LISA BEAUTY CORP

Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year is right around the corner...

With these two big holiday, us girls have to get glammed up! A good excuse to go shopping!

Lisa Beauty Corp is a cosmetic botique on Elizabeth street. They carry big name products; especially from companies that work well on Asian skin. Shisedo and Qiora are big sellers here.

I love how the gift sets come with beautiful bags that you can reuse! A girl can never have too many handbags!

In light of all the recent vacant store fronts, I have been more conscious of continuing to shop in our community. Small businesses are the heart of Chinatown and provide jobs for many.

LISA BEAUTY CORP

6 ELIZABETH STREET

NEW YORK, NY 10013

FAMOUS SICHUAN

I was so excited to find another hot pot place in Chinatown. This winter has been so cold; leaving me to crave something with hot soup...

Hot pots are fun to do with family and friends. It's a social experience where you are cooking the food together at the table. It's good bonding time with the people you care for. And the best part is at the end, you come out with great soup and cooked food!

This restaurant also offers excellent Sichuan food that is already prepared if you're not a hot pot person.

Their fish dishes here are beautiful. They are served whole and many of their options are steamed. The sesame prawns are also delish!

Lastly, if you're on the run and need some grub for lunch, they offer specials. For $5.50, you get a soup, and appetizer and a main dish. Who can beat that price?

FAMOUS SICHUAN

10 PELL STREET

212-233-3888

YI MEI GOURMET FOOD INC

I eat out a lot. Probably too much. Most of the time, I feel like the food is over flavored and salted. At the end of the day, I just want some home cooking. Even with a busy schedule, eating healthy and wholesome food is important.

At Yi Mei Gourmet, the food tastes like you had cooked at home. They have lots of fish and veggies to choose from. You can pick 3 things over rice and get a soup for less than $5. OMG that rocks!

NYers are a big fan of being what I call "foo fah". They like big fancy names with big fancy prices for their food. This is why we are in a recession...

For the prices that the restaurants in Chinatown charge for their food, you sometimes wonder if it would cost you more to cook yourself. The food in our community is fresh, delicious and economical. What more could you ask for?

Today, I ordered crab, bok choi, and fish over rice. DELISH! This is my new favorite joint!

YI MEI GOURMET FOOD INC

51 DIVISON STREET

212-925-1921

HO HO FLORIST

I must have gotten flowers from here at least a dozen times. The flowers from this shop always take my breath away. Regardless, some might find this florist, a somewhat unusual place...

When you walk into the shop, you feel like you may be interrupting their Mah Jong game. The people here are always playing MJ or cards! The place smells like pleasant mix of cigars and roses.

This blog entry is by far not a negative review. I love the flowers here and I love that it is run by real people. In light of all the changes in Chinatown, it is so refreshing seeing a place like this! When on earth are you going to have a gentrified neighbor that's going to do your floral arrangement while puffing rings of smoke?

Ho Ho Florist is an old school Chinatown business where their shop is their home. They feel comfortable being who they are and hanging out with their friends. They have been here bringing beautiful flowers to Chinatown for as long as I can remember...

Awesome....

P.S. If you see my boyfriend, remind him he should be me flowers from this place!

HO HO FLORIST

161 HESTER STREET

NEW YORK, NY 10012

212-226-0729

In this picture: CICF hat autographed by SJP

SARAH JESSICA PARKER

I was bummed out that I missed seeing Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP) at CICF. I have been a long time fan of hers.

I adore her partly because I love Sex in the City. More so, I heard from a friend that when SJP was on Oprah she said that Chinatown was her favorite place in NYC.

SJP has also been spotted next door eating dumplings with Matthew Broderick. Another friend tells me that she was even married in a church in Chinatown!

SJP is an iconic modern woman who's a great a dresser and loves Chinatown! She's a true NYer and definitely one of my favorite actresses!

FYI my sis said she ordered pistachio with chocolate sprinkles!

GRAND BO KY RESTAURANT

Because Bo Ky is just that good, they had to open a second location. It makes perfect sense now that Chinatown has spanned out into what used to be Little Italy.

Grand Bo Ky's food is just as good as their old location which resides on Bayard street.

It's great seeing hard working families able to expand their businesses in light of a difficult economy. Brothers John and Angle are second generation restaurateurs. This family will own 2 of 3 Chiu Zhao restaurants in Chinatown.

I ordered pigs feet over rice while my friend ordered a noodle dish with minced pork. YUM!

Everything made by their family is delish!

GRAND BO KY RESTAURANT

216 GRAND STREET

212-219-9228

MR TANG CLOSES

Mr Tang restaurant has been on the corner of Bayard and Mott for nearly a decade. It has always been known to be one of the more popular restaurants. The prices here were a bit higher and the atmosphere a bit fancier than the average Chinatown restaurant.

For many locals, this was a spot where you could have a real dining experience. I've celebrated many special occasions, like birthdays here with family and friends.

The eatery had been known to attract big names like Jackie Chan and Russel Wong. The food here was very delicious.

With the bad economy and rising rents in Chinatown, Mr Teng has closed. The sign that hangs in their window says that they are closed because they have lost their lease.

Us Chinatown locals are now wondering what the space will be next. ..

BAYARD BUDDIES

This is me and my buddy Felix. He works next door as a waiter.

When you work a million hours a week, you learn to be friends with everyone on your block to maintain a so called social life.

Felix is from China but his English is excellent. He tells me that his secret for learning good English, was watching Sex in the City.

He works a lot of hours but the economy here is terrible. He's thinking about possibly going home to China instead of staying here. At least there, he has his family and friends.

The Chinatown economy is hurting a lot. From the vacant store fronts to the blocks shut down on Canal.

I'll be sad if another one of my friends on block leaves...

BIG WONG RESTAURANT

Big Wong is possibly one of Chinatown's most popular restaurants for locals. The sit down area is very casual and perhaps unimpressive but the food is outstanding. I think they make some of the best duck and roast pork in all of Chinatown. It is great for taking home food for families.

I've been here many Chinese New Years, waiting in line. I have many memories of getting jostled by little old women who are worried that they will run out of cha siu! Chinese New Year is an aggressive time!

I hear that this restaurant is linked with other restaurants that I also love: Hsin Wong and Yee Li. The food at these restaurants are also just as yummy.

BIG WONG RESTAURANT

67 MOTT STREET

NEW YORK, NY 10013

212-964-0540

EXCELLENT DUMPLING HOUSE

If you follow my blog, you would get that I really LOVE dumplings. I've always passed by this place called Excellent Dumpling House, but had never had the chance to stop in.

I tried their seafood dumplings, soup dumplings and crab rangoon. DELICIOUS! Their soup dumplings also rock!

This place has been rated by Zagat from 2002-2008.

In this cold weather, I find it to be a plus that they deliver!

EXCELLENT DUMPLING HOUSE

111 LAFAYETTE STREET

NEW YORK, NY 100013

212-219-0212

212-219-0213