LumDimSummary: BLING II BLING

Beijing’s hottest hip-hop club, BLING, celebrated its two year anniversary party in style with bottles of Goose, an endless supply of champagne, car-washing dancing divas and Beijing’s craziest party animals.

A big thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated with us!

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of Bling’s 2 Year Birthday Bash:

You Look Kinda Cute…in that Polka Dot Bikini, Guuurl

As expected, Riviera’s Pool Party this weekend was insanity.

Packed with Beijing’s beautiful party animals dressed in next to nothing, IO Spa was pure debauchery from start to finish.

Check Out LumDimSum’s Photo Gallery for a PG-13 Glimpse of Riviera’s Beijing Pool Party:

…and that’s a wrap!

LumDimSummary: Playboy Party @ ROOMbeijing

Superstar Guest DJ Dimitri from Paris

+

Lots of Bunnies

= A Packed House With Way Too Many Sweaty People

*Note to self: Come earlier to check out ROOMbeijing‘s dinner –> party transition.

ROOMbeijing definitely felt more like a lounge/club than a restaurant/lounge.

See for yourself.

LumDimSum Photo Gallery from Playboy Party @ ROOMbeijing:

LumDimSummary: Usher Makes You Wanna…

Covering everything from old-school Usher tracks like “You Make Me Wanna”, “U Remind Me”, “U Got it Bad” and “Caught Up”, “Confessions” and “Yeah!” to his newest hits “Make Love in this Club” and closing with “OMG”, Usher accomplished something rare – he not only got the entire Wukesong stadium standing UP and dancing, he also performed a surprise collaboration with Chinese American Pop Star Wang Leehom.

A brilliant entertainer with a silky smooth voice and unbeatable dance moves, Usher really knows how to put on a show.

Beijing Audience standing UP & rocking out to USHER

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of Usher Concert @ Wukesong Stadium:

Crazy Beautiful Clouds

After a week of intensely polluted air, Beijing finally cleared up for the weekend with blue skies and some of the coolest clouds I’ve ever seen.

Like the ripples you see when you make a splash in water, white clouds were waving outwards from the sun, revealing a truly beautiful landscape, especially at sunset.

Living in Beijing just a few years really has given me a new-found appreciation for the little things like blue skies and clouds that I desperately miss from sunny California.

If only the skies here were this pretty every day…a girl can only dream.

LumDimSum Photo Spree:

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:

LumDimSummary: thePark @ BLING

thePark’s WesChen & Jeff Kung

(Hosts of China’s First & Only Hip-Hop Show thePark on 88.7 FM)

+ DJ Wordy on the Decks

(3x DMC champ)

+ Live Performances by Sbazzo, Lil’ Ray, Jiawei & Jiezi (in3)

(Local Hip-Hop Legends)

+ The Forbidden City Rockers

(Beijing’s Best Breakdance Crew)

+ Free USHER Ticket Giveaways

(Provided by 8th Round & Street Hustle Promotions)

= A Night of Epic Hip-Hop @ BLING

LumDimSum Photo Gallery:

Worthy of the Reputation: DJ Tittsworth

There’s a reason why DJ Tittsworth continues to be invited back to Beijing.  The guy is not only an incredibly talented DJ, he’s such a sincere, down-to-earth & friendly guy.

Props to Tittsworth for keeping the energy high and the dance floor packed.

LumDimSummary of DJ Tittsworth @ Punk:

2 DJs with Mad Skillz

(DJ Tittsworth & Punk’s Resident DJ Saul D)

+

2 Bumping Birthday Bashes

(Happy Birthday to Dado & Max)

=   2 Much Fun on a Sunday Night

LumDimSum Photo Gallery:

Happy Birthday Max!!

A Tribute to Alan Wong

Owner of The Hatsune Restaurant Group, the genius behind Hatsune’s legendary Californian-Japanese sushi rolls, Alan Wong has a reputation that proceeds him.

Beyond the success of his restaurants, Alan is one of the kindest, most generous, caring, welcoming, friendly, personable, down-to-earth, chillest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. His beautiful family is my family away from home and I could not be more proud and privileged to be associated with someone like Alan.  More than my boss, Alan is my friend, my big brother, my mentor and my motivation to reach for the stars.

Happy Birthday Alan!

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of Alan Wong‘s Birthday Bash @ Centro:

Raw Goodness

Raw Food Chef & Natural Health Guru, Jennifer McClelland

Summer time means more sun and less clothing.

And there’s no better way to work off the long winter and get in shape in time for summer than eating a healthier diet.

Generally, eating healthy means no junk food and more greens. But have you ever considered going raw?

For those who are not familiar with the raw food diet:

“Raw food is literally “living” fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds in their unprocessed, unrefined and uncooked state preserving essential vitamins, enzymes and micro-nutrients the body needs for optimal health.  And preserving all this goodness in food is believed to be the answer to weight management and the prevention of many diseases, including cancer and diabetes.”

