Toyose It Up On A Weekday

You see that house right there, it's multi-functional. It looks like a home..it looks like a garage, but it's also an awesome Korean eatery. Toyose and is situated in Outer Sunset on Noriega and between 45th and 46th avenue. You would definitely miss it if you were driving to the beach because it blends so well with all the homes. It kind of reminds me of MinSok in San Diego, but more legendary.

Once you step inside, it is like every other place you would go throw a few back...and by few, I mean A LOT. I went here (last week) with some of my college friends when they were visiting and they introduced me to this little treasure. They have all the things you would expect in a Korean restaurant. The Hite, OB, soju, red plum wine...oh yeah...and of course food. We didn't really go to eat and the only thing we got was the vegetarian pancakes (yes, I didn't eat meat for once). We mostly played Titanic and got pretty buzz for a Tuesday night. I forgot how much soju is a creeper, but it crept up when I got home. So my recommendation: Suit Up and Go!

rum-soaked bums, police, verbal slander & laundry detergent

There's nothing like laundry day/night, the impeding danger of not having any undergarments, the exhilarating scent of fabric softener, rebellious socks, possibility of meeting a nice doctor or maybe a nice religious guy. Either way, it's always an adventure.... usually a boring one with loud dryers and my runner's world or food & wine :)

Alas, i get my scary laundry adventure :\

I rushed out of the flat like a refugee with clothes in a rolley luggage, food & books in tote, basically the works! My workout went a little long and I was on the brink of no more clean clothes-- it's amazing how my clothes cycle is cut short whenever i workout like a fiend :/

Anyways, when i got to the laundry mat, i was met by two-- erm, people of the... erm, streets?! .... ok, fine... no PC-ness needed here-- Two drunken bums that are soooo loud, reeked of alcohol and smoke.

But who am i to judge, they were actual paying patron of the facility. So I let them be (even tho they were *LOUD*-- talking about gibberish) and just stayed to myself with my magazine and pasta ::yum::

As you can tell, things get worse. Cigarettes and booze comes out and someone called the authorities on them. Citations were issued, but they weren't escorted out because they *were* actually doing laundry.

So when the police left (they had no reason to stay there to 'protect' anyone), the beligerent bums started to lash out and throw around their weight: hitting counter, verbal slander, racist comments.

Com'on, who are you trying to kid me. I'm not going to f'ing leave my *beloved* clothes because you hit some counter. If i left, they could have touched my stuff, that would totally defeat the purpose to laundry night ($3 bucks down the drain!) I'm not going to say anything because then they'll just have some more ammo to throw back at me. Passive resistance.... altho i sooooo wanted to say something, but that's why i BLOG!

Things I'm glad I didnt say because there was no reason to argue with them because i was only going to waste my breath:

--You *wish* you were born 'Asian' then maybe you wouldn't be a bum on the street or so ignorant.
--I was born here you du-mass, it's as MY country as it's yours. Correction-- I pay taxes and dont leech off society, so in that case, I'm the f*ckin' land-owner, get out of MY country.
--You better watch out and stop trying to intimidate me by hitting the counters or i'll bruce-lee your ass because i'm 'ASIAN' like that-- we all know kung fu, you know.

i hate stupid (racist, stinky, poor, stinky) people. I guess you wont find me in a soup kitchen any time soon...

*Disclaimer: no socks were harmed in the telling of this story nor that night =D

New Found Love!

I hate to admit, but I have an acne problem. Although my acne has been toning down lately, thanks to Ms. Sandy @ Facial Plus on Irving St., I still have a lot of scars that makes me feel really really self conscious. I've been using Everyday Minerals but, it's so much WORK! Plus, it doesn't conceal that well. I use a creme concealer from MAC Cosmetics but it's only good for heavy acne scars. 

Since I no longer need such heavy coverage, I opted for a new liquid concealer. What I like about it is, it's really gentle on the eye bags. I don't like looking like a panda bear with purses hanging out of my eyeballs in the morning. I got this little hot piece at Walgreens for 8 bucks! Maybe she was born with it, maybe it's Maybelline. (It's Maybelline, believe me!) But with this little guy, I can cover up all the oopsies on my face and not really even need to wear anything (makeup wise, AHEM!). Maybe I'm getting lazy, or maybe I just like the nude look of just plain old skin on my face, I stopped adding all those crazy colors to my face. (Don't get me wrong, it's still fun to look like a psychedelic clown, but one can only look like a psychedelic clown for so many days.) 

Also, there's this billboard for KMEL on my way home, that has a picture of the beautiful Miss Alicia Keys. She just has flawless (probably photoshop airbrushed) skin paired with dark eyebrows. For some reason that look resonated with me. So it's just my concealer and highlighter, with eye liner and dark brows. Sexy times!

