It’s SUSHI Time: Learn to Make & Eat Your Own Sushi

It’s about that time of year again….it’s SUSHI Time!!

Many of you are probably sushi addicts like me and for us, it’s always sushi time, BUT it’s not every day that you can 1. make your OWN sushi and 2. learn how to make sushi from Alan Wong, the sushi samurai master of the Hatsune Restaurant Group.

Here’s your chance to learn the secrets behind the legendary Hatsune sushi rolls, eat your own creations and you even get to take home essential equipment to start making your own sushi at home!

Hatsune’s next sushi making class will be taking place on Wednesday, February 22nd at the Original Hatsune restaurant in Guanghua Lu.

More About the Event:

Hosted by Alan Wong, the master Sushi Samurai himself, Hatsune presents to you a Sushi Making Dinner Party. This course examines the fundamentals of sushi making and discover some of Hatsune’s secret recipes and get tips on how to make sushi at home. You’ll learn all about the different types of sushi, fish, rice and vegetable ingredients, and then it’s your turn to try it for yourself, preparing THREE different types of sushi rolls, with the expert advice and help from master Sushi Samurai Alan-san. Join us as we show you the path to become a Sushi Samurai.

RMB 300 per person includes the sushi making class, ingredients, dinner and the essential equipment to start making sushi at home!

Limited Seating, RSVP Required: Contact Kristen Lum by Monday, February 20th, e-mail: kristen@lumdimsum.com

Check out More Pics from Previous Hatsune Sushi Making Classes:

• LumDimSummary: Hatsune Sushi School with Alan Wong
• Sushi Samurai Class with Alan Wong

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
• Time: 7-10PM
• Price: RMB 300 per person includes class, materials and dinner
• Location: The Original Hatsune (Guanghua Lu Branch)
• Address: 2\F, Heqiao Building, Bldg C, A8 Guanghua Donglu, CBD/Guomao    光华东路甲8号和乔大厦C座2层
• RSVP: Contact Kristen Lum by Monday, February 20th e-mail: kristen@lumdimsum.com

LumDimSummary: The 10th Red Bull Nanshan Open

L-to-R: 2nd place Sam Hulbert (USA), 1st place Juuso Laivisto (FIN), 3rd place Roope Tonteri (FIN)

For the second time at the TTR 5Star 10th Red Bull Nanshan Open, Juuso Laivisto (FIN) reclaims his throne (he won first place in 2010) winning first place in this year’s 10th Annual Red Bull Nanshan Open.

Although US rider Sam Hulbert was ranked first going into the Super Finals, Juuso stole the show hitting a “back-to-back bs900 mutes, followed by a 50-50 to method on the polejam, bs lipslide on the downrail finishing off in style with a tweaked out fs360 nosebonk on the Red Bull cube.”  If you don’t speak “snowboarding”, then just imagine a lot of super fast spinning flying off massive kickers.

“It’s been awesome to see how the event has grown the last few years, and to see such legends in the judging booth made it extra special to win here today!”   - Juuso Laivisto, Winner of Red Bull Nanshan Open 2012

Juuso Laivisto flying off the big kicker. Photo courtesy of PM:Studio

Head judges Iztok Sumatic (SLO) and Ishi (JPN) alongside snowboarding legends Ingemar Backman (SWE), Michi Albin (SWI), Scotty Wittlake (USA), and Alan Wong (PRC/USA) made all the difference in the riders’ performances.

After seeing Roope Tonteri (FIN) rip every run and ranking first after blowing everyone away in the qualifying runs on Saturday, many expected him to come out first in the finals. But I gotta say, I was still rooting for Juuso all along! My favorite rider and good friend from his first trip to Beijing two years back when he won first place in the 8th Red Bull Nanshan Open, I was stoked to see my favorite rider come out first once again!  Super happy to see such a talented rider and happy person do so well and shine so bright in China!

10th Red Bull Nanshan Open Rider Rankings:

The only rider to hit the jib section’s oversized-pipe with a 50-50 to bs360 out after a bs720 to fs1080 on the kicker, Sam Hulbert (USA) took second place in this year’s Nanshan Open. Not too shabby as this was his very first time riding in the Red Bull Nanshan Open!

2nd Place – US Rider Sam Hulbert; photo courtesy of PM:Studio

Like I said earlier, Roope was the anticipated superstar for this year’s Nanshan Open and he definitely blew everyone away in the qualifying rounds. He had the biggest runs and probably would have taken 1st place if he was able to land his attempt at a cab900 indy.

“Roope Tonteri (FIN) unfortunately was unable to stomp what could have been a first place run, landing a cab900 indy but reverting out on his impressive bs1260 mute attempt – still finishing his run off in style with a switch boardslide 270out on the polejam and a lipslide 270out on the downrail, enough for third place.” – Olli Fenwick-Ross, organizer of the Red Bull Nanshan Open and member of the mellowparks.cn team

3rd place – Rider Roope Tonteri (FIN): photo courtesy of PM:Studio

LumDimSum Snapshots of the 10th Annual Red Bull Nanshan Open:

To follow me on Instagram, you can add me: @LumDimSum

Mellowparks: The 10th Annual Red Bull Nanshan Open

This weekend is 10 years in the making for the men and women of mellowparks.cn, and a momentous moment for Steve Zdarsky, the Godfather of Snowboarding in China.

