Sigh... Damn Kids...

My parents are visiting from Singapore. Took a few hours off so I could have dinner with them. Left T in-charged.

When I got back to the restaurant, a customer complained about my staffs' lack of decorum. Her exact word were, "I won't be back if you don't control your kids."

It is not T's fault as he had to go on a delivery. Really disappointed in those kids.

These teenagers don't understand how much effort, time and money went into this restaurant. Only Jen knows all the sacrifices made.

If the restaurant fails, all they lose is a job. Jen, Emily and Chloe lose a home and a secure future.

Every customer is important. Losing customers because of boorish, childish behavior is unacceptable.

I encourage a fun work environment but there has to be professionalism. They're probably too self-centered to even know they did wrong.

Dog Days

Got back from work pass midnight. The only time I can make the sauces is before and after work. Have to get in early to make the rest of the sauces in the morning.

I am following the advice of Anthony Bourdain - keep high standards from the beginning and never let up. Keeping high standards is difficult when there are so many units working in tandem. Really need to develop a capable assistant.

Haven't had much time with the wife and kids recently. I know Emily misses me a lot and Chloe isn't close to me anymore. Feel sad.

I have been putting in 7-day weeks for more than 2 months already. During the final phase of building, I was sleeping 4-6 hours a day. At least now, I get 8 hours occasionally. Plus I get to see the wife and kids in the morning.

Tony has been a great help. He is loyal and hard working but needs to develop better social and decision making skills. Restaurant is a tough business. Not everyone can take the rigorous demands.

Need to stop here. Just fell asleep typing.

Check out our first review :)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/taste-of-asia-lewisville

Taste Of Asia (Lewisville)

Taste Of Asia (Lewisville) finally opened last Tuesday. Business has progressively improve day-by-day. Taste Of Asia (Lewisville) has an overall good staff and the support of experience restaurateurs.

Setting up Taste Of Asia (Lewisville) and remodeling the house at the same time took a lot out of me. I was nearing collaspe. Glad that's over. These days, the only time I'm tired is just before I go to bed and when I wake up. Adrenaline keeps me going the rest of the time.

The Criners and Drew (plus girlfriend, Brenda) visited today. It was a nice to be able to hang with friends... even if it's just for a while.

Tomorrow's another day :)

Join the Taste Of Asia Facebook fan club.

Boot Camp (BMT) Was Easier

Just finished remodeling the restaurant. Just closed on a house. I am now setting up the restaurant, remodeling my house, and shopping for furniture and appliances.

I do not wish this on anyone. In the last three weeks, I've been surviving on very little sleep. I have to furnish both restaurant and house. I have to shuttle between job site, house, and furniture and appliance stores several times each day. Boot camp (BMT) was definitely easier.

Here's a sampling of my week to date.

Monday: Arrived at the restaurant at 8am and waited till 6pm for furniture that never arrived. Extremely pissed off as I am very busy. Went to Home Depot to buy door handles for the house. Went to the house to install the door handles.

Tuesday: Morning, the truckload of restaurant furniture finally arrives. Then I drove back to the house because Terminix came to take care of a fire ants problem. Terminix also found termites in the wood mulch. Noon, drive back to apartment to check on termite warranty. Afternoon, met with Amica's home inspector. Drove back to restaurant to check on the security system and walk-in cooler installation. Check on home remodeling progress.

Wednesday: Morning, had the fire inspection for the restaurant. Met with the Terminix termite inspector. Requested the termites to be terminated with extreme prejudice. Buy storage equipment for the garage. Check on home remodeling progress. Went home and finally got to spent some time with the kids. Later, look through over a thousand photos for restaurant art.

Thursday: Morning, a truckload (literally) of restaurant equipment arrives. Set up equipment pass 10pm. Check on home remodeling progress

Friday: Morning, I had a meeting with a service provider. Then there was the electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and A/C inspection for the restaurant. Called in roofer to fix a leak. I also had the air ducts for the house cleaned. Set up shelves for the restaurants pass 9pm. Check on home remodeling progress.

Tomorrow, I have a staff interview in the morning and have to set up more equipment.

Tired. Need sleep. G'nite.

Just when you think you've hit bottom...

So how low can Ris Low go? Seems like nobody knows. Just when we think it's over, Ris Low plunges even lower.

Now, Ris Low has to retake her exams. Ris Low was caught with notes in her pencil case during an exam.

Ris Low is using clinical "memory loss" as an excuse? Wait! Didn't Ris Low use the "bipolar disorder" excuse for credit card fraud? They should just lock Ris Low away is a loony bin.

Can't believe this nut case almost represented Singapore in the Miss Singapore World?

This is getting old. Ris Low is gonna have to earn another post from me.

Gab, you need to rein in your girl ;P

Goodbye Ris Low!

Ris Low finally resigned her Miss Singapore World title.

Ris Low is an unrepentant convicted criminal. Convicted of credit card fraud and placed on probation couple months ago, Ris Low still took part in the Miss Singapore World pageant knowing that contest rules forbids criminal history. This is blatant, incorrigible dishonesty.

