First Bite: Josh Boutwood’s Juniper Opens in Shangri-La Plaza Mall
The last time Esquire Philippines had a proper sit-down with Josh Boutwood, he was saying farewell to one of his signature restaurants, Savage. The BGC hotspot (literally, a hot spot) might have closed its doors, but the chef was already looking forward to what’s coming next. He teased the reopening of Savage elsewhere in BGC and the unveiling a brand-new concept “somewhere up north.”
Chef josh Boutwood's latest concept is Juniper at Shangri-La Plaza Mall
Turns out, that new concept is a casual dining place called Juniper along Streetscape at Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong City. This is Boutwood’s first restaurant north of the Pasig River. The name, he says, isn’t just a nod to the berry that is essential to the production of gin—one of his favorite spirits—but it’s just a personal fondness for the word itself.
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“Juniper, it's quite feminine,” he says over a casual lunch at the new restaurant three days before it opens to the public. “I see my restaurants as reflections on my personalities. I'm not saying that I'm feminine, but we all have this femininity within us, right? And some explore it more than others.”
The interiors of Juniper
Indeed Boutwood’s other restaurants seem to lean on the more masculine, straightforward even a bit on the aggressive side, if we’re judging on just the name alone—Savage, Helm, the Test Kitchen.
“I like delicate things,” he adds. “I feel like the name Juniper is a nice, delicate name. I don't want to use the word cute, but it's very, it's very easy. It's not a harsh concept. It rolls off the tongue. ‘Let's go and have lunch in Juniper.’”
But while juniper itself makes it into some of the dishes, Boutwood is quick to douse thoughts of a themed restaurant anchored on just that one ingredient. The idea he says is an unserious, uncomplicated, unpretentious place serving hearty, filling and ultimately delicious food.
“No bells and whistles,” the chef promises.
Shishito peppers
Fried Octopus
It helped that after a pop-up called Anvil at Rockwell’s Balmori Suites last year, where Boutwood was free to create dishes unhindered by anything other than hiw own wild imagination, he and his team were able to feel the pulse of diners and figure out what works or what people wanted more of.
That’s why people might recognize a few dishes on the menu from that pop-up and from the old Savage, such as the Cured Salmon with Smoked Sour Cream and Dill—a favorite of the CEO of The Bistro Group, where Boutwood works as Corporate Head Chef overseeing the food of dozens of concepts and hundreds of outlets. There’s also Mushrooms with White Wine and Comte Cheese, which was a runaway favorite at the Anvil pop-up; and a refreshing Burrata served with Tomato Granita.
Boutwood fans will also recognize dishes that has his signature all over it, such as a Fried Octopus, grilled to perfection; a Braised Lamb with White Bean and Roasted Vegetables; and a Mussels dish that will have you slurping the white wine sauce. There is a steak dish, for those with a hankering for premium meat, with a signature M1 marinade from Savage.
Ribeye steak
Boutwood, who admittedly is not particularly attached to making desserts, still manages to craft a few standout dishes for people who must have a sweet ending to their meals, including a decadent Burnt Honey Crème Brulee and a Pavlova with Summer Berries, that he submits is a consequence of his exposure to Swedish and Northern European cuisine.
Diners get to enjoy their grub in an inviting space that, again, has Chef Josh’s DNA all over it. A white stone wall provides a clean but textured backdrop on one side, with strategic lighting that’s neither too bright nor too dark. A bar with dine-in seating was one of the first images in Boutwood’s head when he was conceptualizing the space, and the realized bar provides an even more inviting vibe for customers. Look out also for Boutwood’s whimsical photographs spread out across the space, including some of Lego characters and one of his dog.
Classic G&T
The administrators of Shangri-La Plaza made it clear that, after they spent a considerable amount of money renovating the streetside area of the mall, they wanted a Josh Boutwood signature restaurant as one of the tenants. They finally got it. Juniper is a welcome addition to the culinary offerings in the area, finally giving diners on this side of the city the chance to sample the flavors of a chef at the top of his game.
