Signature lunch at the Pullman Danang Beach Resort

Food theatre

Eating at the Pullman Danang Beach Resort hit a new high as we were treated to a wonderful lunch full of their signature dishes.  Special attention from the chefs, theatrical cooking displays and mouth watering food created the perfect dining scene.

Having already dined the evening before at Epice Restaurant, this time we were at the  Azure Beach Lounge, a more casual dining location with a view of the sand and ocean.

All the meals we had here are available individually from the menu, but put altogether, it has all the ingredients (pardon the pun) for a memorable food experience.

Behind the scenes

I started it all off with a visit to the kitchen to visit our chef that was going to be in charge of today’s lunch.  He was a bit shy, so I didn’t hang around and stare at him for too long!

Here I got to witness the process that would be used to cook the seafood specialty.  These river rocks are heated to high temperatures in the kitchen and will be used later to cook the seafood.

Salads

The first course was brought out once I had finished my galavanting in the kitchen.   A fresh looking Vietnamese Green Mango Salad appeared, large enough to feed everyone at the table.

The Vietnamese people love green mango, and I will admit to it being “greener” and more unripe than what I got used to in Thailand.  In salads such as these, it is ok for my palate, but I can’t eat it on its own.  Luckily here I didn’t need to.  It was mixed in with carrot, fresh coriander, prawns, nuts and a wonderful dressing.

Just when I thought a salad couldn’t get any larger, out came an impressive looking Caesar Salad as well.

Their famous prawn dish

With the hot rocks now at the correct temperature, they are placed into a heavy, cast iron pot, and placed on a trolley.  Here, alongside our table, the chef placed green prawns, seasoned with Vietnamese herbs and a few other secret ingredients onto the rocks to begin the cooking process.

The smell of the prawns cooking waft over the table, and I’m feeling a bit sorry for the other diners who are watching with great envy.  Perhaps it might tempt them to order it for themselves.

It’s a simple enough process, and with a good swish of rice wine, they are almost done.

After approximately 10 minutes, the prawns are cooked, and are served simply with some lime and an aioli.

Seafood curry

In keeping with the seafood theme, the next dish to arrive was the curry.  Bright yellow, intensely aromatic and filled with amazing seafood.  The flavours of coconut delicately tainted the prawns, squid, clams and fish balls, lolling about in the fragrant liquid.

Extraordinary icecream

When we were sitting by the pool earlier, I’d noticed a number of people being served something that was “smoking”.  As I lay back on my pool chair, I was intrigued, but not tempted enough to get up and see what it was.

As the second trolley came out to our table, and we were asked to choose an ice cream flavour, it all became clear.

This was liquid nitrogen icecream.  Only difference to the pool offering was this was again made “live” at our table.

And whilst the cooking of the prawns was its own delight, there’s nothing quite like seeing icecream made in this way.

It’s literally all smoke and mirrors.  Well, vapour perhaps.

As someone who loves making ice cream, I was thrilled to be part of this and to watch it up close.

It’s a simple process, with simple ingredients, but the liquid nitrogen takes away the time factor.  No cooking, refrigerating, churning and freezing.  It’s all made, from start to finish, in a matter of minutes.

I chose the coconut, made with a vanilla custard base, coconut jelly, and toasted fresh coconut.  As a fan of this flavour, it was a taste sensation.  Served in square, marble bowls, the icecream never melts.

It was an overly generous serving as well, but not something that an icrecream lover will ever complain about.

My husband went a little more on the wild side, ordering raspberry, white chocolate and kaffir lime.  Once again, a delectable treat.

There are many flavours to choose from.  Think salted caramel with pink salt flakes, bellini, yellow peach and roasted almonds or snickers, peanut, caramel and chocolate.  There’s also a durian one, although I imagine the take up by western visitors to be low for this one!

So much more than food

There are many more great meals on the menu at the Azure Beach Lounge, but these are considered their signature dishes.  With such flavour and freshness, I can see why.

If you are at the resort celebrating a special occasion, I’d highly recommend that you talk to the staff and order a similar experience.  Your dining partner will be wowed and so will you.  Eating at the Pullman Danang Beach Resort doesn’t get any better.

A special thank you to the Pullman Danang Beach Resort for extending the invitation to us to share this signature lunch with them.   As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.