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!