Finely mince the garlic. Rinse and quarter the shiitake mushrooms, removing any white woody stems as you go.

In a sauce pot, combine the rice, 1 cup of water, and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat for 10 minutes, and once the water is nearly absorbed, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for another 5 minutes until rice is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Fluff with a fork before serving. Keep warm until ready to serve.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground pork, ⅓ of the garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, and brown sugar until pork is cooked and caramelized, about 6-8 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pan and keep warm until ready to serve.

In the same skillet you used to cook the pork, warm 1 Tsp olive oil and ⅓ of the garlic over medium heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until spinach has cooked down, but is still deep green. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pan and keep warm until ready to serve.

In the same skillet you cooked the spinach and pork, add 1 Tsp. olive oil and remaining garlic over medium heat and sauté for 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Ladle a serving of rice into a shallow bowl. Moving around the bowl, add a serving of sautéed pork, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, shredded carrots, and bean sprouts. Garnish with Sambal.