Ulnamsam - Vietnamese Spring Rolls modified..

On the process of doing the detailed 'to do list' now.. In a thread where my friends were discussing some itinerary for our upcoming vacation, there was a mention of a request that I should prepare one meal for them. My natural tendency would be to immediately brush off the idea thinking that there wouldn't be enough time to cook! ..On second thought, I considered preparing "ulnamsam" for them! Just not sure yet if it would be possible!

Vegetables, and meat for spring rolls
adding pineapple bits and/or mint leaves gives a more 'exciting' and refreshing taste

So, what's "ulnamsam"? It's basically more of a Vietnamese spring roll with a twist. I actually just coined the term from our Korean friends. They call the food that way. Ulnamsam is a really nice and refreshing food to share! The vegetables are freshly eaten and the rolls aren't fried! No oil involve ~healthy :x Koreans are not only so used to eating fresh produce, they also take time in really preparing their food = healthier than what can usually be bought outside!

Vietnamese Rice Paper for Spring Rolls
Photo from: vegweb.com

As pictured on top, vegetables (the kind that you would prefer to eat) and meat will comprise the filling of the roll. The meat will be cooked stove top in boiling water (the broth from this will be used later for ramen!). After, both cooked meat (beef in our case) and assorted veggies will be wrapped in softened rice paper (dipped in boiling water where the beef is being cooked) then dipped in a sauce (onion juice+pineapple juice+fish sauce)... then eaten!!! Just like that..! And, where's the picture? ..Just like that the food is all gone too :) Please understand!

And the broth? Of course we'll not let it go to a waste! Have an instant ramen or fresh noodles (if you want) ready and cook it in the now really tasty broth! ...burp!

Kimbap - Korean Food

Are you a fan of KPop? Perhaps of Koreanovelas? If so, this food must be familiar to you! And, you will know that this is different from the Japanese makisushi or California maki. This is Kimbap 김밥 - one of the most popular traditional Korean dish. Yes, it sure does resemble the aforementioned but both actually have distinct tastes! :)

For other Korean dish, here's the link to Japchae:
http://kharensarroza.blogspot.com/2012/04/blog-post.html

Kimbap: Kim (seaweed sheets; this is called 'nori' in the Japanese sushi) + bap (rice).

It's basically rice roll with vegetables and meat or ham or kimchi - depends on what kind of kimbap you are making. Kimbap is a favored choice for picnics and lunch packs!

But, until now it still sounds like 'sushi' right? So, what's the difference between the two? Sushi is flavored rice - flavored with 'dashi' which is a seafood stock plus rice vinegar and a bit of sugar and salt. In kimbap, however, the rice is usually plain steamed rice which, once cooked, is usually blended with a dash of sesame oil and salt.

*Dashi is staple in Japanese dishes as sesame oil is in Korean dishes.

Anyways, here's how I made it:

Carrots and cucumber cut lengthwise.
Vegetables can either be pickled or not.
Spinach is also a good addition!

On top (L-R):Kimbap ham which can be substituted with Spam ,
Fish cake or 'Omu' which  will be sliced lengthwise too.
Bottom (L-R): Crab meat and pickled radish (yellow)
which can be bought at Oriental stores and Spinneys

Short grain steamed rice blended with sesame oil and salt.
*For Japanese sushi rice, it is said that it's better to use wooden bowl and
spoon so as not to break the rice grains.

Ready to roll! ..Spread the rice and place the ingredients! Sounds easy?

Sounds easy but it actually isn't! X)
It's something that takes a lot of getting used to!
If the kids' moms would grade me on this, I'd get failing marks!
Why? It's supposed to be intact and very very compact!
And, excuse me for the bare hands here.

Yeah, something's missing.. I forgot the egg!!!
Oh well, there's always next time!
*For Koreans, the color of the food actually matters.

Japchae - Korean Noodles

It's a common knowledge (should be classified as general info :p) that we, Filipinos, love to eat - be it our native dishes, American, Italian or Chinese.. any cuisine, that is! I, myself, enjoy food a lot but among all there is, I love Pan-Asian the most!! :)

Just last Saturday the kids' mom showed me how to cook one of their favorite noodle dish:
Japchae 잡채 and here are the photos from that culinary experience!
*Perhaps you would want to see the family once again..
http://kharensarroza.blogspot.com/2012/03/meet-parks-photography-01.html

Ingredients:
Japchae Noodles (Dang myeon 당면 - sweet potato noodles)
Korean version of glass noodles or sort of vermicelli and it's a bit sweet!

