ricepaperscissors

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Restaurant Update

Dear friends,

It’s been awhile since our last update.

We experienced some major, unforeseen complications in the restaurant opening process in the last five months and are heartbroken to report that we’re no longer able to open a restaurant at Folsom and 22nd.

We imagine this is disappointing to hear. There is nothing we wanted more than to open this space, and please know that we did everything within our power to make the restaurant work. While we’re not able to disclose any specifics, our experience made us realize why the power dynamic in America needs to rapidly shift.

This is not the outcome we expected. In the last year and a half, we have spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars on the project -- acquiring permits, navigating new regulations on restaurants in the Mission as well as the complex city permitting process.

However, we did learn a lot. We had the opportunity to design a restaurant, meet many of our would-be neighbors and feel the support of our community. In some ways, we feel like we did build a restaurant, despite the forces that ultimately prevented us from carrying out the full vision. We wish we could’ve shared the space with you.

We’re not quite sure what’s next for us. Right now we’re regrouping and focusing on our catering program.

Thank you to all our friends, family, longtime regulars, Kickstarter supporters, Mojo and Folsom Street neighbors for being on this journey with us. Please reach out to us for any lunch, event or holiday catering, and we encourage you to continue to support local businesses (like the ones at West Coast Craft this weekend, where we’ll also be -- and especially ones run by rad women.) We hope to see you soon.

Forever grateful,

Valerie and Katie

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Gettin’ Low with Anna Lee

Photos by Andria Lo.

Anna Chet Jew-Lee, 32, is the co-owner of Mister Jiu’s, a modern, Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. With her husband Brandon Jew at the helm of the kitchen, Anna adds to the interior design, florals and the feel-good front of house vibe.

We’ve always admired her design aesthetic (with details like wrapping white toilet paper rolls with pink tissue paper), fashion sense (total babe) and warmth. While arranging flowers for the restaurant, she talked to us about her restaurant background and design inspiration for the upstairs lounge at Mister Jiu’s, slated to open at the end of the year.

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What is your role about Mister Jiu’s?

On my business cards it says: Art, Parties and Flowers. I’m an owner. It’s just us that are owners. It can be stressful, but it’s good because it’s ours.

I do so many little things: flower arrangements, taking care of plants and the garden upstairs, running events, taking care of the fish tanks and mom stuff like celebrating peoples’ birthdays. I go to the market on Tuesdays and am always available for all our investors — taking reservations, but also fundraising and designing for upstairs. And parking the car. It’s a bit variety, which I like.

What was your design inspiration for the restaurant?

We wanted it to feel mid-century, since we both love that. We also included what is great about Chinese restaurants: fish tanks, hand-lettering, plants, gold and green — which represents growth and prosperity. We wanted it to feel special, but not too precious, yet still an occasion.

The more we’re here, the more we’re changing. We keep adding to the spirit vibe — infusing the restaurant with things that are important to us.

What’s one piece you’d like to add to the space?

A print of Sky Ladder by Cai Guo-Qiang. He’s a Chinese artist that works with fireworks as the medium. He sent up fireworks on a 1,650-foot-tall ladder. It took him three or four tries. It symbolizes so much - it’s personal and spiritual. And he dedicated to his family. It represents what we aim for: trying to keep a pure spirit.

Tell me about your experience with design.

I’m taking classes for interior and landscape architecture. At some point I want to have a design company called Chet Lee Art Agency, which would be a nice umbrella for different ideas in art, graphic and interior design. It’s not yet fleshed out but I’m starting to imagine it.

What did you do before Mister Jiu’s?

I’ve worked in restaurants ever since I was 20. When I was a kid, my mom I played restaurant a lot — I loved it.

I used to work at Mission Chinese, slangin’ in booty shorts. Before Mister Jiu’s opened, I worked on fundraising with B. We did private cheffing together. I helped him by doing pastry. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and would prep for 20 people in our home kitchen. I’d be prepping on the bed or on the couch. Our fridge was in the garage, so we’d be running back and forth. We tried to make it work any way possible in the two years before we opened — he would also teach at culinary schools and I would nanny.

What’s the design inspiration for the upcoming lounge?

