Mason Kalei Turns 1

Ladies, eat your heart out.

Baby Mason no longer, this little man is growing up at lightning speed.

By the age of 1, Mason is already more accomplished and definitely way cooler than many of us:

• So stylish, he’s already a candy&caviar sponsored model (check out that hair and how good he looks in candy&caviar’s Elliot Tie?)
• He’s traveled all over China, made trips to the US of A and even made time for a vacay in Thailand
• He spent most of his birthday grooving to his very own private concert, music courtesy of Uncle Eli.
• Has women fighting over him – I for one am madly in love with this little monster.
• He has everyone who lays their eyes on him instantly wrapped around his little finger.

This future rock star is already making waves and well on his way to taking the world by storm.

From July 23, 2009 – July 23, 2010, here is a LumDimSum Photo Gallery of Mason Kalei aka the Cutest Baby in the Whole Wide World:

A Tour of the Hatsune Empire

For the past two summers, Alan will take on 3 interns from UNC (University of North Carolina), who will spend two months in an entrepreneurship program to learn about start-up companies and the F&B industry in China.  Through this program, the interns get an inside scoop “behind the scenes” of Alan’s restaurants, from spending time in the kitchen, behind the bar, greeting customers at the reception, and eventually serving tables.  And once a week, we all get together to attend Alan’s lectures to raise discussions pertaining to the F&B industry, doing business in China, and also to learn from him and his successful business models and effective management style.

Each of the three interns were posted in different venues, and with each venue, the interns made a strong effort to invest themselves and make the most of this unique opportunity- proactive, motivated, and helpful.

As this was their last week in China, we inadvertently found ourselves on a tour of the Hatsune Empire.

Monday: We started off the week with dinner at Hatsune (Sanlitun Village) and ordered all of our favorites: the G-Roll (a pimped out Moto-roll-ah available on Alan’s secret menu), Steak Rossini, Sake Gohan (Salmon Fried Rice), Dynamite Roll, Hatsune Salad, Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls, and the Rina Roll.

Hatsune's Famous Sushi Rolls

Tuesday: Karaiya Spice House. Conveniently located across from Hatsune in the Village, the interns wanted to try everything else on the menu they didn’t get to try the first time around.  I highly recommend the Signature Fish, Signature Ribs, Bullfrog in a flaming mini wok, Spicy Pepper Diced Rib-eye, and Foie Gras Fried Rice.

Karaiya's Signature Ribs

Spicy Pepper Diced Rib-eye

Wednesday: Haiku by Hatsune‘s “Become a Sake Samurai” Sake Tasting Dinner Party. Their last day working, Alan invited them to join his sake tasting dinner party of 45 people including a 7 course Haiku tasting menu and an introduction to 4 different sake from Alan’s personal collection.

The Dinner Menu:

1. Assorted Japanese Tapas

Haiku Sushi Bar

2. Tuna Tataki Salad

3. Yakitori Moriawase: roasted chicken wing, yakitori skewer, beef & zucchini, miso pork

4. Tempura with Prawn and Vegetables with Nori sea salt dip

5. Mini Oden: fish cakes, daikon radish and quail egg broiled in a traditional dashi soup

6. Assorted Haiku Sushi Rolls: a sample of 3 of Haiku’s best selling rolls

7. Ice Cream & Fruit Dessert

Sake Tasting List:

1. Shiro Yuki- This was the “normal” sake that we had.  We sell it as a hot sake in Haiku.  Of all the normal, or futsuu, sakes, this one proved to be very smooth and light.

2. Komeshizuku Junmai- This sake has a strong flavor on the palate, and is considered by me a banana and pear fruit bomb.  Each rice grain is polished down to 60% of the original size, which almost qualifies it as a Junmai Ginjo.

3. Kakurei Junmai Ginjo- This sake is from Niigata, a region well known for sake production because of the superior water quality.  It is milled down to 55% of the original rice grain, and has strong fruit and a hint of mint character on the palate.

4. Shotoku Junmai Daiginjo- This sake is milled to 45%, yields strong pear and yogurt flavors, and is the smoothest and thickest in viscosity.

“Keep in mind that some of these sakes are not available in the restaurants, but the main idea is to grasp the difference between the various qualities of taste and production.  Hatsune and Haiku have an extensive sake list so I encourage you to try some out and compare, looking for the taste qualities that you have experienced at the sake course.” – Alan Wong

Thursday: The Interns’ last night on the job, I organized a dinner for them at my personal favorite: Kagen Teppanyaki. A place they had only observed and always wanted to sample, this was the perfect place for their last night. My personal favorite: The Surf N Turf & The UpperEast Side Set Dinner (includes appetizer sampler, sashimi sampler, salad or soup, hibachi shrimp, teppanyaki fried rice, vegetables and fresh fruit with carmelized bananas.)   In the biggest private room, Alan and Hannah brought baby Mason to join the party!

Kagen Teppanyaki

Still to come for me:

Friday: 2nd Round of Haiku’s “Become a Sake Samurai” Sake Tasting with 2nd group of 50 pax.

Saturday: Hatsune’s 8 Year Anniversary Party with private dinner party in the Original Hatsune (Guanghua Lu) and Official 8 Year Party at the new Hatsune (Sanlitun Village) for an all-you-can-drink plus sushi samplers and appetizers for 100rmb. Party kicks off at 10pm.

