Things You Do for the People You Love

LumDimSum Family X-Mas in Tahoe

Living across the world, I try to make the most of my limited two weeks in California with my family and friends back home. Soaking up every precious moment, I try to bond as much as I can, knowing how long it will be before I return again and deep down afraid of the possibility that I will be slowly forgotten due to my prolonged absence.

To make up for lost time, I went skiing with my Dad, snowboarding with my cousin Shelby, had a reunion with my beloved college roommates (who are all freaking me

out since they’ve started to get married with one of them set to tie the knot in September 2010), and with

my brother Brian, the best way to his heart is not through his stomach like his sister, but through a shared love for television.  So

Skiing @ NorthStar, Lake Tahoe

in the short time I’ve been here, I watched the entire season 4 of Dexter in 5 days.

That’s true commitment.

I’m a little behind with my TV Series, so for anyone who has not seen the season finale of Dexter: Stop reading here.

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Now for my fellow Dexter fanatics:

OMG!!!! WTF?!?!?  I am so devastated they killed my favorite character, I LOVE Rita!!  In the darkest part of Dexter’s character, Rita is his light, his soft spot, a symbol of love and care, and she is the mother of his child! Already Rita has suffered so much as a victim. Surviving as a mother of two with an abusive and violent ex-husband, Rita still retains such a sweetness and innocence.  What her character stands for is such a key part of the show.  She represents everything that is good and I believed she was Dexter’s hope, his little chance of being a ‘normal’ person by giving him a normal life.

After watching the season finale, my brother Brian, my cousin Shelby and I have each been dealing with the sudden shock of Rita’s death in different stages of grief.

Brian has not moved past the first stage of grief: DENIAL. He refuses to believe it was real, that Rita is really gone. Whenever it comes up, Brian puts his hands over his ears and says it must have just been a dream.

Shelby is in the second stage of grief: ANGER. “Why did they kill Rita?!?” She’s angry they killed Rita instead of Deb or Maria LaGuerta (I also can not stand her character).

None of us really felt the third stage of grief: BARGAINING. But Brian did say once, “Do you think if we keep watching Dexter, they’ll bring Rita back?” But now he wants to boycott the show just to show the producers that killing off Rita was a mistake.

I admittedly find myself in the fourth stage of grief: DEPRESSION. What will Dexter do now without Rita?  What will he tell Aster and Cody? What will happen to baby Harrison? Rita was nothing but sweet and loving to her children and to Dexter, she did not deserve to suffer such a violent and disturbing death by Trinity on account of Dexter. She is the epitome of a victim, she was not at fault, she had no idea what was going on, she did not deserve such a horrible death.  It’s just not fair.

Until season 5 comes out, it will be hard for any of us to reach the final stage of grief: ACCEPTANCE. Only until the producers either bring Rita back or have her death serve a greater purpose will I come to accept Rita’s tragic fate.

Predictions for Season 5 of Dexter:

Perhaps Rita’s death will unleash the restrained monster within Dexter or perhaps this will expose another side of Dexter as he steps up as the father of Rita’s three children. In the final moments of season 4, Dexter lifts Harrison off the bloody bathroom floor just as Harry saved Dexter as a child.  Perhaps in season 5, Dexter will follow in Harry’s footsteps and begin teaching his children Harry’s code to killing villains. It is rumored that season 5 will jump forward in time so maybe we will find that Harrison is growing up with the same urges to kill that Dexter has struggled with.

No matter what happens in Season 5, I know Brian and I will be there to talk each other through it and together, we will cling to our hope that Dexter will prevail…even if Rita will no longer be by his side.

Words Count

Gossip spreads like wild fire, but I believe there is nothing as moving as genuine thoughtfulness.

I’m clearly a very sentimental person, so I admittedly turn to mush whenever I hear of a good deed or someone going out of their way to do someone else a favor.

