Awarded two Michelin stars, the only restaurant to hold such an acclaim in the Philippines, Helm Manila is a contemporary fine dining restaurant offering an intimate, tasting menu–driven experience.
Thirty-year-old Jao Barrameda had been working as a line cook at Josh Boutwood’s The Test Kitchen for only five months when he was promoted to sous-chef at Helm. When Barrameda applied for the job in late 2022, he thought he needed to learn from Boutwood, whose identity in his food—“simple, yet expressive,” as Barrameda put it—drew the then 27-year-old chef in. Having trained at the International Culinary Center in New York after studying Legal Management in college, Barrameda was eager to gain professional experience back home. But getting promoted wasn’t even remotely in his mind, let alone being second-in-command in one of the country’s top restaurants.
“It was really overwhelming, but at the same time, I was nervous,” he said of the promotion. “It felt like it was too soon, too fast. But you know what? I trusted [chef Josh], and I believed in him. During that time, I appreciated him because he believed in me. Ako nga, ‘di ako naniniwala sa sarili ko, pero siya, he didn’t doubt me. He never doubted.”
Josh Boutwood’s Mentorship Style at Helm Manila
More than three years in, Barrameda, now 30, still wonders why Boutwood put his trust in him so fast—he still hasn’t asked him either, what with the daily exigencies of running four Michelin-recognized restaurants and monitoring more than a hundred restaurants as corporate chef of The Bistro Group. Yet, what Barrameda appreciates about Boutwood is his effort to teach new cooks, something that Barrameda experienced when he was still new. “He was intimidating at first,” he said, “but when he teaches you, you can feel the hug.”
In his case, it was getting the steak‘s doneness right without an electric thermometer, which took him a while to master. “He was very patient ’til I was able to perfect it,” he said. “As long as you’re trying, as long as you’re giving your best every time, that’s more than enough for him.”
When correcting chefs and servers, “He’s just always direct with his words. He’s very straightforward. He’s very serious, especially with his eyes,” Barrameda said. Boutwood prefers to keep his kitchens quiet, free of shouting and running; a knife dropped during service, Barrameda said, can annoy him. Yet, outside the kitchen, Boutwood is “totally different.” He likes to banter with the dryness of British wit, and “he would just come up to you and talk about random stuff—his life, his kids, and his plans to travel.”
Kitchen Culture: Teamwork and Michelin Standards
Among the values that Barrameda imbibed from Boutwood is his care for people. “He doesn’t express his care for people that much, but you can sense that he wants people around him to grow and improve,” he said. He recalled one event in 2022 when, working with fellow Filipino chefs, Boutwood ordered his staff to help a three-man team that struggled because the event started earlier than expected. Soon enough, “I see beside me chef Margarita [Forés] helping, chef Nicco [Santos] helping, and it became a beautiful community.” It became the set-up for the rest of the courses, save for theirs.
Barrameda also remembered a moment when, weeks after the Michelin Guide announced its two-star rating for Helm, he took a scolding from Boutwood personally. After service, Boutwood insisted on giving him a lift to his parking spot; in the car, the head chef told him, in Barrameda’s words: “It’s not because I’m mad directly at you. Maybe I’m just upset with what you did, but it doesn’t mean that I hate you.” “I appreciated that a lot,” the sous-chef said.
Asked what piece of advice from Boutwood he lives by, Barrameda said: “To push myself.” Nothing much has changed in Helm’s calm kitchen after it received the Philippines’ first two Michelin stars—save for the high pressure that haunts it daily. “Sometimes iniisip namin na this two-star rating is a curse because we have to maintain it,” he said. “But, you know, that’s what keeps us going.” And he knows that with Josh at the helm, they’ll be alright.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jao Barrameda is the 30-year-old sous-chef at Helm, one of the Philippines’ most prestigious restaurants. He started as a line cook at Boutwood’s The Test Kitchen in 2022 and was promoted to sous-chef at Helm after only five months, a move that Barrameda says was based on Boutwood’s immense trust in his potential.
Inside the kitchen, Boutwood is described as intimidating, serious, and straightforward. He maintains a quiet environment—free of shouting and running—and is known for his “serious eyes” when correcting staff. However, he is also noted for being a patient teacher who “hugs” you through his mentorship, once personally guiding Barrameda until he perfected cooking steak without a thermometer.
According to Barrameda, Boutwood is “totally different” outside the kitchen. He is known for his dry British wit, loves to banter with his team, and frequently shares stories about his personal life, his children, and his travel plans.
Helm made history by becoming the first restaurant in the Philippines to earn two Michelin stars. While the team occasionally views the rating as a “curse” due to the intense daily pressure to maintain such a high standard, Barrameda credits Boutwood’s leadership for keeping the team pushed toward excellence.
During a 2022 event, when a small three-man team was struggling with an early start, Boutwood ordered his own staff to assist them. This act prompted other culinary icons like Margarita Forés and Nicco Santos to jump in, turning a stressful service into a “beautiful community” effort.