Even after being exposed, Ris Low was defiant and refused to step down. Miss Low, this would have been the best time to show some class which you obviously lack.

ERM World Marketing (organizers) had to make Ris Low resign.

Ris Low can't even resign with class. To save face, Ris Low had ERM say in an official statement that her parents allowed her to resign.

Ris Low isn't mature enough to make her own decisions? Just how incompetent is Ris Low?

This person was going to represent Singapore?

Ris Low needs to grow up. Be a responsible adult, take full responsibility and stop hiding behind her parents. How hard is it to say that it is your decision to resign?

ERM World Marketing could face litigation. ERM needs to be stripped of their Miss World franchise. How hard can it be to do a background check?

PS: Sorry to have to trash your "girlfriend", Gab ;)

Having A Personal Banker Rocks!

I got a late fee on my Chase card couple of weeks back. Never received the statement. Called Chase to have it waived. They won't waive it.

Never been late for almost 10 years. Always pay off my balance each month. Guess Chase is just pissed because they never get to make money from me.

Chase's customer service rep was rude, the supervisor was nicer. Same results.

The irony is that Chase wants my business. Met up with Chase's business reps last week. Listened to their pitch. When they got to the part about how Chase values customer relationships, I struck.

Apparently, a Chase business account gives me a personal banker with more authority than those reps you get on the phone. Chase waived the fees.

Chase only waived the fees because they were going to make more money from my business. If Chase really valued relationships, they should have waived the fees initially.

Still, having a personal banker is pretty cool. I could get used to this.

How Low Can You Go Ris Low?

Ris Low isn't just stupid, she also a thieving criminal. Seems like Ris Low was convicted of credit card fraud and put on probation. An awesome role model for young Singaporeans!

Lie, cheat, steal, have a speech impediment and the IQ of a pea. All great qualities of a Miss Singapore World. Way to go pageant organizers. Great job of vetting the contestants ;)


Guilty of credit card fraud

By Dawn Tay

RECENTLY crowned Miss Singapore World Ris Low, 19, had earlier been found guilty of credit-card fraud.

The beauty queen was convicted of five charges of misappropriation, cheating using illegally obtained credit cards, and impersonating their users' identities.

The first-time offender was sentenced in May this year to 24 months of supervised probation, said a Subordinate Courts spokesman in response to a query from my paper.

Another 60 charges were taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing, he said.

Court documents show that Miss Low spent a total of more than $2,400 on at least four separate occasions, using at least three different credit cards in April and May last year.

She bought two gold anklets worth almost $1,000, a $698 mobile phone, and food and drinks at a swanky restaurant.

It is not known how she obtained the credit cards.

my paper understands that her previous employer, a healthcare company, made a police report about her in April last year.

It suspected that Miss Low, who worked there for five months as a patient-service assistant, had used credit cards belonging to its patients. It asked her to leave the following month.

Before leaving, she was said to have returned a part - an unspecified sum - of the total amount she had spent using the cards.

When contacted, Miss Low, now a student, said that she was "not in a position to comment".

The organiser of the Miss Singapore World pageant, ERM World, did not respond to queries as to whether it was aware of her criminal record during the pageant.

The international Miss World pageant will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in December.

It is unclear whether Miss Low will be allowed to leave the country to take part in it.

Fri, Sep 25, 2009
myp

Harold's Pit Bar-B-Q

Harold's Pit-Bar-B-Q
1305 Walnut Street
Abilene, TX 79601
(325) 672-4451


Harold's Pit-Bar-Q had the highest points out side of the top 5 in Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ. This spelled R-O-A-D-T-R-I-P. A three hour drive from Arlington, we made Abilene a day trip.

When we arrived, I was thinking "What the...".

You could drive pass Harold's everyday and never know that they have one of the best briskets in Texas. Harold's Pit-Bar-B-Q is in a nondescript building on a nondescript street in a nondescript town.


So we walked in and I chatted with Harold's wife (never got her name). Apparently, they moved from Lockhart, TX many decades ago with Harold's dad. Lockhart is the BBQ capital of Texas.

I got the trinity - ribs, brisket, & sausages. The sides were mash potato, coleslaw, & jalapeno cornbread.


The ribs and sausages are great but the brisket is the main event.

Harold's brisket is comparable to Snow's. I think Harold's is more tender. Why? Harold's cut their meat thick while Snow's cut theirs thin.

Even with a thick cut, Harold's brisket melted in my mouth.

Harold's is famous for two other things - cornbread & BBQ sauce. Strange for a highly rated Texas BBQ to have BBQ sauce as a showcase. Harold's sauce really compliments the meat and cornbread.

Harold's sauce would go well with many things. Harold could make tons of money if he markets the sauce online.


The cornbread comes in two varieties. Regular and jalapeno. There isn't any pics because I ate them so fast and forgot to take pictures. The cornbreads are superb and is a must-try.

Found a pic online. Like to thank westxguy for the pic.


Definitely will be back. In fact, I'm planning another BBQ run before my restaurant opens.

Home Sweet Home, Finally!

So we closed on a house today. Lots of furniture shopping and some remodeling before moving in.

Pictures coming soon ;)

Don't Text While Driving!

Some bitch on the phone almost crashed into my stroller while we were in San Antonio last April. She made an illegal turn. Emily was in the stroller.

This is exactly why we should not use the phone while driving. We're all guilty at some point. It's not just texting, talking is a big distraction too.

Our negligence can destroy not just our own lives but others as well. They are someone's mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife, child, etc... Families are destroyed.

Disturbing content. View at own discretion.

Miss Singapore World 2009 - Ris Low?????? WTF!!!!!

Ris Low has been getting flamed since winning the Miss Singapore World 2009. Honestly, the judges should be crucified as well. I'm throwing in my 2 cents and hope it hits her between the eyes.

First, watch her interview with commentaries.



This is a beauty pageant. Ris Low is very average and looks like any other young Singaporean girl. Ris Low also has no T & A. Where are the feminine curves?

But looks aside, WHERE'S THE BRAINS?!?!?

Ris Low is conceited and so full of herself. Ris Low defines the word "bimbo".

Here's a similar interview with subtitles.



English is the language of instruction in Singapore schools. Singapore also has universities ranked among the best in the world. No one would believe this if they knew Ris Low was the product of our tertiary education system.

Average looking with no T & A and dumb. Is this the best Singapore has to offer?

There are lots of beautiful, intelligent women in Singapore. Ris Low is not representative.

Ris Low is no ambassador of Singapore. Ris Low is an embarrassment to herself and to Singapore.

What's Age Gotta Do With It?

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Should youth be used as an excuse for ignorance and/or irrationality? Maybe if you're a teenager. People in their 20s should have acquired enough knowledge, life experiences, and critical thinking skills to have a logical discussion without using their youth as lifebuoy.

I have had two people in their 20s reference my age when they ran out of oratorical ammunition. From my observations, these two people have a tendency to make lots of excuses for themselves. One is struggling to improve while the other seems to be in a state of denial.

Here's a tip. If lacking in knowledge, read and watch more factually dense media. If lacking in critical thinking skills, read things that and engage people who challenge your beliefs and encourage thinking.

Reading has a snowball effect on learning. The more we read, the more words, expression, and terms we know. The more we understand, the more we gain out of what we read.

Whose fault is it if we choose to talk on the phone, take naps and/or do everything else except pick up a book to cultivate our mind?

My youth or inadequate knowledge has never been used as an excuse. I strongly believe that logic always prevail. In my late teens and 20s, I have held ground against much older people (wish some of you were still around. RIP.) using logic.

Anyone who has REAL working experience knows that excuses are frowned upon. Making mistakes because we are human is not an acceptable excuse. Humans are prone to mistakes, that's why we create protocols to prevent avoidable mistakes.

When protocol is overlooked and "mistakes" happen, it is classified as NEGLIGENCE. Is the "being human" excuse acceptable when someone dies from a physician's nonobservance of protocol?

Yes, we all make excuses at some point. But how much is too much? What happens when pride blinds us and we keep arguing even when we stop making sense?

Do young, successful people use their age as an excuse? Youth is an asset, inexperience is a challenge (but can be an asset). Neither is an excuse.

Fuddruckers. After this experience, another F-word comes to mind.

After an awesome day at Going Bonkers, we capped off the evening at Fuddruckers (2001 State Highway 121, Grapevine, TX 76501). We've never been there and were excited at the variety of hamburgers offered. The burgers were good and the family was happy.


Sad to say, balloon guy ruined everything. He was at the table on our right, then he went to the table on our left. He totally passed us! WTF!!!

Then he went 2 tables to the front-left of us. What are we? Invisible?

He was at the other table about 5 mins when Jen went up to ask to be next. He said he would be there. After 20 mins, we left (disgusted) without balloons. Does it take 25 mins to make a few balloons figures?

Emily was upset and crying, asking why the balloon guy passed us and didn't come over.

So why did balloon guy pass us when we were between those 2 tables? I hate to assume it's because we're Asians but I really can't seem think of any other reason. I really like to give Emily an explanation.

Fuddruckers has good burgers and I have nothing against them, just balloon guy.

Texas Monthly's 2008 Top 5 BBQ

WARNING! Do not attempt this if you ever want to enjoy BBQ again. After trying the best, nothing else will ever be the same.

When Texas Monthly published their Top 50 BBQ list last year, I was intrigued. I embarked on a quest to try their top 5. They are all about an hour's drive from Austin, TX. I live in Arlington, TX so that means the closest is about a 3 hour drive.

I did it in two trips down south. First to San Antonio and next to Austin.

During the San Antonio trip, I tried City Market (Luling), Smitty's Market (Lockhart), and Kreuz Market (Lockhart).

For the Austin trip, I had Snow's BBQ (Lexington) and Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor).

Here's how I rate them.

Best Overall

City Market
633 E Davis St
Luling, TX 78648
(830) 875-9019



Among the top 5, City Market was the only one consistently good in everything they offered. Nothing really stood out like the taste of Kreuz or the brisket of Snow's, but everything was textbook good.

The brisket was tender and juicy. The meat on the ribs fell off the bone. The sausages had a coarse, meaty texture that appealed to me.

What else can I say? Everything was just, well... good.




Best Tasting, Best Beef Ribs & Best Jalapeno Cheese Sausages

Kreuz Market
619 N Colorado St
Lockhart, TX 78644
(512) 398-2361



Texas is all about meat. If you need sauce, it's not good BBQ. Real Texas BBQ has no BBQ sauce.

Research says that many Texas BBQ joints added BBQ sauce after Northerners moved south and wanted sauce with their BBQ.

Kreuz isn't caving in.


The fat in the beef ribs absorbed all the delicious, peppery goodness of the dry rub and the smoking process just adds that extra depth.

The homemade jalapeno cheese sausages had the right mixed of spices and cheese. Again, the smoking really gives it an X-Factor.

With Kreuz, it would be blasphemy to add sauce to their meats. Kreuz's peppery, smokey meats kicks you in the taste buds with the first bite. A defining "WOW!" moment.




Best Brisket & Potato Salad

Snow's BBQ
516 Main Street
Lexington, TX 78947
Tel: 979.773.4640 (SAT ONLY)
Cell: 979.542.8189



Snow's was crowned the best BBQ in Texas for 2008 by Texas Monthly last summer. Soon after that, long lines started forming as early as 7AM. They sometimes sell out as early as 10AM.

Snow's is an enigma. They really do have the best brisket but they only open on Saturdays. That's right. Only 1 day a week.

You think they would capitalize on their popularity and expand the days of operation? Nope. Snow's still opens only on Saturdays at 8AM.

We left Arlington at 4:30AM just so we could get to Snow's by 8AM. There was a line when we arrived. Not a long line like when the news first came out, but still a line.

Snow's brisket was phenomenal and their potato salad awesome, everything else was mediocre.

So why was Snow's rated the best BBQ in Texas? Because brisket defines Texas BBQ and is heavily weighted.

You really need to experience Snow's brisket to fully appreciate their ranking. The meat melts in your mouth like butter and taste is just perfect. If Leonardo da Vinci made brisket, this would be it.

We got back in line for seconds.




Most Overrated

Smitty's Market
208 S Commerce St
Lockhart, TX 78644
(512) 398-9344



Smitty's and Kreuz have an ongoing family feud. Both are owned by children of Edgar Schmidt. Edgar bought Kreuz Market in 1948 and the rest is history.

Because of the association with Kreuz and the top 5 ranking in Texas Monthly, I expected a lot more. While Smitty's meat is tender and juicy, the taste leaves a lot to be desired. There's a sweet, syrupy taste that doesn't belong in Texas BBQ.

The "No sauce" and "No forks" rules applies here.




Most Forgettable

Louie Mueller Barbecue
206 W 2nd St
Taylor, TX 76574
(512) 352-6206




Louie Mueller Barbecue has lots of great reviews. Unfortunately, my experience was very forgettable. Maybe it was bad day.

When I was in line, they gave me a small piece of brisket to sample. That brisket was almost as good as Snow's. So I ordered a bunch of brisket, pork ribs, beef ribs, and sausages thinking I was in for an awesome experience.

Sadly, the meats I got were dry and tough while the sausages were very average. To be fair, the meats had a good taste. Just can't get over the texture.

Everyone has bad days. I'll be back some day to give Louie another try. Hopefully, they will redeem themselves.



Conclusion

While City Market is very good and Snow's has the best brisket, Kreuz is my favorite. Beef ribs and jalapeno cheese sausages has more weight with me, plus I just love Kreuz's peppery smokiness. However, Snow's has given me a new appreciation for brisket.

For the uninitiated, Texas BBQ is served on butcher paper without silverware. Be prepared to get messy.

There are many undiscovered gems in Texas BBQ. I am hoping uncover many more. Eagerly awaiting my next Great BBQ Expedition ;)

THIS SUCKS!

We really need a vacuum. My allergies dictates that we get one with a HEPA filter.

Wanted to get a steam vac but read that frequent steaming can hurt carpets. And, carpets only need to be steam cleaned once a year (or twice if you're really filthy). So now we're getting a "regular" vacuum.

Did lots of research. Oreck, Dyson, Hoover, Eureka, and Kenmore came highly recommended. Then I came across a video review using a particle counter. Seems like these "independent" consumer reports are quite suspect.

Almost bought an Oreck. Whew!

Now, I am getting a Miele. German engineering and quality is awesome.

Which model should we get? Hmmm...

Turnaround Artist Shares Recipe For Business Success

Turnaround Artist Shares Recipe For Business Success

By CHEN HUIFEN

If he had a young child who was a scholar, Boustead Singapore CEO Wong Fong Fui would encourage him or her to join public service or a government linked company (GLC), instead of striking out as an entrepreneur.

'Perhaps, one day, he or she can also be paid as much as $10-20 million per year as salary/bonus without taking any risk,' he told BT in an email interview. 'Why take a chance when you may lose everything (as) an entrepreneur?'

That may sound strange, coming from a serial entrepreneur and a corporate turnaround king. But it hints at the odds that individuals must overcome when they choose the entrepreneur's path.

Mr Wong himself had his fair share of hardships during his entrepreneurial journey. A chemical engineer by training, he started his first company offering engineering services to the oil and gas sectors in the 1970s. With $30,000 pooled between himself and three other partners, he set off for Indonesia, rather than start out in Singapore first 'because there was no market for me'.

'I couldn't afford to stay in a hotel so I rented a room with no aircon and no fan,' he added. 'And every night, I had to negotiate the mosquitoes but that was not a problem since I had plenty of practice as a rubber tapper when I was young.

'The challenge was huge and the door narrow. I knew there was a big market with Pertamina and very little competition. But even then, Pertamina was a huge organisation with over 100,000 staff. I had six months to size up which of those 100,000 staff was the decision maker. This is where EQ is important.'

According to Mr Wong, he made a breakthrough only when he was down to his last few hundred dollars. 'Thereafter, the rest was history and I made my first S$1 million there.'

The man went on to start new firms in trading, property and construction and is also one of the key Singaporean players in the set up of Myanmar Airlines International, subsequently taken over by the state government. He then spent what he calls the 'second half' of his career turning around loss-making listed companies, including Sunshine Allied, QAF, EasyCall and Boustead, thereby earning himself a reputation as the turnaround ace.

At QAF, for instance, he turned its Gardenia business from a $8 million bakery to a $200 million brand with leading market share in Singapore and Malaysia in seven years. More recently, at Boustead, the engineering firm has been posting record revenue and profit, hitting $517 million in revenue in FY2009, from $64 million in 1996 when Mr Wong first joined the firm.

'Although it may sound like I experienced only success, much of what you see was built on failures in some businesses which then gave me the necessary insight and taught me valuable lessons which were applied to my later businesses,' he said.

Among the key ingredients critical for becoming a successful entrepreneur is the possession of a set of skills, said Mr Wong. Because with skills relevant to the business type, one can increase the chances of success, even without money. And if one fails, there's always those skills to fall back on if one chooses to go back to being an employee.

A keynote speaker at next Friday's Bluesky Festival, Mr Wong will be sharing his experiences as an entrepreneur and manager. Although he finds the entrepreneurial spirit in Singapore growing, it is still lagging behind that in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

'If you look at those markets, they differ from Singapore in one key aspect: there are hardly any government-linked companies competing against private sector,' he said. 'This key difference means that for the past few decades, MNCs and GLCs have been tasked with driving the economies in Singapore. The market in Singapore was not as conducive as that of Hong Kong and Taiwan in building entrepreneurial spirit.

'In addition, the most critical factor in the entrepreneurial spirit is risk reward ratio, which is clearly low in comparison with Hong Kong and Taiwan. Who wants to be an entrepreneur if you, as a young and highly qualified graduate, can achieve wealth without taking any risk of your own money by working for the government? The government's policy of paying civil servants well has a negative impact on entrepreneurial spirit.'

He is of the view that Singapore will never be able to reach the same level of entrepreneurial spirit as that of Hong Kong or Taiwan, unless it restructures the reward system for risk takers. 'But then again, is their society better than ours, especially when you take into account the social order and justice, social harmony, etc?' he asked rhetorically.

The BlueSky Festival is an annual event organised by the Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) and supported by SPRING Singapore. It is a platform for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and share experiences. Mr Wong's speech will focus on building and re-inventing one's business model to tap on growth opportunities. For more information, go to www.blueskyfestival2009.sg.

Sun, Jul 05, 2009
The Business Times

House Hunting

The restaurant's lease is signed. We are now house hunting. Unlike in Singapore where kids can attend good schools if they make the grade, here in the US it is all about school districts. The only alternative here is an expensive private school.

Belonging to a good school district isn't enough, each school has its boundaries. There are bad schools in good school districts. We had to make sure that the houses we like are in the school zones we like.

So why doesn't everyone just stay in a good school district? Because it's freakin' expensive.

I was going to be a little extravagant but reconsidered after Tessi's (my broker) advice. We are still buying in a good school zone, just getting something modest. This will allow me to have more cash for business development.

"I can buy you a nice house now, or several nice houses in the future." That was what I told Jen.

I used a mortgage calculator to calculate what I can afford based on a 15-year loan. I plugged less than half our income into the calculator.

Hopefully, we can pay it off in 5 years.

Addendum - Virgin Territory & The Absence Of A Soul

Haha! I cracked up when I read Matt's comments on FB. Reread the part on bastardized food and realized that I sounded pretty harsh.

Actually, I love bastardized sushi rolls. My favorite is the Volcano Roll. They have them in Japan, but they are considered more a novelty.

In 2001, I brought a few Japanese friends out to eat in Oklahoma. They told me that it is not real sushi. I replied, "I know, but what can we expect in Oklahoma."

We still had a great time and we enjoyed the food for what it was.

Volcano Roll
Though I love the Volcano Roll, I will stop short of calling it Japanese. Just as curry pizzas are not "Italian", sushi rolls filled with craw fish and avocados are not Japanese. And yes, curry pizzas are delicious.

Butter Paneer Pizza
Because sushi and pizza have become commonplace, every culture has their own variations. My favorite place for Singapore sushi is Sushi Tei. They are a conveyor belt style restaurant.

Cuisines are constantly changing. For any cuisine to evolve, there has to be an influx of new cooking techniques and/or ingredients. I love trying new cuisine, fusion (bastardized) or traditional.

What is fusion? Is fusion just slapping some teriyaki sauce on a steak? Or is fusion mastering the different techniques and intricacies of different cuisines to create something new and amazing?

I lean towards the latter.

Again, I do not have anything against multicultural foods, just how it is classified.

Virgin Territory & The Absence Of A Soul

Today is forever etched in my mind.

Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson passed away today. Today, Gen X lost 2 icons. BUT that is not why today is special.

Today, we signed the lease for my restaurant. This is my virgin foray into the restaurant business. I am excited.

Though this is not the kind of cuisine I want to pander, it is a start. Being a newb, I have partnered a few people with a combined experience of more than 100 years. They have no management roles, just advisory.

Many immigrants to USA get into the restaurant business because they don't know how to do anything else. They sell bastardized food that passes off as ethic cuisine. Their only goal is the gold.

It is true that cuisine evolves. But when the soul of a cuisine is absent, can it still be classified as such? Does dressing an Irish in Chinese clothing make him Chinese?

Is teriyaki brisket still Texas BBQ even if you smoke it in a pit for 12 hours? So why are all those Tex-Mex rolls called Japanese just because they are wrapped in rice and seaweed?

As a business, I will sell what people want to eat. As a foodie, I will try to introduce new culinary experiences. In time, maybe expand the palates of my customers?

No matter what my product, my commitment is to quality!

*Addendum


Beat It - Michael Jackson

Trial By Fire

The last 2 weeks was rough but fun. Henry and Cindy went to China on vacation leaving Sherry and me in-charge. They return today.

Equipment and structural failure, surprise health code inspection, Henry's home A/C broke down, and other small (but no less annoying) issues. All in a day's work of a restaurateur.

Last year, I was asked to manage the restaurant 2 weeks after arriving in the US. Aside from being clueless plus all the unexpected situations that comes with running a restaurant, Chloe decided to pop out 4 weeks early. There isn't a word to describe the stress and anxiety I was experiencing back then.

This time, everything just feels natural. I managed with a lot more confidence and authority.

I think I'm ready for my own restaurant.


Ready Or Not - The Fugees

Jerry's Chicago Style Hot Dogs (San Antonio, TX）

Jerry's Chicago Style Hot Dogs
149 E Commerce St
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 465-8200

My first food review is dedicated to Jerry's. A cozy, unassuming place where you can feel the warmth the moment you walk through the door.

Jerry and Maria Cahue have imbued the place with their personality.

While walking back to Drury Plaza from San Antonio Children's Museum, hunger struck. Wanted something quick. Saw Jerry's across the street and thought hot dogs should be fast.

Wrong. Jerry cooks to order and takes a lot of pride in everything prepared. The result was beautiful.

I had the Double (Chicago) Dog. That is two dogs in a bun with yellow mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato wedges, a kosher pickle spear, couple of peppers and a dash of celery salt.

Best hot dog I ever had. I brought my family (including mom and dad) back there. They all wanted to go back. I ate at Jerry's three times in the five days I was in San Antonio.

Over the next few days, I had the Italian Combo, Maxwell Polish, gyros, pizza puff and corn dogs.

The Italian Combo is Italian sausage in a bun topped with beef. Option to have it dipped in gravy or dry. I had mine dipped. A well orchestrated combination of meats and flavors.

The Polish is another good dog. Almost as good as the Chicago. Choice of sauerkraut or onions with a kosher pickle spear. I had both. One half kraut and the other onions. Mustard, of course.

The gyro was excellent. Lots of meat, feta cheese, fresh tomato wedges and onions. Never expected a hot dog place to have such an awesome gyro.

Emily loved her corn dog. Emily usually doesn't eat the batter, but she ate it all this time.


I am told that if cops eat at a place, it has to be good. Well, the Police Chief was in line behind me.

How can something so simple be so good?

Because Jerry only uses the freshest ingredients and tops it off with lots of love. He takes 5-10 minutes to prepare each dog. It is like eating art.

Get a Flat Belly Without Diet or Exercise

Interesting article from MSN Health & Fitness.


Get a Flat Belly Without Diet or Exercise
Check out 10 of our favorite minimal-effort moves.
By Quick & Simple Staff

Perfect your posture

"Straighten up," advises former "Biggest Loser" trainer Kim Lyons, and your figure will look better. "When your posture is good, you're automatically engaging and toning your stomach muscles." If you need to remind yourself to stand tall, she says, a few strategically placed Post-it Notes should do the trick.

Drink up!

Keep those fluids coming! "Being dehydrated causes the body to hoard water," says Lyons, which can lead you to carry up to four excess pounds around your midsection. Try for six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water or other fluids daily.

Have a seat!

"Most women don't want to talk about it, but you really have to set aside a specific time each day to use the bathroom," notes Judith Reichman, M.D., a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of California, Los Angeles. If you don't, it's too easy to give in to feeling rushed, and ignore the urge to go." Once you've trained your brain to dismiss your body's signals, you set the stage for bloat-inducing constipation.

Masticate mindfully

Rather than scarfing down meals, make a point of chewing each bite at least 10 times before swallowing. "The body has to work overtime to break down food in the stomach and intestines, which can lead to major gas and indigestion," Dr. Reichman says. Plus, when you eat fast, you're more prone to swallowing air, which can ratchet up your risk of developing a potbelly.

Turn to the "pros"

"Probiotics are 'good' bacteria that help your digestive system break down food, preventing the gastrointestinal issues that can keep you from having a flat stomach," explains nutritionist Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth. To ensure your plumbing is working at optimum capacity, Bowden suggests eating a daily serving of a probiotic-rich food like yogurt (or drinking a glass of buttermilk), or taking a supplement containing at least 50 milligrams of probiotics. (Look for versions that contain the strains acidophilus and bifidobacterium, and are produced by reputable vitamin companies, like Nature's Way.)

Walk it off

Try to squeeze in a 30-minute walk daily, says Lyons. The simple boost in metabolism will help you burn waistline fat more efficiently. And if you want to work out, skip those gadgets that promise "miraculous abs in minutes": A study from Kansas State University found most devices designed to target abs (think infomercials) don't live up to their promises. You'll see better results with traditional exercise.

Give up gum

Because chewing forces you to swallow more puff-producing air, it can also keep you from squeezing into your skinny jeans, explain researchers at the American College of Gastroenterology. If you need to freshen your breath, you're better off sucking on a mint.

Supplement!

Consider adding calcium D-glucarate (1,000 mg) and B-complex supplements to your regular vitamin regime, recommends C.W. Randolph, M.D., author of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat. "Excess estrogen causes the body to retain fat around the waist, but both supplements have been shown to help you excrete the hormone, which can lead to a smaller middle."

Relax already!

"When you're frazzled, your body increases its production of steroids and stress hormones, which negatively affect your digestive system, causing major constipation," says Dr. Reichman. And as if that weren't enough to leave you looking pouchy, stress also amps up the production of cortisol, a "fight or flight" hormone that sends excess fat directly to your midsection in its attempt to protect your vital organs. To minimize tension, Dr. Reichman advises, "take 20 minutes a day to do something that truly relaxes you."

A chuckle a day

Laughing is a quick way to tone the transverse abdominus, a muscle that most forms of exercise don't isolate—and one that, according to Lyons, "has a major effect on how flat your midriff looks." Try to find at least 10 minutes' worth of giggle-fodder daily!

Check out these ab workouts. She has a great workout routine and an awesome bod to show for it.

Home... For Now :)

It's been a year since we moved to the US, Dallas-Fort Worth to be precise. My in-laws were nice enough to invite us into their home while we looked for a restaurant location. Since the search is taking longer than expected, we moved out to an apartment (last week).

We wanted to wait for the restaurant before buying a house because DFW is so huge. The house and restaurant could end up more than 60 miles apart. I don't want to drive more than an hour to work.

Free rent is great but we really need the space and privacy. Also, my in-laws and us have different expectations when it comes to hygiene and safety. This made us very stressed from constantly worrying about the kids.

This one incident really riled me. Remember we have kids in the house. Jen's mom (Cindy) left a big knife on the table. When Jen told Cindy about the dangers, she got angry and raised her voice at Jen. Cindy told Jen that she raised 3 kids and didn't need to be told what to do.

Cindy has bad attitude. Even after that incident, she still leaves knives on laying around. That shows how much she cares for her grandkids, huh?

Raised 3 kids? Not without incidents I might add. She put her son in the ER after trying to self-medicate him with prescription medicine.

Did I mention that Jen's grandma craps on the floor?

The in-laws asked us to stay till we find a restaurant. We appreciate their hospitality all this while but we feel that moving out is the best option.

There is a lake separating a golf club and my apartment. I'm told that there is trout and bass in there. Looking forward to fishing.

We've reached an agreement with a shopping center. Hopefully, we can wrap up the restaurant soon so I can buy a house. Jen and the kids need a real home. A safe home.


Switchfoot - This is Home -

Texas Monthly '08 Top 5 BBQ

I love BBQ, Texas BBQ. Why? Because Texas BBQ is about the meat. Tender, smokey goodness.

