Lou MC Yelps a Lot

People often ask me how many UYE I have hosted. Well, before I lose track of things. I need a blog to keep me in order. lol. Lunar New Year Community Celebrations: 2014 Hot Pot @ Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot |  Reviews | Event Page |  2015 Year of the Sheep UYE @ San Dong Noodle House | Reviews | Event Page | 2016 Year of the Monkey UYE @ Jinya Ramen | Reviews | Event Page | 2017 Hotpot Year of the Rooster UYE @ 75 Yummy Kitchen | Reviews | Event Page | 2018 Year of the Dog UYE @ 75+85 ChinatownCrawl | Reviews | Event Page | 2019 Hotpot Year Of The Pig #ChinatownCrawl UYE | Reviews | Event Page | 2020 Year of the Rat with Go Panda Go UYE | Reviews | Event Page | 2021 Virtual UYE - Dumpling Party on Zoom | Video | Event Page | 2022 Year of the Tiger Chinatown Crawl UYE | Reviews | Event Page | 2024 Year of the Dragon @ 75+85 Chinatown Crawl UYE | Reviews | Event Page | Scan to see where my next UYE will be Asian Heritage Month Community Meetup...

3 years ago when Brian D hosted his first meetup at Xinjiang BBQ, I already set my eyes on hosting an UYE (Unofficial Yelp Event) myself. This is not a remake. Instead, this unique traveling experience will take your taste bud around the western, northeastern and northern regions of China. Today's cuisine is from Xinjian to Dongbei to Jiangsu. Geographically speaking, Xinjiang is in the far west of China (light brown shaded area on the map) It's close to Mediterranean. So, the food tends to have more spices, but not pungent like Sichuanese food. Charcoal grilled skewers are made popular in this region. Let's begin our journey with two of each  Lamb Skewer  ($11 per 10) 新疆羊肉串 and  Beef Skewer  ($11 per 10) 烤牛肉串 per person. I do not recommend eating every skewer flavor on the menu. Because it lacks variation with spices. It will be extremely boring at the end. Trust me. I don't want to disappoint you as I did this before. Instead of a typical stir fried...

Did you know my Chinatown Crawl UYE (Unofficial Yelp Event) made one year? It started with a trial last May during Asian Heritage Month Celebration . The response and popularity were increasing on Yelp and Facebook. Managing guests list has been a chore using Yelp Events. I am experimenting a new system by posting my meetup on more event sites like Google and invited Google Local Guides to attend. Extended my invitation to Local Guides The hardest part of hosting a popular meetup event is attendance headcount. It has always been above my original expectation. But by how much? Finding a suitable restaurant with enough seating is important. When my count of 18 guests at December's Night Market UYE grew to 22. Sherry at Yummy Kitchen was able to find solution at the last minute. Again at February's Hotpot UYE , 12 guests became 16. I had to rely on restaurant to accommodate expandable crowd. Speaking of accommodation, creating a good relationship to restaurant owner ...

Mike M has been hosting BOTM “Burger of the Month” UYE since last February. This was from a Talk thread when Rachel B returned from her ACRONYM meeting in 2015.  After a long gap in Houston, BOTM was born. First few months, they were hosted by Rachel B. Then, Belly G, Jamie A finally, Mike M. This mock up t-shirt was an idea to generate interest.  Here is a quick overview of his 12 successful BOTM's. The attendance has increased month after month. It has became a popular and well-known event in Houston. UYE Page in… Event Page February 2017 UYE: February Burger of the Month @ Rachels Cafe January 2017 UYE: January Burger of the Month@Stanton's City Bites December 2016 UYE: December BOTM @ Bernie's Burger Bus November 2016 UYE: November BOTM @ Killen's Burgers October 2016 UYE: Burger of the Month@Little Bigs September 2016 UYE: September Burge...

Yummy Kitchen 柒伍龙虾 as known as 75 Yummy Kitchen is our featured restaurant of #ChinatownCrawl UYE on Friday, December 9, 2016 . The following is the menu items we selected to fit the #NightMarket style street vendor dishes. Red doodles are the selected menu items. I first discovered Yummy Kitchen was when it changed ownership. That was when I met Sherry, the owner. I told her about Yelp. And, I quickly wrote a review and posted photos on Instagram. Initially, they only serve Malatang, all-you-can-eat buffet and crawfish in 4 different flavors. Then, she found a different way to attract customers. She hired two reputable chefs "flown" in from Sichuan in June. She invited me to try the new menu but I was travelling. I met her last Friday to discuss my idea of night market 夜市 food crawl. I want my guests to try their trademark item Sichuan Grilled Fish 四川烤鱼 with Spicy Garlic Sauce as a centerpiece. She said they use striped bass 鱸魚, not tilapia because they want the int...

