NAGOYA FASHION BOUTIQUE

Chinatown is notorious for selling knock-offs.  But did you know that it is possible to get a deal on authentic designer goods?  The catch is that they are second hand items.  They are however sold in good condition with the official certificates.   

Beware that although these used items are heavily discounted, they are still not cheap.  When girls are bummed out, they tend to indulge in retail therapy.  My sister says that there is no broken heart that can't be fixed with an LV Bag.  I think I'll take a second look at the boutique.  I am a fan of the bags but not a fan of the original prices.

NAGOYA FASHION BOTIQUE

12 ELIZABETH STREET

New York, NY 10013

BURGER KING

My friend Paul owns more Burger Kings than I can keep track of. He particularly owns the Burger King on Delancy Street.

Though Burger King isn't traditional Chinese cuisine, it is loved by many of Chinatown's locals.

This Burger King has also been particularly charitable to the Chinatown community. My workers have fond memories of contests sponsored by Burger King from their elementary schools. Paul also makes sure that his businesses give back to the communities they are in. He's making the BK a socially conscious product downtown!

Though I am not a huge fast food fan, I love the BK Whopper.

Burger King
146 Delancy Street,
New York, NY 10013

PJ KIM'S FUNDRAISER AT YELLO

My friend PJ is actually running for City Council for our area (District 1).  (Yes, I already know I am an underachiever.)

He's having his kickoff at one of my favorite places, YELLO!  There are free drinks and goodies for the first 50 people who arrive at his party tonight which is from 6-9pm.  If I wasn't his friend before, I think I'll be his friend now! Just kidding...

The extra bonus of the night is that PJ will be giving out gift certificates for Chinatown Ice Cream Factory.  I think PJ is on to something... ice cream makes everyone popular and loved. =)

Drinks, food, ice cream, and politics.  That's what I call a Friday night. I'll be dropping in so hope to see you there.

PJ KIM'S FUNDRAISER

6-9pm 

Yello

32 Mulberry Street (Btw Mosco and Bayard)

PENANG RESTAURANT

Penang is definitely one of the best Malaysian restaurants out there. My favorite appetizer is the Roti Cani which is an Indian pancake with curry sauce. It's great for sharing and it is must if you have never eaten Malaysian food.

Yesterday, we also ordered the Hainese chicken and the Pan Fried Pearl Noodles. Ummmmm. Um...

It was exactly what I wanted for dinner. A good, delicious, filling meal. It helped me get over my disappointing lunch that had still left me hungry and my wallet nearly empty.

Penang Restaurant

41 Elizabeth Street

New York, NY 10013

PEONY RED

Peony Red can be best described in short as a botique version of Pearl River. The shop carries a variety of Chinese inspired clothing that is a little more edgy. Yanna, who is the owner has a unique style to her apparel line.

My friend Sandra was wearing a dress from Peony Red the other night and was receiving so many compliments. The next day, I caved in to my shopping addiction. I went to the shop and purchased not one but two dresses!

What is also great about this place is the service. It's run with that Soho boutique feel without the expensive sticker prices. The super bonus is that they tailor your dress to you.

http://peonyred.com/

217 Centre Street, New York, NY 10013

CICF ICE CREAM AT THE COMPTROLLER'S APA CELBRATION

Tonight, Comptroller Thompson had his APA Celebration at Flushing's Townhall.

Of course, CICF ice cream made the night complete during the reception that followed.

Happy APA Month! 

Wo Hop Restaurant

Wo Hop is quite possibly one of Chinatown's most famous restaurants event for people who have not come to Chinatown. On the sitcom, Everyone Loves Raymond, Ray often talks about his love for Wo Hop's food.

The restaurant has an upstairs and a walk down area.  The walk down area is much more popular than the upstairs.  I would recommend it for the "real Wo Hop" experience.  The decor is adorned with photos of celebrities who are fans of the place.

The food however, is not traditional Chinese cuisine.  I would say it's kind of a Chinese/American fusion late night food joint.  