- Jennifer McClelland, Raw Food Chef

Raw Food Chef Jennifer McClelland regularly hosts raw food cuisine courses at the World Health Store in SOHO Shangdu where she educates her classes on the health benefits of incorporating more raw foods into their daily diet and providing mouth-watering recipes to prove to you just how good “healthy” meals can be!

Most recently, Jennifer hosted a “Raw Raw for Roma” class where she prepared a Cherry Tomato & Basil Pizza with a Flax Seed & Zucchini Pizza Crust (cooked in dehydrator) and Pumpkin Seed Cheese Spread (made with a blender).  For dessert, Jennifer created a Chocolate Mousse Mint Cream Parfait from just blending avocados, raw cacao, honey, coconut oil, cinnamon, a dab of mint extract, Spirulina (blue-green algae that is the world’s richest source of protein) and organic strawberry for garnish.

All recipes were lactose and gluten-free and still 100% delicious.

Jennifer, on easy ways to gradually add raw foods to your daily diet:

“If your diet consists of mostly cooked, processed and refined foods, begin to add some fresh choices to each meal.  You can start off with an apple a day and move to a fruit and vegetable smoothie.  Adding a salad to your meal is so easy.  Gradually increase the amount of fresh you eat.  Remember it does not have to be an all or nothing approach and slow changes are often the most long-lasting.”

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of the “Raw Raw for Roma” Raw Food Class:

For more information about raw foods & the health benefits of eating “living” foods, visit Jennifer McClelland’s website and the World Health Store Blog.

LumDimSummary: D-SATA & La Perla Fashion Show

Located at the Ritz-Carlton this Mother’s Day Sunday, couture clutch designer Currie Lee (Founder & Creative Director of DimSum of all things Asian) hosted her first fashion show in an Afternoon Tea party with ‘high’ fashion and ‘low tea’ called D-SATA by CuR, a collaboration with both La Perla and Swarovski Crystals.

LumDimSummary Breakdown:

D-SATA by CuR Signature Clutch Bags:

Free-Flow Champagne:

La Perla Lingerie & Swimsuit Collection:

Hosted by: Currie Lee, Founder of D-SATA

The Lovely Jo Ling Kent:

Creative Tea-Party Cakes:

A Group of Exquisite Women Together to Celebrate Mother’s Day!

Going Going Back to Back to…PROM

LumDimSummary of Bling’s PROM Party:

Elegant Long Gowns:

+ Corsages for All the Ladies:

+ Cheesy Couple Portraits:

+ Charlie’s Angels:

+ Endless Supply of Champagne:

+ Slow Dancing to KC & JoJo and Boys II Men:

+ Crowning Prom King & Queens:

+ Girl that Passed Out Too Early:

+ Making Out Like There’s No Tomorrow:

= PROM in Beijing ‘BLING’ Style

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of Bling’s PROM night, last Friday, April 30:

On Cloud Nine

The downside of living in Beijing for awhile is that you slowly get accustomed to Beijing’s muggy skyline, the constant, relentless overcast weather filled with fog, pollution or both.

But today was different.  Today, the short period of rain shower cleared the skies into one of the most brilliant blue skies I’ve witnessed in Beijing.  Even the air pollution was dispersed to reveal “Good” healthy air (according to an iPhone application that can track and measure Beijing’s air pollution).

Believe it or not, but that photo above was taken today in Beijing.  If anyone from back at home in California saw how excited I became at the sight of blue skies complemented by fluffy white clouds, they would be certain I’d lost my mind.  At least I can rest assured that my fellow Beijingers can relate to my new-found appreciation for sunshine, blue skies, and fresh, clean air.

I got a little ahead of myself and decided to go on a photo-taking spree as I sat in the backseat of a taxi driving across Beijing’s notorious Chang An Jie. In case you couldn’t tell, I’ve got a thing for clouds.

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of a rare sighting – a bright blue Beijing sky accompanied by perfectly puffy white clouds:

Sophia’s Birthday Bash

Happy Birthday Sophia!

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of Sophia’s Birthday Dinner @ Hatsune Sanlitun:

LumDimSummary: Karaiya’s 2nd Wine Tasting Dinner

Thanks again to Alan Wong for a 2nd successful session of Karaiya Spice House’s Wine Tasting Dinner!

After Karaiya’s first wine event, Alan switched things up. Instead of white wine, Alan opted to serve four different red wines and instead of serving one wine at a time, Alan poured all the wines at once to make things a little more interesting.

A tasting flight of four different red wines complemented by Karaiya’s top signature dishes, Alan provided a blind tasting test for all guests by explaining how to assess and evaluate the wide range of flavors, aromas, and general characteristics of each wine before revealing each wine’s label.

Keep posted on LumDimSum for details about upcoming events hosted by Alan Wong.

LumDimSum Photo Gallery of the Wine Tasting Dinner Party @ Karaiya Spice House: