Restaurant Ratings

My brother Steve, an inveterate foodie, swears that the restaurant ranking system is as follows:

C = Chinese

B = Better

A = American

The inference is the lower the rating, the better the food, right?

Just to prove the point, Mom and I were in Monterey Park last week and passed a C-rated Chinese noodle café that was overflowing with eager patrons.

Last night, Dean and I drove by Hop Li on the Westside, and when he saw their B-rating, he quipped: they really earned an “A” but they paid under the table for a “B” sign so they wouldn’t lose their customers!

Surely I could not be the only one to find this hilarious…

Two Babes

Elsie & Florence

Honolulu, HI

2009

Elsie & Florence

Honolulu, HI

1939

Kitchen Tricks and Romance

April 24, 2009

This morning while eating breakfast (over the kitchen sink, of course), it occurred to me that neither of my two favorite kitchen tricks involve cooking 1: Turn wet gloves inside out. Twirl at wrist to trap air. Squeeze until fingers pop out. Let dry. 2). Score mango half in a grid. Push skin side in so fruit pops out in perfect little cubes.

A few minutes later, Dean walked in and we had a conversation that pretty much nails our cross-political, cross-cultural relationship:

Diana: I started a trash bag in the freezer for the pig feet bones and mango pits.

Dean: I put your mango pit from yesterday into a plastic bag and put it in the freezer too.

Diana: you know I don't like to use plastic - that pit will be there for the next ten generations.

Dean: Well, someone might plant it, discover a tree that had become extinct, and they will have Diana L. Ho to thank. In fact, they might call it the Diana L. Ho tree!

Umm...is there any question about why I love this man?

P.S. Pigs feet courtesy of sister Tina, whose kitchen tricks DO include cooking!

The Year of the Ox

This is the second year in a row that I have carved and hand-stamped Chinese New Year cards and not sent them out. I was particularly proud of the ox carving! This is MY year - I was born in the Year of the Ox. Check out my horoscope and let me know if you think it fits. http://sandbox14.clearconceptsllc.com/ox.aspx

My bro & I spent CNY in a Hawaii Kai sportsbar with his childhood best friend Skip Boock and Skip's wife Marilyn. I will look for a photo of Steve & Skip "way back when."

We stayed away from Chinatown because of the crowds, so the closest we came to observing the celebrations was to kick firecracker detritus around a parking lot the morning after...

Best wishes for a Happy New Year to all!!!

Honolulu

Tina, Steve and I are in Honolulu with Mom for our Uncle Mun Kin Wong's memorial services. We had the good fortune of seeing Mun Kin and Auntie Simmy (Mom's younger sister) and their family often while growing up even though they lived in the islands.

It was strange walking into Simmy & Mun Kin's home late last night, and to see Simmy sitting by herself at the table where we had shared so many meals and snacks with her and Mun Kin. Whenever we would visit, he would make sure that we had our fill of papayas, and we would get a taste of his favorite flavors as we did at Fook Yuen restaurant when I visited during Thanksgiving week this past November.

This is the first time that all three sibs have been in Honolulu with Mom, so we took the opportunity to get in touch with our Hawaiian heritage this morning at her cousin Wilfred's Young's Fish Market where we devoured lau lau, poi, lomi salmon, kahlua pork, rice.

We also stopped at Wailoa Shave Ice.

Farewell to 2008

I cannot think of anything original to say about 2008. It’s all been said, so ditto, ditto, ditto! Shared challenges, stress and election excitement notwithstanding, I am feeling optimistic about 2009 and looking forward to paying more attention to how we live and what we stake our lives on.
Our Christmas Eve celebration was small, simple and lovely this year. Of course we missed daughter-in-law Rajina who had to fly to Minneapolis, cousin Pat who was in Honolulu and her daughter Audrey who was in Vancouver. The eight of us who were there had great food and conversation.

I decided to take time off to relax, recover from the holidays and gear up for the coming year. It’s been fun to putter, purge files, play with my art supplies, spend time with family/friends, and reflect on 2008.

My year started and ended with trips to Honolulu for work with Leadership for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) in January and the Wong Property Group in November. Mom came along in January and we celebrated my birthday enjoying the ocean views! While I was working, she was the party girl, with breakfasts, lunches and dinners every day!

Dean joined me for a business trip to London in February where I facilitated a global planning meeting for the company that makes most of the box x-ray scanners that you send your belongings through at the airport. One of Dean’s Panerai pals , Simon Raperport, treated us to fish ‘n chips, and we saw a bit of London, before venturing south to Surrey for the meeting. We also ran off to Paris for a few days, stayed in a perfect little hotel next to the Louvre, and enjoyed running around in the rain!

This was a year of special reunions for me: with friend and former client Becky Luce in Kansas City in May, my UCLA MBA field study team in June, with my original set of roommates and other dearest friends from Scripps College in July, and with Scripps roommate and craft companion Joanne McGee in September!

To feed my other passions, I spent many an hour stamping and collaging with Mikki Lesowitz –Soliday, Joanne McGee, Christina Woo and Allan Sasaki (the latter two: friends from Dorsey High days!), and I flew up to join my brother Steve on a trip to the Pacific Northwest and we ate our way across Seattle (Emmetts Oysters, Dahlia Café, Café Juanita, Brasa, Lola Bar).

In August, Dean was laid off after 28 years with C.A. Robinson. He has been exploring many options, and may be on the verge of something exciting! It’s been an adjustment for both of us, but also an opportunity for us to move to the next level in our relationship. After all, we survived rooting for different sides in the election!
Steven spent two weeks at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, CA training to be an Apple Genius just prior to the holidays, and now he is happily ensconced in his new role at the Century City store. He had us rolling on the floor as he shared stories about his customer experiences during the holidays. Given his introduction to Apple when he was just in the first grade, and his continued interest in technology and creativity, this seems like the perfect place for him! Rajina is still flying for American and also establishing her real estate practice. We are proud of both of them for working so hard, and do not see nearly as much of them as we would like!
My brainy and beautiful niece Elisa (shown below with her dad Gus) is enjoying her freshman year at Brown University in Rhode Island. She was one of an elite group of students accepted early into an eight year program that will take her straight through medical school! Her Mom Tina is keeping busy keeping the kids at bay in the cooking classrooms at Glendale High.

“Big Steve” is retired, and obviously inherited Dad’s green thumb, so his garden is beautiful and abundant. I continue to invite myself and my friends to his place for wonderful meals. He whines a lot about this, but I know he loves me!

And last, but not least, Mom turned 93 this year. Believe it or not, I took her to renew her driver’s license in November and stood there while she passed all her tests with flying colors! She is amazing, and an inspiration for all of us!