Sauce is a bad word in Texas BBQ and most locals don't use sauce. Speculation is that sauce was introduced when the northerners came. Those who like sauce have to ask themselves, do they like the sauce or the BBQ? Can you taste smokiness and quality of the meat?

For friends unfamiliar with America, BBQ here means smoking the meat. Cooking on an open flame is called grilling.

Tony Roma's has a sign in at its restaurant in Singapore that says "Best Ribs in America". That's bullshit.

Spring Creek has 28 restaurants in Texas. Dickey's has 81. Tony Roma only has 5. I don't like any of them.

I prefer small operations to chain restaurants. The heart and soul of the food gets lost when small yet great restaurants overextend themselves. I love the small guys.

In my quest for truly orgasmic Texas BBQ, I have travel many 100s of miles.

Texas Monthly published their 2008 top 50 BBQ list last June. My goal is to try the top 5. I have already tried 3 and will finish out the list next Saturday.

Stay tune for my report ;)

Lose 10lbs or $300 in 3 Weeks! - 3/3

The final piece of the puzzle for LeDouche's 4-pack is his workout. The goal is to burn fat while retaining as much muscle as possible.

Eat breakfast before your workout. The more energy you have, the harder you can work out. The harder you work out, the more fat you burn.

Your schedule will be split into weights and non-weights days.

On non-weights days, do 60 mins of cardio after breakfast and 30 mins during your afternoon break.

On weights days, do 30 mins after weights and 30 mins during your afternoon break.

Vary the intensity of your cardio. A few minutes of high intensity followed by a few minutes of low. This will burn more fat.

Work a 1-3-1 weights program. That means 1 day of training and 3 days off.

I'm a strong believer of compound exercises. Alternate these workouts. If there's a hack squat machine in your gym, you can alternate that with the regular squat.

1. Squat, Clean & press, Deadlift, Incline Bench, and Chin-up.
2. Squat (Hack if possible), Clean & Press, Deadlift, Dips, and Barbell Row.

You'll be on a 5x5 program. Perform 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise. Warm up for 2 sets. Warm ups doesn't count as a set.

Use a weight that you can only do 5 reps. Drop the weight if you have to for the next set and so on.

You may get weaker since you are on a diet, or stronger depending on your genetics. Just adjust the weights each workout. If you can do more than 5, increase the weight. If you can't do 5, decrease. Common sense?

Keep at your diet and this workout for 3 weeks, your $300 should stay in your wallet.


Mission Impossible -

Lose 10lbs or $300 in 3 Weeks! - 2/3

There's 3 weeks left and LeDouche is squirming in his pants. He really doesn't want to lose face along with his $300.

Let's get to work!

First thing you have to remember is that diet is 80% of the battle. Can't afford to screw this up. Ready for your Ketogenic Calorie-Shifting Diet?

Eat only meat, green leafy vegetables and nuts. No diary products, grains, process carbs or any kind of sugars. No added sodium.

Eat only natural, whole foods. Nothing from a can or processed.

Eat on a 2/1 shift. 1500 calories for 2 days and 1800 on the 3rd. Or eat 4 small meals for 2 days and 5 meals on the 3rd.

Take calcium supplements every night. Cacium helps metabolize fat.

Take multivitamins daily. This is will plug any deficiencies in the diet.

Always eat breakfast. Eating breakfast boost fat burning.

Get 8 hours of sleep. And get on a regular sleeping schedule. Sleep deprivation increases hormones that induces hunger and decreases hormones that controls appetite.

Winner or Wiener? It all depends on how well how well you stick to your diet.


Im Fat - Weird Al Yankovich

Lose 10lbs or $300 in 3 Weeks! - 1/3

LeDouche bet $100 each with 3 people that he could get a 4-pack (approx 10% body fat) in 3 months. I agreed to help him with diet and exercise advice for half his winnings.

LeDouche wasn't consistent in applying my advice. I can only guess that he was procrastinating, thinking that he had lots of time.

Now, it's down to the last 3 weeks and LeDouche is not even close. He has to lose at least 8lbs of fat to get his 4-pack. Because we have to accelerate the weight loss, some muscle will be lost too. This means LeDouche will have to lose more than 8lbs of fat to get to 10% body fat.

I've upped my asking to the whole $300 to help LeDouche win. Now he has to lose 10lbs or lose $300.

To get LeDouche his 4-pack, we'll blast his gut with a ketogenic and calorie-shifting combo. Couple this with 60 mins of cardio everyday and a schedule of compound exercises, LeDouche can win. Winning depends on whether LeDouche can tough it out for the next 3 weeks.

There's always the easy way out and just pay up the $300.


Loser - Beck

Fried Rice Paradise

My Humble House recently won the 2009 World Gourmet Summit's Best Asian Restaurant Award. Got me craving for the food scene in Singapore.

I love Texas BBQ and hamburgers here are better than any I've had, but I sure miss the versatility and finesse of Singapore's constantly evolving culinary stage.

My restaurant could be a reality soon. This will be my stater restaurant, nothing exciting or fancy. Hopefully, I'll be able to introduce some excitement to DFW in the future.