May 10 (Bloomberg) -- Gordon Ramsay, the chef known for his tirades on TV shows such as ``Hell's Kitchen,'' said lukewarm reviews of his first New York restaurant haven't put off diners and he's pushing ahead with plans for other venues in the U.S.

``New York wants to discover you, as opposed to confirm you,'' Ramsay said at his Verre outlet in Dubai. ``I'm British. We've got steak-and-kidney pie, fish and chips. What chance have I got going over there of being welcomed with open arms? Of course, I've got to work twice as hard to make it work.''

Ramsay, 40, who owns nine eateries in London and four overseas, holds a total of 10 Michelin stars. He opened a restaurant in Boca Raton Resort & Club, Florida, in February and intends to open another in Los Angeles later this year.

The chef, who owns the only London establishment with three Michelin stars, said Gordon Ramsay at the London, in Manhattan, is fully booked for two months in advance even after New York Times critic Frank Bruni gave it only two stars out of a possible four.

(Bloomberg called the restaurant anonymously on May 8 and was offered a table for two for today, at 8:45 p.m.)

``The fact that it wasn't loved by every food critic in New York, Frank Bruni included, that's not something I'm losing sleep over,'' Ramsay said in the interview on April 29.

`Rocky Start'

``I've been open for five months,'' he said. ``It's a rocky start. Let's not beat about the bush. It's been tough. But it's gearing me up perfectly for France. I open Feb. 1, 2008, in Paris. I'm not expecting an easy ride. So New York, I'm very happy with.

``We're $40 for lunch and we're $80 for dinner -- it's a bargain,'' Ramsay said in the interview with Bloomberg Television, in which he mostly avoided swearing while the cameras rolled. ``I don't give a fig,'' was about as strong as his language got. He looked relaxed in the tight chef's whites he likes to don on TV.

``It's cheaper to fly from London and go and eat in my restaurant in New York than it is to go and eat in my restaurant from Britain in London,'' the Scottish-born chef said.

``I got judged on a persona, not how I put things on a plate,'' he said. ``When you look at the American chefs, they all do their television shows. I'm just too honest. I don't have a long shot, a wide shot, a close up and in the editing suite for three weeks. It's me.

``The TV work is a shop window in terms of energy, excitement. I'm a man that gets excited on challenges. I can't be mundane. I don't do average. And I travel at 1,000 miles an hour.''

Savvy and Love

Ramsay said he has signed a five-year contract with News Corp.'s Fox television network, which makes ``Hell's Kitchen'' in the U.S. and plans a version of another U.K. show, ``Kitchen Nightmares,'' in which the chef seeks to revive ailing restaurants with his unique combination of business savvy and tough love.

``The deal was phenomenal,'' Ramsay said. ``I don't think any chef in the world would say no to $1 million for three weeks' work on TV. If you could find me one who would, I'd like to meet him. It's a way of funding my business across the States. It's self-sufficient in terms of funding, the expansion across America. I don't need to borrow.

``I'm 40 years of age: We've got 15 years left of shelf life,'' he said. ``My objective is three Michelin stars in New York and three stars in Paris. When I climb that mountain, I think from a chef's point of view, I've achieved the ultimate goal.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Sean Evers in Dubai at evers@bloomberg.net; Richard Vines in London at rvines@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 9, 2007 19:47 EDT