The concept is based off James Turrell and the restaurant’s history. The lounge is going to be neon with a skylight looking at the garden moon gates. There will be terrazzo, tiles, black floors and white walls. If fundraising goes well, we’ll hopefully be open by the end of the year.

What are you excited about?

I’m excited about creating a new expression upstairs. And about Brandon having a little more time for cooking and not having to manage as much. I’m excited to have kids whenever they float down.

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Thank You!

We’re happy to report that we met our Kickstarter goal (and then some!) and are excited to use the funds to decorate our restaurant and set up outdoor seating. In total, we raised $47,667!

Thank you so much for making this Kickstarter experience a beautiful one. All sorts of people participated: our new neighbors on Folsom Street, Mojo regulars, industry folks (including those who hustled alongside us at the Underground Market), family and friends from as early as elementary school to current day.

Now that our Kickstarter is wrapped, we’ll be focusing on the nitty-gritty details on the restaurant design and will be sharing updates about our progress and about upcoming events.

In the meantime, we’ll be sending out a survey in the next few weeks so you can redeem your Kickstarter rewards. See you at a pop-up soon!

If you still like to support, we are accepting Paypal donations at hello@ricepaperscissors.com, or book us to cater your next lunch or event.

Valerie and Katie

Photo by Andria Lo

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RPS Sixth Birthday Buffet Bash

Photo by Andria Lo.

Where: The PizzaHacker / 3299 Mission Street When: Monday, March 27th / 6-9pm Tickets: $20 on Eventbrite (also available at the door.)

We’re celebrating six years of pop-ups and the first year of our restaurant project with a smorgasbord of food from us and our friends.

Ticket sales will go toward the home stretch of our Kickstarter campaign -- we have $9,000 and 12 days left to go to reach our goal of $35,000!

RICE PAPER SCISSORS MENU

Red Pepper Red Curry Farfalle

Vegetable Green Curry Spinach Gratin

Fried Cauliflower with Cilantro Mint Pesto

Roasted Chicken with Galangal and Lemongrass

Pork and Beef Meatballs in Chinese Rice Wine

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS

Uni Garlic Noodles - Eric Ehler, Black Sands

Beef Curry Pot Pie - Kat Bayle, Jane Bakery

Hella Bomb Baked Beans - Christian Reynoso, Zuni

Super Spring Salad - Caroline Hummer & Guillermo Perez, Fogutter

Pandan Coconut Macaroons - Deborah Maukar, Rijsttafel

Pancit Malabon, Filipino Stir-Fried Noodles - Felicia Chanco, Felicious Events

and more!

Plus beer for sale from Old Bus Tavern

FOR OUR KICKSTARTER BACKERS: A SPECIAL MENU ITEM

If you've already backed our campaign, thank you! If you purchase a ticket to this event, we'll have a special off-menu item for you: a slice of the Banh Mizza, a collaboration with Jeff Krupman of the PizzaHacker. Let us know that you've donated on Kickstarter at the door and we'll give you a ticket to redeem your slice. If you haven't donated on Kickstarter, no worries! Just donate before the event at bit.ly/ricepapersf, purchase a ticket to this event, and see what happens when a banh mi and pizza become one.

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Finding the Restaurant

We have been a pop-up for six years - at first by choice and then by circumstance.  

After our first few years in business, we decided that the only way we could secure long-lasting growth was to get a permanent spot of our own. We’ve had great experiences with shared kitchens and sublets but quite a few horror stories too.

For the past three years, we’ve been on the hunt, walking neighborhoods asking people if they knew of any upcoming vacancies. We’ve put offers on spaces and turned down others because of the exorbitant asking prices. Nothing ever felt right. 

Mostly it was because we were trying to fit our business into places that weren’t the right fit - in size, location, and rent. It was only until we stopped chasing and started defining for ourselves what we were looking for that we were able to settle on a space that would work. 

When I followed up on a listing for our restaurant space, I thought it was a long shot as their were many interested parties, many of whom had big money. But the landlord was looking for a tenant that would fit in with the neighborhood and listened to our concept thoughtfully. 

The day I realized it could be ours, I was walking up Bernal Hill pitching our business plan on the phone and puffing up the hill. By the time I got to the top, we were more or less verbally committed. And there I was standing on top of San Francisco, looking down on our spot, only seeing possibility - feeling high on the world. 

People often ask: what does your gut tell you? Never before has my gut screamed so loud: THIS WAS THE PLACE.

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Design: Saigon Meets Scandinavia

We’re inspired by Vietnam, China, Cuba, Mexico: places where street life, color, tropical fruits and industriousness reign supreme. We also love minimal spaces too - so for us, it’s a mash up of Saigon and Scandinavia with minimal tiles, Vietnamese-style hand-lettering, blonde ash tables, two-toned walls, tropical plants, pyramids of fruits and a mix of Asian and contemporary ceramics.

All photos by us except LKTH: Wildernis, Milk Magazine: La Mangerie, Bloglovin’: Italy, Haand Ceramics, Sotheby’s: vase, Banana plant (unknown).

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The Restaurant: In Food

When we dream of our restaurant, we think of a warm neighborhood place where you can drop in for a quick solo lunch, grab a salad or banh mi to go, pick up dinner on your way home or slurp it down with friends in our warm colorful space. 

We’ll be your Wednesday night bite and your Sunday brunch escape.

It’s a long ways away (and subject to change) but we’re thinking lunch 11am-3pm, dinner, 6-10pm, and brunch 10am-3pm.

For lunch we’ll feature our Grilled Steak Banh Mi, Curry Noodles, Garlic Noodles, Rice Bowls, Pho Rolls, as well as grab and go dishes like our Goi Ga Chicken Salad. 

For dinner we’ll start with a menu similar to our Thursday night pop-up at Mojo Bicycle Cafe, which always promises noodles soups and rice plates, plus more shareable appetizers and large format dishes.  Plus local beer and bright crisp wines. 

We’ll be big on brunch and hope to secure outside seating for fresh coconuts, our Sinh To (Vietnamese smoothies), Banh Mi Op La (Fried Egg Banh Mi), dim sum snacks and Vietnamese iced coffee. 

photos by Andria lo

So excited to bring delicious colorful everyday food to this sunny corner! If you’re feeling it too, donate to our Kickstarter and we’ll see you there!

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Kickstartin’ This Thing

We’re almost closing out our first week on Kickstarter.

It’s been humbling to see the tremendous support from customers, friends, future neighbors, new acquaintances and homies that have been there since day one.

It feels like our birthday x1000 (but hopefully x$35,000!)

Thank you to everyone who’s donated thus far. Also, stoked that Kickstarter selected our page as a “Project We Love.” Excited to see what unfolds the rest of this month.

Please check out our Kickstarter and see if there’s a reward that speaks to you (and your tummy!) 

bit.ly/ricepapersf

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From Pop-up to Restaurant!

After 6 years as a pop-up we have finally found a place to call home!

We’re excited to say that we have signed a place in the Mission, which is where we got our start many moons ago. The space is big and beautifully lit, and will be a place where you can have pho on the coldest nights and brunch under the hot Mission sun.

The only catch is… it’s not a restaurant yet! It’s a blank slate and we’ll need to do a full restaurant build out. Although it’s daunting, we are thrilled to be building the restaurant we have dreamed of: a slice of Saigon, here is San Francisco. To help make it look and feel extra special, we are running a Kickstarter campaign for the month of March to raise $35,000.  

Our journey thus far

People ask us, all the time, how we met, and it may be surprising, but we met when we started Rice Paper Scissors. We were both selling Vietnamese food at the forageSF Underground Market, a place for small businesses to get their start. I was cooking banh mi inspired by my month long trip to Vietnam, and Valerie was cooking as a way to re-discover her culture and hang out with her grandma. Valerie approached me about collaborating on a Lunar New Year pop up and I said yes. We sat together at Mojo Bicycle Cafe, which would later become our Thursday night pop-up, and crafted a plan. I didn’t know then, that we were embarking on something great together, but we were.  

Many times over I have learned this - in our adventures through Vietnam, the night markets we organized, the colorful pop-ups we’ve produced, and our catering program that brings pho to the masses. It’s hard to fathom, but we’ve done this all without a permanent place. Popping up has been great, but now we’re looking for a place that can truly reflects who we are.

Looking ahead

Our restaurant is going to be a casual neighborhood place, where our customers can come and eat at least once a week. It will have many of the rice plates and noodles soups that we have served at our Mojo pop-up, as well as street food bites and larger format dishes. Vietnamese iced coffee will flow freely, as will beer and wine.  

What you can do…

Donate to our Kickstarter and get rewards!

Spread the word on Facebook and Instagram!

Help us if you think you have a relevant trade!

The adventure has only just begun. See you at our restaurant!

Katie and Valerie

Photos: top and bottom - Andria Lo, middle - Kasia Cieplak-Mayr Von Baldegg 

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Gettin' Low with Jenny Chung Seeger of Acrimony & No.3

Jenny Chung Seeger is the owner of Acrimony, a boutique in Hayes Valley and No. 3, a modern engagement ring and jewelry shop in Nob Hill.

We met her five years ago when she invited us to her shop to hang out (uh, super sweet!). We love her bright personality, entrepreneurship and connection to San Francisco food history (her grandparents started Henry’s Hunan, the city’s first Hunan-style restaurant with six family-run locations.) 

We met her near her Japantown studio to chat about her eight years (!!!) of Acrimony, traveling to Vietnam and why loving to fold clothes is important.

More at @_jenny_c @shopacrimony @no3.shop

Tell us about your Vietnam look book.

We do a big look book every season. We’ve been open for eight years. I don’t want to shoot at the beach. I don’t want to shoot the trees - I’ve done all of that. I was blocked and couldn’t think of anything. Then I noticed a flight to Vietnam was $600 and thought shit, I’ve never been there.

I saw the night markets. This was perfect for what we were doing for fall - the trends were gritty and urban. I booked tickets for myself, the photographer, other stylist and the model.

We stayed 2.5 days and we were out. It took 20 hours to get there, and we were there for 60 hours. We have to run the store, our model has a job — we didn’t have time to hang out.

Photo from Acrimony’s fall/winter lookbook by Cody Rasmussen.

What was your favorite thing about Vietnam?

There was a family that was selling dried tamarind. We walked up and held money out. They looked at us and were unsure what we wanted since we couldn’t communicate. A girl on the scooter rode up to us and asked if we needed help. She helped translate for us. She said she learned English by watching American movies and invited us to her house for dinner.

That kind of hospitality never happens. We had a home cooked meal with soup, spicy beef and fresh passion fruit juice. She was scooping it out and making it there. All that happened between our photoshoot. We had big backpacks on and were carrying that clothes. Our model was in winter clothes in 90 degree plus humidity. He sweat through everything — it was great!

Photo by Cody Rasmussen.

You’re 8 years in with Acrimony and 4 years at No. 3. Congrats!

It’s almost like having two kids.  Now that I have two stores, I see all the things have happened with Acrimony — all my struggles and growing pains — and I don’t repeat any of those things at No. 3. That store runs so smoothly.

Outside the Acrimony shop in Hayes Valley. Photo from Acrimony’s Instagram.

How has your role evolved at your stores?

I’m not in the store as much as I used to be. I used to be involved in every single aspect: sweeping the floor, steaming the clothes, taking down boxes. I still do that sometimes.

When I was working in the stores, I came a excellent multi-tasker: talking to a customer, writing a blog post and taking out the trash. I didn’t have the staff -- I only had one part-time person. But now I have six employees. Once your business grows to a certain point, you have to spend time in an office. Not just doing paperwork, but thinking about what’s your next step and planning for those things.

Sometimes the busy work feels good. I will spend an eight hour day in the store. It brings me back to the things that I learned into the store: merchandising, talking to customers —  I love that stuff. The second it’s not fun to fold clothes means I shouldn’t be running my business anymore.

“A fistful of gold” from No. 3′s Instagram.

What’s next?

I’m working on expanding No. 3. I get so much personal interaction with the engagement and bridal set. It’s more slow paced — Acrimony is trend after trend, brands and clients coming and going. The jewelry world is smaller and tighter. When Acrimony first started, I carried brands you couldn’t get. Now every brand has their own webshop. There’s nothing that you can’t buy really. 

The reason we’re still around is that we built a level of trust within our clients. Jewelry is still in that infancy. People aren’t going to spend $10,000 on a ring they saw online. They probably will in 10 years. People wanna see it and speak to someone  — they want to be educated.

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Lunar New Year Brunch @ Wine Kitchen

Photo by Andria Lo.

Sunday, January 29th

Wine Kitchen / 507 Divisadero

10am-3pm

Table service

We’re kicking off the Year of the Rooster on Divisadero Street with a smorgasbord of small bites like the Lunar New Year Cake (both Chinese and Vietnamese versions), the Chinese Hamburger (think pork bun with hamburger meat) as well as pho and egg rice plates for those brunch vibes.

Be sure to check out Wine Kitchen’s festive wine list featuring a Sparkling White Sangria with kumquat, persimmon and basil as well a Vietnamese classic, 333 beer.

Appetizers

Nian Gao - Chinese Lunar New Year Cake - $8

brown sugar and jujube date mochi with black sesame, egg and coconut.

Bánh Tét - Vietnamese Lunar New Year Cake - $8

sticky rice, mung, and salted pork steamed in banana leaf and served with house pickles.

Bánh Tét Chay - Vegetarian Vietnamese Lunar New Year Cake - $8

steamed sticky rice, mung, and salted egg yolk steamed in banana leaf and served with house pickles.

Chả Giò - Turkey and Squid Fried Imperial Rolls - $9

Fried rice paper rolls with turkey, squid, and fresh wood ear mushrooms in rice paper. served with nuoc cham, a fish sauce vinaigrette.

Rou Jia Mo - Chinese Hamburger - $8

star anise and tamari braised pork shoulder, cucumber and cilantro served in a orange fennel roll by baker Kat Bayle.

Spicy Lamb Dumplings - $9

Lamb dumplings with carrots, ginger and Sichuan peppercorns dumplings. served with red vinegar and tamari.

Mains

Shrimp Omelette Rice Plate - $13

shrimp, garlic chives and bamboo shoot omelette over rice

Phở Gà - Chicken Pho - $13

Chicken with rice noodles, culantro, onions, scallions, jalapenos and lines

Additions

- sous vide egg + $2

- chicken confit + $2

- fried chicken breast + $4

Buddha’s Mien - $13

Vegan noodle soup with kabocha squash, tofu, braised daikon, okra, Thai basil, culantro, jalapenos and limes.

Bò Lúc Lắc & Eggs - Shaking Beef Omelet - $13

wok fired tri-tip with housemade oyster sauce and parmesan with a potato omelette

Dessert

Iced Vietnamese Coffee - $4

Taro Swirl - $6

taro pastry with a flaky crust. vegan.

Coconut Rosemary Pecan Sticky Buns - $7

Housemade Cookies - $2

Wine Kitchen Drink Menu

Wine - $12

Sparkling Lunar New Year White Sangria

Semillon, Kumquat, Persimmon, Basil

NV Prosecco, Sommariva, Valdobbiadene Superiore

’15 Sauvignon Blanc, Belden Barns, Sonoma

’15 Rosé of Grenache, Lascaux, Languedoc

’16 Mourvedre Nouveau, Wine Kitchen, California

’14 Pinot Noir, Daniel Largeot, Chorey-les-Beaune

Beer - $6

Bia ‘333’

Weihenstephan Pilsner

Fort Point Villager IPA

Wittekerke Wheat Ale

Sodas & Teas - $4

Ginger Beer, Cola, Seltzer

Hoji-cha, Earl Grey

Menu subject to change.

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New Year’s Day Brunch @ Black Sands Beer

When: Sunday, January 1st / 10am-3pm

Where: Black Sands Beer - 701 Haight Street

walk-ins only, no reservations required!

We’re hosting our sixth annual New Year’s Day Brunch with our good friends at Black Sands Beer in the Lower Haight. Come for hangover food and try our collaboration beer with Black Sands.

Photo by Behind the Food Carts.

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Menu

Parker House Pork Buns - $7

cultured butter, char siu, and quince in a naturally leavened Parker rolls (made by baker K. Bayle)

Turkey Potstickers - $9

napa cabbage kraut, ginger, and cilantro, served with red vinegar and tamari.

Fried Imperial rolls - $9

fried rice paper rolls with taro and woodear mushrooms. served with mint, cilantro and fermented chili dipping sauce. vegan, gluten-free.

Daikon Cakes - $8

crispy rice cakes made with daikon, Chinese sausage and dried shrimp.  

