- 600 for Starbucks.

First it was their products. They brought back the old logo. That caused sparks amongst the conservative group. Then they cut 100 corporate jobs and eliminated breakfast sandwiches. After that, they announced the closing of 200 underperforming company-owned stores. Now its 600 stores slated to be shut down. Such is the life cycle of overexpanding their brand. Too many products. Too many niches. Too many branches. Too many little grubby fingers in too many different pots. Well, in a slumping economy, its fatal. People are buying less due to the insane gas prices. They can't get to the store, and instead forgo their morning lattes. And of course, shipping expenses, rent and utilities for underperforming stores spells big unnecessary expenditure. Not to mention paying the work force. Now, some people view this as just revenge, viewing Starbucks as a giant conglomerate that is hellbent on taking over the world by eliminating the mom-&-pop coffee shops. In some ways, I guess its true. But then again, almost every industry is being hit, and are forced to adopt cost-saving measures. Regardless, I hope the store I frequent doesn't get the ax. That would make my commute to work less pleasant than it already is.

Food for Thought.

Last week was a mess. One of my coworkers was on vacation for three days, and of course, the client dropped the ball on us. Us two remaining designer stayed past 5:30pm everyday. I even stayed until 7pm a few days, just to get the work done. Ugh. I was exhausted!

On an upside, we had a wonderful lunch on Friday. The asians in the agency decided it was time for a little dim sum, so off we went to Chang's for some food and fun! Of course, we had 3 non-asians with us. Not a problem. Watching them eat was quite a fun spectacle. None of them had been exposed to dim sum, so this was a fun-filled eye-opening experience. They were so glad when we got some 'normal' tasting dishes. On the other had, they were just amazed at how we just ordered dish after dish after dish. That lunch lasted 90+ minutes, so we were late coming back to the office.

Today, I made a salad for lunch (pictured above). It was healthy and delicious, so I thought I'd share it with you. Well, a picture of it, anyways.It was easy to do, once I got everything together.

I <3 WEIRD.

OK! So I am a few days behind ... but, lo and behold I am back in Las Vegas. And I already miss Portland. It was weird. And I love weird. My four days of walking was fantastic. I had booze in me a good bit of my trip. It was actually sunny on all four days. A little chilly, but sunny nonetheless. Portland is a very green and green-conscious city. Reuse. Refuse. Recycle. Everywhere. People of all kinds. Fantastic public transportation. Weiden + Kennedy. Pride weekend. And Michael. Meeting Michael there was so much fun. He's a really nice guy, and was gracious enough to let me stay at his cute, stylish studio. I call it the Taxidermy Suite, because he has a thing for fur. Nevertheless, it was nice place, located in Nob Hill, aka the Alphabet District, making it close to 23rd Street and to the Pearl District.

The 23rd Street area is very much like Virginia Highlands back in Atlanta. A few streets of great local stores, restaurants and bars, surrounded by residences all over. The Pearl District is just a few blocks away, and it is a downtown area, filled with many, many hip trendy spots. Contemporary industrial-modern styles meets historical greco-roman architecture at every corner, with mod-pop strewn in for a good mix.

I do want to go back. I didn't get enough time to see everything I wanted to see. And of course, to visit Michael again. But, what I did manage to see and experience includes:

Powell's Books - A whole block and 4 levels of books. Old. New. Used. Rare. Out of Print. A book lover's paradise. I could spend days in there.
Rich's Cigar Store - Best magazine selection in town. I don't smoke, but they do seem to have a great cigar selection too.
Hotel Lucia - A small boutique, modern and fun hotel. Includes a cute lobby area with a rotating art gallery. Check out Bo and Typhoon while you're there.
Ace Hotel - A mod, posh mid-century modern hotel in the Pearl District. Use that photo booth and capture the experience.
Ken's Artisan Bakery - fantastic sandwiches and baked goods. Always packed. Always good. Try some marionberry pastry.
Portland City Grill - the 30th floor location gives you an awesome view of the entire city, including all 7 bridges across the Willamette River. Very crowded and popular, so good luck scoring a table with a view.
Portland Japanese Garden - A beautiful place to spend a sunny day. Picturesque.
Reading Frenzy - A zine shop for all things 'zine.'
CounterMedia - small bookstore with all kinds of tasteful and not-so-tasteful erotica.
Mio Gelato - Go here for your Pearl District gelato fix.
Alotto Gelato - Go here if you're near 23rd Street.
Caffe Umbria - Fun, modern Italian joint. Good for a lunch break.
Masu - Grab some sushi and Hakutsure. Then chill.
Bleu - Enjoy an ever-changing menu, designed and served by the students of the Western Culinary Institute.
Silverado and Boxxes/Red Cap - Gay Nightlife.

PS. I also managed to see my ex-roomate John while I was there. Also managed to spend some time with Ben, another fellow Malaysian who was visiting Portland that weekend.

PPS. Southwest Airlines was ok an airline. The flight to Portland was nice and on time. The flight from Portland was delayed an hour and was completely full. I'll have to remember to check in early, so I can get good seats.

Italian on the Pallette

Yesterday, an acquaintance took me to a little italian eatery called Tinoco's Bistro for lunch. Its a cute, artsy and eclectic little spot in the (downtown) Arts Factory. The tables are all artists palettes of sorts, and the whole place is done is a patina like scheme, which gives it its rustic loft vibe. The food and service is excellent, and the prices are not much worse than Cheesecake Factory. I am all for these mom-and-pop establishments that have a culture, personality, atmosphere and identity of their own. Its truly a hidden gem, and you should check it out. In a day and age where we are swamped with chains, a break from them is always a welcome distraction!