The 10th Red Bull Nanshan Open is taking place this Saturday & Sunday, January 14-15 with some of the top riders of the world flying into Beijing for their chance to win prize money totaling USD$50,000!

Attracting widespread international media attention and national TV coverage, mellowparks is making a huge impact on China’s snowboard scene and bringing it to international fame as Asia’s largest slopestyle event of the year with 5Star TTR status.

With event host Eric Zhu introducing riders and explaining each run’s tricks and falls, the event is sure to be pure, non-stop entertainment.  This year also welcomes back head judges Iztok Sumatic (SLO) and Ishi (JPN) along with a team of experienced judges: Ingemar Backman (SWE), Michi Albin (SWI), Scotty Wittlake (USA), and Alan Wong (PRC/USA).

With live TV coverage, the event rundown goes like this:

 Live TV coverage schedule of the 10th Red Bull Nanshan Open:

Saturday, January 14th, 2012

11:00-12:00 CST (1st run of Qualifier)

13:30-15:30 CST (2nd and 3rd runs of Qualifier)

Sunday, January 15th, 2012 

11:00-12:30 CST (Finals)

13:30-14:30 CST (SuperFinals)

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday & Sunday, January 14-15
• Time: Sign Up starts at 9AM, qualifier competition from 1PM-3PM
• Location: NanShan Park (click here for directions and park details)
• More Info: www.mellowparks.cn

Best of SF: Ozumo Contemporary Japanese Cuisine

After knowing and loving the Hatsune Restaurant Group for 5+ years, I’ve officially become a sushi snob.  Not any California roll will do any longer, I have a more sensitive palette to fresh sashimi, and I’ve developed an attraction to more exotic seafood tastes. From authentic Japanese to contemporary Japanese fusion, the entire spectrum of Japanese cuisine remains at the top of my list for favorite cuisines. And traveling together with a passionate Japanese restaurant entrepreneur, we were on the hunt for the best Japanese restaurants in California.

During the few days we were in San Francisco, Ozumo Contemporary Japanese Restaurant was a restaurant we booked well in advance knowing how packed they get.  One of the most expensive sushi restaurants in downtown SF, Ozumo is located just near Pier 14 with beautiful views overlooking the Bay Bridge. The design is sleek and sophisticated with a 30-person sushi bar, a traditional robata grill and a sake lounge surrounded by walls of tall sake bottles.

The menu is extensive and broken down into several sections – favorites, soups, salads, sushi/sashimi, robata, tempura and a Chef’s Osusume Course (USD$125 per person) for those who are not sure what to order and would prefer to sit back and enjoy a personalized coursed meal prepared by Ozumo’s Executive Chef.

I would recommend the Osusume course if you come alone or in a party smaller than 3, but with a group of 6 and an expert orderer of Japanese cuisine (Hatsune owner Alan Wong), I also got to sit back and enjoy as the dishes kept coming out. Normally I like to list off the meal’s highlights, but every dish that was served from something as simple as their seaweed salad platter was original in both preparation and presentation and really stood out as being exceptional.

I’ve never had a seaweed salad served in this way – with three types of Hokkaido fresh seaweed in a pile of veggies and dressing. The sashimi and sushi were all super fresh and melted in our mouth – especially the o-toro tuna sashimi. And the broth of their specialty Shabu-Shabu (hot pot) was so rich with flavor that we ended up soaking all our rice in the broth just to drink up more of that good flavor.  It was ridiculously good.

And if I had to pick a favorite dish of our meal, I would pick the Yamabuki dish – fresh uni and mushrooms in a brown rice risotto. Phenomenal.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Ozumo’s Cuisine:

Kaiso Seaweed Salad (USD$12): Three varieties of Hokkaido seaweed tossed in a sanbai-su vinaigrette and umi-shiso  dressing

O-toro Tuna and Hotate Scallop Sashimi Platter

Yamabuki (USD$12):Fresh uni, shimeji and shiitake mushrooms in a healthy Genmai brown rice risotto

Sekiwake Roll (USD$14):Spicy Tuna Roll with tobiko, tempura flakes, salmon, hamachi and peanut sauce

Bucho Roll (USD$15): Tempura Shrimp Roll with crabmeat, avocado, tobiko
and yuzu aioli

Ozumo Roll (USD$17): Grilled unagi and cucumber topped with snow crab, 
tuna, avocado and spicy sauce

Burikama (USD $23): Roasted yellowtail collar with a sunomono salad and daikon-ponzu dipping sauce

Assorted Nigiri Platter: Uni (Sea Urchin), Hamachi (Yellowtail), Foie Gras

Shacho’s Shabu-Shabu (USD$43): Washu rib-eye with a daikon radish ponzu dipping sauce, swished through a simmering  pot of aka miso dashi broth

Ozumo Contemporary Japanese Cuisine Contact Details:

• Address: 161 Steuart Street San Francisco, CA 94105 (but they have 3 restaurant locations in total – SF, Oakland and Santa Monica)

• Tel: (415) 882.1333 

• Website: Click here.