My friend Amy (who isn't Chinese) told me that her parents had their first date there.  Glad it went well, otherwise Amy wouldn't have been born! =)  Chicks must dig Wo Hop as a date spot?  Dig it, dig it? 

Wo Hop Restaurant

15 Mott St
New York, NY 10013

(212) 566-3841‎

GINGSENG AND HERB CO-OP

At this cute shop, they have barrels of different grades of ginseng. They sell everything ginseng from whole pieces to powders and teas.

Prices vary a lot and I am personally not a ginseng connoisseur. Ginseng in general is known to be very good for your health. I used to drink ginseng supplements instead of drinking coffee. It really does give you a bit of a boost. Ginseng is also good for your immune system.

Check it out!

188 Hester Street, New York, MY 10013, 718-886-1025

TURD at ELIZABETH CENTER

My friend came in with this cartoon turd mouse pad. She was ecstatic that she got it. (Keep in mind we are in our late 20's.)

This character is actually quite popular. I went to check it out at Elizabeth Center (E.C.). They have a whole section devoted to cartoon turd!

So they have everything from turd mousepads to turd photo holders.

Turd is the new craze!

Shop located at the lower level of Elizabeth Center (located between Bayard and Mott Streets)

SUNSHINE 27

Sunshine 27 had it's grand opening a couple of weeks ago. Lines to get into this new venue have been very long.

I'm dying to try it out. Seafood is their speciality. In Chinatown live seafood is a real delicacy. Many choose swimming fish from tanks or live lobsters. In merely minutes, they are cooked and served.

If you check it out before I do, email me!

Sunshine 27, 46 Bowery (btw Bayard and Canal)

TASTY HAND-PULLED NOODLES INC

I had been dying to try this new place for the last few months. I've always found their sign to be very attractive and appealing. It is one of the newest places on the historic Doyers street which was part of the old Five Points.

Tasty hand pulled noodles Inc. is indeed very tasty. I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't particularly in the mood for noodles but fell in love with my dish instantly. It was love at first bite....

I recommend the duck with the hand pulled noodles in soup. That's my favorite. I also really liked the seafood with the hand pulled noodles.

All their noodles are made fresh in house. It's hard to believe given the small size of the restaurant. The store front makes it look so much bigger than it really is. I guess that makes it all the more special.

I found their staff to also be particularly friendly.

TASTY HAND-PULLED NOODLES INC

212-791-1811

The corner of Bowery and Doyers Streets

NEW TU DO

I love Chinatown because there are just so many restaurants. It feels like you never walk down the same street twice.

My friend introduced me to this Vietnamese restaurant that I had never been to before. New Tu Do has the traditional Vietnamese menu. The food is very fresh and the restaurant is very spacious.

My favorites are the lemon grass chicken and the summer rolls. The Vietnamese coffee is always a treat. It is follows through a coffee sieve and is mixed with condense milk. Super yummy!

Again like most of the restaurants in Chinatown, the food is extremely affordable. It is questionably cheaper to eat out than it is to cook at home. Great food is still a reality here in this bad economy.

102 Bowery New York, N.Y. 10013

212-966-2666

GCCA Yard Sale

Right now until the 17th the Greater Chinatown Community Association is collecting new or gently used items for its yard sale. It's a great way to sneak in a last minute tax deduction. Donating old items also makes me one to fill my closets with something new.

In NYC, the terms vintage and consignment is very in. I'm sure that there will be lots of hidden treasures sold at this event. All the proceeds also benefit the GCCA which works for bettering the Chinatown community.

The event will take place on April 18th from 9am-3pm. It will be held in the Transfiguration Courtyard across from the GCCA. (105 Mosco Street)

Attend with friends for a fun afternoon of bargain shopping! Hope to see you there!

CREATIVE SIGN PROJECT

The kids at CPC Division street have been redesigning our banner and awning. Today marks the end of their final design! The CPCers of course had to party with ice cream to celebrate!

