The most important restaurant in Gordon Ramsay’s now vast portfolio doesn’t get much attention these days, although the spotlight did briefly swing its way last month when David Beckham reportedly spent £40,000 there celebrating his knighthood.
For the most part Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is overshadowed by its namesake’s more recent endeavours. Late last year, Gordon Ramsay High launched in the City, positioned as a younger sibling of sorts to the Chelsea flagship, and just last month its former co-chef patron Matt Abé opened Bonheur in Mayfair - not officially part of the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, but backed by Ramsay.
These shiny new ventures inevitably absorb a lot of oxygen. But make no mistake: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay - or Hospital Road, as it is often referred to in industry circles - is the OG, the place Ramsay holds closest to his heart, and the one he remains most fiercely protective of.
Launched in 1998 shortly after Ramsay’s infamous exit from Aubergine, it is the restaurant at which Boiling Point, the TV show that became the first stepping stone to him becoming the most famous chef on the planet, was filmed. It is also the cornerstone of what is now Ramsay’s 60-plus-strong restaurant empire, and the only restaurant in the group to hold the top accolade from the Red Book. Next year, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay will have held those three stars for a quarter of a century.
The woman who now bears the bulk of the responsibility for ensuring that happens is sitting across from me in the restaurant’s pretty, if rather old school, dining room. It’s the day after what the tabloids called a wild Beckham party, though the immaculate room makes it hard to imagine. Wearing equally spotless whites, Kim Ratcharoen is commendably discreet, saying only that she had a late night.
An unusual journey
Originally from Phuket in southern Thailand, Ratcharoen’s journey to becoming the custodian of Ramsay’s cherished trio of Michelin stars is unusual to say the least. Taking the reins as chef de cuisine early this year following the departure of Abé around the same time, this is her first proper interview since her promotion, and she is a little nervous. Perhaps this is because there’s a part of her that can’t quite believe she’s here.
Arriving in the UK age 16 to finish her education, Ratcharoen went on to study economics at Sussex University just outside Brighton. As is the norm in Thai culture, her parents expected her to walk the same path they did.
“My family is very business orientated. The plan was for me to work in finance,” she says. “But during my degree I connected with my friends over food. I loved cooking basic Thai and a few other cuisines. People liked my food, and it was suggested that I should become a chef.”
This wasn’t something that Ratcharoen had considered, despite having spent much of her childhood cooking with her grandma. “It’s traditional for girls to help in the kitchen. We would make things like curries and stir-fries, but it was always from scratch. Sometimes I wished I was outside playing, especially when I was pounding curry pastes in a big pestle and mortar for what felt like hours until my grandma was happy with the texture. I learned some things, but I wish I’d paid a bit more attention.”
I always think about how little I knew when I started, and I try to give people a chance
After graduation, she told her parents that she wanted to train to be a chef. It didn’t go down well. “In Thailand, cooking is not viewed as a proper career. That is starting to change now we have the Michelin guide, but my parents were very disappointed in me. Breaking away from them was very hard.”
But tread her own path she did, combining a job at a modest Thai restaurant in Brighton with a year-long course at a local college. Around a year later, she moved to the capital to work at chef Michael Bremner’s short-lived London outpost of his 64 Degrees restaurant in Pimlico’s Artist Residence hotel.
“At that point I wasn’t that ambitious - I just wanted to learn a bit more. Thai food, at the time at least, felt quite limited,” says Ratcharoen. When 64 Degrees closed, she was encouraged by a more driven colleague to apply for a stage at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which happened to be just down the road.
Although 64 Degrees had high standards, the leap to Hospital Road in 2015 was considerable - the culinary equivalent of going from Sunday league straight into the Premier League. “It was a big step up,” she recalls. “But my parents wanted me to be successful, so I thought it made sense to aim high. If I was going to do this properly, why not try for one of the best restaurants in the country?”
I’ve sacrificed a lot to be here. This restaurant is my home
While entering a three-Michelin-star kitchen was overwhelming, Ratcharoen was instantly hooked. “I had no idea what I was walking into,” she says. “But I could feel the energy and the passion straight away. Everyone was so focused and driven. I just wanted to be part of it.”
She wanted it enough to turn down a job offer at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay’s sister site Pétrus - she had clearly impressed Clare Smyth, who was running the kitchen at the time - choosing instead to remain at Hospital Road until a position on the garde manger became available, the traditional entry point for commis chefs in high-end kitchens.