LumDimSummary: Chi Fan for Charity 2011

 First I was waiting on all the beautiful pictures and before I knew it, work started piling on and somehow one of the most important events of 2011 has slipped under the radar for a complete LumDimSum re-cap (or as I like to call it – LumDimSummary), but I refuse to let this one go.  Better late than never right?  I swore I’d complete this post before the end of 2011, so I figure it would be an appropriate time to finish off 2011 with a post dedicated to one of the most inspiring and exciting events of this year – Chi Fan for Charity (CFFC)!

Originally founded by Michael Crain, Chi Fan for Charity quickly made a name for itself as one of Beijing’s most highly-anticipated culinary and charity events of the year. Already in its third year, CFFC 2011 was beyond magnificent and I beam with pride every time I think about the dedicated team of volunteers and all the people who donated so much of their time, energy and resources to make this event such a success.

Rallying together over 500+ Beijingers to dine in Beijing’s top dining establishments with all proceeds going to support local Chinese charity organizations in need, they exceeded their goal of raising over RMB 300,000 in just one night.  Involving 39 generous and charitable restaurants in Beijing, we were able to raise a substantial amount to be donated to two very worthwhile charities – Bethel Foundation and New Hope Foundation.

 Not only was CFFC able to make a difference in Beijing, but the event was also expanded to Shanghai for the first time this year thanks to the help of organizing sponsor Austen Morris. Check out my recap of my weekend in Shanghai just to reserve my seat at Shook! together with my table host Alan Wong here.

“What started in Beijing by Michael Crain three years ago as an idea to raise a bit of money for worthy causes has mushroomed into a two city effort which this year engaged 26 of Shanghai’s best restaurants, many of the city’s most influential movers and shakers and over 200 fine-diners and late night revelers. 

Chi Fan for Charity Shanghai was able to raise over 200,000RMB with all profits going directly to Heart to Heart Shanghai, Chi Heng Foundation and Compassion for Migrant Children.  With these funds, Chi Fan for Charity has already been able to:

• Donate three life saving heart surgeries to Heart to Heart Shanghai for Chen Wenyu, Wang Zhi Yuan and Jiang Yu Han at Yodak hospital earlier this month.

• Help operate Compassion for Migrant Children’s Shanghai’s Xinan Community Center and enable:

Migrant babies and pregnant mothers to participate in CMC’s Early Childhood Development program which is designed to help migrant parents provide the best possible start for their children and covers health education, literacy, socialization and learning through play activities. 

Migrant children aged 5-13 to receive academic assistance and an opportunity to participate in creative activities (such as music, arts & crafts, dance, sports, field trips) which are aimed at helping them develop healthy social and character skills) 

We are also proud to announce that the combined efforts of Chi Fan for Charity Beijing and Shanghai raised over 500,000RMB for charity.”  - Kelly Olver, Katie Littlefield and the CFFC Team 

With all that said, here’s a recap of Beijing’s third annual Chi Fan for Charity Event.Check out photos from many of the dinners that took place throughout the city and of course my favorite part, the Official After Party at Hatsune Sanlitun with DJ Patrick Yu.

Chi Fan for Charity 2011 Dinners:

(listed in alphabetical order)

Agua:

Barolo:

Chef Too:

Cru Steakhouse:

Carmen:

Grange:

Hercules:

Kagen:

Kagen Teppanyaki:

Karaiya Spice House:

Modo:

Mosto:

Nobu:

Punjabi:

ROOMbeijing:

Sureno:

Transit:

CFFC After Party at Hatsune  Sanlitun:

Photos courtesy of the very talented Helen Couchman & Lakshitha Tharindu

LDS Discovery: Karaiya’s Hunan Spicy Broiled Fish

Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼

On average, I eat at Karaiya Spice House once a week.  It’s a choice pick for my Beijing crew’s “family dinners” and most definitely a top destination for anyone who is coming or leaving Beijing and needs a “Karaiya fix”. I say “fix” as if Karaiya was an addiction and for our group of friends, it really is because as much as we all enjoy hole-in-the-wall, super local, cheap Chinese food once in awhile, it’s really not something I like to do regularly knowing how horrendous the hygiene is and the obscene amount of oil they drench their dishes with really does take a toll. On the other hand, knowing that Karaiya is a part of the Hatsune Restaurant Group, it is guaranteed to use only quality ingredients and high hygiene standards.

Considering I’m such a regular, for me to know the restaurant menu inside-out is expected.  And I thought I was pretty much a savvy Karaiya expert until I recently discovered Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼 (RMB 108).

At first, I thought it was an “off-the-menu” dish since I had never even noticed it on the menu before!  They need to seriously reconsider the real estate this dish occupies on the menu because it’s definitely worth it!