I was blown away by the creativity of these elementary schoolers. When they grow up, I may one day be out of a job!

We should be celebrating our "sign make over" the first week in May! Stay tuned!

TWITTER

CICF would like to announce that it has finally started to Twitter!

ChinatownICF is our login name.

www.twitter.com

The Dining Room Management Group

Last night, I met up with a friend and a group of people for dinner and karaoke. Since I don’t like to sing in front of people, I went for the food. The place was called The Dining Room Management Group. It was the first place in Chinatown I have been to that has a formal and sophisticated name. Although its name stands out from the other restaurants in Chinatown, its cuisine was similar to most of the neighboring establishments. What was different and very cool about this place is their basement. There were 2 private rooms for dinner and karaoke- great for parties! Reservation was easy and the rooms were more than affordable; or borderline cheap. You don’t want to miss this! Check it out:

The Dining Room Management Group Inc.
102-104 Mott Street, New York, NY 10013
(212) 925-1118/6661

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

Jennifer 8 Lee, author of the Fortune Cookie Chronicles is holding a party for the release of her paperback edition.  Powerhouse Books in Dumbo, Brooklyn will be jumping with a party that will also be featuring CICF ice cream and cupcakes.  (Now that's what I call a party! =) )

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles demystifies how the familiar Chinese American foods that we consume regularly came about. We know what General Tso's Chicken is, but who was he?  Where on earth did the idea of fortune cookies come from?  This is a total great read for any foodie!

Tonight, there will be a DJ, beer, ice cream and cupcakes that will be accompanying Jennifer 8 Lee's appearance.  

Tonight, March 11th, 7:00-1o:00 at Powerhouse Books

37 Main Street, Brooklyn

Please RSVP to rsvp@powerhousearena.com

CICF CAKES AT NY CARES

Our mini CICF Cakes made their way to the NY Cares 2009 Soiree.  

Despite the fact they were not laid out with marketing material, attendees recognized the cakes as being part of CICF.  They have already established an identity on their own! 

*Mini CICF Cakes available upon request.  For info, please email christinaseid@chinatownicecreamfactory.com*

BONE MARROW DRIVE

My friend Wincheng from my college days was diagnosed with Leukemia a few years ago. She went through a period where she was in remission and has recently relapsed. Wincheng is in need of a bone marrow transplant.

Wincheng's friends who love her very much have organized a bone marrow drive for her. We encourage you to attend or volunteer. Below details are listed:


Saturday, February 21st from 10 am to 3 pm at the Charles B. Wang Community Center in Chinatown (Canal St. Location)

You can learn more information about the National Bone Marrow Registry and what you can do to help out Wincheng and many others. You'll be able to join the Registry on site as well! Please feel free to invite friends, family, co-workers!! EVERYONE will be able to register for FREE!!!

If you are interested in helping out during the drive, please contact Bertha at: bertha.cheng[@]gmail.com. We do need help with publicizing the drive, manning the tables, and fluent translators. Please email any other questions to: all4wincheng[@]gmail.com.

If you are interested in joining the Registry, but are unable to come, you can sign up for a free home-kit at http://www.aadp.org/pages/register.php or http://www.dkmsamericas.org/category/marrow-donors/become-donor.

If you are interested in hosting a bone marrow registry drive at your workplace, school, etc. Please contact all4wincheng@gmail.com for more information. We would be more than willing to help!

Thank you for your support!!!!!


Every 5 min, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer.
Every 10 min, someone dies from blood cancer.
10 min of your time, might save a life.

DURIAN ICE CREAM

Yesterday, we were on Fox Five for a segment on exotic foods with medicinal benefits. They came in search of the durian ice cream with a world famous food expert.

Everyday you learn something new. Durian is surprisingly an aphrodisiac. For those of you unfamiliar with the spiky fruit, it is banned in many places in Asia because of its strong rotting smell. Despite its infamous smell, people find it irresistibly delicious!

