Clever and classic Boutwood in mall setting
AEmber carries certain aspects of both The Test Kitchen and Savage, but it takes out all the fuss from food that’s both familiar and satisfying
sexy, serpentine bar splashed in deep green, an orange-yellow see-through glass-encased room with plush seating, a wavy metallic structure hovering over the bar and kitchen—Ember restaurant’s interiors make a retro chic statement. That alone, and the fact that it’s located in a mall, makes this newly opened space different from the other restaurants Josh Boutwood operates.
The maiden menu lists a short but well-curated lineup of small side and large plates.
There’s a plate featuring chopped melons crowned with a generous portion of serrano ham, raw tuna smeared with an avocado mousse and capped with crispy tapioca cracker, and my favorite appetizer, a variety of mushrooms and hazelnuts blanketed with grated Comte cheese and microherbs.
You’ll see nuances of The Test Kitchen in the dishes. They are produce-driven and display a thoughtful combination of ingredients. Nothing fussy and complicated, just clever and classic. And then you will notice a semblance of Savage as well in the kladdkaka. As the name suggests, it tips the hat to backto-basics cooking, relying mostly on wood, smoke and the grill.
Simpler and clearer
Ember feels very familiar, especially if you’ve had Boutwood’s food multiple times. It can’t be mistaken as anyone else’s as he has clearly defined his style. Yet, even if the restaurant carries certain aspects of both The Test Kitchen and Savage, I can see and recognize an identity that proves to be greater than the sum of its parts.
I find Ember simpler and cleaner than the two aforementioned brands. It’s cozy and casual, but not as laid-back as Savage, nor as tight and structured as I find some of The Test Kitchen items to be. Ember makes a strong case for easy and familiar items that can be elegant and when handled with proper thought and care, which is exactly the way they should be cooked in the first place.
The succulent, delicate sustainably farmed Spanish turbot fish is simply dressed with brown butter and capers. And the cuts-like-butter pork is modestly matched with a dollop of carrot puree and a thick pool of raisin sauce.
When it comes to cooking proteins, Boutwood and his formidable team handle it consistently well. I haven’t had a bad chew thus far.
What Ember does is take out all the fuss in food, and just do something simple right. It doesn’t need to show off or make up for any shortcoming because, at the end of the day, there’s joy to be found in applewood-smoked shrimps. INQ
Ember is at Greenbelt 3, Makati.