Josh Boutwood creates a tostada for Taqueria Franco
“Do you remember the first time you guys met?”
Miko Calo and Josh Boutwood, two of the country's best chefs, stared at each other, stumped. They couldn’t answer my question.
“That's how much of a big impression I made on her,” Josh quipped, making everyone laugh.
Miko said, “I knew of him, but I think we got to really talk when we were planning that restaurant swap.”
Josh was supposed to take over Miko’s French restaurant Metronome, which was then still open, and Miko was supposed to take over Josh’s resto The Test Kitchen for a special event. Miko said, “That was going to be exciting because he was going to do a reinterpretation of my tasting menu and I was going to do the same thing.”
But the pandemic got in the way. “We locked down that week,” said Josh.
Since then, the two have worked on the same charity events but they’d never really had the chance to work together in the kitchen—until this year. Josh said, “When we were discussing some plans for the year, I was like, ‘I want to cook with Miko.’”
The chef is the newest Friend of Franco.
Cooking together
It finally happened in Ember, one of Josh’s three Michelin-Selected restaurants, a list that also includes Juniper and The Test Kitchen. His other restaurant Helm is the only restaurant in the Philippines with two Michelin stars.
Miko and Josh’s sutukil-inspired four-hands collaboration “Nose to Tail, Gills to Fin” was a success. That was in April. This month, food lovers can enjoy another Miko-Josh collab, with Josh creating a special tostada to be served at Taqueria Franco all throughout May.
At Taqueria Franco, which Miko runs with her cousin RJ Galang and partners Laveena and Paolo Clavecilla, Mexican fare meets French culinary techniques. Think Cordon Bleu Quesadilla, Foie Gras Tacos, Lamb Bourguignon Birria, Ratatouille Enchiladas.
Taqueria Franco, a Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee, is a creative playground—not just for Miko but also the Friends of Franco. “It really started because of RJ. We want Taqueria Franco to be very community driven. We want it to be fun. We have a lot of friends in the industry and we want it to be a platform for them to step away from what they usually do. It's not just chefs—we've had bartenders, we've had Dante (Dizon, creative director of 13 Lucky Monkey), Mars Miranda who did a playlist for us. It's a creative platform.”
Josh said, “I'm hyper-excited about finally becoming a friend of Franco.”
Josh had a confession: “Can I tell you the absolute truth? I had never eaten here. I have completely missed out. And my wife joined me, and she's like, ‘Wait, why have we not been here before, Josh?’ I lost points with my wife."
He loved his first meal at Taqueria Franco. “Best meal of my life right now, no joke. My favorite was the duck taco with hoisin.”
Textural contrast
For his Taqueria Franco creation, he decided to make a tostada. “I think a tostada's got that lovely textural crunch to it. I have this thing where if it doesn't have texture, I get bored of eating. There needs to be this textural contrast to make it exciting.”
He topped the buckwheat tostada with cured hamachi. “We serve quite a lot of raw stuff in the restaurants and I'm a big fan of amberjack or hamachi. We made a relish out of some lovely jalapeños and habaneros. And we infused the crema with taco spices. We kept it really simple, clean, light. Great for the summer weather.”
Josh added, "We have that crispy base, the soft, good hamachi and then the lovely acidity at the end. There's also a little punch of spice from the chilies. It makes you want to take one bite and then continue biting until you've got no more left—and, hopefully, order another one.”
The chef is right—it really is the perfect dish for summer (and you would want to order another one). Josh’s Cured Hamachi Tostada with Jalapeño Relish is light, bright, and so satisfying. I can’t wait to go back to Taqueria Franco to enjoy it again.
What do the two chefs like about working with each other? Josh said, “I absolutely love Miko to bits. It's just so fun to work with her. I know she's serious in the kitchen and I love that. But the way she comes across, it's so... Can I use a Gen Z word? Demure... It's just super chill working with Miko. Really, really cool. Chill.”
“Same,” Miko said. “Josh is like a brother. And I absolutely love his humor. When we hang out, there's always laughter. I also love the way he cooks and the way he's very generous with knowledge. And yeah, I've always enjoyed his restaurants. It's so much fun to be able to work with and to have a friendly relationship with somebody who you really admire as a cook.”
There are a lot of exciting things in the pipeline for both chefs. On May 12, 14, and 15, Miko presented a Taco Omakase at Upper House Hong Kong’s Chef’s Room with Ricardo Chaneton.
“Anything else you’d like to add?” I asked both chefs.
“I was never arrested,” said Josh, referring to a blind item about a chef who had been picked up by the police in BGC last month. It wasn’t him.
Miko chimed in, “I'm the alibi. We were actually cooking together that night.”
Josh joked, “And Miko never put me in handcuffs either.”
Josh Boutwood’s Cured Hamachi Tostada is available at Taqueria Franco until May 31. Taqueria Franco is at San Agustin St. Salcedo Village Makati.
