Frankly, Im used to much more assertive seasoning, and I longed for extra mustard and pepper that so complement the sweetness of the crab. The jumbo lump crab cake at Ramsays Kitchen. Theres no real nod to seasonal stuff. Heres what happened when one culinary Gordon went to another culinary Gordons restaurant. A server gets paid mostly by the guest, is employed by the chef/general manager, and has to negotiate in an intensely pressurized atmosphere with often differing needs all night long and do it with a smile. Three sweet elements, each with very different properties, brought balance to the dish. DF: What about the boring little boiled turnip and carrot on the side? Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. But all that fruit worked really well. The way to get the best of the dish is to pile a fork with a bite of every element and let those flavors loose on your palate. Is this meant to be a restaurant for the locals, or mainly for the steady stream of tourists passing through Back Bay? What would Jody Adams, Ken Oringer, or Ana Sortun have envisioned for it? Ramsays Kitchen, the new restaurant from UK celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. DF: And dessert is dessert. Of course. But a lemon wedge and some remoulade would have gone a long way. Im saying you liked it? Whats going to happen at Gordon Ramsays restaurant? GH: Beef Wellington is one of those recipes that every chef cooks at some point in their career. If it had a really strong bar program or a slightly more eccentric menu, that would have been welcome. 2022 BostonChefs.com Located in the Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay, Ramsays Kitchen has been swamped since it opened at the end of January. 
Click here to learn how to. And I could have used triple the amount of the very good, citrus-y aioli. Gordon Hamersley chef of the beloved South End restaurant Hamersleys Bistro, cookbook author, and Globe cooking columnist had a brilliant idea. DF: There was so much crab! I mean, any chef who says theyre perfectly comfortable hanging out with the Globe food critic is being disingenuous.
We have tomatoes on the vine; we have pomegranate seeds on the scallops. Got feedback? The thing that struck me was that proteins, still the center of the plate here for the most part, would be perfectly cooked but barely seasoned. Did she approve? It was one of my favorite things we ate. It mostly reminded me how much I dont love filet mignon, although I did appreciate the assertive, flavorful layer of mushroom duxelles. My hope for this space initially was that a new Eastern Standard would open here, and I dont think Ramsays Kitchen brings energy to the neighborhood the same way that would have. I think it was my vision of the fruit bomb that turned me off. Im not going there. So, one of my favorites. Restaurants get mistaken for charities by some diners, but if a server cant turn tables with grace and efficiency, the house aint going to make it long term. The only thing wrong with it was what made us fight it out for stray morsels: There was so little lobster! Youre right about the cut of beef. And what would one longtime Boston chef think of the new arrivals spot? But at that point, I might rather pay $34 and get some actual lobster in my lobster roll? But Im willing to own that my failure to love the dish was mine, not the dishs. That caramelization not only locks in moisture but also provides an added layer of flavor. His portrait sits at the end of the dining room: Lest you forget where you are, monsieur, here is a little reminder., DF: Totally weird to be dining with you too! And the menu itself is pretty conservative. DF: I want your expert take on the beef Wellington, a signature dish of Ramsays. The way we fought each other to see who could devour it faster kind of looked like a round of WWE in action. And, you can get weekly email updates on the latest job openings here. The e-mail subject line was almost too good to be true.
Gordon Hamersley chef of the beloved South End restaurant Hamersleys Bistro, cookbook author, and Globe cooking columnist had a brilliant idea. The salt and spicing came largely from the other components on the plate. But there is much to go wrong if each element isnt done right. So fruity! Because its so plausible. Not surprisingly, I was wrong. And when the restaurant first opened, there he was in person, with his spiky blond hair and culinary chops. DF: You brought desserts home to Fiona. I dont know how they manage. DF: Yep, thats a really good question. Then we both wanted to order the scallops for all the wrong reasons: We thought wed probably hate the dish. And everything was doused in butter not too much butter, but the amount of butter just before too much butter, which is to say the right amount of butter. A reduction of red wine and demi-glace is usually served on the side. Can you tell its one of my favorite things to cook?