With today being Valentine's Day, durian might just be our most in demand flavor!

Happy Valentine's Day and happy durian ice cream eating!

LUCKY CAKES DEBUT AT MAYOR'S RECEPTION

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg had his Lunar New Year reception. CICF was again given the honor of creating festive food for the occasion.

Our Lucky Cakes made their debut for Lunar New Year and were quite the hit of the night. The red velvet cupcakes will hopefully bring a year of luck to us all!

http://chinatownicecreamfactory.com/node/248

Missing Marilyn Feng

This past weekend, my friend Marilyn Feng was killed by a drunk driver as she was walking. She was coming from tango classes with her boyfriend. He is in critical condition. She was supposed to start work today at Chinatown's Manpower.

Marilyn was very involved in the APA community. She had formerly worked at the Borough President's office and for Asian Women in Business. Marilyn was only a few years younger than I and had already held a degree in law from NYU.

As I walked through the neighborhood today, I couldn't help but think of her. We girls had a list of things that we wanted to try out in the Chinatown area. We were planning to do everything from taking kickboxing classes, to getting a back massages and dinners. She was going to start work today, just down the block from where I am. There seemed to be so much time ahead of us. Now I realize and regret that our time was cut short.

I had just seen her a couple of weeks ago and she was perfectly healthy. A young girl with a love for the community and a bright future ahead of her.

The community and the world suffers a loss. I encourage people to be careful while driving and to be especially responsible when drinking.

We will all be missing Marilyn Feng...

CANTON KITCHEN

I have recently been exploring more new restaurants that have been popping up on the other side of Canal Street. A new favorite of mine is Canton Kitchen.

They have quite a variety of dishes. I like that fact that they offer something called "spa cuisine" which is a selection of very healthy items. Spa cuisine dishes include things like a variety of steamed vegetables, shrimp, and chicken to choose from.

The also offer the not so healthy alternative for some of my cravings. I love their fried chicken wings. Great for cold days like today to eat at home while watching some movies!

In this economy, their lunch specials are quite appealing. From 11am to 4 pm, you can choose from over 50 different items that come with a choice of either fried or white rice. They even somehow manage to throw in a soup! Now, that's what I call a bargain.

They are open 7 days a week from 8 am to 11pm. They also offer free delivery from 11am to 10pm.

Canton Kitchen
212-343-2623 ; 212-343-9496
Located at 171 Hester Street, NY 10013

The Notorious MSG Chinese New Year EXTRAVA-GANGSTER

On Chinese New Year Eve, one of my favorite bands is going to be playing in Chinatown.

Other performers will include Peelander-Z and Beluga & Gelatine.

Save the date: January 25th @ 100 Lafayette Street; 7pm. Admission $12. For more information check out www.notoriousmsg.com

LION DANCE COMPETITION

This Sunday will be the first annual Lion Dance Competition. Tickets run $10/$20/$50. What's great is that all the proceeds go to charities like the Greater Chinatown Association.

Lion dancing is a beautiful art that is an essential part of our lunar new year. I am excited to see the talent that comes out to Columbus Park for the showdown.

Come join me for some great entertainment while making a small monetary contribution to our community. That's how we should ring in the new year!

January 11th from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Volunteers wanted. Please email asianliondanceleague@gmail.com for more information.

Tickets can be purchased at BLT Merchandise Inc. at 77 Mulberry Street.

TRIP TO PHILLY

I just returned from my trip to Philly (aka Home of the Cheesesteak). What was really cool about my trip was taking the bus from our NYC's Chinatown to Phillly's Chinatown. I got a round trip ticket for $20 bucks! That's the price of a cab ride from Chinatown to the UWS.

I've known about the buses to Philly for a long time now, but never realized how convenient it is. They leave almost every half hour and the trip is oh so smooth.

My good buddy recently moved out there, so I ventured to find out more information. Before this visit, I haven't been to Philly since 4th grade.