Unfortunately for this fish dish, Karaiya’s Signature Fish Dish (RMB 158 for Perch Fish or RMB 258 for Mandarin Fish) is undoubtedly one of the most popular dishes on the menu and for good reason – it’s amazing!  With yellow Hunan peppers on one side and red on the other, this steamed fish is both spicy and the sauce is super addictive.  I like to dip scoop out spoonfuls of this sauce and pour it over rice and everything else for that matter.

“Traditionally in Hunan this dish is served using a steamed fish headcovered in spicy peppers and simmering in special Camellia oil collected from trees.We prepare this Hunan specialty using the whole fish, and our tree oil is shipped weekly from rural villages in Hunan.”  - Alan Wong, owner of Karaiya Spice House and the Hatsune Restaurant Group

Karaiya’s Signature Mandarin Fish with Two Types of Hunan Peppers

But the downside of this Signature fish’s popularity is that all other fish dishes are then overshadowed and very often entirely overlooked.  That is the case with Karaiya’s Hunan style Spicy Broiled Fish  飘香鱼.

Not only had I never ordered it before, I didn’t even notice it on the menu!  How that happened is beyond me, but I blame the Signature Fish Dish for being so ridiculously good, we never had the desire to try anything else.  But now that I have recently been introduced to their Spicy Broiled Fish, and I may have discovered a new favorite! It’s a giant bowl filled with tender fish pieces drenched in spicy yumminess.

If you are a general fan of 水煮鱼, then you will get hooked on Karaiya’s take on this popular Sichuan dish, but obviously it’s Hunan style.

Karaiya Spice House won Time Out’s 2011 Award for Best Regional Chinese.

Click here for LDS article.

Karaiya Spice House Details:

• Address: 3F, Building 8, The Village at Sanlitun, No. 19 Sanlitun Road, Sanlitun

  (3rd floor of the Nike Building across from Hatsune) 朝阳区三里屯路19号The Village南区8号楼

• Tel: 6415 3535

• Website: www.hatsunesushi.com (Karaiya Spice House is part of the Hatsune Restaurant Empire)

*LumDimSum Discovery Explanation: Whenever I try a dish worth sharing, I will post this find as a LumDimSum Discovery.  Just search tagged “LumDimSum Discovery” articles for more recommendations.

A Very Merry Kagen Christmas Charity Party for BICCO

Charity Christmas Dinner at Kagen (photography courtesy of Nora Tejada)

On Saturday, December 10, Kagen Japanese Restaurant hosted a Christmas Charity Dinner to benefit the Disabled Chinese Orphans of BICCO (Beijing International Committee of Chinese Orphans) and with about 130 generous patrons in attendance, we somehow managed to reach our goal of raising over RMB 200,000!  That is an insanely high number because that means each person donated on average RMB 1,500!

Originally, the deal was set that for each ticket sold, RMB 500 would be donated directly to BICCO (which was already really generous of Kagen Restaurant), but in the end, owner Alan Wong generously donated ALL ticket sales to BICCO, meaning that the entire ticket sales (RMB 600 each) went to the children of BICCO.

In addition to ticket sales, we also managed to sell a butt-load of raffle tickets (raising RMB 9,400) and many silent auction prizes went for higher than it’s actual value (raising RMB 31,757).

Combining ticket prices, raffle tickets and silent auction prizes together with many personal donations to our cause, we were able to exceed our goal of more than RMB 200,000 and now Amy Zima and her team of dedicated volunteers are looking to expand their rehabilitation program to at least two other orphanages in China!

A BIG thank you to all our generous sponsors:

• The Wine Republic (who helped supply the 100+wines to bring out the Christmas spirit of giving)

• Heineken Beer for sponsoring 200 bottles of Sol Beer (also helped bring out spirit of giving)

• Ryan Cardwell & Ivy Academy for their Generous sponsorship and partnership in hosting this event

• Acoustic musician David Mitchell for donating both his talent and time to our event

• Photographer Nora Tejada for helping us to capture this unforgettable event

• Beijing Kids for their Media Sponsorship

• Event Volunteers: Ingrid Van Nijverseel, Stephanie Giambruno, Katja Schick, Stephanie Butler, Dannan Hodge, Luce, Christina Lieffring, Romulo Martinez, Kelly Charles, Oumou Barry

• Alan Wong and his Kagen Restaurant (for donating the entire restaurant space and sponsoring the 10-dish meal for everyone that night!)

• Silent Auction Sponsors: 

• A Food Affaire
• Alona Pilates
• Antonia Sampson
• April’s Adornments
• Bodhi Spa
• Chef Too
• Counting Sheep
• Elisabeth Koch Millinery
• Frontiers Chinese School
• GungHo! Pizza
• Hummingbird Therapeutic Spa Retreat
• The Hutong
• Ivy Academy
• Le Spa
• Little Gold Book
• LMC Boutique Clothing
• Oumou Jewelry
• Papabubble Candy
• Punjabi Indian Restaurant
• Ritz Carlton
• Scarlett (Hotel G)
• SinoScuba
• Starfish Wine & Seafood Restaurant
• Two Guys and a Pie
• Wondermilk
• Yoga Yard

Snapshots of the BICCO Charity Dinner Silent Auction Tables:

(Photos courtesy of Nora Tejada)

Snapshots of Christmas Charity Fun at Kagen:

(Photos courtesy of Nora Tejada)

Thank you to everyone who generously donated and contributed to our Christmas Charity Event for BICCO. We are in awe of everyone’s generosity and effort towards such a wonderful and dedicated organization!  Excited for some big improvements in 2012!

