In my recent binge on documentaries, I just checked out “Jean Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child” and it’s another one worth seeing. Here are the top reasons why-
1. The Julian Schnabel film ‘Basquiat’ is great but as a dramatization, doesn’t give you the chance to see Basquiat in the flesh. And while Geoffrey Wright was brilliant in capturing Basquiat’s ambition and introverted personality, there’s nothing like seeing real footage where you see Basquiat’s vulnerability. The documentary’s director, Tamra Davis was a confidante of Jean Michel and fortunately her archives of recorded conversations between them allows us a window into the real Basquiat. It’s a gift to see him reflect so candidly on his work, his friendship with Warhol, the pain of dealing with sudden fame, being misunderstood and cut down by the ivory tower of art critics and museum curators. Read more...
Apart from INCEPTION and SCOTT PILGRIM, I’ve found the summer to be a big fast food smorgasboard of formulaic, pandering, and lowest common denominator movies. So for the perfect antidote to trashy fiction that doesn’t provide any worthwhile escape (just junk food for the brain and soul), I suggest watching some good documentaries. Read more...
You know you’ve been eating in the SGV too long when you can’t seem to break out of the routine of hitting up your shortlist of Chinese restaurants that without fail, have their gravitational pull on you (in case you were wondering, it’s MPV Seafood, Dragon Mark, Chung King, Dong Nguyen, and Jirong for me). I can’t seem to get out of the routine as my palate these days seems to only know four destinations- Beijing, Canton, Shanghai, or Szechuan and with those places, I have my go-to spots. Read more...
Being that we are about a month out from the deadline for our short film contest, INTERPRETATIONS I wanted to share my memories from a summer art program I embarked on back in high school where it was an intense four weeks of “Interpretations” type art exercises that were ultimately enlightening though very humbling. Read more...
Apologies in advance for those readers who are lactose intolerant, but I just have to share my recent milk product indulgence that was sparked by Whole Foods’ exotic dairy aisle. Perhaps it’s a yearning for the simple days of childhood. Those days when a glass of milk was a ready comfort – cold or hot and ice cream would melt one’s worries away. Regarding yogurt which I never liked as a kid but after tasting the European variety as an adult, I developed a taste for the creamy, non tart, and no junk (excess sweeteners, additives, etc) variety.
Here are my latest simple pleasures:
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plant of the fried sweet-
dots doughnut with lavender
spa meets sugar fix
Katz – smoked meat market
wurst makes a knoble date with
pastrami wingman
mainlining pork buns
need 12-step to purge the pork
Yum-o-fuku high…
Short time in NY
Friends with the food lists, thank you-
Sunshine, Nick, Bond, DHH, ja718, Nina, Pat, Jonathan Gold, Kurly Kolly and others…
left hungry for more
UPDATE 7-19: New Group shot of the panelists below.
Thanks to everyone who came out to join us for yesterday’s INTERPRETATIONS panel at this year’s Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) in New York. I hope you enjoyed yourselves and will be inspired to make a film for the Interpretations short film initiative. Remember deadline is September 1st!
Future short filmmakers for Interpretations waiting in line for the panel
I also want to personally thank the following who graced us with their presence at the panel -
To Jennifer 8. Lee for your exuberance, probing questions, and all powerful iPad that carried us through the event seamlessly. Read more...
If I had only two big things on my mind today – it’s to revisit the gastronomic ecstasy that is the Momofuku pork belly pork bun and the panel for Interpretations happening today. For all those New Yorker yomyomfer’s and friends out there, the panel is for our short film initiative INTERPRETATIONS. It’s today from 5pm-6:30pm at the Clearview Theater in Chelsea (260 W. 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Ave). Actor, Ken Leung (LOST) will be debuting his INTERPRETATIONS short film ‘Rumble’, Evan Leong who gave you the futuristic INTERPRETATIONS short video ‘Far East Futura’ featuring hip hop group, Far East Movement will be there and, Jennifer 8. Lee – writer of “Fortune Cookie Chronicles” and who also coined the term “man-date” in her New York Times piece will be there to MC. She can give all you straight men seeking straight male friends some off the cuff advice on how to navigate straight male outings sans sports events if you are nice to her… Read more...
Dear Readers,
I will be hitting Manhattan next week to attend the Asian American International Film Festival and promote our short film contest – Interpretations. My first priority is to answer your questions about Interpretations and my second priority is to eat well and that is something you can all help me out with…
In New York one is spoiled with choices from Michelin star restaurants to pushcart vendors all serving up great stuff. And sure, I could seek the counsel of yelp, chowhound, food critics, etc. But I’m giving these third parties a break. Read more...
One of the best things about taking a road trip is the opportunity to try the local eats of small towns along the way. When driving to the desert cities – Desert Hot Springs, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, etc. I always make a stop at Patsy’s Country Kitchen, an unassuming little diner tucked away in a strip mall in Banning. Be mindful of their hours – I believe they are open just for lunch and closed on Sundays, but I’d recommend checking to avoid disappointment. With an efficient team of waitresses who start pouring the coffee before your ass lands in your seat, Patsy’s is best known for their hearty egg breakfasts. But my favorites are the patty melt and the chicken fried steak. The patty melt is a burger served between two crispy, buttery slices of rye bread and oozing with grilled onions and some kind of mystery, cheese product. A meal that will surely bring out the Homer Simpson in you. And, the chicken fried steak is neither chicken nor steak, but rather a pounded slice of beef coated with spiced, crunchy batter and doused in creamy, white gravy. With the fluffy biscuits on the side, you forget about the rest of the trip and realize you’ve arrived at the real destination.
