Delicious J-symmetry: A Josh and Jorge adventure

Over the years, Chef Josh Boutwood has made Makati and BGC the homes of his culinary journey, while Chef Jorge Mendez has stayed within the confines of Quezon City. As a Makati boy, I’ve heard many good things about Mendez—my eldest son swears by his Some Thai, and Jugs Jugueta puts Mōdan at the top of his list—but I’ve never sampled the 'magic' coming out of his kitchens. So, a big thank you to Mazda for setting up a Boutwood-Mendez collaboration at The Balmori, Power Plant, Rockwell. This was a dinner Issa and I were truly looking forward to.

As Steven Tan of Mazda explained it, while the new hybrid CX-60 and CX-90 were on display at Power Plant, the dinner was more about good friends of the brand coming together and being taken on a culinary adventure that would showcase the good taste and quality of living that Mazda exemplifies. Finding that friends like Andie and Jugs Jugueta would be at our table was an added bonus—and meant Jorge had his own cheering squad, as the Juguetas proudly declare they’re the 'joint No. 1 fans' of Chef Mendez.

The seven-course dinner showcased the very best of Boutwood’s Helm and Mendez’s Mōdan. And while Boutwood’s Anvil engagement at Balmori continues until October 13, this was one of his one-offs, a unique four-hands dinner. And so, here goes:

The first course was Josh’s signature beef tartare, but this time with a wasabi emulsion and a potato shell encasing the tartare. The shell added crunch to the texture of the dish and provided a welcome variation to how Boutwood usually offers this staple in his tasting menus. It was a great way to kick off the evening!

The second course was from Mōdan: Chef Jorge’s cold preparation of Kegani (crab), goji berries, and corn. The taste profile was excellent, offering a variety of textures and flavors as you spooned deep into the ramekin this course was served in. For me, this was an eye-opening introduction to the 'Mendez magic' Jugs was talking about—I loved the berries and ikura in this dish. Lush and delicate at the same time!

Back to Helm, we had octopus, ink, and sunchoke. This was one of Issa’s favorites; the sunchoke was turned into a sesame mash that complemented the octopus in an imaginative way. Issa isn’t usually fond of octopus but declared this one a real winner! So, Josh can definitely take a bow for this dish.

From Mōdan, we then had scallops, curry, and pandan. The torched scallops and curry sauce were the dominant flavors in this dish, and I know those around me were all wishing for a second morsel of scallop. This dish was simplicity with underlying subtlety.

The duck, somen, and consommé from Helm is a ramen-inspired creation, with the duck slices flavoring the broth. The somen, extra-thin noodles, were served with considered and near-perfect timing, arriving toward the tail end of the tasting menu. Unexpected, but very welcome!

The last main course came from Mōdan: a shortrib, uni, and farro dish highlighted by a rich, deep wine-red hibiscus-based sauce. There was a char siu, barbecued aspect to the shortrib, and it was super rich in flavor, with the farro serving as the rice component. For me, this was the one dish from Jorge that was more in-your-face—and I loved the change-up!

The two chefs collaborated on the dessert: silken tofu ice cream with dusted mochi. It was unsweetened, with a lingering caramel profile, and wonderful for that—quite different. I know many at the table were swearing by it, loving how subtle it was, without any overpowering sweetness.

A standing ovation to Mazda for putting this together. It’s quite right to insist that the night was as much about friendship as it was about the excellent dinner we were served. For this one night, the Balmori was akin to a family hearth, with two 'culinary brothers' treating us to a dinner that showcased the very best of their two worlds.