Kagen Restaurant Details:

• Located below the Original Hatsune on Guanghua Lu
• B1/F, Bldg C, Heqiao Dasha, 8 Guanghua Donglu, Chaoyang District
• 朝阳区光华东路8号和乔大厦C座地下1层
• Tel: 6583-6830

LumDimSum 1-on-1: The Charitable Amy Zima

This coming Saturday is BICCO’s Christmas Charity Dinner at Kagen Japanese Restaurant and the woman responsible for connecting all the dots and bringing everyone together in a big effort to raise RMB 200,000 in one night is the lovely and talented Amy Zima.

She’s passionate, she’s dedicated and she’s asking fellow Beijingers to come together for a lovely 10-course meal and raise a champagne glass and toast to the wonderful work of BICCO and help raise funds for their rehabilitation program in their Shunyi Service Center.

Full Name:   Amy Lane Zima

Age:   37 I think…stopped counting awhile ago.

Nationality: American

Occupation: Trailing-Spouse, Mom, Volunteer Development Director, Beijing International Committee for Chinese Orphans (BICCO), Kids Yoga Instructor, Social Marketing Consultant, and quite frankly, I’m still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.

Company Name:  See above

Years in Beijing: off and on for the last 3 years.

LumDimSum Goes 1-on-1 with the Amazing Amy

LDS:  Tell me about this event’s beneficiary, BICCO, the type of work they do and how people can get involved.

The Beijing International Committee for Chinese Orphans (BICCO) is a group of volunteers working towards bettering the lives of the Chinese orphans and children with disabilities in China. It was registered in Hong Kong as a non-profit organization in 2003. Our members are mostly expats living in Beijing, but everyone is welcome.

BICCO provides an opportunity for individual volunteers or groups of volunteers to work with orphanages and other facilities. We network with various professionals and volunteer communities to try to find ways for the expat community as well as local Chinese to get involved in improving the lives of orphans and children with disabilities.

LDS: How did this Christmas Charity Dinner come about and who are the organizers of this event?

Over the course of the last year several volunteers at BICCO have been working to build a rehabilitation program for disabled children living at the Shunyi Service Center. Many of the children remain in their beds everyday unless BICCO volunteers visit this facility. They suffer
from Down’s syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and various other handicaps that limit their ability to walk, move, speak or care for themselves.

We knew just being there, holding and playing with the children was important, but we wanted to try to bring in professionals who could help open a door and create a future for these kids. If we could find a way to help a few of them gain independence and confidence, we knew we could make a big difference in their lives.

That’s why this year we partnered with OVCI – an Italian non-profit that works to train local Chinese therapist and serve the disabled community in China. We pay their professional therapists 50rmb an hour for physical, occupation, speech or psycho-educational therapy. Once we built this relationship, we thought, if we could just raise enough money, we could secure the children with weekly – if not daily therapy throughout the year. That’s when the idea of a charity dinner came up.

From there the pieces started to come together. Ryan Cardwell, the director at Ivy Academy – where my children go to school – said Ivy wanted to help. Another parent at the school, Alan Wong, offered up his restaurant, Kagen, as the venue. It just started to fall into place without much effort – so we knew it was suppose to be.

LDS: How much are you expecting to raise in this event and where will the funds be donated towards?

The rehabilitation program at the Shunyi Service Center serves approximately 20 disabled children. If we can raise 76,800 rmb we can provide two full days of therapy for the children. That’s our initial goal. But, it is a simple equation. At 50 rmb an hour, the more money we raise, the more therapy we can pay for. BICCO also has relationships with other orphanages and facilities – further away from Beijing – where the need is even greater. If we raised enough money, we could even help those kids. Our dream: 200,000 rmb.

LDS: What sets your Christmas Charity dinner apart from all the annual holiday balls happening in Beijing in the next few weeks?

The food! I really think both Hatsune and Kagen are two of the best restaurants in Beijing. We are offering an amazing sampling of their best dishes. It isn’t going to be the standard hotel fare.

Plus, I really think our event is about celebrating Christmas with friends and colleagues. Really appreciating what you have and the opportunity to help those who really need it. I hope our event really captures the spirit of Christmas.

LDS: What are some of your top items that will be up for grabs on the auction block?

Alan has been incredibly generous and in addition to offering up Kagen and an amazing menu of Hatsune and Kagen’s signature dishes and cocktails he is also offering an exclusive 10 person private Chef’s dinner along with 12 bottles of wine from The Wine Republic. The value is over RMB 13,000. I’ve already told my husband he has to bid on this one!

For parents sticking around this summer, Ivy Academy is offering up a space in their summer camp worth over RMB 10,000 as well as unlimited after-school programs for 3 kids in 2012.