Mushrooms, 3 kinds:
Shitake, soaked in warm water
King mushroom (that big and white kind),
Family mushroom (not sure of the name..)

Beef - strips soaked (to remove the smell) in
vinegar + black pepper + rock salt + ginger powder
Oil for stir frying the beef

Vegetables: Julienned.
Onion
Green or spring onion
Carrots (but we totally forgot about it)
Spinach (she said, paprika is an alternative, not really sure)
bell pepper

Julienne is a culinary knife cut in which the food item is cut into long thin strips, similar to matchsticks. Sometimes called 'shoe string', e.g. 'shoestring fries'. - Wikipedia

Dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water.
I love this kind of mushroom. It's really flavorful. I swear!
You can get it at Spinneys, Carrefour or any other oriental stores in Karama if you're in Dubai.

King Oyster Mushroom (left), another kind of mushroom - clamshell/family mushroom (right) I think..

This is the other kind of mushroom which I am not sure of the name..
So just help yourself and remember what it looks like X)

Cleaning the onion and mushrooms..
This was actually my first time to see how the cleaning is done.
That means, I have never tried cooking dishes with mushrooms other than shitake
and the canned ones! So..You have to cut off the bottom part of the mushroom - rightmost photo.

Cleaning the spinach.
I have long been curious how to prepare spinach that I've looked it up on youtube
and several other sites but I actually never got the chance to try it myself.
I've always loved that spinach side dish served in Korean restaurants - so much,
that I would ask for another serving! LOL

Looks very fresh and green.. ~ Looks good for your health!!
The kids' mom actually has a 'nutritionist certificate'. And, indeed,
it shows by the way she prepares her family's food. 

Julienning green onions.
I would have to say that the knives we used were really sharp and light.
I noticed and so I told her. She said that for moms, it's really important to invest in
good utensils and pots and everything else in the kitchen!!! "You will know.."
..she let me try to julienne the onions and it took me ages to make it as good and as quick as hers!

Yes! She was cooking all at once!! Have I mentioned? She was really fast!
I panicked! I couldn't think of how to set the camera and how to take pictures!
I had a pen and paper with me for taking notes in addition to the camera.
However,I was supposed to be taught, so I must also do my share.
That meant, I had to do the cutting too!
What's more? The kids! They kept on talking to me and
kept on asking me questions during the entire process..
Now you see, I had the right to panick! :p

Top: Cooking the beef strips. She used very little oil to stir fry the beef strips!
She said that she is not fond of frying food - in fact, most of them are not.
The second photo: The noodles were cooked the usual way.
Bottom: In the boiling water, the spinach was briefly soaked and then taken out.

Spinach.. almost done! After having been briefly soaked in boiling water,
it was washed with running water and then the water was squeezed out.
Then, with the spinach on the bowl, put a pinch of rock salt and a dash of sesame oil.
That's the side dish that I was talking about! Simple but healthy and delicious!
...although this time, it will be mixed with the noodles.

With the beef almost done, put in the vegetables except spinach.

Next, the shitake mushrooms.

Then, the rest of the mushrooms.

What do they use to add flavor in their food?
Soysauce, rock salt, a bit of sugar or honey, oyster sauce and
'abalone' sauce (pictured on the right; it can be bought in oriental stores)

Here you go!! It's almost done!

To top it up, there's "omu" or fish cake. She said that it's usually fried but
she prefers to just run boiling water onto it. It tastes like tempura - only flat.
It was also cut into strips.
By the way, that strainer is amazing! I'd get one if I see one!
Did you notice the "blade-like" side?
It opens wider depending on the size of the container where you put it.

And there's egg!!! Scrambled egg cut into strips too!

She can flip the egg!! And, I cannot!!

Those are my fingers!!! Why mention?
Because when I was helping her prepare the vegetables,
she saw the back of my hand. My fingers were wounded
because of the hand washing of clothes which I did earlier. I was embarassed.
She advised me to ALWAYS wear gloves and keep my hands pretty. OMG.

The finished product! :) Delicious, as always :) 
If you happen to know a Korean restaurant,
please try it some time. They really have good food!!! :) Honestly.



There you go!! I hope this post makes up for the idle weeks in here!
Please visit again soon.. and, thank you!