Ratcharoen worked her way through all the sections over several years before leaving briefly in 2019 to travel and stage. She returned when Abé asked her to be head chef.
“I had to come back to finish what I started,” says Ratcharoen, who sheds a few tears when recalling what it felt like to stand in front of the pass for the first time fully responsible for Ramsay’s culinary legacy.
“I’ve sacrificed a lot to be here, including time with my grandma, who passed away just after I started. My family all live in Thailand, so I don’t see them much. This restaurant is my home. I was nervous, but also proud.”
Tradition vs evolution
Being an institution is a double-edged sword. Long-running multi-star restaurants are not without their challenges, even when run by one of the most recognisable people on the planet - and, without naming names, some older three-star restaurants have struggled to remain relevant to younger diners. To help widen its appeal, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay recently introduced a £125 three-course lunch menu - a much lower entry point than any other three-star in the UK.
Ratcharoen and Ramsay must strike a balance between protecting the restaurant’s identity and attracting a fresh audience. Ramsay remains closely involved in menu development and Ratcharoen works with him directly - there’s no executive chef between them - communicating by phone, WhatsApp and email, as well as meeting face-to-face when he’s in London to taste new dishes.
Some dishes almost never leave the menu. Chief among them is the restaurant’s signature ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon in delicate pasta, although the garnish changes seasonally (it’s currently black truffle but the dish will be brightened for spring with herbs and lemon). Then there’s the apple tarte tatin with freshly churned Tahitian vanilla ice cream, and the pastry kitchen’s uniformly risen soufflés, whose flavours rotate throughout the year.
However, evolution also plays its part. Ratcharoen has already created several dishes referencing her roots, including John Dory with red curry velouté, and intends to do more with Ramsay’s blessing. On her days off she can often be found eating at top London Thai restaurants including Som Saa and Plaza Khao Gaeng.
“Putting your ideas on a plate is the most exciting thing about being a chef - developing, trying, testing,” she says. “I want to bring more of my heritage to the menu, but my biggest inspiration comes from the dishes perfected here over many years. It’s about elevating them and keeping them seasonal.”
Complexity and creativity
Service at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is unusually complex because, unlike most three-star establishments, the kitchen offers up to four different menus at any one time.
“We don’t want to limit our guests. We want them to choose the experience that suits them best,” Ratcharoen says. “For the kitchen, it’s also the best training. We run on memory alone - I read out the tickets, and my chefs have to stay completely focused.”
Standards remain extremely high, but the atmosphere is no longer the pressure cooker of the late 1990s and early 2000s when Ramsay was in the kitchen full time.
“It’s all about communication,” she adds. “If something isn’t right, we redo it and explain why. It’s about understanding the standard, so it doesn’t happen again. Usually, a sous chef or I will step in. There’s a structured way of dealing with problems.”
While many young chefs realise quickly that the demands of a three-star kitchen aren’t for them, Ratcharoen tries to be patient. “I always think about how little I knew when I started, and I try to give people a chance. It’s important to offer opportunities. Most people work out for themselves whether this is the right place for them after a few weeks.”
What advice would she give young cooks - particularly women - who dream of leading a kitchen at this level? She pauses before answering.
“Stay focused. Be ambitious. The hours are long and the work is demanding, and it takes a lot of your energy. But if you’re driven, and you understand the bigger picture of what you can achieve, this job can open so many doors. You have to be prepared to work very hard and to stay in one place long enough to really grow.”
Putting your ideas on a plate is the most exciting thing about being a chef - developing, trying, testing. I want to bring more of my heritage to the menu
She acknowledges that the classic ambition for chefs that have reached her level is to one day run a restaurant of your own - an idea she hasn’t ruled out but isn’t chasing for now.
“It’s every chef’s dream to have their own restaurant. But at the moment my focus is here: with the team, maintaining the standard and reputation of the restaurant, working alongside chef Gordon, and giving young chefs the same opportunities I was given.”
As for her own family, their feelings have shifted over time. “They’ve come around now. They’re proud. My mum can see I can achieve something in this industry - something she didn’t think was possible when she first heard about it,” she says with a smile.
“She still tries to convince me to move back to Thailand. All my family are there, and that’s hard.”
Perhaps that’s why she’s so intent on creating a sense of belonging in the kitchen she now leads. “Most of my chefs are a long way from home. It has to feel like a home from home. I understand that because I’m away from my family too.”
And with that, Ratcharoen returns to the pass to lead yet another three-star service.