Wishing for Spring

I just can't hardly wait for Spring to come again - for sunny days, lazy Sundays, and enjoying a cup of coffee by the window inside while the sun drenches me with its warmth. For great food in the company of good people.

Soon. One of these days, we shall meet again. At the place where the Mimosas and coffee never run dry.

Basta Pasta

OK, so no clever or seemingly witty title for this post. I believe that the food and the picture would speak for itself. Located on 37 West 17 Street is a Japanese-run Italian restaurant called Basta Pasta. Established in Tokyo in 1985, the restaurant has come to America with a space design inspired by the television program, Iron Chef and features an open kitchen and boasts Japanese-Italian fusion dishes. I love their simple Parmesan pasta dish mixed and prepared table side on a Parmesan cheese bowl. But my personal favorite would have to be the Uni (sea urchin) pasta in a rich cream sauce. It's savory and rich with just a little bit of fishy funk to add the right amount of edge to a truly unique dish.

So get yo' eatin' dress on and load up on some well-deserved carbs! :D

My Life in Food

Recently, I have found myself to be very interested in food and the making of food again. I think relocating in sunny Greenpoint have reinvigorated my love for the art, primarily because the neighborhood offers so much variety in terms of restaurants. I've also noticed that the people here are equally as passionate with the food they eat - its originality, aesthetic, innovation, style, and most of all, its taste. These factors, as well as my stomach, has re-awoken my inner foodie.

I've always had this fascination and interest in food. I mean, she and I have been besties for 48 years now. My waistline is my witness. One, because my family has lived off on the food industry - my grandmother was a baker and my mom a cook. I also find a sense of community and joy in food. I consider eating as a very social ritual; that one enjoys food more so in the company of others. And that food makes people happy. I love cooking and baking because I can create something from seemingly benign components into something magical and wonderful that make people happy. I love inviting my friends and family over and just cooking good food to share and enjoy with them.

And I also love it when I get to share that same passion with food from other people. I feel this mostly when I try different small independently owned restaurants and bakeshops. I have just begun exploring them one by one and block by block. And you could really taste their passion and love for food and cooking. I wish to feature them more in this space. :)

Happy eating and stay hungry everyone!

We're Having New Age Fun with a Vintage Feel

This song has been stuck in my head for three weeks now. Humming it in the subway, walking down the street, while hanging out with friends... ETC... I don't know, I get a kick about how true some of these stereotypes are. And sadly, I do exhibit some of them. Want to pick the ones I'm guilty of????

Geek Chic, Tres Chic

More often than not, I get a lot of inspiration from anime and the Japanese manga (sub?) culture. The reason being that it is somehow disconnected from the world of mainstream fashion. There is a sense of wanton frivolity and carelessness in its expression that I think is very liberating. Not to be tied down with the so-called "Rules of Fashion," so to speak. It becomes a virtual world of free flowing ideas and creativity when it comes to clothes. And the fact that the locus of the culture itself is an imagined one, there are no physical barriers when it comes to clothes. By that I mean, pattern, cut, fit, and movement. The artist is free to express the entirety of his or her idea.

That being said, the clothes do not always translate into reality. Exhibit A and B:



Oh but when they do work, it is simply magik.

Feelings of Greige

The wind is getting colder every day, the nights, longer and chillier. Summer's end. Autumn's advent. It's really a bittersweet sensation for me, especially this year. I had a lot of things happen to me this past summer. With moving to Brooklyn, getting deeper into my relationship, and opening up to new experiences and endeavors, it's been a lot to take in and contemplate. And before I get all pensive and introspective, let me just digress by saying "Haha" at "a lot to take it." :D



Anyways, getting back, yes. Myriad of changes this past summer, when usually my summers are quite idyllic and quiet. I hope this is a sign of better things to come. Or at the very least, just dynamic.

Get my wheels churning and my live a moving for chrissake! And what better way to commemorate this seemingly momentous event than with an impromptu photo shoot.

Vintage Jean Paul Gaultier

This is a great find. And by find, I mean a hand-me-down that my mom got from a friend. Amazing! And god sometimes I wish I had a vagina instead of a penis. If anything, in this male dominated, hetero-normative society that we live in, the least a woman can have is a pair of really high bitchy heels and a military-inspired couture blazer. Now that's what I call empowerment!

HAHAHAHA... {fans the flames of my faggotry}


Jacket by Jean Paul Gaultier (Printemps-Ete 1986), necklace as belt from American Apparel, wedge from Kenneth Cole, necklace as bracelet stylist's own.