Josh Boutwood's got a Few Screws Loose and Two Michelin Stars
You gotta be a little nuts to run the only two-Michelin-star joint in town
by JV Ordoñez
Published on Nov 21, 2025
Josh Boutwood is no stranger to bouts of imposing exhaustion pushing him to his absolute breaking point in the kitchen. But now, he's on top of the culinary world and the pinnacle of all things food, being the proud owner of the only two-Michelin-star restaurant in the country, just as the coveted guide landed on the islands about a month ago.
The initiative was spearheaded by the Philippine Tourism department as the Southeast Asian nation tries to advance tourism through world-class Filipino cuisine.
Esquire Philippines got a chance to sit down and chat with the mildly eccentric and charismatic Boutwood during a Thanksgiving dinner celebrating this monumental feather in his chef's toque, or chef's hat.
"You have to have a little bit of a screw loose to enjoy the job that I do. Because it's 16 hours on your feet," he said during our talk.
"It's non-stop. It's performing three times a day."
There was a wave of relief and a simultaneous jolt of energy to continue evolving that ran through his veins after Helm earned this distinction.
The guide is signaling a greater emphasis on the Philippines as a recognized designation on the global culinary map, but it also begs these questions: Were we ever not on the map? Do we need a bunch of people in suits flying in to tell us that Filipino food is good?
The chef tells us that Michelin inspectors have one crucial role, and it's refining a global benchmark for food around the world.
"When Michelin grades a restaurant, a two-star in the Philippines is the same as a two-star in the Swiss mountains. So we do need that because we need that international benchmarking in order for us to become an international destination for travelers and for locals," according to Boutwood.
I mean, who would know Filipino food better than a Filipino person? In the grand scheme of things, enjoying food is ultimately a subjective endeavor wrapped in a unique experience that is different for everyone.
"I think that's the beauty of having a guide like Michelin, where it's not just about the food and the subjectiveness of it. It's about everything. It's about the experience, the service, the wine, everything else like that," the chef adds.
Josh Boutwood
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Helm, the intimate two star-Michelin restaurant, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with similarly-rated establishments in countries like Switzerland or in any other part of the world that serves food up to par with this benchmark.
Nabbing these precious stars was a childhood dream of the charismatic chef, who stands behind the blood, sweat, and tears that made this possible.
Helm's team has never altered their style of cooking for Michelin inspectors, Filipino diners, or for any person that may enter their doors.
A simple philosophy rings true for them: cook what you are proud of, and let it speak for itself.
The success didn't come overnight for Boutwood as he mentioned mulling over menu options and tweaking his dishes again and again to avoid complacency, which we found to be almost bordering insanity levels of dedication.
"It's just the boredom. I feel like once I get into a repetitive rhythm, my mind tells me that there's no more challenge left in that particular menu," the chef replied, after being asked if he was a masochist for blowing up old menus after spurts of boredom.
"I immediately say, that's it, next week we change. Because, you know, I can't be in that rhythm. There has to be something challenging."
For the uninitiated, a two-Michelin-Star rating means the place has "excellent cooking that's worth a detour."
The rating also recognizes the "exceptional skill and precision, where every dish reflects a masterful balance of flavor technique, and personality."
The half-British, half-Filipino chef had a rather nomadic upbringing that saw him moving from Bedford, England, to the beaches of Boracay, and back to Northern Europe, where he developed his palate for vibrant cuisines.
The chef also honed his reverence for emphasizing local ingredients and tradition during his time under Raymond Blanc in the United Kingdom.
Michelin Guide also described Helm's tasting menu as defying easy labels by showing a deep respect for seasonality and local ingredients. This also spells meticulously crafted dishes with artisan presentations reminiscent of Noma in Denmark. Below are monochromatic images of some of Helm's signature dishes.
"I feel for the general population when they have a slight untoward feedback towards foreigners coming to grade our restaurants and cuisine," Boutwood says, commenting on why it is necessary to grade food on a global scale.
"But I also think that they have to understand that it's not about grading locally. This is about benchmarking internationally with other countries."
Dish 1: Fjord, Trout, Carrot, Szechuan Pepper Dish 2: Quail, Charantelle, Hazelnuts Dish 3: Wagyu, Beetroot, Fermented Root Crops
What really makes the culinary dream work
Well, teamwork. Reaching the summit of gastronomic Mount Everest is a lot like winning a Grammy for a musician or an Oscar for an actor, but Boutwood didn't want us to forget that it wasn't a one-man show.
That fateful night of the Michelin Guide's launch and those two stars, would obviously lead to after-parties and celebratory drinks.
There was no doubt in the chef's mind that he wanted to skip all the hullabaloo and go straight back to his team and their whites, even if it meant trying to escape the commotion.
He needs his team to constantly push back on his ideas to always have that space for improvement available to him. Boutwood spoke of a culture of trust within his kitchen that involved an openness to striking down mediocre, and even remarkably terrible ideas.
"I can have a shot of whiskey with anybody at any time. But representing my restaurant that night does not mean that I should be celebrating with others. It means that I should be celebrating with my team in my restaurant," he ruminated.
"I had a few beers with them and we just talked for a while. We didn't get drunk. We were responsible. We had fun. We had some heartfelt conversations and a few tears. And that was the best night of my life."
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