Now that I realize that the bus is so affordable and reliable, I will be visiting Philadelphia much more often.

Also note that these buses also go to Ohio, Richmond, and other cities. The location of the bus office is on Division and Market Street.

Yello

Last night we I had some good food and drinks with lovely friends. These people also happen to be APA advocates from around the city. It was nice to bring them into Chinatown and chit chat about politics in the city.

I don't much alcohol but I do love the food at Yello. For a bar or even for a restaurant, the food is surprisingly good. I am a huge fan of their chicken wings and Belgium fries. My friends are also lovers of their quesadillas.

In this picture: Andy Woo (John Liu's Office, Brooklyn APA Advocate), Bonnie Duen (John Liu's Office), Me, Margaret Li (from Assemblywoman Ellen Young's Office, Kendra Lee (Executive Director Of the Greater Chinatown Community Association)

I'm super lucky to have such fabulous friends who are super involved in the community! We all love Chinatown!

Construction Plans in Chatham Square

Jan who has been a long time customer and fan of CICF is also a well known community activist. He has always kept me in the loop of what is going on. So the latest news now is that there are plans demolish Chatham Square and complete redirect traffic flow on almost all the streets coming into the square. Why is this a big deal? Because the city wants to push through plans without getting consent of the people in the neighborhood. Many Chinatown organizations feel that the public hearings on the plans are being held so close to the release of the information and during the Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation times for many people, that there is not possibly enough time to review the data. In Jan's words, "The way the information is being released is almost to keep people out of the loop of what is going on." Construction in Chinatown is usually always terrible unless it is very well planned out. For the businesses as well as for the residents. As is, Chinatown has an overwhelming population with narrow streets. Many of our busiest streets are one lane. Several businesses in lower Manhattan, particularly around Ground Zero constructiuon sites have gone out of business because of prolonged street construction. Many waited for years for LMDC compensation which came too late, or was not enough to sustain them.

The businesses here suffer when it is difficult to receive or complete their deliveries. When the streets are hard to navigate, customers stay away from the Chinatown area all together.

Another problem is that Chinatown has a large elderly population. It is hard for ambulances and emergency vehicles to navigate with ease. These people are our family members, friends, and neighbors. We would like to them to be cared for as soon as possible in the event of an emergency.

During 1999, there was construction done on the water main in which they had to dig up the street. When it is unpleasant to commute to the area because roads are under construction, businesses go out. During this time many businesses had gone under.

Right now we are in midst of postponing construction until the public has been notified about all the details.

Chinatown Neighboring Businesses

The restaurant Yee Li on the corner on Bayard and Elizabeth street had a gas fire a couple of weeks ago. The noise was so loud that it woke up everyone in the neighborhood. A good portion of the restaurant was burned out and renovations are currently taking place. This restaurant is owned by the same people who own Hsin Wong mid block.

Today, I went to Hsin Wong for my regular "som bow fan," where you get 3 dishes over rice. The owner insisted on treating me to dinner because I had treated him to ice cream on occasion a few months before. I was very touched by the gesture. Even though one of his restaurants just burned to a crisp, he chose to offer me a free meal.

Chinatown is beautiful in that way. It is a real community that cares about each other. Even though not all of us physically live in the area, the space connects us all.

Best Date Spot In Chinatown!

A couple of weeks ago, Time Out NY called me. They were researching an article and wanted to know my opinion on the best date spots in Chinatown. With the economic slump in NY, guys are looking for new, cool and inexpensive places to take their dates on.

I may have already blogged about this in the past, but I think Chinatown is a fabulous place for a date!You can get a good meal at a restaurant for $5 and up. Also, Chinatown is nice and quiet in the evenings, great for walking and exploring the different streets.

If I had to name my favorite restaurant in Chinatown, it would probably be Hsin Wong which is located across the street from me. I eat there at least 3 times a week and always get a delicious and hearty meal for $5-$6.

