During his recent trip to Manila, Lifestyle Asia had the pleasure of sitting down with renowned restaurateur and celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay for an exclusive one-on-one—and his insights left us craving for more.
He walked into Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill with palpable charisma that was utterly contagious. As he welcomed the team and introduced himself, shaking all of our hands with a sincere smile—we felt his warmth and enthusiasm.

While giving Chef Gordon Ramsay my name, I noticed a flicker of uncertainty in his expression. It seemed to me he was unsure if he got my name right—so I clarified, “You know, like the island—except it’s a ‘w’ not a ‘u.’
I was referring to the spelling of my name: Mawi versus Maui.” His eyes lit up, saying that he loved that, sharing how that’s where he and his wife had honeymooned (in Maui, Hawaii).
Amused by the coincidence, I exclaimed, “That’s where we had our honeymoon too!” Although I quickly explained that ours wasn’t exactly on the same island of Maui, but still in Hawaii—Honolulu, to be exact.
That shared random connection inadvertently broke the ice and what followed was an enlightening conversation, serving up insights that had us craving for more.
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Our one-on-one began with: “What compelled you to bring Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill to Manila?”
“The Philippines has always been high on my agenda. Some of the most exciting food I’ve eaten—out recently in New York, Melbourne—has been through Filipino restaurants. And even now, young, talented chefs searching for Michelin stars, using their mother’s recipes—and some of the best restaurants in these influential cities across the globe have all been Filipino restaurants,” he shared enthusiastically.
He added, “So it’s a bit of a dream come true, to be in this part of Asia and to finally have something unique here in Manila.”
We were curious to learn if there was a particular Filipino ingredient or dish he has discovered and enjoys cooking with or eating.
He said, “There’s this incredible melting pot with Filipino cuisine. You know, the complexity is exciting. The heritage behind the recipes are incredible. And then the regionals—respect in terms of how this country is divided. So, there’s something quite unique about the fragrance of Filipino cuisine. The adobo, I absolutely adore.” He goes deeper into the nuances of what he loves about the classic Philippine favorite: “Whether it’s the pork belly, pork shoulder, or even chicken.”
And then he revealed, “We’ve been falling in love with the local fish, lapu-lapu. And that for me is just equivalent to our cod. It’s incredibly sustainable, it’s meaty, it’s delicious. It can sustain a beautiful coating of the batter. So, my job as a chef is to sort of master the techniques and respect the culture here in the Philippines, but use the ingredients in so many exciting ways.”
You’ve said in the past that you were in the pursuit of perfection. How’s that going today? Are you still in this pursuit? What’s your definition of perfection?
“I think every chef in the world wakes up with that pursuit of perfection. And it’s like a sports athlete. They want to win games, divisions, championships. And so it’s exactly the same with a chef. You strive for perfection. Ninety-nine point nine percent you get there. And so there’s always something that you’re never happy with 100%.
So the definition of perfection is searching beyond your comfort. And really, really pushing yourself, pushing the boundaries out. Perfection for me is being one percent better than yesterday. And so, that resonates daily with me. I try to teach these young chefs today to strive for perfection.
Be better than yesterday and push the boundaries out. That typifies the word perfection.”
Has this always been your definition of perfection? Or has it evolved over the years?
“That’s always been the hallmark of my career. I think I was lucky enough to be involved with sport, before food. And so I grew up with that incredible level of competitiveness. Searching, driving, pushing, and no complacency. I think that’s the key. Because the minute you start becoming complacent in the kitchen, especially with food, ingredients, teaching, then the knock on effect is devastating.”
He emphasized, “So you need to be—you need to be on your game. And I think every time you wake up in the morning to come into a kitchen, there needs to be a target. There needs to be a standard you have to aim for. So, I think that’s what keeps us focused. Perfection is healthy. And that’s what I’m all about. And in many ways—never fear perfection, never, never worry, never, never stress. Just strive on a daily basis.”
