What it’s like to dine at Gordon Ramsay in Manila
Even before it opened its doors on Aug. 31, Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill had been booked solid, with foodies and fans of the internationally renowned, multi-Michelin-starred chef eager to get the Gordon Ramsay experience in Manila.
The restaurant, which you’ll find at Newport World Resorts, is so popular that just a month after opening, plans are already underway to increase its capacity.
We went for a lovely long lunch on a weekday and as we dug into our desserts mid-afternoon, we looked up and realized in surprise that the restaurant was still full of people also enjoying their meals.
They do accept walk-ins, we were told, and, should you wish, you can also enjoy your meal at the beautiful bar area—a good idea for solo diners. We can totally imagine ourselves doing that, grabbing a seat at the bar to enjoy our Gordon Ramsay favorites.
Our experience started at the bar where we were taught to mix one of the bar’s signature cocktails: Old Man, their take on the classic old-fashioned. Their version combines more ingredients than the original.
The Kentucky bourbon whisky, cognac, aperitif, liqueur and bitters are actually mixed and aged in tiny barrels for three days. We filled a jigger with the mixture and added it to our mixing glass. We added ice and mixed the drink with a bar spoon 30 times (yes, we counted)—we learned that spirit-forward cocktails are stirred, not shaken.
We poured the drink into a rock glass and added a large ice cube which was marked with the Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill logo using a brass stamp. That was pretty cool.
We squeezed an orange peel over the glass, getting that zesty, oily goodness into the drink. The drink then went into the smoke cloche and was fired up to give it that rich smoky flavor.
Complex cocktail
The resulting cocktail was a complex mix of flavors—bitter, fruity, woody, sweet, zesty, smoky. We’re not usually old-fashioned drinkers but we liked Old Man.
We took our drinks to the main dining area which gave us a great view of the open kitchen. It was easy to imagine Gordon Ramsay there, running his kitchen with the passionate precision he is known for.
He was there, too, in the food—his food—that we enjoyed. Our meal started with a new menu addition that will be introduced on Oct. 10.—the Bar & Grill Seafood Tower, served with a dramatic fog effect.
Lifestyle was among the first to try the generous and towering servings of David Hervé oysters from France, Boston lobster, king crab leg, poached clams and tiger prawns served with classic sauces. The oysters, kissed by a red wine mignonette, made our mouths taste like the ocean.
Not to be ignored were the bread rolls and lemon seaweed butter, so good that we had to stop ourselves from filling up on them.
The Classic Caesar Salad is made with Parmesan aged for 36 months. In this dish, the anchovy doesn’t just disappear into the dressing—you can actually enjoy pieces of fish with the lettuce, Parmesan, croutons and slow-cooked egg.
The Crispy Crab Cake & Caviar is an absolute must. Definitely one of our favorites. Topped with asparagus, a poached egg, hollandaise and Sturia Oscietra caviar, it’s a beautiful dish we couldn’t wait to enjoy again.
The Aged Steak Tartare was served with potato crisps (potato chips to us non-English folk) and we thought that was brilliant. You grab a crisp, top it with tartare, pop it in your mouth and enjoy the juxtaposition of textures and flavors.
Beef Wellington
It was time for Gordon’s Signature Beef Wellington—a dish that, to be honest, we were a little nervous about trying because what if it didn’t live up to our expectations? We’ve heard so much about the iconic dish, even from Ramsay himself in Lifestyle’s exclusive interview with him in August: “It really is a show stopper with perfectly crisp pastry, delicious duxelles, and melt-in-the mouth beef fillet.”
We were thrilled to discover that it’s exactly how he described it. The Beef Wellington did not disappoint—in fact, it was even better than we imagined. That thick, tender slice of MB7 Wagyu beef fillet hugged by mushroom and truffle duxelles and pastry—what a delight.
Ryan Behr, the general manager of Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill in Manila, who took such great care of us during our meal, poured red wine jus over our Beef Wellington.
“How is the pastry still crispy?” we marveled, as we took perfect bite after perfect bite, enjoying the Wellington with creamed potatoes, spinach and red wine jus.
“Even the carrots are so good!” someone at our table exclaimed. We agree. Everything on that plate was really good.
It took months of training for the staff in Manila to perfect the Wellington, we heard. And they have.
We also had the Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips made with pink grouper and served with Koffman’s thick-cut chips (that’s fries to you and me), crushed peas and tartar sauce—another great pick for a main dish. Ramsay, who has a beautiful history with fellow chef Pierre Koffman, serves only Koffman’s chips in his restaurants. The chips came in a super cute Union Jack-themed cup.
The Fish & Chips are one of Newport World Resorts chairman Kevin Tan’s favorites at Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill. Tan, who was instrumental in bringing the restaurant to the Philippines, also loves the Crab Cake and Beef Wellington.
We also had the Iberico Pork Secreto, which many consider “the Wagyu of pork,” fresh off the grill and delightfully sweet and smoky.
Leave room for dessert
By this point, we were all stuffed from such a great meal but, as Ramsay said in the Lifestyle interview, “Make sure you leave room for dessert!”
And you really have to because the Sticky Toffee Pudding cannot be missed. It’s definitely another favorite for us. In fact, this sweet treat alone is reason enough for us to go back. This quintessential British dessert is a lovely date-infused sponge cake topped with a rich butterscotch sauce and served with ice cream. Oh my lord, so good.
We also got to enjoy the Flamed Bombe Alaska, another menu item that will be available starting Oct. 10. It is flambéed, torched and sliced right at your table, to reveal the dark chocolate sponge and chocolate and honeycomb ice cream hiding inside the Italian meringue.
They are also planning to introduce a festive menu for the holidays—another thing to look forward to.
This past weekend, they brought in Peruvian bartender Raiza Carrera, who was named Best Bartender of Spain in 2023, for guest shifts at the bar. Plenty of action for a restaurant that just opened.
Gordon Ramsay has restaurants in different parts of the world. We wondered—have they noticed a difference in the way Filipinos have been enjoying his food?
Yes was the answer. First, Filipinos love to dine in big groups. They’ve been getting reservations for tables of 8, 9, 10 people or even more. Not a problem since they have private dining rooms that can accommodate as many as 20 people.
Pinoys love takeaway. In fact, we heard that after just two weeks, they ran out of takeaway boxes, thanks to diners who get their leftovers wrapped and also order extra dishes to bring home.
And, lastly, Filipinos love to share their food. They’d order different dishes for everybody at the table to enjoy. We totally get that, it’s a great way for everyone to try more menu items. Except the crab cake—it’s so good we’d want the whole thing to ourselves.
Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill is at 2F Newport Grand Wing, Newport Boulevard, Newport World Resorts in Pasay. It’s open daily from noon to 3 p.m. for lunch and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner. Dress code is smart casual. Visit www.newportworldresorts.com/grbg.
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