Meat temperature.. Fire alarm

All I know about grilled items like steaks are WELL DONE. But then when I came to Dubai i learned that the meat specially steaks are served to the guest in different temperature or how thoroughly cooked the meat. Basically using the thermometer we can measure the temperature of the meat we're grilling, but then most of the grill master or those people working in the grill can tell by just looking,touching at it if the meat is well done or rare. Oh yeah the meat temperature are <strong>Rare, Medium rare, Medium and Well done</strong>. They based it on the color and temperature of the meat inside.

 

TERM	DESCRIPTION	TEMPERATUE
rare	cold red center, soft	52-55’C
medium rare	warm red center, firmer	55-60’C
medium	pink and firm	60-65’C

medium well

small pink center

65-69’C

well done

gray brown

>71’C

 

So for my first three days in the Robatayaki I ate a lot of these steaks, they want me to familiarize by look by touch and by taste the difference about the temperature of the grilled items. I like only the well done but I cannot say no to the medium rare etc. well I ate it good thing its a little bit dark in the Robatayaki it helps me to eat that meat and its tasty anyway but still I prefer Well done when it comes to grill items. So far I am learning.

It was funny.. How come these engineers does not know how to stop the fire alarm. Yesterday one of the chef accidentally press the fire alarm button and of course everybody panic because of the noise. The engineers and the security came but they do not know how to stop it. One of the engineer open the box and cut the wire but still sounding, finally one guy decided to cut the wire of that red alarm thing and the sound stopped. But then I think that is not the correct way.

The Robatayaki

Yesterday I had a chance to take a picture of my station. We do not have much things in the Robatayaki so its easy to arrange when closing time. There is a speaker over head so the sound is really good it will make you dance a little bit while do the grill LOL. We have Angus beef, wagyu beef, lamb chops, Jumbo prawn, Chicken wings, chicken BBQ and gilled vegetables..the rest are sauces and garnishes.
We had only 29 covers last night so its not busy.
The good thing every night the Chefs are cooking food enough for the chefs and the server so before we go home we are full, and its good because before in my previous kitchen we do not cook like that.. it always depend on the restaurant chef and this time this Korean chef is good. Before we need to call for a food delivery.

 

First time in a Japanese kitchen.

Robatayaki...Robatayaki is the original traditional Japanese Grill, barbecue cooked in front of customers and served direct, similar to the style of sushi.

Because our kitchen is now closed, yesterday I moved to Japanese restaurant kitchen. Most of the chefs are Korean 3 Filipinos, 1 Indian and 1 Nepali.There is no Japanese because the hotel did not able to find Japanese chef. Except the Filipinos I didn't know these very chefs well I always see and greet them in the hallway or cafeteria. So I am little bit uncomfortable.
The Restaurant chefs assign me in Robatayaki.. That time I didn't know what robatayaki means but i have in mind that maybe is a Japanese term for a grill. And just now I searched it and i am correct and I learned more. In there They just let me observed how they do the things..meat temperature, how to operate, the sauces they put, the plating's, the machine etc. some of them are new to me so until now i didn't remember. Some of the vegetable they call it in Japanese so I have to remember it that way.
I like it there in the Robatayaki because its a live grill.. I can see the guest, There is a loud music so its not boring if not busy. I remember there is couple sitting in front of the Robatayaki drinking eating chatting... then after a while the lady throw the mobile phone of the guy and said you are f--- liar and she left.
These kitchen is cool, Asian chefs..there's no so much shouting. Because if i compare working with these Arabic chefs who thought they are the best, Well White are reasonable. You will notice the big difference.
In this kitchen first time i saw a fresh Wasabi and i learned it's a vegetable I thought its not. To serve it fresh they rub it against the wood with small spikes and instant they have a fresh made wasabi. take a look at this picture.

I’ll be in Robatayaki for 1 week and be allocated in different stations for 1 month. I guess i will learn a lot in this kitchen.

Our kitchen is now closed..

After 4 weeks of preparing mise en place and throwing it the day after, after days of cleaning and maintaining the cleanliness of the kitchen, after days of cooking food just for us and for the server. FINALLY our kitchen is now closed and will open after summer.  I am expecting this thing to happen because really we never had a guest. The restaurant is only for member and just open 1 month ago and we only have 10 member so far. And because of the summer we are not expecting so much membership. That is the reason we closed. The restaurant dining area is still open but in case they have guest they will take food from the room service kitchen.
Because of this we will be moving to different kitchen of the hotel and I am lucky to be move in a Japanese restaurant. I do not have any Idea about Japanese kitchen for sure there will be a lot of things for me to know. Well I know some like wasabi, sushi, bento, and will learn more starting tomorrow. 

Cutting Board and Knife color coding

Do you know that most Hotel’s kitchen has Knife and Cutting board color coding system?                                                                                                                Well… that is to avoid food contamination and serve the food in a good condition. Will you eat a fruit platter that is smells like a onion? Of course not. Wood cutting board is also not allowed in the kitchen because it absorb the smells and the residue of the things you cut. Plastic cutting board is widely available in different color and sizes. The same with the cutting board, Knives has also color coding.

Green	Vegetable
Yellow	Poultry meat
Blue	Sea foods
White	Breads and Cheeses
Beige	Cook food
Red	Meat
Marble	Fruits
Brown ( muslim country)	Pork

This color coding system may vary from hotel or from the city, There are some city or country that required this color coding procedure. Like in my previous hotel we are using the green cutting board for both fruits and vegetables, Red for both red meat and poultry meat, and yellow for the cook food.

The municipality is very strict

Yes...The municipality of Dubai is very strict when it comes to the food security, as a matter of fact most to all the hotel has hygienne manager who will be responsible for implementing, monitoring the cleanliness and safetyness of the food the hotel are serving to the guest. The municipality check from time to time each establishment securing they are giving safe food to the guest.
There are lots of incidents wherein the hotel was fined when the municipality found an expired yogurt in their chiller. And there are chefs who was fired and fine for undesirable kitchen status.
As my job checking the food is my daily routine, I tasted it to make sure the food is still good and safe, and if I have a doubt I ask my chef to tasted it and if i am alone and i have a doubt with the food I throw it in the garbages. life is easy do not put yourself in a difficult situation.

Crab Legs

Crab is my favorite food, I remember we have this in our fish farm. I always go with my brother whenever he is going to catch some crabs. Its quit difficult to catch it because its all over the fish farm and its a huge fish farm. We are using this thing we called bintol where in we put frog meat because crab like it.
I was shocked when i see this crab legs in Dubai because its really big. I wonder about the size of body of this crab. But my chef said its only the leg that is big. This crab called Alascan crab they delivered it to the hotel cooked and frozen and we keep it frozen we just defrost it when is about to serve.
Since its my favorite food I always ate it when it about to spoil.LOL