Josh Boutwood's Osteria is back for a limited run

Josh Boutwood's Osteria is back for a limited run at Balmori Suites' Chef's Table in Rockwell, Makati.

Much like its initial run last year, Osteria puts front and center hearty Italian fare, done with much sophistication, thanks to the freshest ingredients and Boutwood's modern approach.

The result is comparable to a third date; as you're still trying very hard to impress, you're also already wading through feelings of warmth, familiarity, and fondness.

Seven months since his restaurant Helm received two stars, highest honor in the inaugural Philippine Michelin back in October 2025, Boutwood admits to GMA News Online that he's feeling the pressure.

"But it's strange how my mind works," he says. "I have to add more in order to do more."

And so he's engaged in number of side quests, with Osteria being one of them.

"Doing something like Osteria really does make my mind a little bit more at ease in trying to reorganize the other [restaurant]," he says.

Boutwood has mustered a sound game plan for Osteria's return. In a joint Instagram Reel with Powerplant Mall, he said, "What we're going to do is introduce dishes little by little as we go along."

In the first week of Osteria's return, he imagines guests coming back for their favorites from the pop-up's run last year, and then trying new dishes in the second and third weeks. "On the fourth week, they go back to their favorites and on the fifth, we say good bye," he said.

"It's been so busy recently, I had to be very logical," Boutwood said, adding they already knew what their guests' favorites were from Osteria's first run.

That includes the show-stopping Chilean mussels, which simply must be enjoyed with the incredible sourdough bread from Boutwood's The Test Kitchen.

The bread comes with the lightest butter on the side, and mopping the white wine sauce that comes with mussels, becomes the perfect start to the meal.

The arancini di ragu — fried rice balls with beef ragu — is surprisingly light, while the radicchio salad is so clean-tasting and so sophisticated in its simplicity.

Meanwhile, the bucatini pasta bounces from salty, creamy, crunchy, and spicy, making each forkful satisfying. The al dente rigatoni, covered in rich mushroom cream sauce and paired with fennel sausage tastes like a warm hug.

Short and simple, the Osteria menu is divided into starters, salad, pasta, mains, and dessert.

Considering Osteria is helmed by a chef with a two-star Michelin restaurant, everything is reasonably priced, except perhaps for the Florentine steak at nearly P12,000. Served as a whopping 1kilogram piece of pink porterhouse steak, it makes it for a real Father's Day treat, in case you're already looking for ways to celebrate your old man, or if we're staying with the date metaphor, a real solid and impressive move.

Other mains — the pork cotoletta, the roasted barramundi, and the fennel roast chicken — should do the trick for much less. They are all priced below P2,000.

Make sure to leave room for dessert because they are exceptional. The Tiramisu is among the best Metro Manila has to offer, while the Pannacotta was on the lips of nearly every person we asked. — LA, GMA News

Osteria runs until June 28. Book at table +639455167151.