Great Experience at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Asheville

Last December, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Asheville opened their door to public in Historic Biltmore Village Asheville. I has been telling myself that I need to check it out and taste the steak. Last night was the night! We had an awesome special Chef Tasting Dinner at Ruth's Chris.

We tasted 5 different courses of appetizers.

First one was Seared Ahi Tuna. What I can say is WOW to the taste. The tuna was perfectly seared, but it still kept the tenderness. The sweet-sour taste Asian style salad on the side applied the freshness to my tastebuds.

Second, was a Mushroom Stuffed with Crabmeat, which is made with a broiled cap with jumbo lump crab stuffing and sprinkled with Romano cheese. For me, that was a perfect combination.

Third course was Barbecued Shrimp, which is my favorite! The sauteed shrimps with white wine, butter, garlic and spiced sauce made the dish so tasty and special.

Forth, was Veal Osso Buco Ravioli. In fact, I am not a ravioli fan, but this veal ravioli was truly delicious. And now I may change my mind and become a ravioli eater after all.

The last appetizer course was Lobster Bisque, which is one of the soups served daily on their menu. As a seafood fan, I love this soup.

For the entree, we were served the famous Ruth's Chris Filet Mignon. The filet was very tender, the temperature was right, the taste was awesome. After finishing the filet mignon, I kept telling myself that I want more! Also, three side dishes were served to us by our server Daniel, who was very friendly and professional.

Besides the food, the beverage was a highlight too. I had a very special unique non-alcohol drink made by Tony (one of the managers at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Asheville). The drink was based on club soda, citrus and raspberry. Because of my special diet, sugar and alcohol cannot be in my drink. Tony noticed that and made a special drink for me. Although it was a simple drink, it was very special to me.

The whole experience with Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Asheville was truly satisfying. Not only was the food great, but the service was also excellent. I am very sure that I will definitely come back to have dinner again and again. Great job Ruth's Chris Steakhouse Asheville!

Champa Sushi & Thai Fine Dining in Hendersonville NC

I had a mini vacation in Hendersonville NC last week. The experience was great, and I had an awesome dinner  at Champa Sushi & Thai Fine Dining. As a big sushi and sashimi fan, I was totally satisfied with the food from Champa.

I had the Seaweed Salad first. The taste was so great, combined with sesame oil, vinegar, some red pepper. It really opened my appetite for the dinner.

Second course was Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura. The taste was different and nice. After tasting the crispiness from outside, you taste the freshness of the food inside.

For dinner, I had eel, white tuna and smoked salmon Sashimi, and also Blue Ridge Sushi Roll. Champa Sushi & Thai Fine Dining Hendersonville did a great presentation. As soon as the plate was presented on the table, I told myself "I want to eat all of it now!"

I really enjoyed my dinner at Champa Sushi in Hendersonville. The food and service was great. I will definitely come back there again soon!

Curves Arden NC - National Women's Health Week May 2012

Curves for women is an international fitness franchise co-founded by Gary and Diane Heavin in 1995. Curves fitness and weight loss facilities are designed specially for and focused on women. If you are living in South Asheville, Arden and Fletcher area, Curves of Arden will be your perfect place to workout, keep yourself healthy and achieve your weight loss goals.

During National Women's Health Week (May 13 - 19, 2012), Curves Arden will give away 30-Day Free Membership to all new members, which will offer the opportunity to new members to use the club for 30 days free. Also on National Curves Day (May 17, 2012), Curves Arden will be hosting Health and Wellness Fair from 9am to noon and 4pm to 6pm.

What's more, Curves Arden also offers Curves Complete, which is a new 90-day diet program that will change the way women approach weight loss. Curves Complete combines three important components: Diet, Exercise and Motivation. You can enjoy One Week Free for signing up the program.

Call Elaine Robinson (Owner/Certified Coach) at 8286518543 for more information or visit Curves Arden, 2270 Hendersonville Road Arden, NC 28704

Great Experience at Historic Kapps Mill Estate NC

It was definitely a pleasure to stay one night in Historic Kapps Mill Estate in Dobson NC. This estate was originally built in 1843, having around a 170 year-old history, which contained the dam, a mill, a post office/general store, and an owner's house. Now the property has everything above except the post office, which was sold separately to different people, and the owner's house was modernized several years ago. The garden and yard area is gorgeous too. There is a large stream crossing in front of the house, a small waterfall on the side, a 8 feet wide bridge connecting the house to the half moon driveway, a horse barn and a garden. I truly enjoyed sitting on the chair in the front porch in the early morning, listening to birds' singing in the trees and enjoying the peace from the nature.



