Hallelujah for Telihana

My dear friend, the very talented Telihana will be hosting her launch party at Block8′s rooftop, The Beach this Friday, July 23.

Telihana’s Official Album Launch will be releasing her three latest songs and clip from her ‘All Night’ music video in New York.

Together with DJ Chozie, Telihana will be creating tunes and beats to “make your feet ROCK and your heart BUMP!”

• Date: Friday, July 23
• Reservations: 13521882889
• Location: The Beach, 4th floor of Block 8
• Time: 10PM- late

Third Time’s a Charm: ChinaDoll Re-Opens Once Again

Since they first opened in 2008 just before the Olympic Games, ChinaDoll 3.3 has undergone renovations and adjustments quite a few times.

Their third Re-Opening party, tonight ChinaDoll hosted a soft-opening party for their Sky Bar.

Other than The Beach (Block8) & Kokomo, Sky Bar is one of the few rooftop bars in Beijing that boasts such a big space and in my opinion, very closely resembles The Beach’s style, but instead of sand, they feature a shallow water tank.

Scoping out the crowd, spotting the model crew and checking out the VIP section with their plush sofa chairs, I conclude that Sky Bar’s scene is very much a mash-up of Suzie Wong’s and Xiu (Park Hyatt).

Sponsored by Cointreau, the event featured Lady Gaga impersonator performances (which included 2 Lady Gagas & 1 Man Gaga) and girls dancing in water tanks (another idea “borrowed” from Block 8).

A spacious, outdoor rooftop venue with a long, fully-stocked bar, DJ and dance floor, along with lounge couches, sofas and round tables surrounding a water tank in the center of the space and a mermaid on the side with a big screen showing the World Cup in the back, this outdoor venue is about to give The Beach at Block 8 a run for their money.

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of ChinaDoll’s Sky Bar Soft-Opening Party:

A Tour of ‘The New Beijing’

It seems like a lifetime ago, but when I first moved to Beijing in 2006, I came as a student to study Mandarin at World Link Education.  Back in those days, everything was all play and stress-free – ah, the life as a student.  My crew’s regular hangout spot was Together Bar (which was recently demolished this summer and replaced with a park) and our regular party spots included none other than Babyface, Cargo, Bar Blu, Kai Bar, Suzie Wong’s and Vics (before the re-model).

Since then, so much has changed in Beijing pre and post the 2008 Olympics.

This October holiday, my best friend from World Link, Sophia Gericke came back to visit for 10 days – a visit that has been both refreshing and eye-opening.  It’s so easy to get caught up in all the small things and forget to see the big picture.  It’s hard to imagine that only a year ago, there was no Sanlitun Village, there was no Opposite House, no Bling, no Solana, no Legation Quarter, etc. etc.

With Sophia back in Beijing after a 3 years, I wanted her to experience the best of what I like to call, ‘The New Beijing’.

Having already lived in Beijing, Sophia had no interest in seeing any tourist attractions, so I was able to really give her a taste of Beijing’s new and improved dining and nightlife scene.

Here’s what the 10 day tour consisted of:

1. Sanlitun Village (Hatsune, Karaiya, Blue Frog for drinks, Panino Teca)
2. Opposite House (Alan’s Hotel Party in one of the suites, Mesh & Punk)
3. Solana (All-Star & Bling)
4. Legation Quarter Tour & dinner @ Capital M (Qianmen Pedestrian Street)
5. Park Hyatt’s Xiu
6. Olympic Green (complete with attending the Turandot Opera in Bird’s Nest)
7. 1949-The Hidden City: Club Décolleté, Club Glen, Sugar Cafe, Well Bar
8. Scarlett (Hotel G)
9. Glen Boutique Bar & Oden
10. d lounge
    

    Keep it Gangsta Party @ BLING

11. Vics (renovated)
12. Block 8‘s Ruby Khi (renovated)
13. Suzie Wong’s (unchanged)
14. Chocolate Club
15. Vineyard Cafe (best Sunday brunch)
16. Chef Too (Sunday brunch)
17. Regency Taipan (massage)
18. PurpleJade Country Club (spa)

Happy Birthday to…Everybody!

There’s something about August.  The past two weeks have been filled with birthday parties for everyone and their mother.

First, it was All-Star’s 1 Year Birthday on August 5th and then Bling’s 1 Year Birthday Weekend on August 7 & 8th.

Yesterday, August 15th, it was not only Hatsune‘s 8 Year Birthday Celebration at both branches, it was also Block 8‘s GM, Xixi Cheng’s birthday (a surprise party at Karaiya followed by a party at the Beach), and All-Star/Bling‘s owner, Ken Li’s birthday party at Bling, obviously.

