Thanksgiving 2005

This hotel is very close to the airport and there is even a shuttle that takes you from SFO to the hotel itself. This is a pretty typical Hilton Hotel.

Not all Chinese food is Chinese food. Historic migration of Chinese people within Asia converges different tastes and cuisines. Choo Chous are ethnic Chinese living in Vietnam.

Thanh Ky is a Choo-Chou restaurant. They serve dishes that leave reminded you of Vietnamese and Chinese food at the same time.

My favorite dish at Thanh Ky is seafood wonton ho fun noodle soup. Wontons are Chinese dumplings. Ho fun is a type of noodle: a flat, wide rice noodle. Thus, this is essentially a dumpling noodle soup with seafood. You can do just seafood ho fun noodle, or you can do a beef wonton ho fun noodle. You are welcome to mix and match types of noodles with meat (beef, seafood, veggie, etc.).

If you are known to take in the nightlife in the Bay Area while you are there, Thanh Ky is definitely worth the drive over the bridge, as their soup will cure any hangover.

Walking past, you would think that the bottom floor space of this building was available for lease. Windows frosted white, framed by white paint, give you no clue as to what lies behind its doors. Only after 10 pm do you realize that it's a club of some sorts as red velvet ropes are put out, confining lines of people eager to go in.

Fluid is a small club. I wouldn't even call it a club; it's more like a lounge. It's a lounge on crack. The floors light up in a very Vegas-ish way and everything inside is WHITE.

TIPS: Cover is usually $20. If you are actually planning on going, check to see which promotional group is throwing the fete. It doesn't hurt to give them a call to get you and your folks on the guest list. If not, sometimes it makes more sense to get bottle service.

We happened to be there on the night the San Francisco 49ers cheerleading squad was celebrating. Lit-up floors, cheerleaders, alcohol... it was quite a scene.

Sake Lab is the newest member of the Broadway nightlife in North Beach. During the day, it's a modern sushi restaurant, modern meaning minimalist decor, metal, and glass with emotional lighting. At night, Sake Lab turns into a club.

Although the dance space is small and the place gets crowded, I like to take visitors to Sake Lab because of its ultra-modern feel. Plastic artsy chairs coupled with metallic beaded curtains that fall from every which way makes you feel like you're living in 2084.