Hsin Wong is especially good for non-Chinese guys to take their date to. They can order dishes that is unique to Chinese cuisine. Chicks dig guys who are cultured about food.

HSIN WONG RESTAURANT, 72 Bayard St, NYC, 212-925-6526

CUPCAKES FOR AAWW

The Asian American Writer's Workshop is having their Literary Awards Reception today and they requested for some of my CICF cakes.

My friend, Ken Chen is the Executive Director of the workshop. Ken has been making efforts to be more involved in the Chinatown community so when he asked for 200 cupcakes, I couldn't turn him down. ( I think it could also be the fact that in his past career, he was a lawyer and convinced me without me knowing?) Just kidding...

In short, I was up all night making pandan cupcakes. For those of you who are unaware of what pandan is, it's a Malaysian leaf used to flavor a lot of desserts. If you ever go to a Malaysian bakery and wonder why all their pastries are green, it is probably because they are pandan flavored. This cupcake I created was inspired by our pandan ice cream that has been a big seller at our shop.

For more details on the Literary Awards Reception, visit http://www.aaww.org/

CICF CUPCAKES FOR EL MAESTRO

CICF recently donated cupcakes and copies of “Saturdays in Chinatown” to the El Maestro Cultural Center in the South Bronx. They celebrated the renovation of their space with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

My friend, Mabel helped her friends with the renovations. They raised money and renovated in under 10 days! I am glad to see that people are supporting non-profits.

El Maestro was founded by two brothers, Ponce and Pedro. A real grassroots organization, they do not receive any government funding. Their goal is to provide the community with a place for sports (boxing) and education for adults and children.

I hope to continue to connect children in different neighborhoods across the city through children's literature.

Taylor Poarch with a copy of "Saturdays in Chinatown"

VOTING IN CHINATOWN

Eddie Chiu from Chinatown has been making headlines.  Mr Chiu is in charge of the Lin Association which is a 108 year old standing institution.  As a retired business owner, he has been making it his mission to get the Chinatown community up and voting!  

By encouraging members in the community to vote, he has been getting more attention from politicians.  All the politicians that he had supported this year have won.  Daniel Squadron, Sheldon Silver, and Grace Meng.   Two of three of these politicians are new elects and have defeated their incumbents.  

I'm glad to see people active and passionate about our community.  Chinatown is such a special place but often our issues are overlooked because we are not considered an important voting block.  Politicians help those who can help to get them elected.  I hope in the future more people in our community start to realize the power of voting.

EDCORA JEWELERS INC

The U.S. economy is tanking. It's depressing reading the newspapers. From stocks to real estate, it all seems a big mess.

Surprisingly enough, gold and precious metals has soared. The jewelry store Edcora Jewelers actually sells those gold bars and coins for investment purposes. I am sure that they are doing a lot better than I have been doing in the stock market!

They also have beautiful pieces of jewelery. What is very unique about this shop is that you can design your own jewelry. Eddie who owns Edcora will help you to create anything that you can imagine...

EDCORA JEWELRY INC, 26A Elizabeth Street, NYC
2120274-8099

Red Egg Restaurant

The other evening I went to at tasting event and I was so happy to see something from Chinatown! Red Egg is a new restaurant that had caught my eye weeks ago. I had been meaning to try it out but work gets oh so hectic.

So I had the chance to try the food and it was GOOOOOD! I know the word "fusion" is out so it would be best described as a "blend" of Chinese, American, and Peruvian cuisines. The owner from the restaurant was surprisingly young for a Chinatown business owner...

So me, being the business geek I am, I wanted to find out more about the restaurant and looked it up on the web. They have gotten a lot of good reviews for a restaurant that hasn't been around for a long time. Nice to also find out that Darren who is the gentlemen that I had met at the event is running the business with his Father.

That is absolutely rocking to see young Chinese American entrepreneurs running businesses in Chinatown! I hope to see more of us in the future.

