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. GH: No, I just made that up. But at least the menu is vegetarian friendly. Theres no real nod to local stuff. GH: Yep, I was looking forward to hating this dish. Your guide to staying entertained, from live shows and outdoor fun to the newest in museums, movies, TV, books, dining, and more. 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. GH: I am mystified by how chefs like Ramsay are able to juggle multiple locations, concepts, and countries and keep quality high. DF: Yep, thats a really good question. Did she approve? That caramelization not only locks in moisture but also provides an added layer of flavor. Can I borrow your wig? So fruity! We both loved the Eton mess. Gordon Hamersley chef of the beloved South End restaurant Hamersleys Bistro, cookbook author, and Globe cooking columnist had a brilliant idea. Your local Indian restaurant is going to do a lot better. DF: How important do you think service is? Got feedback? DF: Or Trader Joes. DF: You brought desserts home to Fiona. Devra First: Good morning, Gordon H. Last night we had dinner at Ramsays Kitchen, celebrity chef Gordon R.s first Boston outpost. Subscribe to e-licious for weekly updates on Boston's culinary scene. GH: In the picture on the website, the boiled carrot and turnip are there. The decor is pretty generic. 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.
I imagine the Boston chefs are being schooled to get the basics right. We'd love to hear it. The lobster was perfectly fresh and tender. DF: And dessert is dessert. GH: Dessert was fun! And a great sticky toffee pudding can be transcendent. 774 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston,857-289-0771,www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/en/us/ramsays-kitchen. The jumbo lump crab cake at Ramsays Kitchen. Think about it. Whats going to happen at Gordon Ramsays restaurant? Gordon Ramsay during an interview with the Globe at Ramsay's Kitchen in February. Chef and author Gordon Hamersley in his home kitchen in 2015. [Laughs] The thing that was most striking to me on this menu was its lack of regard for the seasons. 2022 BostonChefs.com Gordon Hamersley chef of the beloved South End restaurant Hamersleys Bistro, cookbook author, and Globe cooking columnist had a brilliant idea. Our server was definitely attentive, very enthusiastic, and enjoyed taking care of us. GH: Interesting to wonder if a Boston chef had taken the space if the vibe would have been different. So little filler! The jumbo lump crab cake, which the server recommended highly, was our first taste of that. It was seasoned very lightly with Old Bay, I think. 
I think it was my vision of the fruit bomb that turned me off. As it is, the feel is a little corporate and somewhat disappointing. Follow her on Twitter @devrafirst. A reduction of red wine and demi-glace is usually served on the side. 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. Located in the Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay, Ramsays Kitchen has been swamped since it opened at the end of January. That, I think, is very different from how the average good, thoughtful Boston chef would approach their menus these days. But a lemon wedge and some remoulade would have gone a long way. GH: Beef Wellington is one of those recipes that every chef cooks at some point in their career. Business is business. DF: Is that happening? When he partners with Elon Musk on space flights, theyll be there too. Of course. Gordon Ramsay is a huge star, and with that comes a branding/imaging program with no limits. 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. Click here to learn how to. Not surprisingly, I was wrong. And I could have used triple the amount of the very good, citrus-y aioli. Then we both wanted to order the scallops for all the wrong reasons: We thought wed probably hate the dish. Theres no real nod to seasonal stuff. 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. And when the restaurant first opened, there he was in person, with his spiky blond hair and culinary chops. So, one of my favorites. 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. Then we both wanted to order the scallops for all the wrong reasons: We thought wed probably hate the dish. 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. GH: We should give him a mulligan.
Poking a tiny hole in the pastry allows the steam to escape for more insurance against a flabby crust. What would Jody Adams, Ken Oringer, or Ana Sortun have envisioned for it? And, you can get weekly email updates on the latest job openings here. If it had a really strong bar program or a slightly more eccentric menu, that would have been welcome. It would be interesting to know how the economy of scale works in a big empire like that. 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. It was still sticky toffee pudding. And what would one longtime Boston chef think of the new arrivals spot? To keep the crust from sogging, the crepe layer is crucial. 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. 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. Because its so plausible. But hate it I didnt.