Inside this 2 story house, there is a family room, a living room, a den, a kitchen, a dinning room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 4 fireplaces, 4 storage rooms. It is a perfect place for a private family house or a vacation house. Looking through the window, you can see the view of the beautiful garden. During the nighttime, you can enjoy the quietness and the peace with your family.

Good news, Kapps Mill Estate, which is located on 962 Kapps Mill Road Dobson NC 27017 is for sale now. The property is rich in history. Contact Ellen Peric at Carolina Farms & Homes and call 336-456-5256 for more information and a showing tour.

Ignite comes to Asheville NC

When you see the title of this blog, maybe you have a question like this... "What is Ignite?" So, let me give you the short introduction. Ignite is a conference built of 5 minutes presentation, which means each speaker has 5 minutes to talk about their products, thoughts, dreams, and to show 20 different picture slides. Ignite was founded in Seattle, WA in 2006 and is represented in many Countries. Now, Asheville has the chance to get on the stage to talk about our ideas.

Here is one of my favorite videos of Ignite. This little kid spent 5 minutes telling us how to transmit his great ideas to a working low cost available 3D printer.



As you can see, Ignite is not only for technology people, but also for anyone that has their own ideas about anything. It is a great opportunity for you to show and share with other key members in the community. Asheville, please mark your calendars for the Ignite Asheville conference on February 21, 2012.

Asian community supports the "Locals Know Best" campaign at the Hotel Indigo Asheville

Recently, on behalf of the Asian community I was honored to attend a new menu tasting dinner at 151 Boutique Bar and Kitchen inside Hotel Indigo Asheville. The tasting dinner was a part of "Locals Know Best" Food and Beverage campaign, which is aim to work with local farms and to invite the local to share their favorite neighborhood dish, in all of the Hotel Indigos.

The tasting dinner included four food courses (Begin, Comfort, Fulfill, Complete) which were paired with different wines and a martini.

"Begin" --- I have to say, the salad was the best salad I never had in my life. Different than the normal green salad. First of all, the salad looked great, having chopped tomatoes, Gorgonzola, garlic toasted walnuts on the top, wrapped by an English cucumber. Second, the salad was made with citrus vinaigrette, which increased my appetite. And the cucumber added the fresh finish in my mouth when I finished each bite. What's more, the salad was paired with a glass of Sant' Antonio Fontana Soave from Italy, which is a medium-sweet but is well-balanced acidity. The whole experience of the "Begin" was perfect.

"Comfort" --- The second course was a crab cake dish served with white wine butter sauce and topped with micro arugula. The crab cake had a perfect texture, outside was crispy, but inside soft. Also the crab cake was from Blue Water Seafood Asheville, one of 25 local partners which Hotel Indigo Asheville works with. This dish was a good example for the Local Knows Best campaign. Plus, having a glass of Annabella Chardonnay with the dish made the experience even better.

"Fulfill" --- The main course was a homemade Pappardelle pasta dish, which was braised in red wine and tomato also having braciole and thinly sliced Angus sirloin on the top of the pasta. Paired with a glass of Coltibuono Cetemura Chianti Italy, it made me really enjoy the main course.

"Complete" --- Now it's time for dessert, house made mango creme brulee, which was filled with some tiny cubes of fresh mango. The mango creme brulee tasted very fresh and medium sweet. And don't forget to get an Espresso Bean Martini. They were so perfect with each other. Delicious!

As you can see, the whole dinner was excellent. And the 151 Boutique Bar and Kitchen is one of my favorite restaurants in the Asheville area. If you ever have a chance to visit Asheville NC, stop by Hotel Indigo, get a couple drinks, grab a bite and enjoy the unique atmosphere.

Med Express Nitrile Gloves co-sponsors Asian Asheville

Disposable Nitrile gloves? Sorry, we have no idea what they are. It's ok, because the first time when I heard about them, I had the exact same reaction. But when I saw them and put them on, I was surprised by the texture. Compared to the normal disposable gloves, they are ambidextrous, non-sterile, and more flexible. It is magic that they can fit my hands according to my shape, and they are not too big or too tight. In addition, no matter how hard I tried to stretch the gloves, I couldn't break them.

So, let me give you more information about Disposable Nitrile gloves. 


Nitrile gloves from Med Express are powder-free gloves, which do not contain any protein so they are less likely to cause skin irritation or allergic reaction. They are extremely resistant to punctures, tears and also chemicals. What's more, Nitrile gloves provide the wearer with enhanced tactile sensitivity, and they react to your body temperature and conform to the shape of your hand making them flexible and exceptionally snug. Also, they are available in sizes small to extra large.


