Abi Marquez, the content creator showcasing Filipino cuisine to the world?

In the middle of the event, Ramsay let the audience in on a secret. “We are looking at three new restaurant sites in Manila. Lots of exciting stuff to come, and maybe even a Hell’s Kitchen restaurant,” he says, to which the crowd cheered in exhilaration.

The Hell’s Kitchen television series premiered in 2005 and has since spawned seven locations in the United States. Should Ramsay’s teaser come to fruition, this will become the first Hell’s Kitchen in Asia and outside United States.

Right after the Q&A session, the curtain rose to reveal a kitchen with four stations. In a competition akin to the MasterChef series, Ramsay challenged four Filipino personalities to create a unique spin on halo-halo incorporating a secret ingredient. the first to be introduced is Danica Lucero, a culinary student from the CCA, who used a kamias compôte as her mystery element. “Kamias is crunchy, juicy, and sour—it gives a nice balance to the sweetness of halo-halo,” shares Lucero.

Second was Ryan Morales Reyes, more popularly known as Ninong Ry. His presence caught the attention of the entire auditorium, earning him a resounding chant. His wildcard was coco jam, aimed at amplifying the milky texture of the dessert—to which Ramsay responded, “Amazing”, followed by a playful jab at the content creator. “Just make sure to keep that hair out of the halo-halo,” he says with a laugh.

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As if to show off her recent accolade of graduating from culinary school, Chef Judy Ann Santos took the stage with black sesame polvoron as her signature ingredient. Ramsay complimented her choice, making her to visibly gush over his approval.

Finally, the Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill Philippines’ very own head chef, Bea Therese Kwa, represented her kitchen—bringing Bohol’s asín tibuók as her secret ingredient. “You cannot lose this! If you do, we are out of a job!” jokes Ramsay.

The contestants were then given 10 minutes to prepare their best version of a halo-halo as Ramsay darted around the stage. After tasting all the desserts and jokingly claiming he was getting diabetes from Ninong Ry’s creation—“I can feel my arteries jamming up,” quips Ramsay—he declared Lucero the winner. She then received a special jacket to commemorate the event.

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