Tender beef slathered in Dijon mustard with mushroom duxelles and either pt or prosciutto, all wrapped up first in a crepe and then in puff pastry, it is cooked in the oven until golden-brown. After cooking and resting, the pastry is cut open to reveal perfect medium-rare beef. Our server was definitely attentive, very enthusiastic, and enjoyed taking care of us. The decor is pretty generic. Theres almost never much wrong with scallops and pork in any form. To keep the crust from sogging, the crepe layer is crucial. GH: Interesting to wonder if a Boston chef had taken the space if the vibe would have been different. Bravo! It just sounded dated and sweet and busy, involving pork belly and chicken jus plus apricot puree, pomegranate, and cara cara orange. And a great sticky toffee pudding can be transcendent. Eating at a Ramsay restaurant is as much (or more) about Ramsay as it is about the food. It was pretty, with celery leaves and herbs scattered across the top, and claw meat laid strategically across the top so it looked like a little orange fin. Agree about the portrait: Its honest. Do I wish wed gotten Ramsay at his Michelin-starred best? I wasnt surprised at the level of cooking at all. He and restaurant critic Devra First would go together to, Located in the Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay, Ramsays Kitchen has been swamped. My first impression everyones first impression, really, upon visiting was the ginormous portrait of Ramsay Himself inside the entrance. Regardless of the menu choices, I found the cooking at Ramsays Kitchen to be technically quite solid better than Id thought it might be, to be honest. We both loved the Eton mess. DF: Loved it. The toasted bun had just the right airy crispness. Service sets the tone of everything, and reading a table, timing courses, and ultimately dropping a check and being ready for the next group is exceedingly difficult to do well. Lets discuss! Thanks to the tiny citrus salad, there was some acidity to it. Chef and author Gordon Hamersley in his home kitchen in 2015. I would say this version (attributed to Ramsays mum) was good, not great: I like that kind of dessert to have a little more complexity, to be darker and deeper than this was. Fans of Ramsays restaurants (some of them Michelin-starred), television shows such as Kitchen Nightmares and Hells Kitchen, and brash style flocked to experience his food for themselves. It felt like something was missing. GH: I look forward to seeing how the restaurant matures. DF: How important do you think service is? We'd love to hear it. Just a few wee bites! The e-mail subject line was almost too good to be true. There hasnt been a kitchen I worked where it hasnt been part of some menu. I compared it with the menus at London restaurants like Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, and it is pretty similar. Maybe thats what he uses globally. DF: Or Trader Joes. Then we both wanted to order the scallops for all the wrong reasons: We thought wed probably hate the dish. Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. And a little TV presence never hurts. There are no jobs currently available at Ramsays Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay. Is this the opening salvo for menus to come, or is this the menu thats etched in stone forever because thats what hes going to do in Miami, Denver, and so on and so forth? Can I borrow your wig? As it is, the feel is a little corporate and somewhat disappointing. Ramsay knows classic technique well; its his stock-in-trade. I dont think anyone recognized you without the Red Sox cap, although the excellent French wine-themed tie was kind of a tell. Email feedback@bostonchefs.com, Jobs at Ramsays Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, get weekly email updates on the latest job openings here. Sure, the pork belly could have used a bit of caramelization and a hint more salt. But hate it I didnt. Thats where we come in. I love fruit and meringue desserts; I love all the different textures as the meringue and the cream settle in together. The jumbo lump crab cake, which the server recommended highly, was our first taste of that. It would be interesting to know how the economy of scale works in a big empire like that. Apricot has a round, rich sweetness; the orange is mild citrus; and the pomegranate a jolt of exploding acid, and that was the kicker. But at least the menu is vegetarian friendly. DF: Is that happening? Filet mignon has very little fat and therefore just doesnt have the kind of beef flavor were used to, so its vital when making Wellington to salt and pepper the meat well and get a good hard sear on the beef. Theres also a beet burger. This is a rich dish, and a well-balanced red wine sauce really cuts the recipes richness. I imagine the Boston chefs are being schooled to get the basics right. Reach the areas best qualified and most dedicated professionals. But I guess restaurants like Ramsays Kitchen bankroll the Restaurant Gordon Ramsays, and the lauded flagships lend an aura that gets customers into seats across the board. I tried to be dignified about this, but obviously I failed. The cocktail list is pretty short, and the drink I had was fine, although my wine was too warm and I felt weirdly typecast as, like, a Riesling Mom by our server. As for timing, I looked at my watch when the main courses were cleared and thought, OK, this is just where we should be right now. By July 4, on menus everywhere in the city, spring is gone. On the up side, there are plenty of other open positions here. So little filler! 