Pierchic @ Al Qasr Madinat Jumeirah - Part 2 (DUBAI)

For Part 1, click here: http://kharensarroza.blogspot.com/2012/03/pierchic-al-qasr-madinat-jumeirah.html


So what do you think? 
Personally, I would love to go back to Pierchic. Why? For the following reasons:


The view. 
I love taking photos, that's why :) 

View from Pierchic Jumeirah

Pictured below is Madinat Jumeirah's beachline. The complex building shown in the first image is Mina A'Salam and the second is Al Qasr from where Pierchic can be accessed. As for us, we entered through Souk Madinat and from there, you will be guided by the signages leading to Al Qasr.


"Madinat Jumeirah encompasses two boutique hotels; Al Qasr which literally translates to The Palace, Mina A'Salam, and Dar Al Masyaf; Arabic summerhouses located around the resort grounds with views of the private beach and gardens. The resort also provides conference and banqueting facilities, and various dining options, with over 40 restaurants ranging from casual to signature dining, with some world renowned restaurants." - Wiki

Mina A'Salam ('The Harbour of Peace') , Madinat Jumeirah - View from Pierchic

Mina A’ Salam or 'The Harbour of Peace' was the first of the boutique hotels to be completed, and features 292 rooms and suites.

Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah - View from Pierchic

Al Qasr Hotel, Madinat Jumeirah - Up close

Al Qasr, which literally translates to 'The Palace', comprises 292 rooms and suites, designed to reflect a sheikh’s summer residence.

Souq Madinat ('Market') Jumeirah Promenade 

Souq Madinat Jumeirah Up Close

5.4 km of waterways link the different areas of the resort, and water taxis (Abra (boat)) allow guests to travel along them to all parts of the resort. The waterway is in constant flow with sea water being pumped in at one end of the resort and flowing back out to sea at the other end. The waterways are also home to a turtle sanctuary that aims to rehabilitate injured turtles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madinat_Jumeirah

Dar Al Masyaf, close to Pierchic

Dar Al Masyaf consists of 29 stand-alone, two-storey residential retreats inspired by traditional Arabian summer houses. Each of the 29 'houses' features 8–11 rooms and suites which are extended across the resort grounds, surrounded by landscaped gardens, with some located on the beachfront, and guests have a 24 hour butler service.

Arabian Inspired Cottages at the Hotel Beachfront - View towards Pierchic

This is how they do it ;) - View from Pierchic

What else? Their promotional lunch plus the complimentary cake! 


If not for that, we would not have been able to access this renowned property. Again and again, I would say that everything in the place is too costly but luxurious in every way! It's best suited for well-heeled guests. Their lunch, in fact, is a very good bargain! It's pricey because they are sure to bring the 'oooh!s' and 'aaah!s' out of wonder and appreciation of the place! Moreover, everyone in the resort, especially in the restaurant, was nice and polite; attentive but never overbearing. 


So, I would have to say - It's well worth the experience!! This is Dubai afterall! And, it's never easy to keep that sanity in here! x)

Pocket friendly Aqua Pana :) @35Aed / 400php?!. Wine was like 1000++ per bottle!

Complimentary Bread and Butter - They actually served a basket of hot crusty bread
but unlike other guests who only ate one or two, we almost ate up the basket.. YES, literally the basket! LOL Kidding.. Hungry!

Complimentary Celebration Cake - My friend looks very happy with the cake..
me too actually.. as if it's our "birthday" cake! ..There were still some left which
I took home for the kids! x)

That's me! Period. At Pierchic

That's Charmaine! At Pierchic

That's Pierchic's outside seating at the back

Abra Tour - 75aed for adults and 45aed for kids! ..Might as well take the lunch!

Pierchic @ Al Qasr Madinat Jumeirah - Part 1 (DUBAI)

Pierchic! Sounds chic? It indeed is! 

So, what and where is Pierchic? 

Pierchic is one of Madinat Jumeirah's signature restaurants - a popular culinary destination mostly among tourists. It is an award winning restaurant in Dubai which boast of its 'finest seafood dishes' and unmatched ambiance - perfectly situated in the Arabian gulf offering a panoramic view of  the iconic Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Souk Madinat.