Dinner at Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant

I love my boys. They sure know how to make a girl feel special, and I mean SPECIAL! It's not everyday that one gets wined and dined, especially if you're a single girl like me! So to be taken out by 3 dapper young men was something else. (They even dressed up! And to return the favor, I dressed up too. I don't wear dresses often, so they got some "leg service" as my cousin would say. Ha!) After some miscommunication about departure dates, Jacky decided that he was going to take me out to dinner, and since I've never been to Roy's, that's where we were going to go. 

(For those of you not familiar with Roy's, it's a 5 star Hawaiian fusion restaurant that specializes in seafood. It started in Hawaii, naturally, but now they're located in multiple locations all around the country.)

When we were seated, the boys made me decide the appetizers and told me I can order whatever I want. That's kinda dangerous, but at the same time I'm not used to it. The angel on my shoulder won this round, because I decided not to abuse the power. These guys are my friends after all. We happily shared the Calamari and the Hamachi Tartare. The calamari came with an exquisite dipping sauce, not the usual marinara or tartar sauce. The menu said it was hoisin dipping sauce, but our Asian taste buds proved otherwise and the 4 of us kept dipping into it trying to figure out what it was. I WIN! I said, "I think it's plum sauce!" and everyone agreed with "oh yeaaa. I think you're right!" (But when am I wrong when it comes to food? Hahah, jk.) 

For the main course, Jacky recommended the Butterfish, so that's what I ordered. He got the short ribs, Andy got the sea bass, and Steve got the salmon. When our food arrived, they portioned a small piece for me to try their dishes too. (I love how they baby me sometimes.) All the food was delicious except Andy felt his sea bass was a little on the dry side. For dessert we split a chocolate souffle and an orange creme brulée, both were good, but a little too sweet for me. I think I'll forever love frozen sweets the most. 

Service, the SERVICE!!! That was an experience on its own. The manager, Earl came by to introduce himself and to wish me good luck on my move and my future. I thought that was nice, I don't think you'd get that at TGI Fridays, hahaha no offense. The waiters were very observant about water levels in our cups so I never had to worry about refills. The best part was when Jacky told us that if your silverware is askew, the waiter would fix it for you. So while we waited for our food, like the bunch of boys we are, we started messing with the silverware and the waiters. 

I guess it's a 5 star restaurant for a reason! It was a wonderful dinner and even tho the portions seemed really small, I was nice and full in the end. And when they dropped me off to my apartment, we finally figured out our miscommunication. "So you mean we could of done this later?" Yes, we could of, but then we wouldn't be able to take advantage of the gift certificate that expires next week! Hey, we're still asian, and we still love a good deal. So the miscommunication did us a favor!

This one is for the Asian American Boys!!

Who said that Asian men are not hot? There's been a trend of girls saying they wouldn't want to date Asian guys, even APIA(Asian Pacific Islander American) girls. Most APIA girls say they prefer white guys because, "they're more charming, taller, handsomer...etc". Why aren't our boys being shown the love?

Let's talk about stereotypes for a bit.

Thanks to Hollywood, most Americans have this odd picture painted of the average Asian American. There's the nerdy, geek loser--then there's the martial arts master. In movies, these guys never get the ladies, they can save the day but they usually lose the girl to someone else or they just don't get the girl at all. In Romeo Must Die, all Jet Li got was a peck on the cheek by Aaliyah. He just saved your ass by killing people with a hose, I repeat, a HOSE!!! It's like punching the guy in the arm and just saying, "Thanks, guy!" In the uneducated public's eyes, these guys are seen as cold sexless machines, but let me tell you and show you otherwise.

ethan ruan

Leehom Wang

If you watch Asian shows, you get a better range of characters. There are Heroes, comedians, villains, losers, etc. I've been watching a lot of Taiwanese dramas lately. And DAMN these boys are FIIIIIIINE! They're all 6ft plus (so take that you girls that want the height!), handsome, talented and exude sexiness. Take Taiwanese Ethan Ruan for example, and my cousin will "I concur doctor!" with me, he is one hot piece of Asian man. New York born Alexander Leehom Wang is the epitome of looks and talent. He plays over 10 different instruments, including piano, drums, guitar, and even the er-wu. He speaks over 5 different languages. And he has perfect pitch. Yes that means he is not tone-deaf, and can sing perfectly without music accompaniment.

South Korean singer that's all the buzz right now, Tae Yang of BigBang

More APIA hotties include Chad Hugo from N.E.R.D. (Hella diggin' his shirt by the way.)

Brothers/Singers, George and Justin Nozuka

Heroes' Mohinder Suresh, actor Sendhil Ramamurthy

Need I say more? Let's hear it for the AIPA boys....(cat purr).

