To All My Girls

Today is National Girlfriend and Sister’s Week

I’d like to share a wonderful message I received today:

I am only as strong as the chocolate I eat,

the hair spray I use and

the friends I have.

To the caring, strong, loving and beautiful women that have touched my life:

Thank you for being there through all the good times and bad.

Thank you for bringing the best and worst out of me.

Thank you for being you.

What would most of us do without our sisters, confidants, shopping, lunching, and traveling girls?

Let’s celebrate each other for each other’s sake!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don’t just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
Life is not easy, but that’s why we have each other! 

HERE’S TO ALL MY  GIRLS!

Rumi Sends a Message

When I arrived and sat down for dinner at Rumi tonight, I was greeted with this beautiful message, a poem written on my paper table setting just under my plate, napkin and utensils:

Just thought I’d share – I thought this was lovely and completely unexpected.

I’ve been to Rumi a handful of times over the past few years and have always had a pleasant experience.  I like the all-white design of the venue, I like the food and big portions, I like that you’re allowed to BYOB and service is friendly. As an extra bonus, they have a great selection of fresh fruit juice and all their meat meets halal standards. Can’t really ask for much more.

Review of Rumi: Next to 1001 Nights on the Northeast corner of ChangHong Bridge (across from Pacific Century Hotel) 工体北路和三环内.  Tel:  8454-3838

Best Part:

• A large selection of fresh squeezed juices, yogurts, smoothies (I recommend the pomegranate juice)
• Easy to order menu with set combination platters and suggested recommendations for parties of 2, 4, 6, and above.
• Their meat meets Halal standards
• Good hummus and meat platters.

Comments:

• Staff was very oblivious and just not attentive.  Our table was right in the center of the restaurant, the restaurant was pretty empty on this Thursday night, and I still found myself resorting to waving down staff more than once and every time they were all completely unoccupied and just standing along the walls. Frustrating, but pretty common in Beijing so I’m used to it.  At least they were friendly…when I did finally wave them to come over to our table.
• They don’t serve alcohol, but they make up for this by allowing customers to BYOB without a corkage fee.  Even better in my opinion.
• They have sets for 2 people, but I would still recommend to come in a group, BYOB and order a big combination platter for a diverse selection of their menu.

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

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 5
• Overall Experience: 7

Izaka-ya: A Pleasant Surprise

Tucked away just beside d.lounge in South Sanlitun, Izaka-ya is not what I was expecting when I walked in the modest entrance that zigzagged and led me into a beautifully designed, very impressive dining room surrounded by a large L-shaped sushi bar with a section to sit either in standard chairs and tables or Japanese style on pillows with little wooden houses all around, serving as private dining rooms in various sizes starting from a minimum of 6 people and up. A perfect venue for a nice dinner for two or a big group dinner.

I was impressed to find an extensive Japanese menu serving everything from sushi, salads, yakitori, hotpot, tempura, ramen, and teppanyaki.  Prices were set for great value, considering the first page had set menus starting at RMB 2,000, RMB 3,000 and RMB 4,000.  Eeek! But rest assured, once you get past the first page, the rest is sound and fair. Chinglish is everywhere in throughout the menu, but the food selection is extensive, service is decent and I will definitely be back.

Review of Izaka-ya: Neighboring d.lounge in South Sanlitun 牛屋日本餐厅 朝阳区三里屯南路(书虫书店后)  Tel: 6585-3570

Best Part:

• Above all else, I was most impressed with the decor of the venue.  I want to come back and bring more people just so I can sit in the little wooden houses for my own private dinner party.  I love the style and decor of the whole place. Very unique and innovative.
• Menu had an extensive selection set at very fair prices.  Definitely quantity over quality, but great value for what you get.
• Their beef teppanyaki with avocado and vegetables was our best pick of the meal
• Yakitori selection starts at RMB 7 each and they have an extensive selection of meats and seafood

Comments:

• For sashimi, nigiri, and sushi rolls, Hatsune is still the best of the best and no one else comes close. (Not biased, just the honest truth) Izaka-ya had a few rolls on their menu, which are all massively large (can barely fit it in your mouth all at once), but not so tasty and a lot of their sushi roll selection incorporates cooked fish and meat, which is not really my cup of tea.
• Oden was not particularly great, I would also still recommend Oden restaurant if you are a fan of quality oden with premium ingredients.
• Ingredients, quality and presentation were not top-notch, but equivalent to what you are paying for.  A big meal for two was RMB 150.