Part 2: http://kharensarroza.blogspot.com/2012/04/pierchic-al-qasr-madinat-jumeirah-part.html

To note:

"Madinat Jumeirah, owned by Jumeirah who also owns the World's 7 star hotel Burj Al Arab, is a luxurious 5 star resort in Dubai and is also the largest resort in Dubai, spreading across over 40 hectares of landscapes and gardens. It is designed to resemble a traditional Arabian town. The resort comprises two boutique hotels (Al Qasr and Mina A'Salam) and a courtyard of summer houses called Dar Al Masyaf. The resort has over 40 world class restaurants, and is said by many to be one of the most luxurious resorts there is." - Wikipedia

Pierchic, The Restaurant

Pierchic and Burj Al Arab

It had been ages since we were eyeing this fancy restaurant! Consider this - if one counts the number of virtual visits we had, perhaps one would say we are 'regulars'!! We'd be earning hundreds of Sirius points already (Sirius Card - Jumeirah's sort of loyalty card).. seriously! LOL 


Pierchic is one of those places to go which we have discussed, planned and brainstormed countless times! Imagine that?! X) However, it had been postponed countless of times too for so many reasons (valid and invalid) such as ~ scorching hot summers, sandstorms, laziness, resto being fully booked and of course, us being broke! 


Nonetheless, it isn't our personality to easily give up! nahks! We remained positive on this happening and eventually, alllll that wishful thinking finally came to an end - just last Saturday!


We had lunch booked a week before. We opted for their promotional lunch set since it was the cheapest! It's a four course meal served from 1:00pm until 3:00pm, all throughout the week. The portions for the lunch will be small as it is only a, sort of, sampler of what they have. Their dinner however is the recommended one! It would be perfect to visit this place with the sun setting!


Anyways, lunch it was. When we made the booking, we requested to be seated outside - hopeful that the weather will be tolerable! ..It's only April but some days the temperature already rises up to 40!


So, here's where we were seated: (at the edge)

Pierchic outside seating - With Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel as backdrop

We were supposed to try it out with a couple of friends. Unfortunately, for some reasons, none of whom were able to make it. *sigh. Hence, it was only me and Charmaine - who was even feeling sick on the way!


What was on the menu? Here, take a look! But, don't be deceived as the menu pictured here is only the lunch 'promotional' menu. Mind you, bring enough cash just in case! :p

Pierchic - The Promotional Lunch Menu

Pierchic - Wine Suggestions with the Lunch

Pierchic offers two options for every meal. They also have wine recommendations by the glass to go with the meal. And, as we were not familiar with this kind of food, we did a little research about the choices so as not to be completely taken aback when we get there! In addition, it would greatly help to remember fine dining cutlery basics!   

For the appetizer : 
a) Foie Gras (French for 'fat liver') b) Risotto (Italian dish made of rice)

I chose Foie Gras although I'm not really fond of eating liver while Charmaine had risotto. I chose it because I wanted to know how a good Foie Gras tastes like.. atleast once in my life! 


As I have learned from a quick look up, it usually comes with a toast and the proper way of eating it is to cut and not spread it! Yes, I had that in mind! However, when served, it wasn't a block of Foie Gras.It was somewhat semi fluid in consistency! (not a block! not which I had prepared for! and which I usually see in google images hence the cutting!)! 

Pierchic - Appetizer A - Sarrade Foie Gras Parfait

Pierchic - (Mheng's) Appetizer B- Carnaroll Risotto

For the intermediate : 
a) Truffle and Cauliflower Soup , b) Essence of Lobster and Mudcrab Bisque
I only had this photo of the soup. At the center is balik salmon - considered to be one of the best salmon in the world as Wiki has it.

Pierchic - Intermediate - Truffle and Cauliflower Soup: Balik Salmon + Almond

For the main : Our choice,
a) Pan Fried Sea Bass. That's braised savoy cabbage on top with veal bacon and sweet corn puree at the base.

Pierchic - Main Course - Pan Fried Sea Bass

For the dessert : Our choice,
a) Baked Toffee Banana Pudding - vanilla ice cream with banana mousseline + little sweet caramel tasking cakes. The ice cream really tasted like banana!

Pierchic - Dessert 

Pierchic - Dessert - Vanilla Ice Cream Banana Mousseline

Any special occasion?
As I've mentioned earlier, we were suppose to dine with some friends. A friend's birthday was like a month ago. So, when I booked, I said we were dining to celebrate a birthday! And here's what we got: 


Although I said that she couldn't make it, they still gave us the cake. I was glad that there was no serenade though! Otherwise, we'd have to show our acting skills and pretended like one of us was her! *wink! The worst case? If they had asked for an ID for record purposes - that would be a disaster! LOL The cake was delicious for a freebie. We even packed what was left (As you will notice in some pictures, I'd be carrying a small box. That's the cake!) >>>To be continued..

Pierchic Complimentary Celebration Cake from Madinat Jumeirah for Ms. Lee's Birthday!! Awesome!

Pierchic - Slicing Ms. Lee's Birthday Cake - Cheesecake+Berry+Chocolate Mousse