If you are interested in nitrile gloves, you can order a free sample on their website. 


I believe the day that a standard that all the Sushi Chefs wear nitrile gloves to make sushi rolls for us is coming.  Do you agree with me?

Asian community gets our QR code

Yesterday, we signed up for the QR code from ConnectMe QR. So now, if you have iphone, ipad, or Android, you can scan our QR code, it will take you directly to our Blog, YouTube channel, Twitter page and Email. QR codes save you a lot of time to get the information that you need.

From now to the end of June, it is free for life for all the Asheville based people and businesses that sign up for the QR code.

Asian community supports QR code in Asheville - ConnectMe QR

A new company has launched in the Asheville community called Connect Me QR. The platform and app they have released is amazing. The Asian community in Asheville is definitely behind the QR code.

The other day, I saw a picture (photo above) of a train ticket from a friend of mine in China. There is a QR code on the ticket, and my friend told me that the QR code has all the information about the ticket, including the destination, the departure and arrival time, the number of the train, etc.

The QR code was first invented by the Japanese in 1994. Then it became extremely popular in Japan and South Korea. Quick response and high speed are two properties of QR code. It is a new tool that you can use to store all the information, like text, URL, videos, pictures or other data. And it is easy to use also, using camera phones and code readers to scan the code, thats it.

Therefore, QR code would be helpful for all the Asian businesses in Asheville, and western North Carolina area.

Asheville Feng Shui

What is Feng Shui? Feng Shui (風水), which developed over 3,000 years ago in China is an ancient Chinese system of aesthetics that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure the health and good fortune for people inhabiting it. Also it is based on the Taoist Version and understanding of nature (like: the land is alive and filled with Chi, or energy), and has some basic aspects, such as the theories of Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) and the five feng shui elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water).

How to use Feng Shui? Generally speaking, Feng Shui can be used for your personal life and also for your business, for indoor of the house and also for the outside. There are some tips of Feng Shui.

For outside of the house:

1. Avoid any sharp structures that point at your front door or any of your house windows. If so, hang on a mirror on the door or on the window.

2. Do not put any garbage bins close to your door or windows.

3. Remove any dead plants in your garden or yard, and replace only with thriving plants.

For indoor of the house:

1. Do not place a mirror right in front of the main door of the house, let the energy come through the main door to nourish your house and your own energy.

2. Do not have mirrors reflecting your bed or behind your bed.

3. Do not place mirrors in the south area of your space.

If you are interested with Feng Shui, you can contact Leslie from Asheville Feng Shui.

Email: leslie@ashevillefengshui.com
Phone: 828-301-3075

The Noodle Shop in Asheville NC

The Noodle Shop is located on the Pack Square in the middle of downtown Asheville. You can enjoy the authentic home-style Chinese cuisine here at very reasonable prices. They offer many choices from appetizers, soups, entrees and soup bowls, and also some special food choices for vegetarians. Besides the tight cozy indoor seating, you also can enjoy the front row seat to the sights and sounds of downtown Asheville.

The Noodle Shop
3 SW Pack Square
Asheville 28801 NC
828-250-9898

Suwana’s Thai Orchid Restaurant in Asheville NC

Suwana’s Thai Orchid restaurant offers authentic Thai cuisine with traditional cooking style, fresh ingredients and the unique background in Thai. Their head chef, Suwana Cry has been a Thai restauranteer and chef for years in many different areas. Now she brings the authentic Thai flavor to Asheville NC. They offer the complete menu for the guest, including Thai appetizer, soup, salad, Thai curries, entree, rice and noodle dishes and also a kid’s menu. Also they work with Valet Gourmet for delivery service for the guests who do not want to leave home.

Suwana’s Thai Orchid Restaurant
11 Broadway Avenue Asheville 28801 NC
828-281-8151

***Also see their website for more information Suwana's Thai Orchid

Benefit for Japan at My Father's Light in Asheville

This Friday and Saturday My Father's Light will be donating 20% of all sales to Samaritan's Purse Ministries to help those misplaced in Japan.

My Father's Light is located on 133 Weaverville Highway Asheville 28804 NC.

Also see their Facebook page for more details.

Akira Satake from Japan at White Horse Black Mountain for benefit

In the picture above is the famous Mountain Fuji in Japan, which lies about 60 miles south-west of Tokyo. After 9.0 magnitude earthquake on March 11th, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck close to Mountain Fuji on last Tuesday (March 15th), likely will result in insured losses of about $500 million.

After the enormous earthquake in Japan, people all over the world tried to help Japanese people as much as they can. A Benefit Concert for the People of Japan will be held on Thursday March 31st at 7pm at White Horse Black Mountain in Western North Carolina.