I’d like to share a nice Japanese proverb I found on a Christmas card today:

“One Kind Word Can Warm Three Winter Months”

So remember:

While we all suffer through Beijing’s unbearably bitter cold winter, you can still find comfort and warmth through mindful consideration and acts of kindness to others.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

A Little Note to my Beloved Friends, Family, and LumDimSum Readers:

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas filled with love, laughter, good food and holiday cheer!!

Here’s to 2010: a year of new beginnings, new opportunities, and new adventures.

Wishing Everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Much Love,

A White Winter Wonderland

I’ve had the same Christmas for as long as I can remember, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  I can adapt to change, but for the most part, I prefer to keep traditions like Christmas the same every year.

Christmas is always at my Aunty Susan’s house in Orinda, California, where my entire family (aunt, uncles, grandparents, cousins, brother and family friends) get together, we decorate a 10 ft (3m) high Christmas tree, my grandma makes magic in the kitchen and we stuff ourselves silly throughout the day.

LumDimSum Family (X-mas 2008)

Typically, the Christmas day schedule goes something like this:

After lunch, it’s family photo time followed by present time (which is always over way too short), then we play monopoly, watch a movie and lurk around the kitchen until dinner is ready, my favorite dinner of the year -  prime rib, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and sticky rice followed by my cousin Shelby’s freshly baked cookies and apple pie for dessert.

This year, my Aunty Susan almost ruined Christmas by remodeling their house, thus making it unavailable for our family Christmas reunion.

Lucky for her, my Uncle Bailey saved the day and rented an incredibly massive cabin in Tahoe Donner, conveniently next to our favorite ski resort, North Star.

I heard it was nice, but I did not expect this –>

One of the most spectacular luxury lodges I’ve ever seen with custom cedar, alder, vertical grain fir and stone finishes, 10 meter-high ceilings, 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, a chef’s dream of a kitchen with two ovens, two dishwashers, two fridges, an ice maker, antler chandeliers, a family room with a cozy stone fireplace, a play room with a pool table and shuffleboard, and surrounding tall windows looking out to miles of trees covered in snow.

And just when I didn’t think things could get any better, Tahoe dumped down at least a foot of fresh powder, for a perfect Christmas in a beautiful white winter wonderland.

LumDimSum wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkuh/Kwanzah…Happy Holidays!!

Mikuni: The Original Inspiration for Hatsune

When I was first introduced to Hatsune 3+ years ago, I couldn’t stop raving to my friends about how Hatsune reminded me of my favorite restaurant back home in Sacramento, California.

Then I met Alan Wong one year later, and when I found out that he is also a Sacramento native, everything made sense.

Hatsune is hands-down a better and improved version of Mikuni, but I still have so much nostalgic love for the original, it’s a priority dining destination whenever I come home.

The Mikuni story began in Fair Oaks, California back in 1987 and has since blossomed today into eight restaurants, with branches in Denver, Colorado and North Star, Lake Tahoe.  Alive with cosmopolitan flair and vibrancy, Mikuni, meaning “kingdom of God”, is known for having the most exquisite, creative and delicious sushi rolls, the original inspiration for Hatsune. Similar to Hatsune, Mikuni is packed day in and day out, a place to see and be seen and undoubtedly a fashionably hip destination.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 10
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 9
• Overall Experience: 9.5

For anyone who manages a trip out to California or Denver, Colorado, I highly recommend Mikuni Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar.

Introducing candy&caviar’s Project 141

Working together with University of Southern California’s Volunteer Center, candy&caviar has officially launched Project 141.  So for every cardigan purchased, candy&caviar will give another to a child in need.

Available in four bold colors: blue, purple, green & black in both men’s & women’s sizes, I encourage everyone to give a gift that keeps on giving.

If you are interested in purchasing a candy&caviar Project 141 cardigan, you can e-mail contact@candyandcaviar.com and set up an appointment to visit the showroom in China Central Place (next to ShinKong Place).

Mention ‘LumDimSum’ and candy&caviar will give you the special price: RMB 450 per Project 141 cardigan (regular price: RMB 530).

Introducing Project 141 by candy&caviar

All-Star @ Your Door Step

What’s better than dining out?

Snuggling up on your couch with a great DVD and food delivered straight to your door.