Breakfast Banh Mi - $11

two fried eggs and housemade sausage patties with housemade pate, mayo, daikon pickles, cucumbers and cilantro

Vegetarian Breakfast Banh Mi - $11

two fried eggs with a mock ham and housemade mayo, daikon pickles, cucumbers and cilantro

Two Eggs Rice Plate - $11

two fried eggs and housemade sausage patties over rice, served with blistered sweet peppers nuoc cham

Hanger steak + $3

Hanoi-Style Beef Pho - $13

fresh rice noodles in beef broth with thinly sliced sirloin, shaved onions, cilantro, scallions and limes

add sous vide egg + $1

add brisket + $3

Ca Ri Chay - Yellow Vegetable Curry & Noodles - $13

yellow curry and fresh udon noodles with mushrooms, sous vide eggs and pickled shallots. vegetarian.

Pastries

Coconut Rosemary Pecan Sticky Buns - $7

Buddha’s Hand Rose Geranium Scones - $4

Housemade cookies - $2

Coffee, beer and bar drinks by Black Sands

Saigon Saison

Three varieties of rice in this petit saison - black, brown, and roasted rice! Our very own 333 Beer.

Prices include sales tax. Menu subject to change.

Katie & Cole (co-owner/brewer of Black Sands) making the Saigon Saison. Photo by Black Sands.

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Photos from our camp out with Hipcamp at Oz Farm, an organic vegetable and apple orchard in Mendocino. On the menu: housemade pork sausage, Spanish omelets, chocolate banana brea, braised meatballs in wine, sautéed mushrooms, goi ga chicken salad, charcoal grilled burgers, and so much more!

Hipcamp connects campers with incredible campsites by listing them on their website.  Photos by the talented Monica Semergiu!

On another note, we took Neko, our new Ford transit connect, on its inaugural outing - a great introduction to RPS pop-up life! #endlesssummer

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Gettin’ Low with Lulu McAllister Churchill of Nopa

Lulu McAllister Churchill, 31, is the wine director at Nopa and their sister restaurants Liholiho Yacht Club and Nopalito. We met Lulu a few years ago through our friend Johan Churchill (and her now husband, who also works in the wine industry.)

We sat on her roof deck in the Western Addition to talk about life at Nopa (including Magnum Mondays), her upcoming honeymoon and things she’s learned this year.

More about Lulu

Instagram: @blueyedlu

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What are you excited about right now?

I'm starting to plan our belated honeymoon. We're going to Japan for 10 days and Hawaii. I went to Japan when I was 16, so its been over a decade. I loved it then, I'm going to love it more now since I have more access in the food realm. (Side note: read about her sake list at Liho in Wine & Sprits Magazine when she was named Best New Sommelier.)

You did a series for Nopalize called Breakfast Chronicles that documented what folks at Nopa ate for breakfast. What's your morning routine?

I eat a lot of leftovers for breakfast; occasionally Nopa leftovers: fried rice with kale, pieces of pork chop. I'm sure people don’t consider that breakfast.

I’m a certified pastry chef (it was the first thing I did out of high school.) It serves me little professionally, but when I have an upwelling of creativity, I’ll bake something on the weekend.

Oooohhh, like what?

We got a waffle machine as a gift registry present. I made a largely cornmeal based waffle and I put kefir-fermented blueberries on top and cashew cream.

If you were to drink wine with breakfast, which one would it be?

My parents like to joke KJ (Kendall Jackson). For me, probably sparking rose.

Who do you think is a badass bitch?

Professor Teresa Moore, my journalism teacher at the University of San Francisco (USF). I'm supposed to call her Teresa now, but I can't — my respect for her still makes me want to call her professor.

I started as a food writer at the school paper. My first article was a review of XYZ, a restaurant at the W Hotel. It was a really overwrought and fussy article, but I was thrilled that I had done it and turned it in. I thought, “I did this article on my own, of course they’re going to love it.”

Theresa slammed me. She was the first teacher to give me some really real talk. Everyone else was like, “A for effort!” I had put in a lot of effort. But she was like, “This isn’t actually that good.”

As a freshman, that really hurt, but in a good kind of way. It made me want to please her more.

Another person is Christie Dufault, my wine instructor from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone. Everything about her is very graceful. When she says something silly or makes a mistake, she’s graceful in her dismount. The way she carries herself left big impression on me.