FYI, they look like they serve some good drinks over there! When work gets stressful, I guess I can head over. =P

Red Egg, 212-966-1123, 202 Centre Street
www.redeggnyc.com

BIRTHDAY CHINATOWN STYLE

Yesterday I was able to celebrate my birthday Chinatown Style!

I started off by getting my haircut at Sunny's new location. (11 Pell Street) This guy has been cutting my hair, as well as a lot of my friends for years. I told him, "Sunny, I feel old!" He was a real sweetie and gave me a new hair do. Felt and looked like a million bucks!

Then my friends threw me a party at Chinatown newest undiscovered bar. Apotheke which is located on 9 Doyers street. This was previously Golden Flower Bar and Karaoke. The old sign still hangs. I have oh so many memories at the old location! I guess it was however time for a change...

Apotheke is very posh inside and not many people know it exists (probably because they haven't hung up the sign yet!). Inside the bartenders dress like back in the old days of speakeasies. I recommend the drink with vodka and pepper in it. The official name of the cocktail at this moment escapes me.

My friends also bought me a cake. I love our CICF ice cream cakes more than anything, but of course, my friends cannot go and buy a cake from my own store! I got this fab cake from Fay Dah Bakery. umm mmm good.

Yes... it was a very happy birthday!

MAGNETIC NORTH

I recently reconnected with this band that I became absolutely addicted to.  Magnetic North is an Asian American hip hop band that has awesome beats, as well as inspirational lyrics.  My favorite songs on their CD are "So Long" and the "Price of Perfection".

Randomly, I stumbled upon their information on Facebook.  I'm not a huge fan of music videos, but I found theirs to be extremely creative.  Definitely check them out.  One of their music videos has given me a new interest in anime. I might actually have to check out Haruto anime on the internet.

Tonight, I actually had the honor of hanging out with Theresa and Derek who make up Magnetic North.  (And the answer is "no", I did not bribe them with free ice cream! )  They are both extremely cool, good looking, and down to earth. 

I ended the night, coming back to my shop with a bunch of their CDs.  Right about when I was about to pop one into our stereo, the kids at the shop mobbed me.  Apparently, everyone knows and loves this group.  

Ah....my kids are hard workers, so I couldn't  help but give them the copies I purchased....  Ehhh...them kids =X  

I hope that a huge record label signs them soon!  They are way too talented to go without something big being sprung upon them.

For more information on them, visit http://www.magnetichiphop.com/

FYI: It was also good to find out that they were both also fans of CICF's ginger and almond cookie ice cream!

AARI TALK ON CHINATOWN BUSINESSES

Winnie Tam who has been a long time friend of mine is giving a talk tonight at the Asian American/ Asian Institute. Winnie is PhD candidate for UC Davis in Asian American Studies. She is a member of the GCCA's Executive Team. She has been doing pioneering research in Chinatown which has often been a neglected area of research.

Her lecture is titled: "It's So Much Quieter Now":
Post-9/11 Chinatown Small Business
by Winnie Tam Hung [September 12, 2008]

In this talk, Hung focuses on Chinatown small businesses to analyze the impact of the post-9/11 decline in garment factories and the increase in Fuzhounese migration on ethnic businesses. Based on in-depth interviews with Chinatown small business owners and non-profit organizations, she finds that the events of 9/11 are part of a chain leading to increased luxury development and displacement of the area’s historically working-class residents.

Time: Fridays, 6PM to 8PM

Place: 25 West 43rd Street, Room 1000,
between 5th & 6th Avenues, Manhattan

Free Admission
Light refreshments are served.

Please register at least a week in advance so that we may
anticipate the number of guests to accommodate.

For more information, you can visit www.aari.info

ICE CREAM ARTS

Yesterday was my Ice Cream Arts event at the Children's Museum of the Arts (CMA). I did a demo on how to make homemade ice cream and did a reading of my book Saturdays in Chinatown.   The event was a huge success and everyone was amazed at the turnout.