To my knowledge this is the first local benefit being held for the victims of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan.

The event is being organized by Akira Satake, an Osaka native currently residing in Swannanoa.

Akira is a master potter and world class musician. He has invited Tony Trischka and other musicians to join him for this special event.

Additional Details are at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119547424787562

Akira can be reached at:
akirasatake@gmail.com

Chopsticks - how to use them

Do you love Asian food? Do you have hard time to use chopsticks when you try to pick up one piece of sushi or a piece of orange beef? Chopsticks (筷子, kuai zi, in Chinese) are the main eating utensil in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian countries and areas. Generally believed, chopsticks originated in ancient China as early as Shang dynasty (1766-1122 BCE). The earliest evidence of a pair of chopsticks was excavated from the Ruin of Yin near Anyang area in China, dated roughly 1200 BCE.

Chopsticks are most usually made of bamboo, wood or plastic, but also made of metal, bone and ivory. And there are also chopstick rests, tableware, which are used to keep chopstick tips off the table in Asian cuisine.

Here is a video to show you how to put those chopsticks to action. Please remember to bring your chopsticks and your patience, try hard and have fun, fun, fun!

Green Tea Sushi and Green Tea Fusion in Asheville NC

Green Tea Sushi came to West Asheville in 2004. “Be attentive to details” is their principle, and their staff is dedicated to the pursuit of guest satisfaction. As the name suggests, Green Tea Sushi more focus on sushi, special rolls and sashimi, but at the same time, they also offer some noodles and a hibachi entree for the guest.

Green Tea Fusion is their second location in South Asheville, which was opened in 2010 to serve more guests on the southside of town.

Green Tea Sushi
2 Regent Park Blvd  Asheville 28806 NC
828-252-8300

Green Tea Fusion
1840 Hendersonville Road Suite 101 Asheville 28803 NC
828-277-3838

***See their website Green Tea Sushi

Doc Chey’s Noodle House in downtown Asheville NC

Doc Chey’s Noodle House opened in 2002. They are located on Biltmore Avenue, right next to Double Decker Bus in downtown Asheville. “Peace Love Noodles” is their motto, and they focus on serving high quality food to their guests. Dinning there, you can enjoy hand-made spring rolls, dumplings, dim sum and asian style noodles etc. Besides the regular menu, they also offer dietary menus for the vegetarian.

Doc Chey’s Noodle House
37 Biltmore Avenue Asheville 28801 NC
828-252-8220

***Also see their website Doc Chey's Noodle House

Mela Indian Restaurant in Asheville NC

Mela Indian Restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Asheville. They blend imported spices with local ingredients to create authentic and diverse North and South Indian dishes. Also, they were voted Western North Carolina Favorite and Best Indian Restaurant for 2008. What’s more, they host a Salsa night in Asheville. People can join them for salsa lesson from 11pm to 2 am every Friday.

70 North Lexington Avenue Asheville 28801 NC
828-225-8880

***Also see their website Mela Indian Restaurant

Asiana Grand Buffet in Asheville NC

Asiana Grand Buffet began their business in Asheville in 2001 and has grown ever since. They are well known for a large range of hand rolled sushi and nigri, and also a variety of South Asian dishes. In 2007, they were rewarded “Top 100 Chinese Buffet” in USA. In addition, their south Asheville location is the largest buffet in Western North Carolina with the widest selection of asian cuisine.

South Asheville location
1968 Hendersonville Road Asheville 28803 NC
828-654-8879

West Asheville location
153 Smokey Park Highway Asheville 28806 NC
828-667-0410

***See their website Asiana Grand Buffet

Zen Sushi and Kubo’s Downtown Hibachi Steakhouse in Asheville NC

Zen Sushi is a family-friendly Japanese restaurant in North Asheville, since 2003. From the menu, you have wide selection of sushi, sashimi, special rolls and asian style noodles. They are located on Merrimon Avenue, 2 miles from downtown Asheville and 2 blocks from UNCA.

Kubo’s Downtown Hibachi Steakhouse is the sister Japanese restaurant of Zen Sushi. Besides sushi, sashimi and special rolls, they also serve Hibachi for the guest. They are the member of Reward Network, and they also offer 10% off discount to the guest who attend to the Orange Peel or Diana Wortham Threater on the night of the show.

Zen Sushi
640 Merrimon Avenue Suite 205 Asheville 28804 NC
828-225-6033

Kubo’s Downtown Hibachi Steakhouse
5 Biltmore Avenue Suite B Asheville 28801 NC
828-251-1661

***Also see their websites Zen Sushi and Kubo's Hibachi Steakhouse