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

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 9
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 8

CW Spotlights HAITI RISE

HAITI RISE Campaign Finale Party @ Hatsune Sanlitun Village Spotlighted on the Home Page of CityWeekend:

Date: Thursday, February 4

Location: Hatsune Sanlitun Village

Photos courtesy of EventPod.

RMB 72,200 was raised within three hours of the Haiti Rise Campaign Finale Party.

GRAND TOTAL RAISED FROM THE HAITI RISE CAMPAIGN: RMB 430,935

For a full gallery of photos from HAITI RISE Finale Campaign: http://eventpod.smugmug.com/Charity/HAITI-RISE-Campaign-Finale/11168584_ytPp7#782898775_8nTA9

Mr. Pizza: Love for Women

…that is their slogan.  Word for word.

Established in 1990 in Seoul, Korea with a restaurant location in LA’s K-town and 9 locations in Beijing, Mr. Pizza is a Korean pizza chain that has got three things right:

1. Their Oven-Baked Spaghetti
2. Korean Bulgogi Pizza literally means bul = fire, gogi = meat/beef
3. Their Slogan (clearly a top priority)

I was famished yesterday, absolutely starving and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of devouring this amazing oven-baked spaghetti I kept hearing about. We enter Mr. Pizza, a fast-food looking joint with Valentine’s Day hearts hanging everywhere from the ceiling.  Between four starving adults, we order two oven-baked spaghettis and a large Bulgogi pizza to share.

Review of Mr. Pizza: 3 locations: 26 Pufang Lu, Fengtai (next to Carrefour) 方庄蒲芳路26号 家乐福旁边   Tel: 8768-3242

Best Part:

• Oven-baked spaghetti (RMB 35)
• Great delivery service
• Surprisingly good pizza (RMB 99-150 for large)

Comments:

• Decor is fast-food style
• Mr. Pizza is a Korean pizza chain, so don’t expect anything authentically Italian (some pizza choices include a Royal Snowcrab Pizza, Potato Gold Pizza, and I saw someone order a pizza that had a bright yellow crust, not quite sure which pizza she ordered…)
• Good, hearty food that comes out quick and fills you up without emptying your pockets.

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

• Food: 7
• Atmosphere: 4
• Service: 4
• Overall Experience: 7

Came in famished with low expectations and left feeling happy and satisfied. Not too shabby, Mr. Pizza.

Hear Me Roar: Happy Chinese New Year

With Valentine’s Day & the beginning of the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese Lunar calendar both falling on February 14, 2010, we’ve got two reasons to celebrate today!

For those who are unfamiliar with Chinese New Year customs, the Chinese New Year is celebrated quite differently than New Years Celebrations in Western cultures. Rather than focusing on glamorous, sparkly parties and scrambling to find someone to kiss at midnight, the Chinese New Year is a time for family.  It’s a time spent indoors with home-cooking and let’s not forget the endless drum of fireworks and firecrackers.  Nonstop. For a week.

This year in particular is the year of the tiger, an animal both feared and revered, symbolizing courage, passion, power, and royalty. A year of fearless passion and unpredictability.

The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval. Therefore, 2010 is very likely to be a volatile one both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level. – Chinese Zodiac

Both a day for romance as well as a day to celebrate the Golden Tiger Year – Coincidence?  Perhaps, but the two go hand in hand if you ask me.

Congrats to all couples/love birds on finding that special someone.  I hope you revel in your bliss of love and let this holiday serve as a sweet reminder of how lucky you are to have found something as rare as love, something not to be taken for granted. Good luck to all boyfriends. Remember to be sentimental – Forget the Price Tag and think PRICELESS.

Whether you’re in love or you’re single, it doesn’t really matter this year. If you are single, you can vent by blowing up more fireworks and contributing more to this war zone Beijing becomes every Chinese New Year…yeah, on second thought, scratch that and just go to the Valentine’s Day Party @ Song Bar. If you’re lucky, cupid just might be meeting you there.

If you’re not up for mingling, then there’s always the option of treating yourself to the divine sin that’s officially allowed on Valentine’s Day: CHOCOLATE.  LumDimSum recommends Comptoirs de France, which is open throughout the New Year holidays!  Hooray!

Now I just need to find my ear plugs…

Happy New Year LumDimSum Friends!

I wish you all an abundance of good fortune, success, love, health, and happiness this year of the tiger.

新年快樂!

恭禧發財

With Love,

LumDimSum

xxxx

LumDimSum on Nee Hao

LumDimSum speaks to Nee Hao – an online magazine about British Chinese culture – from Chinese food to events, music, community, sports, art and work experiences.

Nee Hao features LumDimSum on living and working in Beijing together with one of my articles “Business is Business” – a piece I wrote about the skewed mentality of people who only think “business”.

For the Full Article, Click here.

Beijinger Foodies Vote Up!

theBeijinger’s Annual Restaurant Awards are coming up, so vote up and give due credit to the restaurants you love and frequent.

Restaurant Award Categories are broken down into 3 Sections -

First Section Breaks Down Regional Chinese Restaurants:

Best Contemporary Chinese, Best Beijing Duck, Best Sichuan, Best DimSum, Best HotPot, Best KungPao Chicken, Best Xinjiang, Best Yunan,

Second Section Breaks Down All Non-Chinese Restaurants:

Best French, Best Indian/Pakistani, Best Italian, Best Japanese (Hatsune obviously), Best Mediterranean, Best Mexican, Best Middle Eastern, Best Thai, Best Vietnamese, and Best American

Third Section focuses on Specific Categories:

Best Business Lunch, Best Family-Friendly, Best for Impressing Visitors, Best Brunch (Non-Hotel & Hotel), Best Pizza, Best Sandwiches, Best Steak, Best Tapas, Best Wine List, Best Burger, Best for a Romantic Meal, Best Chef, Best Decor, Best Service, Restaurant of the Year (Chinese & Non-Chinese).

*Hatsune was nominated for Best Japanese, Best Decor and Restaurant of the Year!!

To vote, Click on the Restaurant Award Survey here.

IBN BATTOUTA: Make Room for Moroccan

This may sound random, but my favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara, California was a Moroccan restaurant called Chef Karim’s, which was also one of the most exquisite (and expensive) restaurants in town.

So I was delighted to hear a new Moroccan restaurant called IBN BATTOUTA opened just across from the East Gate of Worker’s Stadium (in the same complex as Hooters and Danger Doyle’s).

Named after the Muslim equivalent of Marco Polo, Ibn Battouta was a famous Moroccan scholar and traveler who voyaged the Islamic world, Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia for almost 30 years.

A different approach from the fine dining experience I have had at Chef Karim’s in Santa Barbara, Ibn Battouta adopts a more home-cooking Moroccan dining style with a laid-back, casual atmosphere and presentation.

Having just opened, they are currently using a temporary menu, but the owner is great with recommendations and chef’s picks off the menu. I recommend trying their soups and starters like taktouka (green pepper with tomato dip), Zaalouk (eggplant and tomato dip), and Bakoulla (spinach dip) – all priced at RMB 28 each.  For entrees, they specialize in Lamb or Chicken Cous Cous (RMB 65) and Tagine (chicken, Kafta, or fish) – also RMB 65.  A perfect start and end to your meal is their sweet and refreshing Moroccan Mint Tea (RMB 30).

A cozy space on the second floor, the walls are lined with cushioned benches and pillows with seating for about 30 people. This is a great spot for group dinners and private parties!

Review of Ibn Battouta: 4-103 China View Bldg, 2 Gongti Donglu 工体东路2号中国红街大厦4-103;   Tel: 8587-1255

Best Part:

• A really exotic dining experience – from when they wash your hands over a fountain to the cuisine and atmosphere, this is something quite unique in Beijing
• The food is delicious, generous portions and great value
• Avg. check per person is RMB 100
• The Moroccan Mint Tea is wonderful
• I highly recommend the Zaalouk Dip for starter and Cous Cous and Tagine Dishes for Main Dishes.

Comments:

• Ibn Battouta has barely been open 10 days, so they are still using a temporary menu and working out some kinks, but I already impressed and I see so much potential.
• I can’t wait to start bringing friends here, especially those who have never tried Moroccan food before. It’s a really special dining experience.

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

• Food: 8
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 6
• Overall Experience: 8

Seoul Food

As a hardcore carnivore with OCD, Korean BBQ is a perfect solution.  I love the whole “do-it-yourself” BBQ grill full of meats and spices and little side dishes of kimchi and other goodies.