We also have an amazing spa package from Hummingbird Spa Retreat, yoga packages from Yoga Yard, a two-night stay at The Westin, catered dinner for 10 at your home from A Food Affaire, tons of jewelry from local artists, etc.

LDS: Any secret strategies to bringing out the most generous side of people?

Thanks to our wine sponsors, (including the very generous Wine Republic), I’m hoping it will be easy to get people to bid on our auction items!

LDS: What are you personally most excited about for this event?

For it to be over! I’m joking. But it has been a labor of love.

I am really looking forward to enjoying an amazing meal, great wine and a lot of fun with some of Beijing’s best.

David Mitchell, a really amazing jazz guitarist is generously donating his time for the cocktail hour and a group of musicians from Ivy Academy are going to really make the atmosphere fun after dinner. I personally can’t wait!

LDS: Is this a one-off event or are you planning to make this an annual event and continued in the years to come?

We aren’t sure. If the support is there and people want to see it happen again, it will. I believe everything happens for a reason and I think this event will unlock the future for a lot of kids. I
hope we can make it something that continues. If Kagen and Ivy Academy are game. So are we!

How can you say no to that?  Come and support Amy and her dedicated committee of volunteers by signing up for a seat at BICCO’s Christmas Charity Dinner this Saturday, December 10 at Kagen Japanese Restaurant.  

Tickets are now on sale for RMB 600, of which RMB 500 of the ticket will be donated directly BICCO.  If you’re not already sold on the great cause or the chance to snag some great silent auction prizes, at least go for the fantabulous food and booze!

See below for pre-sale ticket pick-up details. 

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, December 10, 2011
• Time: 6:30PM Cocktail Reception, 7:30PM Dinner
• Location: Kagen Japanese Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant
• Address:  Located below the Original Hatsune on Guanghua Lu
  • B1/F, Bldg C, Heqiao Dasha, 8 Guanghua Donglu, Chaoyang District
  • 朝阳区光华东路8号和乔大厦C座地下1层
• Tickets: RMB 600 (pre-sale), RMB 800 (at the door)
• Tickets are available for sale at Kagen Restaurant, Hatsune Sanlitun restaurant and Ivy School in East Lake Villas (Suite C-101 No. 35, Dongzhimenwai) Call: 8451 1381
• For more information: Call 135 2034 1984

Hatsune King Alan Wong Uses ThinkPad X1 to DO

Hatsune King Alan Wong is the featured star of Lenovo’s new ad for their new, thin and powerful ThinkPad X1.

“One of the most successful entrepreneurs in the cut-throat Beijing F&B market, Alan Wong is the successful founder and CEO of Hatsune Group, with over 500 employees across nine branches.  

Observe how the ThinkPad X1 ergonomic keyboard, minimalist design, and rapid boot SSD make work and play an experience.  

See how the ThinkPad X1 allows Alan to design new restaurants, the RapidCharge battery – recharging 80% in less than 30 min keeps him going no matter how far he travels; and the Fingerprint reader keeps his business information secure.”

- Cory Grenier, Lenovo China

A cool video that showcases Alan Wong in action at his restaurants, working on new upcoming projects and racing on his bike, this is just something cool I wanted to share!

Check out the full video on Youku.com here:

You can also watch the video on Tudou.com here.

Hatsune’s OysterFest featuring World Champion Shucker

“Armed with more than 10 years of practice and custom-made knives, Patrick McMurray (aka ShuckerPaddy) is one of the fastest oyster shuckers in the world.”

With a shucking career of over 2.2 million oysters and a Guinness World Record of Shucking 38 oysters in One Minute, Patrick McMurray will be the star of Hatsune’s upcoming OysterFest on Wednesday, November 23, 2011 from 7-10PM at the Original Hatsune Guanghua Lu.

Shucking Pro Patrick McMurray will be explaining to guests the secrets to his winning shucking techniques. You will have a chance to see this man in shucking action and witness a Battle of the Shuckers in an Oyster Shuck-Off between Patrick McMurray and Hatsune King, Alan Wong.

And YES! If you’ve ever dreamt of shucking your own oysters, you can shuck with the best too!

Excerpts from theBeijinger’s Interview with Patrick McMurray:

Some people consider you a huge shucker. Do you like that title? What would you rather be thought of as?
Yes, it is kind of funny that some folks know of me before I meet them. Any title is great. Being a world champion or Guinness Record Holder is very fun and a great honor. It seems to be a good thing to be known for, as it gets you in the door! I would not want to change it at all. 

November is our Guinness World Records issue. What other records would your skills predispose you for?
Scraping gum off tables, lock picking, beer bottle opening …

Is there a world record you’ve ever attempted besides this one?
I tried holding my breath, but I passed out.

Read Full Interview here: Shucking Brilliant: Record-Breaking Oyster Man Patrick McMurray

See Patrick in Action:

How to Shuck An Oyster (YouTube Video)

Come and enjoy a feast of All-You-Can-Eat-Fresh-Oysters flown in from Fanny Bay Pacific, (Canada), Pacific Gigas (New Zealand), Gillardeau (West Coast France), Stella Bay (Canada), Gigas, and Port Douglas (South Australia).

FINALLY, a chance to gorge yourself with this decadent shellfish (and Hatsune sushi rolls)!

Kusshi Oysters

Event will begin at 7PM and will be featuring a feast of free-flow fresh oysters and additional Hatsune sushi rolls, appetizers + drinks for RMB 300 per person.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011
• Time: 7PM-10PM
• Location: Original Hatsune (Guanghua Lu Branch)
• Address: 2\F, Heqiao Building, Bldg C, A8 Guanghua Donglu, 光华东路甲8号和乔大厦C座2层
• Price: RMB 300 includes all-you-can-eat oysters, Hatsune sushi + drinks
• RSVP: kristen@lumdimsum.com

Shook!: Chi Fan For Charity Expands to Shanghai

A dining event that’s won Culinary Event of the Year in Beijing in 2010, Chi Fan for Charity has expanded to Shanghai this year with the help of organizing sponsor Austen Morris and I was not going to miss out on a such a great excuse to make a weekend getaway to Shanghai!

Already sponsoring 4 tables of 10 at Hatsune, Kagen, Kagen Teppanyaki and Karaiya Spice House, Alan Wong is also the official sponsor of Chi Fan for Charity’s After-Party (at Hatsune Sanlitun for the 2nd year in a row).  As a big fan and supporter of Chi Fan for Charity, we wanted to show Shanghai some love too!

While Beijing’s beneficiaries this year include Bethel Foundation and New Hope Foundation, Shanghai’s beneficiaries this year include Heart to Heart, Compassion for Migrant Children and Chi Heng Foundation.  (See here for list of charities and all the wonderful work they do.)

With 26 glorious restaurants to choose from, we decided to host a table of 10 at Shook! Restaurant.  Chef Kevin Cape and GM Julien Laracine were both exceptional hosts to our private 5-course dinner at their prized chef’s table just in front of Shook’s beautiful open kitchen.

“An open-kitchen conveys the feel of ‘dining without borders’ – intimate, nothing hidden, open to all – a concept which transcends the menu. With whispers of Chinese, Japanese, South-East Asian and modern Western, yet flexible enough to transport you anywhere your heart and palate desire.”

See here LDS Snapshots of Shook’s Hallway of Wine and Open Kitchen:

After a few glasses of champagne at the bar, we sat down at Shook!’s private chef’s table where we were treated to a beautiful 5-course meal, a fusion of Chinese, South-east Asian and Western cuisine.  The venue is absolutely stunning and the service was exceptional. The food?  See for yourself all the goodies we were treated to…

LumDimSum Snapshots of Shook’s Dishes:

Amuse Bouche (Chinese-style soup) / Prawn Appetizers with walnuts (Chinese style)

Shared Appetizers: Perfectly Roasted Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

1st Course: Confit of Salmon/ Refreshing Orange Sorbet with Mango Ravioli

Main Course: Slow-Cooked Grain Fed Beef / Macaroon Dessert

Shook!’s Tiramisu and Creme Brulee

GM Julien then let us make our own crepes table-side!  Chef Anna took over and the result was delightful…

 Shook! Crepes:  BEFORE & AFTER

Thank you to the team at Shook! for a wonderful dining experience and big thanks to Kelly Olver and Katie Littlefield (Austen Morris) for arranging such a successful first Chi Fan for Charity Event in Shanghai!

It’s not too late for you to be a part of the Chi Fan for Charity event in Beijing, TONIGHT: Saturday, November 5! See details here.

Check for last remaining seats at CFFC Sponsoring Restaurants here.

In case you can’t make it to dinner and you still don’t want to miss out on this great event, there are still a few tickets left for the Chi Fan for Charity After-Party at Hatsune Sanlitun Village.  Click here to buy your ticket!

With 400-500 people dining at Beijing’s best establishments, everyone will come together for a brilliant celebration at Hatsune.

The Chi Fan for Charity After Party at Hatsune Sanlitun Village will be featuring free flow drinks by our generous sponsors (Wine Republic, Tiger Beer, El Charro Tequila and Hatsune’s signature cocktails), DJ Patrick Yu spinning tunes, and awesome silent auction and raffle prizes. 

For those who don’t have the time or the budget to commit to dinner, the after party is a great way to come out to contribute to two very worthwhile causes and show your support.  This year’s beneficiaries include Bethel Foundation and New Hope Foundation.

Kagen & Summergate Wine Dinner: Wine Geeks Unite!

My Birthday Beluga Dinner: Champagne & Beluga Caviar

candy&CAVIAR roll oozing with Beluga Caviar

Beluga Caviar, the KING of all caviar and by far the most expensive, was once a just a luxury in life I thought I’d never experience.

And then my birthday happened and I was told to meet at Hatsune at eighteen hundred hours for a dinner of champagne and caviar.