Do you believe in the balance of respecting traditional recipes while adding your own flair?
“Respecting tradition is absolutely crucial. I think a chef’s job today is the evolution of that tradition. Customers want innovation, excitement. Customers want to see a new adaptation. They want to see a new reinvented idea. Holding on to the past and the traditions are crucial. Respecting the flavor, the balance.”
He expounded, “But the evolution is the exciting part. What can we do to make sure that this recipe is carried on for future generations? If we just ignore it, copy it, and don’t add—then it could be sad. It just disappears. So, I’m a big believer in respecting culinary traditions, pushing the boundaries out, and reinventing the old.”
Who would be your most influential mentors and what makes you say so?
“ I’m very lucky to have a few mentors. Every time I go to a new country, I always focus on the local, indigenous—the local community, the local culinary skills. And so I was very lucky growing up from the age of 19—from Marco Pierre White to Guy Savoy to Albert Roux to Joël Robuchon. I’ve had five really good mentors.”
He continued by explaining how he still looks for that mentorship today: “Every time I go out for lunch or dinner and I see something exciting, I take pictures, I take videos, and I send it back to my team and ask them to come, come and enjoy this, come and see what I’ve seen. And so looking for new mentors every year is important because it could be a dessert, it could be a cocktail, it could be a simple appetizer. So, yeah, I’ve been lucky to work with some incredible mentors.”
What are you grateful for during the last year? What is your outlook for 2025?
What was I grateful for in 2024? I was grateful for an incredible, healthy family. That is number one on the agenda. And what I’m looking forward to in 2025 is creating something unique in Manila. Teaching. Looking at the desire these young chefs have here in the Philippines. Wanting to learn more. Create more. Climb the ladder more. And establishing a reputation in the Philippines, as a restaurateur, is something I’m looking forward to.”
Are there more new projects in store for the Philippines?
“The Philippines has been almost like a second home for me and they’ve welcomed me in as almost one of my own. I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy some of the best food over the last five years inside incredible Philippine restaurants. Serai in Melbourne, incredible place. New York, again, is blowing up with some incredible Filipino restaurants chasing Michelin stars,” he enthused.
He definitively declared, “Based on the success already here in Manila, I can confirm that we are looking for further sites to expand, to grow and develop, and to bring this team along with the journey. So, I will be doing more restaurants here in Manila—yes–100%.”
What’s the next big dream?
“The next big dream for me is to see this place full every day. And looking at the number of thousands of reservations we’ve had since we went live, it’s incredible—the support.
The conversation concluded with a glimpse into the future: “So, my next big dream is to make sure that every customer walks through this dining room, leaves as happy as I am, giving them that kind of amazing service and fantastic food. That’s my dream. Amazing. Thank you.”
Gordon Ramsay Live In Manila at Newport World Resorts
After the interview, we were invited to Newport Performing Arts Theater for the by-invitation-only “Gordon Ramsay Live In Manila,” hosted by Newport World Resorts.

Gordon Ramsay Live In Manila was a by-invitation only event presented by Newport World Resorts, highlighting the celebrated restaurateur’s future projects set to continue igniting the Philippine dining scene
Event host Issa Litton had the incredible task of putting the acclaimed restaurateur under the spotlight with a Q & A, concluding with a mini Masterchef competition, featuring four Filipino chefs: Danica Lucero, Ninong Ry, Judy Ann Santos, and Bea Therese Qua.


The Masterchef mini surprised and delighted the audience, featuring four of our very own Filipino chefs: Danica Lucero, Ninong Ry, Judy Ann Santos, and Bea Therese Qua
The challenge was to create their own version of halo-halo while adding a unique secret ingredient. Up for grabs for the winner was the coveted Masterchef Jacket, presented by Ramsay, which was awarded to Danica Lucero, for her outstanding creation and version of the beloved Filipino dessert using camias compote as her secret ingredient.
Photos by Kieran Punay of Kliq, Inc.