Doing research for this interview, we came across the phrase “trigger wine” — a wine enthusiast’s first love, so to speak. What was your trigger wine?

I grew up drinking champagne as a little girl, so I didn't have a moment. Wine as always a part of the table and complementary to the food I already loved. I had many wines afterward this would've been a trigger wine, but getting into wine was something that I stumbled into pretty naturally.

What is it like to a be a woman in the industry?

Most of the time I don't really notice. It’s never been too much of an issue. I refuse to acknowledge if there is one.

How did you end up at NOPA?

I knew I loved the company and Chris Deegan, the former wine director. When I was hired, I worked as a hostess for six months and then I took over the wine program when he left.

Starting out everything was difficult. The wine list was an adopted child that I already loved, but didn’t know very well.

What are your days like at work?

I’m usually on the floor either at Nopa or Liholiho. During the day I could be at any of four restaurants [ed note: like the Nopalito’s] during administrative stuff like training staff, updating menus, tasting wine with reps and organizing the wine storage. It’s a minimum of 12-hour days at both places — admin stuff, inventory tasting, changing the menu, write notes from new wines, organizing the wine vault.

Then I'm there for service at one of the restaurants. The hours are hard physically and emotionally. It’s a very full 12 hour day.

Tell us about how you started Magnum Mondays.

Magnum Mondays has existed for the majority of my four years at Nopa, which is hard to believe. It was inspired by Michael Madrigale at Bar Boulud, who was pouring high-end stuff by the glass.

I was trying to find Magnums that I could pour around $16 — magnum for the people! We had some Magnums sitting around and I thought, “What are people waiting for?” We try and make it more accessible by having people buy into it.

Name a few things you learned in 2016.

- It’s difficult to change your last name.

- 30 was the most exciting year of my life so far.

- My sister and I got married two weeks apart. Johan and I eloped, then two weeks later we went to my sisters wedding.

Anything you want to explore?

Parenting — I’d love to have kids. I'd love to have my own wine shop with Johan. I'd love to live abroad. I'm sure I will want to travel for the rest of my life. There’s nowhere I wouldn't consider visiting.

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Scenes from Hanoi & Ha Long Bay

The tail end of our trip focused on Hanoi. I haven't spent much time there - Katie and I only did a 2-day stint last time - so Kyle and I dedicated five days this trip.

We stayed at a shoddy hotel in the Old Quarter where it was questionable whether the sheets had been washed or not, but they did serve free breakfast: toast with a fried egg with a dash of Maggi, a seasoning sauce. It reminded me of the divorced dad breakfasts my pop used to make and it brought me so much joy I went out a bought a small bottle of Maggi to make the nostalgic breakfast at home.

Everyone has a different journey to Ha Long Bay. Which port to go to, what tour to take, whether to go by bus or ferry. We took a three hour bus ride that ended up being a five hour ride, with us stopping every few minutes to drop off packages to people. We got in right before the sunset, and had to ask around to see if anyone could take us to Cat Ba, an island where we were going to spend the night.

A sinister looking guy in a black leather jacket and overgrown nails said he could take us by speedboat. But he felt sketch, so we continued asking other folks along the waterfront. Eventually, we relented, and we called the Cat Ba hotel and gave him the phone so he could figure out directions to help us get there.

The sketchy guy hung up without saying good bye. My phone rang again. "Don't go on the boat," said the guy from the hotel. "It's too late - just come tomorrow - much safer."

We turned to the sinister guy and broke the news. "We're feeling tired … don't think it's a good idea," we told him. His face dropped: "You are not from this country -- you think oil is like water? I already told them to start the boat."

As we backed away, he followed us and hopped on a motorcycle and stared us down. We got into our cab and told the driver to just drive.

Eventually we got to Cat Ba, by way of a ferry that took you through the same epic cliffs (without having to pay for a tour.) We cab took us through the forest - we felt like we were in Jurassic Park. It felt untouched by time. The main drag is touristy, but the rest of the island was great for driving around by motorbike and getting lost, up and down hills, across a rainbow bridge.

We took a speedboat back, run by Hadeco. A load was coming into the dock. The tides were high for people to use the bridge, so they made a jenky one using pieces of wood and plastic. It was ironic because their motto was "bridging the gap."