A fan of all things deep fried and sweet, I just had a churro experience this past weekend that tops even my Spanish churro and chocolate experience in Barcelona. After watching multiple episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s ‘No Reservations’ and Andrew Zimmern’s ‘Bizarre Foods’ on the Travel Network, I’ve been reminded that some of the most tasty, soulful, and inexpensive food can be found on the street. So on Saturday night, I dashed out to the heart of Koreatown on 8th and Irolo where a handful of taco trucks and food vendors hawking everything from homemade tamales, beef rib tacos, and hot dogs abound, to satiate my craving. And there, I saw a man selling his churros at his humble cart. Five for one dollar, the churros were a bit thicker than your average, skinny, soulless pre-fab churro usually seen at amusement parks and county fairgrounds. These were substantial churros. A crunchy, deep fried shell encasing a delicate, spongy center that teased the palate with a faint egg custard-like aroma, these churros reminded me of the best French-style crullers I ever had. 24 hours later, I went back to get my churro fix but saw no sign of the truck. Perhaps next time… Read more...
Dear Roger,
I read your blog ‘i gots no clothes’, hear your cry for help and as your longtime friend and admirer, am going to step in and offer some unsolicited style advice. You’re one of the best looking guys I know and it’s a royal shame to let that greatness be wrapped up in clothing that is less than stellar. Also, I have to stop you from doing the male equivalent of wearing Ugg boots and minis and suggest a moratorium on funky button downs that are default hip-yet-casual gear for the urban set. These shirts risk crossing into similar territory as the Ed Hardy printed t-shirt – a tattoo surrogate and fashion staple for regular guys who want to sport the ink but can’t deal with the permanence or pain. But you’re so much better than that. I know you’re a responsible, selfless person and would sooner spend money on your dear loved ones than on an outfit for yourself. But I assure you, it can be painless and not too pricey to invest in some staples that are versatile and will become go-to classics in your wardrobe so you can show off your God-given assets with grace and style. Read more...
In calling up our favorite songs that get our spirits up if not, help us muster the will to face the day, I can think of none other than Jimmy Cliff’s ‘The Harder They Come’. Recorded for the 1972 Jamaican crime film of the same name, the song has the characteristically upbeat rhythms of reggae. And yet, the lyrics don’t hold back from expressing the inequalities, hopes, and frustrations of the lead character, Ivanhoe Martin – a poor Jamaican man who has his brief rise as a reggae singer and then falls hard when he submits to a life of crime and violence. Here’s a music video of the song with clips from the movie. Read more...
In honor of father’s day this weekend, I’d like to dedicate this post to my father who sadly passed away many years ago. My father loved eating and being the Southern-born Toisanese that he was, his palate ran towards the heavy and greasy. For those who may wonder if it was his diet that got the best of him, it was actually lung cancer not, heart disease. I suspect it was genetics, not lifestyle as he was not a smoker and my grandfather also died of cancer. Perhaps a testament to the importance of enjoying food and living life to its fullest as one just never knows what will happen. Cheers to dad and his favorite foods…
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I remember seeing ‘Powers of Ten’ in grade school – a mind blowing film about the relative scale of the Universe in factors of ten. The film begins with a view of a man and woman having picnic in a park and settles in over a 1 meter square overhead image of the man lying down on a blanket. The camera begins to zoom out from the man at a rate of one power of ten per ten seconds to reveal the park (Burnham Park), the city (Chicago) and, continues to zoom out until we are lost in the universe. Then conversely, the camera zooms in at a rate of a power of ten every two seconds until we are back at the park and on the man. The camera zooms in on his hand, the tiny hairs on that hand, and finally, cranks down like a scientific microscope to reveal the elementary particles – quarks that constitute all matter. Read more...
I was once told that I express longing and wistfulness when recalling memories of my favorite food much like an unrequited love or past flame. It is true. Nothing compares to…food that steps up to make an impression on the taste buds whether it’s five-star molecular gastronomy, home-cooked from a mom and pop, or some genetically modified, chemically generated packaged concoction with a shelf-life that challenges your mortality. To paraphrase Prince/Sinead O’Connor “I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant but nothing, nothing can take away these blues…(except for an amazing hole in the wall in Monterey Park).”
Here are my favorite foods from childhood – from the gourmet to hyper artificial:
1. Baked Tapioca Custard: Read more...
I could barely remember anything that transpired at my college graduation much less the words of inspiration uttered by the commencement speaker (at the time, it was former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright). I was too sleep deprived having come out of final exams, papers and an extensive bout of purging and packing. Also, I was still immersed in the intensity of those last few weeks of college, that for me symbolized the end of adolescence (like many Asians, my adolescence was aptly delayed…or repressed until college when I was outside of parental jurisdiction.) – the stress of finishing on time, figuring out how I was going to live, and negotiating all the various relationships from those I wanted to preserve and others, I was ready to end. Read more...
To commemorate this Mother’s Day, here are my top reasons on why old-school Asian moms are so badass…
1. They are masters at dropping guilt bombs.
2. They’ve got a bottomless tool kit to cover any emergency – from stashes of cold hard cash to ear pickers to kleenex, they are ready for anything at all times.
3. Their hair is permed and shellacked like bullet-proof helmet.
4. They have psychic powers that can anticipate the first whiff of disobedience.
5. Their chopsticks are not just for eating but double as weapons to smack fingers into submission.
6. They have a stone cold stare that could send Medusa packing. Read more...
So as you all may or may not know, we have a special panel event for you at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, this Sunday, May 2nd at the DGA in West Hollywood.
For those of you cynics out there who suspect that most panels are for just a bunch of blowhards to toot each other’s horns and give useless advice, well you’re right about most of them. But every once in awhile there’s a panel that sheds some true insights and forges connections.
So below is one positive experience I’ve taken away from a panel and one major reason why I suspect this upcoming panel at VC will be a good one… Read more...