Turns out that one of the winners of this year’s Hatsune Sushi Roll Contest, the creator of the White Russian Roll, just got back from a trip home to Russia and after the announcement of this year’s contest winners, he wanted to be the first to try his roll in in true form with imported Beluga Caviar from Russia and we were all invited to partake in this momentous occasion!  (It was really only a lucky coincidence that this happened to be my Birthday weekend, hence the ‘champagne and caviar birthday dinner’ invitation).

He gave his container of Beluga caviar to sushi king Alan Wong who instructed his sushi samurai masters behind the sushi bar to generously load it onto the new White Russian roll!

Voilà!  The WHITE RUSSIAN Roll at its finest: Fresh crab meat, deep-fried gobo, avocado and oshinko pickled cucumber topped with torched white tuna and black Beluga caviar.

White Russian Roll topped with a mountain of Beluga Caviar

To enjoy more of a variety, he also offered to graciously shared his caviar with our dear friend and creator of the candy&caviar Roll.

candy&CAVIAR roll oozing with Beluga Caviar

And after the sushi rolls were finished, this is how much Beluga we had left over just to eat by the spoonful…which, in my opinion, should really be the only way to truly indulge in Beluga.

With an insanely massive quantity of this prestigous luxury item with present market prices ranging from USD$7,000-10,000 per 1 kg, it’s crazy to think that we just stuffed our faces with such a rare extravagance.  It’s not every day such a rare opportunity comes along – I couldn’t help but insist on extending this dinner to be included in my week of birthday celebration festivities.

FYI: The White Russian Roll will soon be available to order on Hatsune’s “Secret Menu” (but with black tobiko caviar rather than Beluga)…stay tuned on LDS for more updates soon to come on the availability of the winning creations of the Hatsune Sushi Roll Contest!

LumDimSummary: Hatsune’s 10 Year B-Day Shenanigans

OK People – here you finally have it (drum roll):  Hatsune’s 10 Year Birthday Bash Party Pictures!

Please forgive the delay (logistical difficulties in the apprehension from various photo takers) but now, just about a week later, you can once again re-live our monumental birthday celebration.

After a night of free flow sushi rolls, sake and dangerously delicious cocktails, memories are blurry across the board so I’ve listed a breakdown of the night’s shenanigans.

From the killer Japanese Taiko drummers to Hatsune’s First Wasabi Challenge to the insanely fun sumo action and all the outrageously brilliant Japanese costumes that turned up, here are snapshots throughout the night.

LumDimSum Snapshots of Hatsune 10 Year Sumo Fun:

Japanese Taiko Drummers:

Yummy Sushi & Sake For All:

Sushi Sake King, Alan Wong, Toasts to 10 Glorious Years:

Hatsune’s Wasabi Challenge with 12 Brave Contestants:

Just minutes later, one man prevails as the Wasabi Challenge Winner:

(Can you feel the wasabi pain?? Urgh, it hurts just to think about it!)

Hatsune’s Sushi Sake Addicts Caught In the Act:

And One of My Favorite Costumes of the Evening:

Mr. Tom Pattinson Presenting a Splitting Image of

Hiro Nakamura from the hit TV Series ‘Heroes’

And Last but Certainly Not Least -

HATSUNE SUMO FUN:

****THANK YOU****

to everyone who has been a part of the Hatsune Dream!!

For the full database of Hatsune’s 10 Year Anniversary party photos, click here for LumDimSum’s Facebook Page Group.

＊Note：China Viewers will need a VPN to access FB page

A Toast To You & A BIG Thank You from Hatsune

Hatsune King Alan Wong Toasts to 10 Years

After 10 years,  a full decade, we have not only stood the test of time, we are now better than ever and that all thanks to YOU – our devout sushi addicts who just can’t get enough of Hatsune.

A BIG Thank YOU to everyone who came out last night as it exceeded all our expectations. Unfortunately for me, the night flew by in a blur since I was running around like a crazy person dressed in a Japanese school girl outfit, but I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that for many of last night’s party attendees, their memory of last night may also be a bit blurry (but for reasons other than self-induced stress). In any case, we at Hatsune are truly touched by the amount of support and love you have all shown us and we want to thank you all for being a part of making our restaurant a Beijing legend.

And to my LumDimSum readers, I must apologize for the lack of posts the past few days, but those of you who came to witness the monumental 10 year anniversary of Hatsune can surely sympathize and understand how completely crazy busy (and now shattered) I’ve been the past 76 hours.

I don’t like to keep my LDS friends and fans waiting in suspense, so here are a few glimpses of Hatsune’s 10 Year Anniversary Party.

To commemorate 10 Years of Sushi, Sake and Good Times
(Thank You to Divina for their beautiful – and very delicious – giant birthday cakes!)

The Packed House of Hatsune

A Trip Down Memory Lane:

theBeijinger’s blog post for Hatsune’s 10 Year Party with old skool pictures from the very beginning, back in 2001.

Check out article here: A Decade in Sushi: Hatsune Turns Ten

Soon to come on LumDimSum:

Photos and Announcement of the Hatsune Sushi Roll Contest Winners and full-on photos of our wasabi challenge, sumo action, best dressed (you guys looked awesome!) and general debauchery throughout the night.  Stay tuned!