Hanoi was another motorbike adventure. We met up with Jake, who used to work with us while he was in culinary school in the U.S. He's back in Hanoi with his girlfriend Jessica. We met up over a crazy seafood meal. He misses SF weather. The cold in Hanoi goes to your bones, he said. He got us Vietnam's version of Lyft to get around town; as of the rides weren't cheap enough. We parted ways after he helped us get really thin rice paper -- our favorite buy from Vietnam. The rice paper is so thin that you don't need to use water to soften the paper - just the moisture from your herbs would suffice.

We parted ways, but Jake came out to find us again. "You need to have this," he said. Inside, a selfie stick, which we used to take our last snapshots of Vietnam.

Photos by Kyle Emery-Peck.

[ricepaperscissors]

Gettin’ Low with Christy Osorio of La Sombra

Upon first glance, there's something we have in common with Christy Osorio of La Sombra: our shared love of oilcloth, the bright, fruit patterned tablecloths we both use for our pop-ups.

We first came across Christy -- and her iconic oilcloths -- at Mojo Bicycle Cafe, where La Sombra popped up in the mornings. Now we're both sharing a kitchen space inside Fine & Rare, at 555 Golden Gate Avenue, where she sells her yummy and nourishing smoothies in the morning.

Her goal is to serve juice to people who wouldn't normally get it (and that includes us - the Mango Lassi is our favorite.)

What we like about Christy is how she transforms passions into projects -- whether its starting a juice pop-up, building bikes or organizing group art shows. More info on where to find her below!

Tell us about La Sombra.

La Sombra means "the shade" in Spanish. Our logo is a guy leaning up against a tree drinking juice. It's a shout out to farm workers and people who working hard under the sun; people who are outside all the time.

Also in Latino culture, we make juices.

What's one question you get asked often?

People often ask me what would be great for a cleanse. I don't cleanse; I've never been on a diet. If people want a drink that would help them cleanse, I will make that for them, but that's not my aim.

It's interesting to see the difference in clientele: When I'm in the Mission, people just want a juice with their full dinner. If I do an event at a health event, it's all about cleansing.

It's just juice, it doesn't have to have all these crazy different benefits.

What are you excited about right now?

I'm excited about different projects: moving into our kitchen [inside Fine & Rare, at 555 Golden Gate], helping people in different capacities like Fine & Rare at Off the Grid.

I've been cooking more, mostly at home and learning a lot from my grandparents - a lot of Asian and Latino influence.

Tell us about the Fur Ball Collective, the photo collective you're a part of.

I take a lot of film photography but I never put it online or really share it. Being a part of this group has given me more confidence. Sharing on Instagram or Facebook feels a black hole -- you don't know where it's going. The collective gives me a guideline and structure.

Who do you think is a badass bitch?

Nina Parks, owner of Mirage Medicinals, a medical marijuana delivery service. She shares the same birthday as me.

As the medical marijuana industry grows, she wants to make sure that women and minorities are represented. As in many industries, white men are the ones that run it. She's done a lot of networking; attending conferences to create a presence.

It's not aggressive -- it's making space in the room.

You are into food, art, and bicycles. How did you become interested in those things?

If I'm going to like something, I want to do it and be good at it.

With food, if I'm going to work in the food industry, I don't want to just clock in and clock out. I want to do something with it.

Same with bikes: I enjoy riding but I wanted to learn how to build a bike. Six years ago, I met a bike builder called Bicycle Fabrications based in SOMA. I asked if they could teach me. They let me come in for a few hours three times a week. I learned how to design a bike, as well as file, weld and mill.

You can find Christy at La Sombra or hustling tacos at Taco Sketch inside Bloodhound on Wednesdays. Her show at Alite Designs is up for another month.

La Sombra

IG: @lasombrajuice

juice pop-up at Fine & Rare

555 Golden Gate Avenue

Monday - Friday 8am-11am

Taco Sketch

Tacos + drawing party pop-up

Bloodhound Bar

1145 Folsom Street

Wednesdays 6-10pm

Fur Ball Collective show

IG: @furballcollective

Alite Designs

3376 18th Street

Bonus photo: We ran into La Sombra at Cash & Carry one morning before both of our pop-ups at West Coast Craft. That daily grind, indeed! Photo by the security guard at Cash & Carry.