I used to always chow down at Han Na Shan because it’s a cheap and consistent restaurant chain but after venturing outside of the CBD to Wang Jing (Beijing’s real K-town), I have discovered a whole new level of Korean BBQ.

My Korean friend David Kim took charge of ordering.  After glancing at the menu for a minute at most, he just asks for two orders of the marinated short ribs. I was about to question his ordering judgment but decided against it knowing how much he alone can eat.

And I’m glad I kept my mouth shut. Apparently all you need to order is a meat dish because with that, they serve something like ten additional side dishes, Korean soup, vegetables, kimchi and special sauces to dip the meat.  We did end up getting a stone pot of Korean fried rice, but that was only because our other friend had never had it before, it was not ordered out of necessity.

This restaurant is so legit, it does not even have an English name. Just a Chinese 向阳庄 & Korean name.

Review of 向阳庄: Address: 望京新城4区420号楼2层 Tel: 6470-5249, 6474-0262

Best Part:

• Food quality, quantity and value – avg. price per person was RMB 70.
• Highly recommend the marinated short ribs
• Interior decor was classic and clean
• Easy-to-order picture menu

Comments:

• Wait staff do the cooking for you, which I prefer doing myself, but I’m also OCD
• Location is difficult to find
• No English, just Korean & Chinese speaking staff

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

• Food: 8
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 8

LumDimSummary of the HAITI RISE Campaign

In only three hours, the HAITI RISE Campaign Finale Party raised a total of RMB 72,200!

A BIG Thank You to everyone who came out and for actively doing your part to bring change in the world.

Every little bit counts, and in this case, we did pretty, pretty good. 

LumDimSummary of the HAITI RISE Total Breaking Down:

Jan. 22, Campaign Launch @ The Bookworm: RMB 103,768

Jan 24-Feb. 3, Eat for Haiti Campaign: RMB 175,600

Jan. 30, Model Citizen Auction Party @ BLING: RMB 59,601

Feb. 4th, Campaign Finale @ Hatsune Sanlitun: RMB 72,200

GRAND TOTAL FROM THE HAITI RISE CAMPAIGN: RMB 430,935

(includes Personal Donations & Haiti Rise Apparel Sales)

For a glimpse of the night’s shenanigans, check out the LumDimSum Photo Gallery courtesy of EventPod Photography:

For a full gallery of photos from HAITI RISE Finale Campaign: http://eventpod.smugmug.com/Charity/HAITI-RISE-Campaign-Finale/11168584_ytPp7#782898775_8nTA9

All-Star’s SuperBowl XLIV Party

Craving football? REAL football? Missed out on the season? Don’t miss out any longer. Come watch the Superbowl LIVE in all its glory on 60+ of the biggest screens in Beijing—commercials included!!! That’s right, come get it the way it should be. With all the funny Doritos commercials, Nike commercials, and whatever else floats your boat.

Also, we’ll be serving a special All-Star Superbowl Breakfast Set at RMB 58 inclusive of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and toast with your choice of juice, soft drink, coffee and tea. (Free refills on coffee and tea only.)  Add 1 pancake for RMB 12, stack of two for RMB 20.

Location: All-Star Sports Bar & Grill

Date: Monday, February 8, 2010

Time: Doors Open @ 7am, Game kicks off @ 7:30

Final ‘Eat 4 Haiti’ Hurrah Dinner @ Punjabi

Punjabi should get a lot more credit.

I admit I am not an expert on Indian cuisine and I have never been to India , but I’ve tried pretty much every Indian restaurant in Beijing from Tamarind @ the Marriott Northeast to the Ganges & Taj Pavilion chain, Indian Kitchen, and Mughal’s, and there is for sure a reason why Punjabi’s got such a loyal following (my friends aside, Punjabi is the designated destination for Indian tour groups visiting China AND they cater to the Saudi Arabian Embassy). Not too shabby.

At first glance, there are a few reasons why Punjabi may not stand out:

1. Punjabi’s location is far from central, tucked away on Lucky Street – a street with the most diversely random combination of venues from a giant Nashville Bar to Japanese teppanyaki, a German bakery and a newly opened Chinese restaurant called the Lobster House.
2. Punjabi does not advertise and they are not always listed in magazines, which can make them seem overshadowed by the extensive list of other Indian restaurants in the city.

However, when you do actually step inside, you will find only Indian chefs serving up authentic North Indian cuisine. The dishes are flavorful and satisfying rather than heavy and artificial and the products they use are high-quality and fresh. The meat is tender, the recipes traditional.