Yesterday’s parties were off the hook, and today we celebrated Ken’s actual birthday.  Ken hosted his dinner party at Todai, which was fitting since his friends are all giants who can really make the most of this gargantuan buffet.  Todai was perfect for everyone to get together and gorge on a buffet that has something for everyone…and then some.

I was grateful to be a included in Ken’s birthday celebrations as he is someone I have always respected and looked up to (both figuratively and literally, he’s super tall). HAPPY BIRTHDAY to KENDOGG!!  Just Like That.

Julia, Ken & I at Todai

Ken with his Mama & 4 Birthday Cakes

*On the topic of Birthdays, it will be my 25th Birthday on September 8!  Stay posted on my birthday plans, and save the date for Saturday, September 12th for my birthday shenanigans and debauchery. Details TBA.

Review of Todai: Described as “the mother of all seafood buffets”, Todai is one of the largest buffets I’ve encountered featuring everything from salad and appetizers, pasta, pizza, sushi and seafood, teppanyaki grill, HK BBQ, dim sum, noodles, shark fin soup section, Indian & Tandoori section, and a massive dessert selection including crepes, outstanding fresh juice joint, wine section, and much, much more. RMB 198 per person for weekday lunch, RMB 258 per person for dinner.

Best Part:

• The HUGE Snow Crab Legs were the main attraction (don’t forget to ask for melted butter to dip)
• The Teppanyaki Grill selection serves up great filets and foie gras
• The Creme Brulees are shockingly well-done
• The crepes and souffles for dessert are amazing with the rich chocholate from the chocolate fondue!

Comments:

• Not impressed by the quality or taste of the sashimi or sushi rolls (I’m too spoiled by Hatsune)
• A place for people interested in quantity over quality – there was very little that was worth even trying
• If you want a solid buffet that serves everything your palate desires, then I recommend the Senses in the Westin, Financial Street.  You can also find here a list of the Top Weekend Brunch Buffets in Town.

Solana, No. 6 Chaoyang Park Road, Chaoyang Park – Northwest gate, next to Starbucks Coffee
朝阳公园路6号蓝色港湾商业区亮马食街

5905-6888

The Best of the Nightlife Worlds

Tonight Hatsune celebrated its 8 Year Anniversary, and what a celebration it was! 

The evening started off with a kick-ass dinner party at the original Hatsune – all you can eat and drink sake for only 200rmb, (which booked out within 3 hours of me sending out the notification! – Definitely a record for the quickest sold-out event.)

Afterwards, the celebration continued with the official party at Hatsune in Sanlitun Village, with all-you-can-drink cocktails and sake plus more sushi for 100rmb. Let’s not forget the acrobat performances, which were jaw-dropping.  Unreal.  I wish I had photos to post, but must’ve skipped my mind in my state of shock.

The breakdown: About 70 (out of the 150) dinner guests came for more of the Hatsune goodness along with another 250 Hatsune Sushi Samurais.

Packed Out

The result: A stunning fusion of beautiful people letting loose and getting crunk. With the massive sake wells, flowing cocktails, sushi samplers, acrobat amusement, and all the old school hits, this was something exceptional. It felt like a combination of the best vibes and crowds from Punk, Block 8, and Bling – all together at the same time.

Break it down Ella

Alan Wong, the Master Sushi Samurai

My favorite photo of the night

Kelly Olver, My fav Aussie chick

Jen's got the magnum and I've got cheese

Today was a reason to celebrate. Since 2001 when the original Hatsune on Guanghua Lu first opened to the 5 additional restaurants Alan has opened, things have come a long way.

On behalf of Alan and the Hatsune Team, I sincerely thank you for your continued support and for making Hatsune a Beijing legend.

Thanks to everyone for the great turn-out and for making this such a memorable event!

*Note to self: After the opening party and this 8 year anniversary, Hatsune should seriously consider doing this regularly.

To Mentor is To Inspire

Having had the opportunity to collaborate and work together with so many diverse projects, I’d had a great advantage over those who choose stability.

I’ve had the opportunity to learn through working on different projects with different people in different work environments and management styles. From straight up dictatorship to playing the friend role, it’s been quite an experience to manage each relationship on a basis of loyalty, honesty, professionalism.

Lucky for me, I’ve never been alone.  From the days I first started managing PR for Block 8, I was fortunate enough to have two incredibly caring and inspiring mentors: Sebastien Noat & Alan Wong.

Sebastien is hands-down one of the most ambitious, brilliant, eloquent, energetic, and hard working people I know. He is always on the go, full of creative ideas, indisputably persuasive, and knows exactly what he wants. And he goes after it. I saw him go from the General Manager of Block 8 to starting up his own Consultancy Agency – Alchemy, where he took me under his wing and made me part of an unstoppable team, working with some of the most prestigious F&B client companies in China including Domus & Cabaret with the Tiandi Group and LAN Club with the South Beauty Group.  Alchemy is also the creative group behind the concept, design and launch of All-Star Sports Bar & Grill + Club Bling.