Of Rice and Responsibilities.

Rumor has it that there is a severe global rice shortage. Well, it may be true now, after Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar just this past week. But prior to that...there is actually a surplus of rice. But due to bad weather, higher food costs due to rising fuel prices, and human neurosis, rice hoarding has started to occur, as well as export limitations/bans. Costco and Sam's Club has started limiting the amount of rice each customer can purchase. One could blame corn ethanol and drilling limitations as causes, but I highly doubt it. Corn is grown in different types of soil, and yields hardly enough fuel to replace oil. And increasing the number of oil drilling locations would be a very short-term solution at best. Destroy the environment, deplete the resources. Not a smart move. Instead, we need to keep on plugging away at finding a fuel alternative that is environmentally friendly, is efficient, and can be manufactured on a very large scale. Oh, and yes, we need to stop being so wasteful! Why do we need Hummers and SUVs? Why do we only eat one bite out of our meals? We are all the cause, and only we can solve it.

PS. So today I got charged an additional $1 for the rice that came with my dinner tonight. Some places charge you for second servings. Some charge you for rice that goes with your takeout. Some charge you regardless. A few still don't. But remember that rice is a major component in many other basic ingredients, such as flour. And no flour means no cakes or pasta! There's proof that a rice shortage is coming into reality.

Matcha Mania!

FINALLY! I managed to track down Tazo's Green Tea Latte Concentrate. I've heard about this for quite some time, but can never find it in grocery stores or any Starbucks. Ironic, ain't it? Its a Starbucks product, and they use it as a base when they make their Green Tea Frappucinos and Lattes. And where did I find it? At a Seattle's Best Coffee (same parent, different franchise altogether) inside a Borders in Summerlin! Weird, but whatever. It's an awesome treat for those times I want a sweeter tea. Just mix it half-and-half with skim milk and you're done. Since the honeydew-melon syrup is a tad bit too sweet (I like mine a little more tea-like), I usually add in a couple spoons of matcha powder, to give it a kick. Try it for yourself and experience some Tazo green goodness!

PS. The new designs for Tazo's packaging is interesting. All that intricate Middle-Eastern details has been pared down, and the color palette has been brightened and/or neutralized. It stands out on the shelf, as it's very basic and detailed at the same time, while not being flooded with images/illustrations, save one. And that one I am not too fond off. But its better than what's usually out there. Most importantly, the product itself is good, albeit a little pricey.

The (food) chain secrets!

So check THIS out. Men's Health has put together a list of 16 well loved restaurant chains that have been keeping their nutritional information a secret. Why? Simple. There is no legislation that makes restaurants post their nutritional information on their menus. In addition, there isn't a formal definition of many terms used to describe food, so restaurants can use plenty of catchy words and phrases, they may mean nothing. And thus obesity is still on the rise, despite people believing that they're making better food choices. So ... what's really in that burger you're chowing down on?

Martha, the Domestic Green Fairy

We all know Marilyn Manson has Mansinthe, but what about Martha Stewart? With a little domestic ingenuity, you can be a hallucinogenic Martha in your kitchen and whip up some Absinthe Cupcakes. Put on your apron, get out that sugar and fancy spoon, and bake up a storm in your kitchen. Booze and dessert, all-in-one. What could be better?

Still need more liquorice? Try the Absinthe Vodka or visit Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco.

PS. Special thanks to Mr.Brown in Portland for the Mansinthe reminder. He's a precious doll.
PPS. Dedicated to Kim. You know who you are.

The restoration of a brand

Sky-rocketing coffee prices. Machine-churned drinks. Bad press. Starbucks is getting pummeled by all sorts of bad rep recently. In an effort to restore faith to the coffee lovers out there, they have redonned their old logo, albeit slightly modified (no more bare breasts for the twin-tailed mermaid, thanks to her longs locks). I recall the not-too-long ago shutting down of all stores for a few hours of retraining. Well, I'm sure the green we've all come to identify with Starbucks will be back.

Now ... will this work? Will Howard Schultz restore the core values that made Starbucks a success? Maybe. It will certainly embrace its 1971 nostalgic origins, heritage and perhaps an emotional attachment to a brand that has become synonymous with coffee. This affects both customers and employees alike. It's a good reminder of what makes Starbucks a success, and a Fortune 500 company. But ... I think the green will be back. Its clean, crisp, modern and that is something Starbucks needs ... to keep updated. The green is good for them. Keep the brown for very special occasions (like this one) and only special occasions. Let's also hope their new Pike Place coffee isn't 'burned' as previously reported by Consumer Reports.

Making your own gourmet $1 Menu.

Check this out. Okay, so I was in a very tight spot a few months ago. Still, I didn't need to go this far (thank gawds). I'm not sure how they did it, but they did it. In fact, I didn't know the 99¢ Only Store carried such stuff. Then again, I'd be leery of shopping for food products there. But logic would dictate that they can't sell food that has gone bad or past its expiration date, lest they get sued. Well, when the going gets tough, you do what you need to do to keep on going. A trained chef and that cookbook would be really helpful too.

... and now there are 11!

So I have been cooking for over a year now ... in the same wok! Everything cooked comes from that! Naturally, some things I couldn't cook. But that changed recently, because Michael scored a deal and got me a 10-piece set of MWF cookware. Yay! So now I can actually cook more than stir-frys. My first dish cooked in them: garlic couscous. More stuff to come!

PS. When shipping such valuable purchases, for the love of your own sanity, pack it properly! Wrapping them in 2 pieces of tissue paper and shoving them into a big box will guarantee that they arrive damaged. Mine did. Packing a package with padding and stuffings does wonders, ya know! Common sense, people!