The toasted bun had just the right airy crispness. The only thing wrong with it was what made us fight it out for stray morsels: There was so little lobster! 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. 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. 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. GH: She scarfed them down at 1 in the morning. Ramsay knows classic technique well; its his stock-in-trade. 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. 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. Sure, the pork belly could have used a bit of caramelization and a hint more salt. But such a pleasure to have you at the table. It mostly reminded me how much I dont love filet mignon, although I did appreciate the assertive, flavorful layer of mushroom duxelles. Im not going there. It felt like something was missing. Ramsays Kitchen, the new restaurant from UK celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. But Im willing to own that my failure to love the dish was mine, not the dishs. The e-mail subject line was almost too good to be true. DF: Should we talk about the chickpea tikka masala? I dunno. Frankly, Im used to much more assertive seasoning, and I longed for extra mustard and pepper that so complement the sweetness of the crab. But how would the restaurant fare once Ramsay left, back to the business of being an international celebrity chef? Just a few wee bites! 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. 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. And a little TV presence never hurts. My first impression everyones first impression, really, upon visiting was the ginormous portrait of Ramsay Himself inside the entrance. 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. 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? Thats if Im allowed back in there, or anywhere in Boston after eating with you! Lets discuss! But its been years since we closed and years since you judged my food, so, RIGHT, lets eat! DF: What about the boring little boiled turnip and carrot on the side?
There is this beautiful little oyster bar, but no ones paying it any mind. Her assessment: They were bloody delicious.. Youre in New England and youre about to get into the growing season. We used to make sticky toffee pudding from September until March or until the pastry department threatened to quit. 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! Done well, it is a sublime, elegant dish that has many steps. Reach the areas best qualified and most dedicated professionals. But there is much to go wrong if each element isnt done right. The Ramsay Wellington we had I thought was well executed, tasted just right, and lived up to the classic standard. Youre right about the cut of beef. 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. I love fruit and meringue desserts; I love all the different textures as the meringue and the cream settle in together. Agree about the portrait: Its honest. The e-mail subject line was almost too good to be true. Beef Wellington at Ramsays Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay's recently opened restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. Did he read us well? This wasnt a leisurely dinner with chat time between courses. On the up side, there are plenty of other open positions here. Well try it next time. DF: I want your expert take on the beef Wellington, a signature dish of Ramsays. Being married to an Englishwoman who adores both Eton mess and sticky toffee pudding, this was familiar territory for me.
I wasnt surprised at the level of cooking at all. I understand its a hotel restaurant, but so was Eastern Standard. Im saying you liked it? Maybe thats what he uses globally. 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 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. 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. Heres what happened when one culinary Gordon went to another culinary Gordons restaurant. GH: Service can make or break a whole evening. But all that fruit worked really well. Theres almost never much wrong with scallops and pork in any form. But at that point, I might rather pay $34 and get some actual lobster in my lobster roll? Theres also a beet burger. There are no jobs currently available at Ramsays Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay. Eating at a Ramsay restaurant is as much (or more) about Ramsay as it is about the food. I was reminded of the fabulous portrait of Paul Bocuse in his iconic palace of French culinary tradition. I mean, any chef who says theyre perfectly comfortable hanging out with the Globe food critic is being disingenuous. It just sounded dated and sweet and busy, involving pork belly and chicken jus plus apricot puree, pomegranate, and cara cara orange. We have tomatoes on the vine; we have pomegranate seeds on the scallops. By July 4, on menus everywhere in the city, spring is gone. Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. It was a fine example of how ingredients that seemingly might not work can come together to create more than their parts. Bravo! Not that it stopped me from eating it! Three sweet elements, each with very different properties, brought balance to the dish. 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. It was one of my favorite things we ate. Thanks to the tiny citrus salad, there was some acidity to it. He and restaurant critic Devra First would go together to Ramsays Kitchen, the new restaurant from UK celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Thats where we come in. Apricot has a round, rich sweetness; the orange is mild citrus; and the pomegranate a jolt of exploding acid, and that was the kicker. DF: Loved it. 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. Is this meant to be a restaurant for the locals, or mainly for the steady stream of tourists passing through Back Bay? This is a rich dish, and a well-balanced red wine sauce really cuts the recipes richness. 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. DF: There was so much crab!