The Daily Dish - We love Stephen Tsai!

Posted on: December 29, 2006 at 10:00:00 am
We love Stephen Tsai!

Several weeks ago the regulars on Stephen Tsai's Warrior Beat blog decided to throw a party.

Somehow — for some reason — my name was on the guest list.

Yes, I read Tsai's blog. Yes, I'm an occassional contributor. And yes, I love sports. But I didn't think I'd rate an invitation.

Why?

I blog about "Project Runway," ex-boyfriends and, well, food. These diehard UH football fans weren't gonna want me around!

Still, Tsai urged me to come. (OK, he threatened me.) And I decided to ditch work for an hour or so to check it out.

It was surprisingly ... not what I expected!

Here's what the blog party at Murphy's Bar & Grill yesterday looked like:

Tsai, in the middle holding a candle lamp, surrounded by his blog fans.

KITV's sports director Robert Kekaula was there, too. He told stories about bartending at Hula's Bar in Waikiki and installing a urinal in his home.

For $12, party-goers feasted on a variety of pupus including calamari, shown above with Darren, and potato skins.

The man of the hour, Tsai, right, with "Princess" Leila Wai, another Advertiser sportswriter.

Though these people have been "talking" over the blog for months, this was the first time everyone got together face-to-face.

Someone had organized door prizes with UH merchandise including T-shirts, logo coolers and this pennant, which Bulla won.

Tsai was awarded the game ball from another blog dog, who wants to stay anonymous.

He also got a UH-logo aloha shirt from Addodah Dave.

There was plenty enough food for everyone who showed up yesterday.

Leila and I attacked the potato skins. Can't beat the bacon-and-cheddar combination!

It was nice to finally meet the people whose real names we don't know. We talked about everything from whether Colt Brennan will return next season to Da Punchbowl Kid's cleaning skills.

And it was great to see Tsai get the attention he deserves!

***

Coming tomorrow: My review — with photos! — of Pah Ke's Chinese Restaurant in Kane'ohe.

60 comments • Permalink • Report offensive comment

Comments:

Comment from: cw [Visitor] · http://www.supercw.com

oh man oh man.
BLOG PARTIES!

definitely a DO. i'm waiting for yours girl. somewhere with martinis!

happy new year!

12/29/06 @ 10:09

Comment from: Cat [Member]

cw: I nominate YOU to plan it!

12/29/06 @ 10:10

Comment from: Jason [Visitor]

My identity, revealed to the public! I said to PhotoShop me out of the photos! Or at least have UH admin black out my face with a Sharpie.

12/29/06 @ 10:31

Comment from: Cat [Member]

OK, changed!

12/29/06 @ 10:34

Comment from: al [Visitor]

thanks for coming to the get together. i didn't know that you once did sports reporting.

pahke's is one of my favorites, too. besides the great food they have surprisingly great service for a pake restaurant.

so how do you keep so incredibly slim with all the food that the boss says you gotta go taste?

12/29/06 @ 11:01

Comment from: Da Punchbowl Kid [Visitor]

Eh no forget Cat, we love Tsai, but we love you too, honey-girl! It was great to meet you. And for you fellow bloggers who don't know by now, this girl rocks!!! Smart cook'um egg foo young and pretty as all get out! Now that we know can hang with each other, us guys from da addah blog going come make trouble to Cat! LOL j/k. It was good fun last night and great to meet you. If I had one rich, handsome, single son, he would be calling you up this morning! (Actually, I DO have one but I tink da bugga jes lil bit too young yet..)
Aloha for now. :)

12/29/06 @ 11:01

Comment from: theDman [Visitor]

OMG Pah Ke's pics tomorrow? I love that place.

Can't wait!

12/29/06 @ 11:02

Comment from: Jason [Visitor]

Hahahaha! You can say I'm Al's son. Or Jason, I guess I'll come out of my little shell... :-)

12/29/06 @ 11:02

Comment from: doey [Visitor]

Cat--
I really enjoyed looking at these pictures. So this is what it is all about huh? It looked like a lot of fun. I wish I were there so I could have heard Robert tell his stories.
I need to find a needle to deflate his head.

Best regards.....

his wife

12/29/06 @ 11:02

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

what an interesting group, a pleasant surprise to say the least. funny when you put the person with the pen...together, you wonder to yourself...'really'. haha
good job Cat with the photos, the food looks better on line than in person.

stay dry today

12/29/06 @ 11:05

Comment from: Cat [Member]

al: The trick is to wear black all the time! (smile)

Da Punchbowl Kid: Aw, you're too sweet. Don't be strangers now! I'm just one "blog" away!

theDman: You know, it was my first time there. I had *heard* about the restaurant but never ventured out there. It was much better than I had anticipated! Tell you about it tomorrow!

Jason: No one would believe me.

doey: Hah!

12/29/06 @ 11:06

Comment from: doey [Visitor]

sorry, when I read what I wrote, it looked like I was talking about deflating Robert's head.
I really meant Steve's head.

I'm Steve's wife...not Robert's wife

12/29/06 @ 11:07

Comment from: Darren [Visitor]

Doey - That's just too funny. The verbal barbs must constantly be flying in your household.

OMG...secret identity has been revealed. That's what I get for sitting right across the one with the camera.

12/29/06 @ 11:11

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

doey,
we as a group would like to thank you for putting up with the infamous ST, you have your hands full i am sure. do you enjoy working with the handicapped or is this just a labor of love for you...all joking aside, ST is a good guy, and what makes him unique, is he is just a regular guy who can get to '....the rest of the story....'
just tell ST, the older he gets, the better he was, haha
have a good day, and watch out for the rain..

12/29/06 @ 11:24

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

kid,
i was so happy that Cat had a wide angle lens to fit us in the photo...notice we didn't get one with Kekaula between us....shucks, i wanted to look almost skinny, haha. her camera is wide, but not panoramic.....
good having bfast this morning, let's collaborate on our project, check out my blog on the ST's RW topic.....
stay dry

12/29/06 @ 11:35

Comment from: al [Visitor]

well, cat, now you know the rest of the story...you came to st blog bash for a reason. look at all the hits you are getting today.

so now you have all these new found friends. so any time you need someone to help you dine on some of those grinds...we are just a blog away. besides 28 years in the food service business can certainly give a good critique every now and then.

12/29/06 @ 11:43

Comment from: James [Visitor]

Hey Cat...

Great meeting you last night. Food, new friends, and fun. Great experience!!

At least you got my good side...except that my hands were grabbing some food...

Yeah. I'm with al on that one. Next time you need samplers for your food tasting .....just call on the TSAI-KOS....

12/29/06 @ 12:19

Comment from: Jason [Visitor]

We should have told our waitress that we were working on reviews for the Advertiser. It's the newest thing in print journalism, the group food review via blog.

12/29/06 @ 12:24

Comment from: Cat [Member]

al: You're right! Thanks for the hits! Gotta get that raise! (wink)

James: Nice meeting you all, too! When did y'all come up with that nickname, TSAI-KOS? I love it — and I'm jealous!

Jason: Hah! Now, THAT's a good idea!

12/29/06 @ 12:33

Comment from: AC [Visitor]

Cat, make sure Tsai learns how to put photos up on his blogs for next year!

12/29/06 @ 12:38

Comment from: al [Visitor]

jason get back to class!

or better yet go to the press conference, its open to the public. or if you get trouble tell em your st's son and your looking for him. or tell em your the manager of the warrior beat. then get back to us on what was said.

sd (surrogate dad)

12/29/06 @ 12:49

Comment from: al [Visitor]

me again. just wanted to help break the tie with the 50 famous blog for the most number of hits.

hahaha

sorry, i'm bored today.

12/29/06 @ 12:51

Comment from: Paula [Visitor]

Blog parties! A whole new dimension in personal friendships! Of course, ST deserves to meet the people who beg to carry his laptop on flights to away games! It's like ST's got GROUPIES!

12/29/06 @ 12:56

Comment from: cw [Visitor] · http://www.supercw.com

blog parties blog parties!

let's do one. for real.
let me think.
let's give it a few weeks to let other life events and holidays to cool down.
but i'm serious.
let's do one.

best part about blog parties? i'll have to say looking at the blog party photos after. heh!

12/29/06 @ 13:23

Comment from: WreckinEyez [Visitor]

It was great having you there Cat. I am looking forward to you being there the next time we have a blog party. If you weren't there, we wouldn't have any pictures of it. ST was too busy answering questions about recruiting and the team.

ST Groupies? We call ourselves Tsai-kos!

Thanks again!

Thanks again!

12/29/06 @ 13:34

Comment from: al [Visitor]

paula

how did you know that i offered to carry his laptop?

12/29/06 @ 13:40

Comment from: addahknowjoe [Visitor]

Mahalo Cat for not only coming to the blog party but putting up with us clowns.

So nice to hear you have a little country girl in you. gotta be you get country parents.

I think we were all amazed you Small kine "tita" no take crap from nobody. Ho- Trow us off, you!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

12/29/06 @ 13:44

Comment from: addahknowjoe [Visitor]

BTW- I had the privilege to make the Pah ke's logo and signage for them years ago. At first I was a bit uncomfortable but, they insisted that's what they wanted. The owners are good fun.

12/29/06 @ 14:04

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

joe,
maybe you could design our collectors' special bumper stickers for TSAI-KO'S INC., the latest stink tank around.

have a dry day

12/29/06 @ 14:24

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

joe,
my apologies..i meant 'think tank' not stink tank...didn't want to get too personal with ST or RK...but RK does have more bathrooms than the average USA household.....ouch

12/29/06 @ 14:25

Comment from: Shannon Wood [Visitor] · http://www.koolaunews.com

I too love Pah ke's for their food, but the atmosphere is best suited for a scream and shout hurry up and get through dining experience.

Whatever you do, don't plan a party there unless you can take over the entire restaurant. I've been to three such events and wound up screaming at people sitting next two seats away to pass the oyster chow fun or whateva.

Although I'll admit it's nice to sit next to my SigOth practically sitting in his lap so we can talk in a normal voice level, I really don't want to get that intimate with everyone.

I remember one function I attended that we wound up writing notes to each other or getting up and walking to the other side of the table to shout into the other person's ears.

The probable cause? Glass table tops to cover the cloth table covers so they don't have to be changed so often.

These days when I want to serve their food to a crowd of less than 150 which is about what the restaurant seats, then I have them cater it.

12/29/06 @ 14:36

Comment from: addahknowjoe [Visitor]

Bulla- that's quite alright. I know what you meant. =) That would be a funny one to do. We could make a small run and see how it goes.

12/29/06 @ 14:55

Comment from: gigi-hawaii [Visitor]

Cat, I just saw the pics now at 3 pm. You captured the spirit of the party very well. Thanks for coming! Sorry we didn't have a chance to chat, but I try to read your blog every morning. Keep up the good writing!

12/29/06 @ 15:16

Comment from: Duster [Visitor]

I'm glad that you all had a blast. I peeked into Murphy's when I was picking up my son from the preschool next door. Looked like a happening scene!

12/29/06 @ 16:21

Comment from: Da Punchbowl Kid [Visitor]

Hey Cat,
For some reason the pics arent showing up on my pc. Could you please email them to me as an attatchment. Thanks!

12/29/06 @ 16:40

Comment from: theDman [Visitor]

Shannon, what you say is true about Pah Ke's being loud.

I like the graduation or birthday events where they set up a PA system in the back corner, replete with background music, then proceed to blast out the rest of us diners near the windows.

I like to say its a Kaneohe kind of thing.

12/29/06 @ 16:41

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

Kid,
do you have the pc turned on? sometimes i wonder how thin the air is at the Upper Punchbowl Estates....that high altitude stuff you know....actually, in the photos you look skinny...you're standing next to me...but i look smarter...i have the wire rimmed glasses, and i had dress shoes on...haha

imua lanakila

12/29/06 @ 17:03

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

duster,
hey, no make li dat, next time, jus come inside and make house, we all da kine, and nobody bite, well, RK looked famished, haha, but Cat, Leila and friends were nice, dey put up wit us pupule's making big noise, but nobody got stupid and try act tan-da-dant, you know da kine big body action, haha.
was a blast to have everyone there, pretty hilarious if you ask me.

more later

12/29/06 @ 17:25

Comment from: James [Visitor]

Yeah..was a great time for all ....

Hey addahknowjoe...maybe we could design t-shirts for the TSAI-KOS....ha ha ha

Gotta thank Leila for that one right...she made up that name after we started calling her Princess Leila...right??

Now, how many hits is that for CATs blog??

12/29/06 @ 18:17

Comment from: bulla [Visitor]

james,
good meeting you yesterday bro, don't worry about the damien thing...somebody had to go there...had some good friends that went there, walter marciel, ana tuiasosopo, richard mendex, and a few other guys.
we gotta do the get together again, we're thinking kapiolani park and bbcue, so we can all kick back and relax, more easy to talk story i think. be safe, and here's to a ripping 2007
more later

how many hits for Cat now????

12/29/06 @ 18:43

Comment from: Da Punchbowl Kid [Visitor]

Hey Cat-rah,
If you never ate at Pah-ke's it's wonderful. Currently my favorite Chinese Resaurant. Their sweet sour pork get plenny meat, not all fat and knuckles like most places. Just a funny note, and because you ARE the fried rice queen in our town... Bulla and I met for breakfast at Hungry Lion. Guess what we had to eat? You are correct if you said "The June Jones Special". LOL Mounds of ono fried rice with spam , portuguese sausage, and corned beef hash, topped by two eggs any way ya want 'em. Check it out sometime. They are on the corner of Nu'uanu and School Street. You could prolly make two meals out of the serving size, but Bulla and I grinded ours completely in just under ten minutes, I reckon. Thanks for breakfast, Bulla.

12/29/06 @ 19:12

Comment from: Cat [Member]

gigi-hawaii: No, thank YOU — especially for the nametags! Like I said, takes a woman! (wink)

Kid: Sure, gotta email you from home, tho. I'll do that over the weekend. Any pics in general?

And I never had the fried rice from Hungry Lion... Hmm... Sounds like another blog...

cw: You plan it, girl! Skyline? Pearl?

12/29/06 @ 20:54

Comment from: WreckinEyez [Visitor]

Hungry Lions!

I love the Aloha Bowl from there or the Sweet Chile Shrimp.

12/29/06 @ 23:44

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...PANYA!

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