774 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston,857-289-0771,www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/en/us/ramsays-kitchen. The Ramsay Wellington we had I thought was well executed, tasted just right, and lived up to the classic standard. DF: Should we talk about the chickpea tikka masala? I dunno. I understand its a hotel restaurant, but so was Eastern Standard. It was a fine example of how ingredients that seemingly might not work can come together to create more than their parts. The lobster was perfectly fresh and tender. There is this beautiful little oyster bar, but no ones paying it any mind. Once everything is neatly encased in pastry, it gets cooked in the oven at high heat, and essentially the pastry cooks and gets golden-brown but the inside actually steams. Beef Wellington at Ramsays Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay's recently opened restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. This wasnt a leisurely dinner with chat time between courses. But such a pleasure to have you at the table. When he partners with Elon Musk on space flights, theyll be there too. Well try it next time. GH: In the picture on the website, the boiled carrot and turnip are there. The duxelles, while cooked until almost dry, can also throw some moisture, as will the pt and mustard, so each step must be done perfectly or the meat will taste boiled. I felt like it was very responsive at Ramsays Kitchen, albeit with a good-humored shtick, and I definitely got the sense we were on a tight schedule for the next seating. Perhaps not completely. Youre in New England and youre about to get into the growing season. Gordon Hamersley: First of all, Devra, thanks for inviting me, and I will just say that as a former Boston restaurant chef, dining with you is a little weird to start with. I dont remember ever seeing one of you at Hamersleys Bistro. Your local Indian restaurant is going to do a lot better. Her assessment: They were bloody delicious.. Theres no real nod to local stuff. I used to think it was secondary in casual places, and that if they had the basics down and the food was great, that was all that counted. GH: No, I just made that up. I am literally laughing as I think what [wife and Hamersley Bistro co-owner] Fiona and our staffs reaction would have been if Id showed up one day with a 10-by-20-foot portrait of myself and asked where they thought we should put it. As for the crab cake, the server got the description right: a massive portion of crab held together by some breadcrumbs, crispy on the outside, warm on the inside. It was still sticky toffee pudding. GH: She scarfed them down at 1 in the morning. That, I think, is very different from how the average good, thoughtful Boston chef would approach their menus these days. I was reminded of the fabulous portrait of Paul Bocuse in his iconic palace of French culinary tradition. It was seasoned very lightly with Old Bay, I think. GH: Service can make or break a whole evening. GH: I am mystified by how chefs like Ramsay are able to juggle multiple locations, concepts, and countries and keep quality high. We wanted to be left alone to chat and eat and look around, but Ill never criticize any server for being over-the-top pleasant, which this one was. Like the crab cake, the dish was $29; lobster prices, all prices, are high, and unfortunately for the consumer this isnt a crazy price for a lobster roll in a Boston restaurant right now. Follow her on Twitter @devrafirst. As for the portrait of the other Gordon, while certainly not our style and it probably would not even occur to the great chefs of Boston to have a huge image of themselves be the only artwork on the wall I get it. Did he read us well? GH: We should give him a mulligan. Business is business. Run by Black journalists at The Boston Globe, Black News Hour, a new radio program, delivers reliable news that connects with our community and expands on deeper issues impacting our city. Gordon Ramsay is a huge star, and with that comes a branding/imaging program with no limits. The aigre-doux reduction of chicken and pomegranate molasses worked its magic, and I found myself mopping the last bite of pork belly through it the taste missing in the belly on its own. We used to make sticky toffee pudding from September until March or until the pastry department threatened to quit. Thats if Im allowed back in there, or anywhere in Boston after eating with you! (As it should have been: It was $29.) [Laughs] The thing that was most striking to me on this menu was its lack of regard for the seasons. He and restaurant critic Devra First would go together to Ramsays Kitchen, the new restaurant from UK celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Think about it. Your guide to staying entertained, from live shows and outdoor fun to the newest in museums, movies, TV, books, dining, and more. Not that it stopped me from eating it! GH: Hey, what about that Connecticut-style lobster roll? Poking a tiny hole in the pastry allows the steam to escape for more insurance against a flabby crust. It just sounded dated and sweet and busy, involving pork belly and chicken jus plus apricot puree, pomegranate. Subscribe to e-licious for weekly updates on Boston's culinary scene. GH: Dessert was fun! But how would the restaurant fare once Ramsay left, back to the business of being an international celebrity chef? Devra First: Good morning, Gordon H. Last night we had dinner at Ramsays Kitchen, celebrity chef Gordon R.s first Boston outpost. Being married to an Englishwoman who adores both Eton mess and sticky toffee pudding, this was familiar territory for me. Done well, it is a sublime, elegant dish that has many steps. But its been years since we closed and years since you judged my food, so, RIGHT, lets eat! Gordon Ramsay during an interview with the Globe at Ramsay's Kitchen in February. GH: Yep, I was looking forward to hating this dish.