While in many ways Alan is similar to Sebastien in the sense that he is extremely capable, personable,  has an inherent gift to managing his staff and business associates, along with the power to inspire and teach, Alan is also one of the most down-to-earth, chillest people on this planet.  This is where Alan’s management style is so brilliant.  I have encountered too many times, people who manage through means of commanding, dictating – which to me, is just condescending. Alan, on the other hand, I have yet to hear yell at anyone or seen him truly angry.  I have seen him frustrated, worried, stressed, and at the worst, I’ve seen him disappointed, but that to me is more powerful than anger.  What he inspires in those who work for him is a motivation that drives people to do not only do what is best for Alan or themselves, but more importantly, what’s best for the team.

Before I saw Alan as my mentor and before I even started working for Alan, I was already Alan’s ‘little sister’.  Turns out, we went to the same high school – Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, California.  Small World, huh?  Now, after two years, I’ve worked for Block 8 and all of Alan’s restaurants in the Hatsune Restaurant Group, including the launch and grand opening parties of his two newest outlets in Sanlitun Village: the second Hatsune restaurant & Karaiya Spice House. Since then, I’ve had the honor of working as Alan & Hannah’s wedding planner and most recently, I’m a proud Auntie to baby Mason Kalei.

I have yet to begin my own company where I’ll be mentoring and motivating my own staff, but when that day comes, I will be happy if I can instill just a fraction of what my mentors have inspired in me to achieve.

Alchemy Team: Left to Right - Joe Zheng, me, Sebastien Noat

About LumDimSum

This is me, Kristen Lum, on the Job at Bling. May 2009

About LumDimSum:

First and foremost, let me explain what LumDimSum is all about. Don’t be fooled by my name, this is not a blog about DimSum (although I am a HUGE fan) and it is not limited to discussions about dining in Beijing.
I decided to create LumDimSum to share my experiences (both personal and work related) with family & friends abroad, along with anyone interested in the life I live as a PR socialite in Beijing. as a newly graduated, ABC living in Beijing, my life has taken off on a path of its own and my goals and aspirations have morphed, grown, and leapt in ways I never expected or imagined.

Having lived in China for the past three years, my life and career goals have taken off like a roller coaster. I originally came to Beijing as a student at a private Language Program and within just two years, I’ve since planned the wedding of the year, hosted two restaurant openings, and managed the PR, Marketing and Media for Beijing’s top nightlife and dining destinations: Block8, BLING, LAN Club, the Hatsune Restaurant Group, just to name a few.
LumDimSum not only recaps some unique experiences and thoughts on my daily life in Beijing but also serves as a platform for me to discuss my personal opinions on Beijing nightlife and dining along with the inside scoop on my work and the venues I represent. Shameless self-promotion aside, I hope that LumDimSum will provide valuable insight and tips to Beijing’s hot spots and top upcoming events around town.

Contact Info:
E-mail: lum.kristen (at) gmail.com

Dantas Rock

Facebook: Kristen S. Lum
Twitter: kristenslum

My CV: Served in DimSum Portions

Kristen Stacy Lum 林斯瑶
Sierra Oaks Elementary School (1990-1996)
Arden Middle School (1996-1998)
Rio Americano High School (1998-2002)
University of California, Santa Barbara (2002-2006)

Beijing (2006-2009)
World Link Education (Sept. 2006- Feb.2007)

Eastwei PR (Feb. 2007- July 2007)

American Chamber of Commerce-China (Jan. 2008-July 2008)

Block 8 – Director of Communications & Public Relations (Jan. 2008-Oct. 2008)
Hatsune Restaurant Group – Director of Marketing & Media (Oct. 2008-Present)
Alchemy Consultancy – Director of Media, Marketing & Communications (March 2008-June 2009)
*All-Star & Bling – PR Consultant to Director of Communications (June 2008-Present)
*Domus – PR Consultant (July 2008-January 2009)
*Cabaret, Shanghai – PR Consultant (October 2008-January 2009)
*Lantung Thai Bar + Bistro – PR Consultant to Event Planner (February 2009-Present)
*LAN Club Beijing & Shanghai – PR Consultant (February 2009-April 2009)

Wedding Planner for Alan & Hannah Wong (May 2009-June 2009)

*candy&caviar – Director of Media, Marketing and Communications/Honorary Chairman (June 2009-Present)

*Glen Group – Media, PR Consultant (September 2009-Present)

*Purple Jade Country Club – Consultant (September 2009-Present)

(*) Current Projects