We made ice cream together in Ziploc bags.  You need milk, sugar, and vanilla in one bag sealed.  Then you put that bag into another larger bag filled with ice and salt.  Then we shake everything together.  The ice freezes the product while the shaking is incorporating air which is the largest ingredient in ice cream.  In a nutshell...its a whole bunch of fun for kids because they like shaking things and making a mess.  In the end they also come out with a finished product that they can eat.

Whew...after all that work the kids deserved a good story to listen to while eating the fruits of their labor.  Good times. =)

Although it was lots of fun; I am glad it's over. Over 130 children came to the event and that can be overwhelming!

For those of you that don't know about the CMA, it's a great museum that lies just on the border of Chinatown and Soho.  It's a great place for kids to do a variety of art projects.  I secretly wanted to stay later so I could paint and make my own princess hat...  Unfortunately when you're an adult it's unacceptable to wear things like that in public unless its Halloween.    =X 

Oh well... Halloween is next month!

For more information, you can visit www.cmany.org

GEMWORKS

So I was wondering around Chinatown with my buddy Athena trying to find things for AWIB's silent auction....

Then we came across this super cute place on Lafayette street called Gemworks. This shop specializes in crystals and stones. Chinese are big lovers of gems like these which are believed to bring certain good things like luck, love, energy, and tranquility into your life. (I think I need to buy some of these crystals! =) )

Their speciality item are these beautiful crystal trees that sit on an amethyst geode. They are absolutely breathtaking!

What's great about this place is that they have something for everyone's budget. You can get some beautiful for just a few dollars. On the other hand, if you wanted something very expensive and ornate for your home, could spend a small fortune.

I definitely have to go back and find out her recommendation for what kind of crystals I need in my life. Check it out!


GEMWORKS
138 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-8391

A Week In Review

Looking back in the past week, there was a lot going on in Chinatown!

Last Thursday, The Chinese Planning Council (CPC) on Division Street had their Chinese Cultural Performance to mark the end of summer. The kids were so talented and so adorable! The performances ranged from lion dancing to hip hop. For a summer camp performance, they reallly knew how to entertain an audience!

Then after running back from the CPC performance, I had a radio interview with BBC's Peter Franklin. His radio show is based in NYC but is broadcasted internationally. Peter interviews cool people that he's met during his time in NYC. People that he's interviewed besides me, include Sarah Molton and Scott Stringer. I'm flattered that he took the time out to talk to me about CICF and the Chinatown community. Peter's a real riot and he cracks a lot of jokes. He's very fun and entertaining. You can listen to interviews at http://www.gabbyattic.com/bbc . Keep an hear open for my interview coming up in the next month.

I also went around Chinatown, soliciting items for Asian Women in Business' silent auction. Their gala is coming up and I'm part of their benefit committee. It was a good experience because I got to meet and talk to a lot of the people in our community that I might not have ordinarily have met. I was touched by the generosity of many members in our community. Also had haphazardly stumbled upon a lot of very cool stores!

And to end this blog entry...this week we also have DURIAN ice cream in the house! I know a lot of people were waiting for it to return!

MEI LAI WAH REOPENS!

I believe that yesterday was the first day of the reopening of the long standing bakery, Mei Lai Wah. For a couple of months now they have been closed. They left many of us wondering if they would ever come back.

Yesterday a woman came into my store and only asked for half a scoop of ice cream. I told her that the smallest size that we offered was one scoop. She said that she would pay for the whole thing but she just couldn't eat anymore. Before coming in for ice cream cone, she had just scarfed down 4 bows from Mei Lai Wah! She was a skinny chick and that is way too many bows for her own good. I guess she was really excited about it reopening!

I haven't yet been inside myself. I'm wondering if it's the same owners. If it's not...it's really just not the same business. The old men who ran the business for many years were really the heart and soul of the business. I always get the langlui (pretty girl) discount. It's something like 15 cents off of my 60 cents pork buns or coffee. Hahaa...those old men are always a riot!