Two female chefs and their specialties

Today, I wish to present two ladies, both mothers and passionate cooks: chef Lily Min and Mila Lam.

Refined and authentic Korean cuisine, prepared with great care and excellence, does not present itself often except when it is cooked by Lily Min, the Korean Cultural Center’s resident culinary instructor and chef.

Lily’s food is done eomma (mama) style. Her flavors are clean and uncommon. She strives to serve true, authentic Korean cuisine as mothers do at home.

I have known her for years. We are coauthors who have cooked and worked together. I have partaken of her food many times, but there was something different about the dishes she showcased at the Admiral Hotel’s Korean food festival.

That day, her food was foreign yet familiar. Of course Lily’s food is always special but that day, it was to my palate fine-tuned and even better crafted than before. With each bite, I could tell that every step of the cooking process was given due care.

Her seafood japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) was delicate and sublime. It was a delight, a true example of how each ingredient was first prepared individually before it all came together as a dish. Each component tasted as it should, lending its original flavor to enhance the whole.

Chef Lily’s galbi jjim (braised short ribs with soy sauce) was fall-off-the-bone tender, hearty, sweet, and savory.

Min does banchan (side dishes) well. Her napa cabbage, white, and radish kimchis are always made to perfection as are her seasoned veggies, like watercress and bean sprouts.

Lily’s salads are consistently fresh and refreshing. Worth mentioning are her black sesame and citron dressings.

A taste of South Korea at the Admiral Hotel.

The other dishes I liked were the King Prawn Salad with Pine Nuts, the Kimchi Stew with Pork, and even the simple Beef Patty that was grilled on the spot. Her Sweet Honey Crispy Chicken is always a favorite. Oh, and the Kimchi Pancake was just so good!

The menu at Admiral consists of Korean dishes we know and have come to love. The food at the buffet is prepared and served in small batches and often refilled, so it’s hot and fresh at all times.

Min will be at the Admiral Hotel for lunch and dinner till the end of May. (For inquiries and reservations, contact 0917-8298434.)

Meet the lasagna queen

Mila Lam’s culinary journey began as a young girl when she and her sisters took turns cooking for the family. Their mother was a passionate cook who Mila said guided them through every step of the cooking process, while imparting the stories and secrets behind each and every home-cooked dish.

Mila embraced her mother’s recipes, giving them a twist of her own. Preparing food became more than just cooking but a means of caring and connecting.

Mila’s sons are her biggest fans, and why her confidence to cook for others bloomed. Of her offerings, lasagna became the bestseller, and thus Mila became known as Doña Mila, the maker of tasty lasagna.

Doña Mila’s Lasagna became so famous that she trademarked the brand.

Lam has come a long way since the ’90s, back when she sold her home-cooked food to students and parents at her sons’ school. Her cooking was hailed as food that reminded customers of home. Now retired, Mila has passed on her knowledge to her son and daughter-in-law. She takes delight in the thought that people continue to enjoy her recipes.

Mila’s lasagna is so meaty, tasty, and reminiscent of food we enjoyed from days of old.