I know for a fact that 99% of all Beijing deliveries is probably from Annie’s or your local cheap Chinese spot, but now you have a new delivery option – from All-Star Sports Bar & Grill!

With free delivery on orders over RMB 99 within 3 kilometers, this is a great option to get your fix on American grub with the American gourmet burgers, pizza, pasta, Mexican classics, hot soups, salads, and chili-cheese fries.

Delivery Hours:

• Monday-Friday: 5pm-Midnight
• Saturday-Sunday: 11am-Midnight

To Order, just call +86 1338 -131- 0777

See All-Star’s Delivery Menu here:

Orient Kitchen: An Asian Element Fresh

My experience dining at Orient Kitchen last night was comparable to my previous experiences at Element Fresh when it first opened in the sense that it was an overall satisfying and enjoyable and yet I find it rather taxing to pick out something particularly unique or distinctive about my experience.  On the plus side, Orient Kitchen features an irresistibly tempting menu and a buzzing atmosphere, for a quick, satisfying meal.

I was impressed to walk in and find the newly opened Sanlitun Village restaurant fully booked, so Candy and I waited about ten minutes before a table opened up. The menu was well designed with pictures to accompany every dish, which comprised of an extensive selection of Chinese and South-Asian fusion cuisine. The interior is cozy and welcoming with both casual booth seating and high-stool seating and the entire place was full of energy.

Come time to order, we went a little overboard.  Everything on the menu looked incredibly appetizing and I think we ordered enough for four. Every dish we ordered was satisfying and well priced from the Hot and Sour Noodle Soup with Dumplings (RMB 25), Pan-fried Froglegs with Chili Peppers (RMB 32), Spinach with Sesame Sauce (RMB 14), stir-fry tofu and eggplant (RMB 35), mushroom stuffed vegetable rolls (RMB 35), pork pancake (RMB 40), and our Chinese dried date tea (RMB 16). For six dishes and two drinks, our total bill was very reasonable at RMB 206.

Review of Orient Kitchen: The 3rd floor of Sanlitun Village, across from Union Bar & Grill.  朝阳区三里屯北路19号三里屯Village南区4号楼3-4层 Tel: 6417 4070

Best Part:

• If you like Chinese food and you enjoy dining at Element Fresh, you’re in for a treat
• Dishes are all delicious, generous in portions and well-priced
• 2 floors packed with buzzing energy
• Perfect for a quick, casual meal

Comments:

• Within the menu’s Chinese and South Asian dishes, nothing in particular stood out, there is no signature dish or a particular item on the menu that sticks out in my mind (like the way you crave Hatsune’s sushi rolls or Element Fresh’s smoothies)
• I advise for you to go in a group so that you can order a larger selection of dishes
• Service was unfriendly and rushed. I’m not exaggerating when I say that they resulted to staring us down when it was past 10:00pm and they wanted us to leave.

Rating: (on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being best)

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 6
• Overall Experience: 7

Don’t Judge a Bar by its Cover: Stadium Dog & Fubar

Last night, Dan Goodman, Wokai Beijing Chapter President, hosted a casual get-together at Fubar for their Beijing chapter’s volunteers for good drink deals and holiday cheer.

This year, I encourage everyone to give a gift that keeps on giving and purchase a Wokai Gift Card.

I have a thing for secret doors and I love that Fubar is hidden behind Stadium Dog hot dog joint, down the stairs to the bathroom, where you will find a grey brick wall that slides open with the click of a button, leading you into a cozy, speakeasy bar serving find cocktails for great prices -1/2 off drinks from 6-9pm.

Hats off to Chad Lager, previous manager of Rickshaw and Tun Bar for serving up a great bar concept alongside quality hot dogs.

Review of Stadium Dogs: Gongti Dongmen 10-11, Gongti 工体东门10-11   Tel: 6546-8364 (65-HOTDOG)

Best Part:

• Choice of classic 100% beef American-style hot dog, Italian sausage, German Bratwurst, or Veggie Soy dogs for only RMB 20 each. Combo orders of 2 or 3 dogs, includes complimentary beer or drink
• Choice of white or wheat buns (which were a little hard)
• Add do-it-yourself toppings: cheese, sauerkraut, olives, onions, coleslaw, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, ketchup, etc.