Oh yea, in the AIPA's defense, our boys are not cold hearted machines that show no emotion or have no romantic incline. My friends are amazing boyfriends, and they watch out for all of us girls. Very gentlemanly! They hold out doors, make sure us girls get home safe, and make sure no assholes take advantage of us(kung fu saves the day. Kapow Biatches!). So it's not just to the gfs, but they're gentlemen to EVERYONE. If I weren't asexual 95% of the time, I'd throw myself at them. So who wouldn't want well rounded, educated, young professionals like that?

And in the AIPA ladies' defense, we're not all sexpot dragon ladies or timid geisha lotus blossoms. Yes we're HOT, but we're also fucking smart, sassy, cute, funny, and creative. So all you boys out there with fetishes based on what you see on TV can suck it. 

Cafe Rat, Inc

Look Ma! I'm a professional Cafe Rat!

wifi, check
outlets, check
groove music, check
natural light, check
strong coffee, check
big tables, check
food! double check!!

Ok, it's been over a month since i've started my new at-home job and i havent had a super great experience working at a cafe because i havent found a good work-cafe. There's icafe, kaleco and assorted cafe around the neighborhood, but it just doesnt really hit me as a perfect work cafe because it's lacking something-- that X factor. Where you look arond and there are other pro cafe rats: teachers grading papers, software programmer trouble shooting a bug, aspiring writer re-writing the 1000th draft of his break through book.... etc etc

But that's just something really superficial that i can take or leave, but i noticed there are tons of cafes that just dont have the 2 essentials: wifi + outlet.... wtf man! boo you!

But atlas, I have found at least one HQ for Cafe Rat, Inc. See ya around, say hi, but just dont freak me out. i get scared easily......

http://hotspotr.com/spot/25?ll=37.765796,-122.429538&zoom=15&name=San%20Francisco

Jumping Java

139 Noe St , San Francisco, CA, 94114, USA
directions | spots near here | more in San Francisco

Wireless: free
Food: bakery-type snacks
Hours: Mon-Fri 6am-7:30pm; Sat/Sun 7am-8pm

PS! They have a sidewalk garden with a buddah =D

I hate MUNI too

... oh my rice toddler and i bite our thumb at thee, oh dreaded muni! ...


Love it or hate it. If you live in SF, you have to deal with muni one way or another. If you dont, then you're a freak that hasnt conformed to the green trend! ::shakes fist::

the muni is great for those who dont have a car in SF, but doesnt have the time or energy to walk from one end of the 7 mi penninsula to the other. I love it because it can get me to almost anywhere i want to get to in SF (sans target, but that's another blog rant). But as of late, the muni hasnt been extremely reliable and on the verge of being dangerous! There was the story of a lady crossing at 9/irving earlier this year and was hit by the N-Judah and lost her leg (she got $1M settlement earlier this month), the collison between two metro trains.... and not to mention those times when I was late to work because there was some subway malfunction :\

But lately, the biggest challenge was 'police activity' involving bomb threats... ::meep:: Muni is great when it's almost on time and somewhat funtional, but when it's down-- all hell breaks lose! how am i suppose to get to XYZ without this train/bus?!

anywhose, I headed to J-town for groceries and meeting up with masa and yoko to wander the streets of the Filmore Jazz festival. It's a gi-normus event that has grown year after year. At one time, it was bounded by Geary Street, but not anymore. Altho it was mucho ghetto south of Geary, but still an essential part of the festivities. Anywhos, great time to enjoy the sun, look at over priced garlic graters and gawk at adorable puppies... not to mention listen to some foot tapping JAZZ!

However, as a result of this event, 22 [the normal muni line that I use] was rerouted and after my grocery trip, i decided to take another route. 38 + 28 to get back to my lovin' MGC... So off i got, with 2 grocery bags full of japanese goodies and a 15 lbs bag of rice (i was so proud, it was on sale!) and walked down the street and waited for a min for the 38...

Yay! Muni, so quick.... or so i thought....

*Then* when i got to my transfer point, i tote my loot across the street and was greeted by police tape and a bomb squad truck. WTF?! ::meep:: I waited at my transfer stop 10 mins before decided to take another bus line, but the bus stop was blocked by more police tape and i had to walk 2 more blocks with my rice toddler

This is the 2nd time my muni travel has been delayed by some 'police activity' but this is the worse possible time to be delayed, i have all this grocery and a 15 lb bag of rice... i wish i had a zip car (or a fork so i can eat my dinner... it was getting late).

but no worries, my rice toddler, Keebler and I got home safely before I melted from hunger :)

... yes, i named by bag of rice keebler... stupid muni..