2011 Oct 22 Chi Fan With Alan Wong, Kristen Lum and Stacey Lee Mitchell
The event on everyone’s lips still has seats left for purchase, though perhaps not for long. Chi Fan for Charity 2011 held its press party last night at the Westin Chaoyang’s Touch Bar to bring together the restaurateurs, media, table hosts and 2011 beneficiaries. They noted that they were not far from reaching their target goal of RMB 300,000, and that there remains a range of prices (from RMB 500 to 1000) and cuisines (from Spanish tapas at Carmen to Indian at Punjabi) to choose from.
If you’re still on the fence, we’ll let the CFFC table hosts and organizers do the talking. (See our earlier post for founder Michael Crain’s responses.)
To start, we have Kristen Lum (founder of LumDimSum.com, Marketing Rep for the Hatsune Restaurant Group, Bespoke Beijing, candy & caviar and Nathan’s Famous China), Alan Wong (owner of Hatsune, Kagen and Karaiya) and Stacey Lee Mitchell (attorney, international consultant with the UN Development Programme and Visiting Professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law).
What makes you a “Beijing personality”?
KL: LumDimSum keeps me on top of my game – I'm always on the prowl to find out what's going on and what's new in town so I can share with others.
AW: I wait on tables and serve tasty beverages on occasion.
SLM: No comment.
What do you bring to the table? (Literally.)
KL: As the after-party chairperson, I bring the party. (Literally.)
AW: Literally, the table. Three of them this year through my restaurants. Plus I am a host of a table elsewhere for the event.
SLM: I'm pretty easily entertained … so I think that makes me a good audience member at the dinner table.
What are your favorite dinner conversation topics?
KL: I tend to surround myself with other foodies and when we're not stuffing our faces silly, we're talking about how good the food is and what place we want to try next.
AW: Lamenting on the 'good 'ol days in Beijing' before the Olympics, before everyone became so NIU BI all of a sudden.
SLM: I enjoy talking about current events and am easily impressed by fun facts.
How do you work up an appetite?
KL: Any chance I get, I try to escape Beijing's smog and go hiking, biking or golfing. My mode of transportation around the city is by bicycle, so that helps a bit too.
AW: I don't eat breakfast, ever. And I ride my bike through town to avoid traffic.
SLM: Once I smell something delicious … the appetite is immediately worked up.
What do you look for in a dining companion?
KL: An equal or greater love and appreciation for food.
AW: G-rated answer? A wicked sense of humor.
SLM: A fantastic sense of humor. A willingness to try new dishes. And somebody who holds insight on anacondas, emperor penguins and the latest edition of Vogue or The Economist.
If you could bring anyone in the world to CFFC as your dinner date, who would it be?
KL: I would like to bring someone like Oprah, someone who has a big heart and the means to be touched by what CFFC is doing and say, "I love everything CFFC is about and I would like to triple the total donations raised this year."
AW: Kim Jong Il – I mean, that guy must have some stories! If you forgive the fact that he's a dangerous dictator, or beloved one, depending on your point of view. I heard he consistently shoots in the low 60's on his "home course."
SLM: Eminem, Thomas L. Friedman, Conan O'Brien and Sarah Palin. I'm confident the dynamic and cross-fire would be entertaining.
You might also be interested in :
Last Chance to Buy Chi Fan for Charity Tickets!
Foodies and do-gooders unite – tonight’s the night you’ve all been waiting for. The third annual Chi Fan for Charity dinner will kick off citywide at 7.30pm, with the Hatsune after-party to follow at 10pm.
As expected, there is only a limited quantity of tickets left for both events. Just two days ago there were twice as many, so the few that are left will also probably be snatched up fast:
Last Orders: Ignace Lecleir, General Manager of Temple
“Last Orders” is a regular magazine column in which we ask noteworthy Beijingers to imagine their final meal before leaving the city for good. This month’s host: Ignace Lecleir, general manager at Temple Restaurant Beijing (TRB).
The venue
Preferably, the feast would begin at 11am in the morning, if not at dawn, and last all the way until midnight. I’d want to have the focus on the Chinese cuisine I’ve grown to love over the years. The menu will contain a selection of Chinese and Western dishes that would awaken my taste memory. I’d like to have my entire team, some friends and family to join me. The venue of my choice will be Temple Restaurant Beijing, where I’m currently working.Be Merry, Do Good: Spotlight on Michael Crain, Organizer for Chi Fan for Charity
Former Chief of Staff to the United States Ambassador to China, Michael D. Crain launched Chi Fan for Charity in 2009. The event raised RMB 100,000 for a local charity. This year his idea continues to grow (see related post) With the committed involvement from more than two dozen of Beijing’s most highly-regarded restaurants, Chi Fan for Charity offers Beijingers a rare chance to make a difference simply by having a good time with old and new friends. (Register for the November 6 event at chifanforcharity.org) Mr. Crain chats about the event and some of his Beijing experiences.
No Reservations: Beijing Restaurant Week's Onno Schreurs
There are just a few days left until Dining City lift the lid on their first-ever Beijing Restaurant Week, which runs March 12 through to March 18 at around 30 participating restaurants. You can make reservations for Restaurant Week set lunches and dinners here, but to give you an idea of what the whole thing is about, we put a few questions to Onno Schreurs, founder and head of DiningCity China.
Gastronerd: How One Man Combines Food, Science and Literature
If you’ve ever wondered what’s happening at the molecular level as a hunk of parmesan ages, the New York Times’ “Curious Cook” Harold McGee is your man. Here, he gives us his take:
questioner
Re: Chi Fan With Alan Wong, Kristen Lum and Stacey Lee ...
is it possible anything as boring?