Comments:

• Buns were a bit tough
• Tomatoes were icy cold
• They were out of a lot of things: no soy dogs, Italian sausage or German Bratwurst, only American dogs

Review of Fubar: Gongti Dongmen 10-11, Gongti  Behind a secret door inside of Stadium Dog. 工体东门10-11 Stadium Dog里面 Tel:  6546-8364

Best Part:

• The grey faux brick wall that slides open with the click of a button
• Cozy, welcoming interior with high ceilings and jazz music
• Pretty much half-off drinks happy hour from 6-9pm (Mixed drinks of Bombay or 42 Below at 30RMB is a real bargain)
• Easy access to great hot dogs

Comments:

• Unpleasant positioning of a big fan that hits you right after you walk in.
• Wokai’s group aside, not many other customers from 7-9pm

Crazy ’bout DJ Craze

DJ Craze with DJ Wordy

DJ Craze returned to Punk tonight for Round 2 after an amazing performance on the 4th of July this year.

Considered by many to be the best turntablist ever, DJ Craze has won the DMC championship 3 times in a row and on top of that, he also won the DMC team competition twice with A-trak.

After Qbert spun BLING into a frenzy last Wednesday, I was curious to witness Craze throw down at Punk.

Kickin’ it with Punk’s resident DJ Saul D, Craze was such a cool guy and as soon as he started his set, people hit the dance floor…and didn’t stop.

Here are some snap shots from tonight’s show @ Punk, brought to you by LumDimSum Photo Gallery:

Not Worth the Trouble: Scott’s Family Italian Restaurant

After reading about Scott’s Family Italian Cuisine & Bar in The Village Times as a recently opened restaurant in the Sanlitun area, I decided to go there for dinner and found myself embarked on a massive quest to find the place.

I had read that it was within the vicinity of Gustomenta and April Gourmet on Xinfu Street, so I figured I’d go there and be able to find it.  After calling the venue and getting directions from their staff multiple times and still lost, they finally came out to find us down the street and took us down 2 dark alley ways before we finally arrived at Scott’s Family. An absolute nightmare to find, let me tell you.  I do not advise anyone to go unless they are prepared and equipped with a map and GPS.

Stepping in to the restaurant after being hopelessly lost for more than half an hour, we were pleasantly pleased to find a cozy little 2-story venue with old-fashioned furniture and décor. There were only a few tables of people, but the atmosphere was there and we were famished.

An Italian restaurant & bar, Scott’s Family restaurant menu features standard Italian cuisine with appetizers, salads, soups, pasta and risotto, fire-oven pizza, and main entree courses.  We ordered their mushroom soup (RMB 25), mushroom risotto (RMB 48) and Quattro Stagioni pizza(mushrooms, cooked ham, eggplant and artichokes- small RMB 50, large RMB 60). The food was on point, but unfortunately, I can’t say the same about their service.  As much as I appreciated them sending out a search party for us, they seemed to abandon us as soon as we sat down.  Having picked a table in the corner, we had to literally wave down or actually get up multiple times to get a waiter’s attention.

Review of Scott’s Family Italian Restaurant: No. 41 Xingfu Road, Chaoyang (On the first floor of Xinfucun Hotel across from Shoukai Happiness Plaza down the street from Xingfucun Zhong Road). Tel: 6416-0600

Best Part:

• Menu is pretty extensive, reasonably-priced and Italian food is on point – satisfying and tasty mushroom risotto and pizza
• Wine by glass was a very generous pour
• They offer delivery service (will save you the headache of getting lost trying to find the place)
• Cozy atmosphere

Comments:

• An absolute nightmare to find, don’t bother going unless you have a proper map
• The service was completely absent as soon as we sat down
• Maybe because they had just opened, but when we were presented the bill, the waiter all presented us with VIP cards which entitle me to receive 15% discount off the entire bill. Not too shabby.
• There is so much selection and competition for good quality, reasonably-priced Italian food all around the city, I really don’t see myself returning, despite owning a complimentary VIP card.

The Side of Qbert I Bet You Didn’t Know

Last week, 3-time DMC World Champion Qbert took the stage in Beijing at two shows:

First @ BLING on Wednesday, Dec. 9th and the following day @ Yugong Yishan on Thursday, Dec. 10th.

Word on the street is that both shows were similar with Qbert battling DJ Wordy and masses of people coming out to see the famous scratch artist making magic live on stage.

With many of die-hard fans and some good Guanxi, I got the inside scoop about Qbert and found out some fun facts I bet you didn’t know about this turntablist god:

• His real name is Richard Quitevis
• Known as the Jimi Hendrix of turntables
• He is Filipino-American, raised in the Bay Area, California
• Qbert is my height, and he’s absolutely adorable
• Qbert is 40 years old – Born Oct. 7, 1969, take that to whoever says time induces old age appearances
• He’s a step up from vegan – he eats only RAW FOODS -perhaps part of his magical elixir for looking so young
• He believes in the power of words on water so he writes words on water to bless it before he consumes it.

Here are some pictures from Qbert’s show at BLING this past week.  This is the side of Qbert that you’re used to seeing:

More of Qbert’s show – Bling-Style, courtesy of LumDimSum Photo Gallery:

Pre-Dinner Drink Destinations to Knock Your Socks Off

Sanlitun has got new venues popping up every other day it seems.

So it’s a good thing you have LumDimSum to weed the good ones out and get the word out.

Three delightful new venues that have knocked my socks off:

• Apothecary – located next to Mosto, on the 3rd floor of Nali Patio

Run by the owners of the Japanese whisky bar Er in Maizidian & Chef Max Levy from Bei in the Opposite House, this is a no-brainer recipe for success.  Barely open for a few weeks, Apothecary has already accumulated record buzz for its quality drinks and Creole dining menu, which closely resembles my recent dining experience at Nola, but with more bar-friendly dishes and presentation.

• Tryst – located next to Alameda in the alley way across from the Sanlitun Village & Nali Patio

Only 20 square meters in size, this cozy, little joint is one of the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous bars I’ve seen.  Stunning interior design with elegant wallpaper, a crystal chandelier, and timeless antique pieces used for decor, Tryst is perfect for a romantic rendezvous, a destination for an intimate pre-dinner or post-dinner cocktail. And their cocktails were perfected by bar professional Jake Logsdon, so be careful to pace yourself because the drinks are all pretty stiff.

• Club Décolleté – Located in 1949- The Hidden City along with Duck de Chine, Noodle Bar, Taverna, and Club Glen

A dazzling and glamorous champagne bar inspired by the 1920’s Art Nouveau movement, recognized for its look of timeless elegance and class, Club Décolleté is an ideal venue for a romantic rendezvous, a girls’ night out, or an exclusive celebration. Club Décolleté boasts a fine selection of champagne cocktails, fresh fruit daiquiris, and champagne by the bottle. Champagne lovers will also be pleased to sample premium selection of champagnes available in tasting flights.

Beijing’s Soup Nazi – Herbal Café

“No soup for you” seems to be the running theme at Herbal Cafe.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve gone to try their herbal, medicinal brewing soups and they are consistently “sold out,” every single time. But it’s not just the soups, at my most recent visit, they were out of half their menu.  And I’m not exaggerating.

I’m starting to think they don’t even make the soups anymore or that it’s all one big conspiracy against LumDimSum.