For many year, I was a champion in fundraising for United Way at work. I decided to share my idea on how to manage a coffee stand to raise money. The idea is to "bring the cafe to your desk" - save your colleagues' time from going to the break room to get coffee and cookies. To further your profit, you may use supplies from your break room. For the most part, I go to  JKS Houston Restaurant & Equipment Supplies  for serving stuff and Kroger Store in Spring Branch for baked goods. I have used this logo on all communications. Supplies Needed: Ground coffee about $5 per bag; Cookies from local bakery ($10 per dozen); Foam cups and lids from restaurant supply store ($5); Containers of sugar, creamer and sugar alternatives ($5); Hot chocolate package ($1.75/box per 10 bags) Hot cider packages ($2.00/box per 10 bags) Energy bars ($3/box per 18 piece value pack) Napkins ($2/ pack store brand) Stirrers ($2/pack from dollar store) Material Needed: ...

After weeks of searching and conversations, my passion for meeting Yelpers in SF Bay Area has diminished. I have reached out to CM in San Francisco, East Bay and South Bay. There isn't any UYE or OYE or YEE during my visit. That's okay. I'll find another way to meet Yelpers - go virtual. Thanks for a fellow Yelper John D of San Jose. I followed his specialty in poke - Hawaiian fish salad. I had no idea the concept of "California-style poke bowl" is in. No wonder we don't have any in Houston, unless someone come up with the idea of "Texas poke bowl". Ah, I don't think so. We may get away with Texas BBQ. Not sure we can get fresh ahi tuna and salmon in sashimi quality in Houston. My goal of one poke a day has met. This " Let's Catch some Poké, man! " was a note-to-self event. I was not intended to invite anyone to join me like an UYE, but I wanted to be able to share locations on the fly. My goal was to have a daily dose of r...

Here is a collection of all of my Time for Taiwan experiences in 2016. In order to appreciate Time for Taiwan Restaurant Month, I created events on Yelp in Houston and Dallas . I carefully edited out incorrect information and add what I know to post. Making it easier for Yelpers to simply click on the restaurant link and proceed to check-in or whatever they want. This is my 2nd year promoting Time for Taiwan on Yelp.  I didn't have enough time to recruit my Yelper friends to do the same in their cities. It's a very time consuming process and organizer made the announcement so late. They used last year's date to be the special promo day. It should be July 17, not July 11. There are so many restaurants in Houston, but not many serve Taiwanese food. Every weekend I visit one restaurant: 7/16 - Boba Lounge  - I tried Guaboa 割包 and Oden 關東煮. 7/23 -  Star Snow Ice & Teriyaki - I tried tofu soup 豆花 and braised pork over rice 滷肉飯. 7/29 -...

The story about Jing 5 is posted on a mural outside of restaurant. But it's all in Chinese. I've decided to translate the entire text for your convenience, instead include it in my review . It's better than sitting outside looking at the wall and use Google Translate app tor translate word by word. You can find a mission statement posted on the interior of walls. “Wang Songlin’s First Jingwu Duck Neck Store” was established in 1991. It was located at the corner of Jingwu Street in famous Hankou. The store operates under the philosophy of first in quality, first in sanitation and first in reputation. It obtained a chain-business model and built a unique food factory base and sales network. There are over 200 stores, Wang Songlin’s “Jingwu's First Store” was the first to participate in the 8th Annual China Food Fair in 2002. It became China Food Fair’s designated supplier. “Jingwu First Store” received a registered trademark in 2003. It was awarded for Food Qua...

I would love to nominate Belly G as Yelper of the Year in Houston, if there is a place for it. We've been to Indonesia, Peru, Bosnia, Poland, Ethiopia & Belgium. This brilliant man with plenty of ideas started the World Travel UYE since January 2016. Every month, the world travelers went from one country to another trying different cuisines without leaving Houston. Check out the chart below for the places we've been to so far. Event Page Reviews 01/16/16 UYE: Around The World @ Rice Bowl II - Indonesia 02/06/16 UYE: Around The World @ La Guitarra Con Sazon - Peru 03/09/16 UYE: Around The World @ Cafe Pita - Bosnian 04/20/16 UYE: Around The World @ Polonia Restaurant - Poland 05/18/16 UYE: Around The World @ Lucy Restaurant - Ethiopia 06/15/16 UYE: Around The World @ Cafe Brussels - Belgium 07/21/16 UYE: Around The World @ Emporio Brazilian Cafe Stay tuned w...

My Facebook friend tagged me on Pinoy Street Food in Houston Presented by Filipino Cuisine got me interested to try some Filipino food this weekend. . Line wrapped around the dining area to behind the buffet line. I am familiar with this  Filipino Cuisine  in Alief neighborhood as when it held a grand opening a month ago. My Yelper friend Brian validated it by posting a tip. So, this is a legit Filipino restaurant came with some well-known background and history. Live music during the event. Since the event didn't start until 5 pm, I purposely planned my grocery shopping to be in the afternoon. I thought to check up on Brian via message on Yelp. He alerted me with long wait. I also read the posts on Facebook. People were complaining about no parking, long line and left unhappy. I arrived about 8 pm. Yeah, the line was wrapped on 2 interior walls and outside of restaurant. It didn't deter me from waiting. I was more curious than looking to fill my c...

Lai Lai Dumpling House is one of my favorite restaurant from the northern cuisine choice. Since the new owner took over in 2016, I have been more interested to try their new specialties. For one, I have to try all of the items on  the Breakfast Menu . I don't think any wait staff is able to explain what they are in English. So, here. Let me help them to help you pick one to try. All in Chinese. Read below before ordering. Here is the translation. 煎餅果子 $3.50 savory crepe 煎 蛋   $0.60 Fried egg 油條   $1.50 Chinese Donut 茶蛋   $0.60 Tea egg 豆腐腦   $1.99 Northern style tofu soup 豆漿   $1.50 Sweeten Soy Milk, hot 大米粥 $1.50 Millet Porridge  油炸糕   $1.25 Fried rice cake with red bean  鍋巴菜   $3.50 Pancrust soup 大蔥油餅   $3.50 Chives pancake 雞湯餛飩   $3.50 Wonton in chicken broth 牛肉夾餅   $2.50 Beef slice sandwich 鹹菜   $1.50 Appetizer Side dis...

Know where you parked is important After my HoustonRodeo visit last year, I wanted to try  HoustonRodeo on a Budget , I decided to go even cheaper - Value Wednesday. The admissions are at half price for both ground and rodeo/concert every Wednesday. Kids carnival and wine garden were not affected by this change. I have never thought there was so many people around NRG Stadium on a Wednesday afternoon. I blame it on Spring Break. I had no problem finding parking at a nearby lot. However, I paid $15 at Medical center. It's very close by and only available after 5 pm. Afterwards, I learned there were other cheaper lots a little further out. From the moment I entered the lot, parked my car, walked to shuttle stop and to the bus taken off, it took around 45 minutes. During the afternoon commute hours, travel time was about 20 minutes on a 5 minute route. All of these are compensated from daylight savings time - I've got one extra hour of sunlight. I had to buy admission t...

I began to notice this magazine called The Weekly Yelp http://www.yelp.com/weekly_yelp . It's pretty neat, I started to follow the topics published every Wednesday.  It's very different from ROTD. There are 5 businesses featured each week. Only one review get picked from each business. I don't know how long this has been in existence. According to the Houston's Weekly, it started on November 4, 2015. I find some reviewers are very talented but they aren't Elites. I hope they become Elites one day. The Weekly Yelp is best viewed on computer. I prefer reading The Weekly Yelp on a computer. I can't handle long review on narrow phone screen, even when my phone is bigger than before.

My Mr Magoo look Do you like my UYE's? These Unofficial Yelp Events are uniquely designed. I welcome your feedback. As usual, I incorporate cultural events and local businesses to interact with the guests. There is always trinkets offering at my UYE. 2016 is going to be a busy year for me. I'd like to plan my UYE far in advance. It is very time consuming to send invitations on Yelp. So, please pay attention to your friends' feeds on mobile app, Talk posts or Events page for the latest announcement. Remember, it takes 2 to have an UYE. If no one replied "I'm in", the event is likely to be cancelled. I need your support to promote my events by your "Sounds Cool" votes. Date Name Purpose Sun, 1/31 Year of the Monkey UYE Celebrating Lunar New Year at Jinya Ramen on Louisiana (moved due to schedule) Early March Cross+Cities UYE – Dallas Edition Similar to my Austin Edition March ...