Recap:

The Moto-Roll-ah at Hatsune = 75rmb. Karaiya’s Signature Ribs = 95rmb. Haiku’s 7-course Sake Tasting Dinner Party = 200rmb. Kagen Teppanyaki’s UpperEast Side = 230rmb. Hatsune’s 8-Year Anniversary Party all-you-can-drink deal = 100rmb.

A Week Tour of the Hatsune Empire: Priceless

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

Welcome to the World: Mason Kalei Wong

Today something wonderful happened.  Today, Mason Kalei Wong was born at 2:30pm, a beautiful, healthy baby boy came into the world.

At 9am, I get a text from Alan warning me that this could be the day!  Unsure of exactly when Mason was going to come, I waited to hear back for more news.  Around 3pm, I get a text from Alan, “Baby Mason Wong was just born”.  Naturally, I flip out and immediately call him to congratulate him and his response? Alan starts singing, “I love it when you call me Big Pop-pa” – HAHAHA, typical.  I haul ass over to Beijing United.

You’ve seen movies and movies about pregnancies (Nine Months, Father of the Bride 2, Juno, & Knocked Up to name a few) – they are always racing to the emergency room when the mother-to-be’s water breaks and when she’s giving birth, she’s drenched in sweat, screaming in pain throughout the ordeal.

To my surprise, that is all completely over-exaggerated and not even close to Alan & Hannah’s experience today.  According to them, Hannah’s water broke around 5am, woke Alan up and said, “I think Mason’s coming now” and then proceeded to take a shower, wash her hair, pack some clothes and were in absolutely no rush as they gathered together necessities for Mason’s arrival. After an hour or so, they leisurely made their way over to Beijing United and checked in to their Maternity Suite, where they waited, prepared, gave birth in that same maternity suite, and where they continued to stay for the next three days.

When I arrived (completely drenched wet after a crazy sudden heavy thunderstorm while trying to bike my way over), Mason was sleeping soundly in a little bedded table beside his mother Hannah, Hannah’s sister, Alan & his auntie. Mason and his new family were all just chillin.  Hannah looked great, she said she was fine, that Mason’s birth was much quicker and less painful than she had expected and to my surprise, she was already up, walking about – even giving birth doesn’t phase her.

Alan showed me a little video clip he had taken of the event (tastefully done with no crotch shot) – it showed Hannah laying back with 5 or 6 nurses/doctors all around her and then Mason just came out covered in goop, which the doctor and nurses quickly and efficiently removed and washed away.

Naturally everything in movies is much more hyped up and dramatic, but I never imagined it to be this calm.  But then again, Hannah’s always so composed.  Even in the days up to Mason’s birth, Hannah was never nervous or anxious about the big day, only saying that she hoped he’d come out sooner rather than later.

The whole day, Mason was in the suite with his mom and dad, there was no isolated room for him and all the other newborn babies to sleep in – in this case, all the babies stayed together in the maternity suites with their parents.  Visitors came in and out all throughout the day, to get a glimpse at the superstar himself, commenting that he looks exactly like Hannah, especially his eyes & nose, but mouth takes after Alan.  With a head full of hair and a rosy pink complexion, Mason was the center of attention.

But as noted in the guidebook provided by Beijing United, Mason did as expected – he just slept and slept and slept. And if he did wake up, it was one eye that opened just for a glimpse before shutting again.

According to Uncle Evgeny, who so happens to be a baby-expert, baby’s see the world upside down in their first few days until their eyes have time to adjust and turn everything right-side up again.  So if Mason did just open one eye, he looked rather wary or as Evgeny beautifully put it, “Mason’s hungover, he’s had a rough night.”

Another fun-to-know baby fact: It’s a misconception that a newborn baby should be bundled up tightly.  While you should make sure your newborn is warm enough with sufficient layers of clothing, head beanie, and blankets, you should also allow for movement and stretching, rather than constricting his arms, legs, body too tight together.   And it’s also good practice to place your hands below your newborn’s feet and allow for him to kick against your hands to get their leg muscles developing sooner, which can lead to them walking sooner as well.

Who would have known Uncle Evgeny was such a pro when it comes to babies?  Always full of surprises.

And just as I am about to walk across the street to order some Annie’s take-away, Uncle Asher comes just in the nick of time with massive portions of homemade meat lasagna and Fettuccine Bolognese. So Bomb and so clutch.  I don’t know how he does it. I can’t wait for him to start up his own place, he’s got a gift worth pursuing.

As Uncle Evgeny, Uncle Asher, Auntie Kristen (me) and other visitors each took turns holding baby Mason, it was easy to point out that this baby has a LONG line of people willing and devoted to not only babysit and look after, but also protect, nurture and love him as he grows up.

And while this is only Mason’s first day in the world, he’ll soon discover that he’s arrived into the loving arms of two perfect parents and a wonderful circle of Uncles and Aunties just waiting to show him what this world has to offer.

Here are some shots of the superstar himself: Mason Kalei Wong with Papa & Mama Wong. What a beautiful new family.

Baby Mason getting burped by Papa Alan

Mama Hannah holding Baby Mason

Just the Beginning of George & Mason

George misbehaving

Mason Goes Home!

...with George