Ok, seriously, here’s my Review of Herbal Cafe:  Located across from Hatsune and Union Bar & Grill on the 3rd floor of Sanlitun Village. Address: S6-33, 3/F, The Village at Sanlitun, 19 Sanlitun Lu, 朝阳区三里屯路19号三里屯Village3层s6-33  Tel: 6416-0618

Best Part:

• Their menu offers a wide range of herbal teas and soups (so good, they are sold out permanently)
• Range of Cantonese staple dishes and dim sum
• Comfortable booth seating and casual atmosphere makes for a nice, quick meal
• Despite their lack of availability, the restaurant remains consistently full of customers
• Cantonese cuisine is meant to be healthier & MSG free, but seems pretty standard to me

Comments:

• Beijing’s Soup Nazis. The few times I have gone, I am told each and every time that they are literally sold out of every soup. I wouldn’t care so much if I didn’t want their soup as bad as I do.  I guess you always want what you can’t have.
• One time they also said they were sold out of egg tarts, but when I went to pay the bill, they had 3 more egg tarts sitting under a heat lamp next to the cashier.  True fact. And yes, I called them out on it.
• DimSum isn’t the best, but it’s better than Chao Dian (located just behind Herbal Cafe). See review of Chao Dian here.
• For good, healthy soups to cure your winter blues, I recommend Oden & All-Star’s Southwest Tortilla Soup (just added to their new winter menu).

Creole Comfort: Nola

Recently opened beside Pauls’ Steak & Eggs is Nola, a New Orleans cajun restaurant with a menu full of gumbo, jambalaya, grits, beignets and po’boys. After reading Erica Chen’s (CW) raving review of the their fresh baked cookies kicking Betty Crocker‘s ass, I made sure to mark Nola as my next spot to review.

I was pleasantly surprised to walk into a cozy restaurant full of tables with big groups of people dining with bottles of wine and enjoying plenty of good Southern food. I went up to check out the seats on the second floor, but as it was completely empty, I grabbed the last remaining table for two on the first floor.  The atmosphere on the first floor was warm and wonderful with a nice bar behind us and a welcoming energy all around. Nola’s menu is one of those that sounds so good you want to order and sample everything, it was impossible to decide what to order.  As my friend Cody and I were trying to figure out what to share, our eyes widened (and there may have possibly been drool) when we saw our neighboring table’s orders of Parmesan fries (RMB 23), Cornbread muffins (RMB 15), Mushroom and White Bean Salad (RMB 27), 225 g. Australian Strip-loin steak (RMB 130) and Pork tenderloin bordered with layers of bacon (RMB 115). 

We ended up ordering the Salad with a bacon and poached egg (RMB 35) and Seafood -Shrimp, Seabass and sausage Jambalaya (RMB 95), topped off with their batch of fresh baked cookies (RMB 20) and thick, rich apple cider (RMB 30). For all the orders of food we saw come out of the kitchen, everything looked mouth-watering and massive, which is why we didn’t want to over-order. But the one main entree we did order, the seafood jambalaya was pretty skimpy with two small shrimps, two small pieces of sea bass and a side of jambalaya rice.  I hate it when you are drooling over everyone else’s dishes and see that the one you chose to order was a bad decision. Don’t get me wrong, the dish was alright, but it pales in comparison to the other entrees I saw come out of the kitchen.

With a continuously updated seasonal menus, I will definitely be returning to try new creations, if not just for their cornbread muffins and ooey-gooey cookies.

Review of Nola: A-11 Xiushui Street South, Ritan 建国门外秀水南街11号  Tel: 8563-6215

Best Part:

• Serving hearty, satisfying New Orleans-style cuisine – lots of bacon, gumbo, jambalaya, grits, beignets and po’boys
• Complimentary hot, freshly baked bread is always a nice bonus
• A cup of steaming Apple Cider is perfect to wash away your winter blues
• Seasonally updated menu
• Nola’s chef: Brandon Trowbridge is a Louisiana native and former chef of Hilton Beijing
• Over 1/2 the menu has bacon, which is an ingredient I swear makes everything yummier
• Balanced range of wines, beer and cocktails on their drink list
• Atmosphere suitable for a cozy evening with friends and wine

Comments:

• Word is to avoid their po’boy sandwiches and burgers, but they excel in their appetizers, entrees and desserts.
• Creole Comfort food is satisfying, hearty but a bit heavy
• Good thing they had one table left on the first floor b/c the second floor was completely empty and that would have been awkward.