The owner, Gireesh is very professional and a super nice, down-to-earth guy.  He reached out to me initially to join the ‘Eat for Haiti’ campaign and when my friends all chose to have our final get-together dinner at Punjabi, Gireesh booked out the entire second floor for our dinner party, helped us take care of the ordering, and even surprised us with a dance show! The service was great, the food was beyond our expectations and everyone left happy and full.

Review of Punjabi: On Lucky Street, Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu 朝阳公园路C-8号二层 21世纪饭店西门对面好运街   Tel:  5867-0221/23

Best Part:

• Authentic Indian cuisine that will get you coming back again and again…and again
• Great service and a nice touch to have the owner, Gireesh, attending to customers on a daily basis
• Greats deals include a lunch buffet for RMB 48, dinner buffet on Tuesdays for RMB 68 and Weekend buffets for RMB 88 per person which includes 21 items plus unlimited beer & soft drinks.  Amazing deal.

Comments:

• Don’t judge a restaurant by its cover – location may be a little out of the way, but a worthy destination for quality Indian food.
• They are currently working on finalizing a new menu that will feature photos of all their dishes, a big help to those who may not be as familiar with Indian cuisine. But rest assured, regardless of their menu, they are great at recommending dishes – my personal favorites include the combination tandoori meat platter, butter chicken, prawn curry, and mushroom masala.

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

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 8

Satisfy your Sweet Tooth

Comptoirs De France is hands down my favorite new bakery.

I’m a little upset with myself for not discovering this place sooner!  With six locations around Beijing, I’ve always noticed it and wanted to try it, but until yesterday, I had yet to experience the awesomeness that I now know is Comptoirs De France.

Once I stepped inside, I immediately got myself acquainted by ordering a cup of terrific hot chocolate and a rich mini Chocolate Tartlet. I left with two loaves of bread and an assortment of ten different kinds of mini bite-sized pastries (RMB 7 for each).

More than just a French bakery with chocolates, it is a delightful cafe with an assortment of treats from loaves of fresh bread, perfect croissants, sweet tarts, macaroons, ice cream, they even sell chocolate Eiffel Towers for heaven’s sake.

Review of Comptoirs De France: 6 locations – East Lake Villas, China Central, Ritan Park, Lido, Riviera Plaza & Europlaza.I visited: East Lake Club, 35 Dongzhimenwai Dajie 东直门外大街号东湖俱乐部, Tel: 6461-1525

Best Part:

• Chocolate Tarts, Chocolate Eclaires, Chocolate Crossaints, Hot Chocolate, and I hear their Chocolate Fondue is brilliant.
• It’s really quite unfair that I would limit this bakery to their perfected chocolates.  I really ought to give them due credit for their freshly baked breads, other non-chocolate pastries (lemon tarts and strawberry cheesecake tarts also come highly recommended), as well as their savory sandwiches, salads and soups.
• Very well managed, personable, and professional.  Quality you can count on AND they have wi-fi.
• They cater, custom-design wedding cakes (yes, I did ask), and they always do something special during the holidays (i.e., Giant Chocolate Santas during Christmas and Giant Chocolate Hearts during Valentine’s Day)
• After 7:30pm, all pastries are buy-one-get-one-free.
• They deliver with a minimum order of RMB 75.

Comments:

• Even with six locations, there is not one close enough to me to visit on a daily visit.  Plans are in the making to move somewhere in Sanlitun and Chaoyang Park West Gate.
• Until then, despite the distance, I plan on becoming a regular. They can count on that.

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

• Food: 9
• Atmosphere: 7
• Service: 7
• Overall Experience: 9

‘Model Citizens’ Raise RMB 53,500

…And the numbers are in!

With about 13 models & including Bling’s very own DJ KEZA, David, Hill & myself included, the ‘HAITI RISE’ auction raised a total of RMB 53,500 for Haiti!

Thank you to all models for being good sports, to all the big ballers who placed their bids (thank you Gireesh for bidding on me!), to Wes for being the best MC of all time, to Bling for hosting the auction, and a BIG shout out to Tami Zhao for the brilliant idea, for making this happen and for closing the event with the biggest sell of RMB 14,000!!  DAMMMNNNN GIRL!! 

Check out the Model Citizen ‘HAITI RISE’ Party @ BLING with LumDimSum Photo Gallery: