Tanaka Report

Best cakes from New York to Tokyo: Lady M Confections and Paper Moon

Tanaka Report — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:21:00 GMT

Paper Moon, Tokyo, Japan (both Lady M Confections and Paper Moon use the same counter top)

I discovered Lady M Confections around 2005 when I was watching the good ol Food Network one day and there was a segment on desserts in NYC. This place in particular caught my eye with their signature Mille Crêpes cake. This delicious master piece is put together with no less then 20 paper thin hand-made crepes layered with ethereally light and creamy custard. The top crépes is caramelized similar to creme brulee yet your fork still slices through the layers like a hot knife through butter. Lady M was the pioneer of the Mille Crêpes over 30 years ago and has spawned numerous copycats since then but non can compare to the real deal.

Mille Crêpes

When I walked in, I was stoked to see all these crazy tasty cakes lined up for devouring! The place is a bit pricey but well worth every penny! You're paying for the pure quality and hand made cakes, fresh (not frozen) without the use of food additives or preservatives. If you are not in NYC to visit this Upper East Side gem, then they do ship throughout the United States via FedEx with a 48-hour notice. You can also tastes the magic at several of New York's finest restaurants, such as their green tea Mille Crépes at Megu.

Lady M Confections, Upper East Side, NYC Paper Moon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

So fast forward to 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. A friend and I went out for some grub and was going to grab a lil after dinner, coffee and dessert. He took me to this spot called Paper Moon and I took one look at the cakes on display only to see all the same cakes as Lady M Confections. I was totally in a flashback of confusion! I said out loud, "This place totally bit off of Lady M Confections in NYC!" So I made a bet with my boy that there was definitely some sort of relation between the two places. So I called over the manager to ask him if he knew anything about the matter. I then found out that Paper Moon and Lady M's were not only connected but both owned by the same Japanese owner. Which made sense because Lady M's does have a Japanese cake appeal with their not so sugary approach, high end quality and regular portion sizes. (aka not fat ass size) Apparently they did operate under the Lady M's name in Japan for a little while but chose to go with Paper Moon, while NYC still goes by the name Lady M Confections. Probably because Paper Moon is much easy to say then Lady M Confections for the Japanese! I must say that the atmosphere is a hundred times better in Tokyo. Paper Moon is a great date spot in Tokyo as you will see it's packed with gorgeous couples! (check out the Charge corner and VIP corner) As they say, "The way to someone's heart is through their stomach!"

Lady M Confections, Upper East Side, NYC Paper Moon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Lady M Confections: Upper East Side, NYC

         Lady M® Cake Boutique
          41 East 78th Street  (Between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue)
          New York, NY 10075 
         Phone: 212.452.2222  
         Hours: Monday through Friday: 10am-7pm 
         Saturday: 11am-7pm 
         Sunday: 11am-6pm

Directions

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    •    For orders that will to be picked up at our boutique or delivered by courier to a Manhattan address, please contact:
 
         Lady M® Cake Boutique 
         Phone: 212.452.2222 
         Monday through Saturday: 10am-7pm 
         Sunday: 11am-6pm  

         Manhattan weekday delivery $28.00. 
         Manhattan weekday rush $30.00. 
         Manhattan weekday above 99th St. $31.00. 
         Manhattan weekend delivery $45.00.
          Each additional cake $5.00. 
         Prices are subject to change.  

         Orders must be placed by 3:00pm the prior business day

    •    For out-of-state shipments please contact:

          Lady M® Confections Co., Ltd. 
         Phone: 718.937.8877 
         Monday through Friday: 10am to 6pm  
         Shipping: Cost of FedEx Standard Overnight service plus $20 per cake for packing and materials

         Orders must be placed 48 hours in advance

    •    Wholesale Inquiries and Orders: 
         Phone: 718.937.8877

Frequently Asked Questions “Shipping Lady M® Cakes...”

Paper Moon: Minato-ku, Tokyo

         Paper Moon (décor)
         4-12-26 Minami-Azabu
         Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047
         Phone: 03-3448-1610
         Open: 10am - 2am

Directions

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Footballers and Fashion in Tokyo at PRINCIPE prive

Tanaka Report — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:38:00 GMT

PRINCIPE prive, Tokyo

I found PRINCIPE prive by complete luck through a friend of mine and it is definitely one of my favorite hidden hot spots to shop in Tokyo

PRINCIPE prive, Tokyo

I discovered this place from one of my boys who lived in NYC that moved back to Tokyo in 2007. When I was visiting him in 2009, he came to pick me up from the train station and I could not believe what he was wearing. Baci & Abbracci! When I was playing soccer in Italy in 2006, I was searching for this particular brand all over Italy with no success. So, I was completely shocked to see him wearing it in Tokyo! The owners of Baci & Abbracci are one of Italy's and Internazionale's (plus 10 other huge teams!) most famed soccer stars Christian Vieri's and hottie model Alena Šeredová (wife of Gianluigi Buffon) so you would think that I would find it when I was in Italy!

Baci & Abbracci track jacket Rare Italian import Nike's

The owner of Principe and former professional footballer in Italy personally goes to Italy to pick up the hottest stuff and brings it back to Tokyo. He carries such lines as, Baci & Abbracci, Never Wtihout You, Fred Mello, ZU Elements, Corona's, Child Q and Jonk. He also brings back some of the rarest and most hard to find sneakers in all of Tokyo!

Fabio Cannavaro and "Zu+Element" Francesco Totti and "Never Without You"

Luca Toni and Fred Mello

PRINCIPE prive, Tokyo
http://www.principe-prive.net/
Tel: 03-5772-6045（12：00～20：00）

Tokyo, Shibuya Ku Jingumae 3-7-4, 2F
(Station before Tokyo metro outer garden: From Berukomonzu
東京都渋谷区神宮前3-7-4, 2F (東京メトロ外苑前駅 : ベルコモンズより徒歩5分)

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Best Breakfast in NYC at Clinton Street Bakery!

Tanaka Report — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:13:00 GMT

Clinton Street Bakery

    Voted:    "Best Pancakes" New York Magazine, 2008 and 2005
                   "Best Breakfast / Brunch" Time Out NY, 2007
                   "Best Breakfast" Travel and Leisure 2009
                   "Top 10 Brunches" The New York Observer 2008

Clinton Street Bakery line on a Saturday morning at 10:00am (over 1hr wait) During the week is a "little" bit better.

Clinton Street Bakery is NYC's mecca for breakfast! Located in the LES since 2001, Clinton Street Bakery is the place to go to kick start your day right. Everything is delicious in here but they are mostly known for their crazy tasty blueberry pancakes with maple butter and their buttermilk biscuit sandwich! Their pancakes are so soft and fluffy that when you cut into them with a fork, it slices right through them like a hot knife through butter! Does not jack them up and knock them over or anything.

Wild Maine Blueberry Pancakes (foreground) Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich (background)

Clinton St. was a local hot spot but now has become a destination spot for people from all over the world. They have won several awards and has been written up in numerous magazines and is even in guide books. They have been featured in shows like "The Martha Stewart Show", the History Channel "Hanukkah Foods: Latkes" and they somehow lost (which I don't believe) in the blueberry pankcake throwdown on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." (other press)

There is no best time to go because even if you get there before they open, there is already a line so be prepared to wait! I have waited over an hour for this breakfast hotspot! That's more then I will wait for most restaurants but when you have a craving that has to be filled you can not substitute this place with any other spot! They even hook you with some pancake samples while you wait in line. A ton of people just go inside and grab some coffee and some of their muffins to endure the wait.

Menu

4 Clinton Street (btw. East Houston & Stanton)
New York, NY 10002

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Hours of Operation
breakfast: 8am - 11:30am, Monday thru Friday,  lunch: 11:30am - 4pm , dinner: 6:00pm - 11pm (closed sunday night) weekend brunch: 9am - 4pm, Saturday and Sunday

*The restaurant is closed Monday thru Saturday between 5 and 6pm

Reservations
We do not take reservations. At brunch we can only seat parties of 6 or less.

Delivery
Lunch: 11:30 am to 4pm, Monday thru Friday , Dinner: 6pm to 10:30 pm, Monday thu Friday
Saturday dinner delivery coming soon.
No brunch delivery.
$10 minimum

Take-Away
Take away is always available during business hours. Call 646-602-6263 to pre-order.

The Battle of the Best Pastrami! Upper East Side vs Lower East Side (Pastrami Queen vs. Katz's Deli)

Tanaka Report — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:39:00 GMT

Katz's Delicatessen, Lower East Side, NYC

This is a extremely close battle in my opinion. I have been to both and they are both excellent! I must say that I think the edge goes to Katz's Delicatessen, for a couple good reasons. The main reason being the atmosphere! It's one of the few old school spots left NYC. Katz's Deli, established in 1888 by a Russian immigrant family in the Lower East Side, is one of the few places still standing from its time. Not to mention all the celeb pictures on the wall as well as being the location of the famous orgasm scene in "When Harry met Sally" and where Evan Rachel Wood worked in "Across the Universe" makes you feel like you're in NYC for sure. Best of all, you get to walk up to the counter and select your carver as well as the particular cut of pastrami you want! From lean to fatty, they give you the choice of picking the sandwich to your exact liking! Let alone they let you taste the cut before they even build your sandwich. The part I like the most is the wide range of people in there. From suits to hipsters, from native New Yorkers, tourists and neighborhood locals, you get all walks of life in there.

Pastrami Queen, Upper East Side, NYC    Katz's Delicatessen, Lower East Side, NYC

Pastrami Queen                                                   Katz's Delicatessen
1125 Lexington Ave                                                                    205 E Houston St
New York, NY 10075                                                                  New York, NY‎, 10002
(212) 734-1500                                                                           (212) 254-2246‎
Get Directions                                                                             Get Directions

As for the Pastrami Queen... This Kosher Deli has a very tasty pastrami sandwich. Nice and juicy with just the right fat in my opinion. Although if you're a fan of a lean sandwich, I would not head there. This spot is more of a NYC deli style with a lot more meat selection. Everything from hot pastrami, tongue, chopped liver, bologna, smoked turkey and egg salad, Pastrami Queen has more to choose from. Located on the Upper East side on Lexington Ave @ 78th St, this place is a tiny spot that is better suited for take out! The atmosphere is not quite as exciting. As a matter of fact it frankly sucks compared to Katz's! But it's the food that counts.

Verdict: Katz's wins by TKO!

Best sneaker store on the planet! "Alife Rivington Club"

Tanaka Report — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:50:00 GMT

Alife Rivington Club, Lower East Side, NYC

Alife Rivington Club (ARC) is definitely the best sneaker store that I have ever seen! I remember my first experience of Alife Rivington Club several years ago when it was just a blacked out door with no sign at all. My boy was like, "I know its around here somewhere." We approached the blacked out glass door and all the sudden got buzzed in. From the outside (especially the neighborhood) you wouldn't think much of the place, until the door opens up to shoe mecca!

They have definitely made a name for themselves in the sneaker biz. ARC will have the most unique, up to date and rare sneaker selection that you will ever see. You can pick up Alife's original brand or limited design collaborations with companies such as Reebok and NIke. Also, while you're there, check out their A.R.C sports store next door.

Original Alife Nike Dunks

The Rivington Club
158 Rivington St
New York, NY 10002
212 · 375 · 8128

Store hours are:
Mon–Sat: 12PM-7PM
Sun: 12PM-6PM

Lookin for Gourmet Fast Food in Japan? ( MOS Burger )

Tanaka Report — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:44:00 GMT

I am glad that they do not have MOS Burger in America or I would be a complete fat ass. This place definitely takes advantage of fresh local produce. I must say I don't eat fast food in America but the service and quality of their fast food makes it a totally different story.

Mos Burger, Ropongi, Tokyo

Mos Burgers Fresh Produce List

Here is the information of the days produce. It tells you where your veggies where grown and the name of the farmer that grew them!

Best Chocolates in the World! Teuscher Chocolatier

Tanaka Report — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:39:00 GMT

Teuscher Chocolates is definitely the best chocolate in the world. I will take the Pepsi challenge to any other chocolates if I have any takers? I first discovered this heaven of a place when I first moved to NYC back in 1999. It was right under my hair salon Toni & Guy on 60th and Madison. (Which is now a Tigi hair academy) My stylist Kimberly gave me one of these bad boys and from then on I was a life timer! Then Oprah opened her big mouth about this place and the rest is history. Bit expensive but not as expensive as La Maison du Chocolat and its 10x better! ps: the Champagne Truffle is what you are after!

And you think Starbucks is expensive? Try Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee at Agata & Valentina in NYC. Some of the best and most expensive coffee in the world.

Tanaka Report — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:12:00 GMT

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee at Agata & Valentina

I know I featured this coffee in one of my previous blogs "I Found it in NYC!.. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee No. 1" but that was for where I found the coffee being served in a restaurants / cafe. I now know where you can buy this exotic coffee per pound. Get ready to pay a hefty handful for this Jamaican treat. Put it this way... One of Starbucks most expensive coffees is the 10% Kona Blend which runs $14.95 per lb. I found this Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee at Agata & Valentina in NYC for $45.00 per lb. Not only that but you can also get the real deal Kona here for $30.59 per lb. Not that 10% blend crap at Starbucks. On a side note: They also have an excellent Oreo Cheesecake there just in case you are looking for a lil sweet to go with your coffee.

Agata & Valentina: 1505 1st Ave. @ 79th St. New York, NY 10021 Phone: (212) 452-0690

Agata has much more then just a great selection of coffee. Agata & Valentina is definitely one of the best places to go for high quality specialty Italian foods and is a must visit for all foodies. The also have a wide selection of cheeses and already prepared dishes as well as all sorts of goodies. They are also one of the few place in America that have Jamón ibérico de bellota! ($100+ per pound) The best cured ham in the world! I am gonna have to write about that next!

"Gourmet Sweets on Wheels. Mobile food at its best." Dessert Truck, NYC

Tanaka Report — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:17:00 GMT

With all the mobile meals to choose from in NYC, you have to know the know to pick the right one. Well, this is the truck to seek out. Dessert Truck is the creation of former pastry sous chef at Le Cirque, Jerome Chang, and Columbia Business School grad, Chris Chen. These two decided to partner up and started serving delicious gourmet desserts on the streets of new york.

Dessert Truck, NYC, St. Marks and 3rd Ave

So far I have tried the NY Cheesecake, Milk Chocolate Mousse and the Molten Chocolate Cake and they were all freakin awesome! I also had this Passion Fruit special which was also damn delicious. You can catch this truck Monday - Friday: 12p - 5p, at Park Ave and 52nd St or at night you can catch them Monday - Sunday: 6p - closing (about midnight) at St. Marks Place and 3rd Ave.

"Wanna know the best place to go and get ringtones or make your own?" Audiko.net

Tanaka Report — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:01:00 GMT

3G iPhone kicks much ass but many of you are wondering where in the world to go and get ringtones for your phone. Well, I definitely found the best site to go and get your favorite ringtones as well as make your own.

www.audiko.net - ringtone website

Audiko.net has almost every song and artist you can think of. The cool thing is you can also add to the extensive library of music by creating your own ringtone. All you do is choose a song on your computer, upload it to audiko, select the section that you would like to use and bam! You created your first ringtone. Super easy. There are some other cool features on this site like being able to send ringtones to your friends on Facebook. They also give you the codes for you to post it on some of your favorite sites. Here is a ringtone that I created with this track my boy Agallah (INgrooves/Universal) sent me. He just got done with this remix of Led Zeppelin's hit "Immigrant Song" which will be out very soon.

by audiko.net — ringtones.

"Where we from 4th verse" by Agallah

Here is the ringtone that I am currently rocking on my phone by MGMT.

by audiko.net — ringtones.

"Kids" by MGMT

Pandora Radio by far the best free internet radio. Now on Tanaka Report

Tanaka Report — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:18:00 GMT

Pandora Radio

For those that have not checked out Pandora Radio. This is a must. Do it now! Ok, I know that I have been gone for while but I am back and I have tons of Blogs lined up so keep you eyes open. Back to Pandora. This "free" radio site is awesome! Check out one of my station now on the Tanaka Report sidebar. I know similar sites such as Rhapsody that charge for this kind of service. You basically pick one of your favorite artist or song and create a station that will only play music similar to the artist / song that you selected. You can also play a lil "Ebert & Roeper" or in my time.. "Siskel & Ebert" and thumbs up and thumbs down the song playing. As well as bookmark the song and or artist. You can even buy the song or album from Amazon or iTunes from a direct link off Pandora. You can create a Profile and network and share your music and stations with others. You can even download the Pandora app on your iPhone and on some Sprint phones. I swear you can do everything with that damn iPhone! The GPS is a lil scary as well. The other day "The Man" was tracking me way too accurately!

Mac vs. PC, Who do you think is the winner? 24hr Apple / Mac Store 5 Ave. NYC

Tanaka Report — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:30:00 GMT

24hr. Apple store 767 Fifth Ave.24hr. Apple store 767 Fifth Ave.

To me it is a no brainer! Mac is the winner by a land slide. Sure PC is what I started with, but Mac is what I use now and will always use forever. I have a dinosaur G4 desktop and a iBook G4 that is barely hanging in there. I will eventually have all the new Mac products. I think the only negative thing I can think of is that some smaller websites and programs are not so old Mac friendly. Now with the new Intel Mac's most of those problems are solved. Hell, the best of both worlds! Why would you pick another computer? The best thing about Mac is that your dealing with one technical support team which is "Apple Care." P.C's support can vary greatly from each company because every company has there own technical support team and their performances are based on the size of the company. I just bought my father the new iMac and it is awesome and now my sister and I both want one!

24hr. Apple store 767 Fifth Ave is basement level and is the coolest store ever.

If you live here in NYC, then you have to get a Mac. What other computer can you buy that has a 24hr. store and personal technical support or better known as the "Genius Bar". The Apple Store on 5th ave. is awesome. Not only does it look cool as hell but the 24hr. genius bar is a life saver. I have totally brought in my computer at 3am all freaking out because of some hardware failure. That's because like a dumb ass, I set down a magnet on the keyboard for just a sec. My hard drive started making this awful grinding noise and I took it off immediately but it still fried my hard drive. I called Apple care and they told me that it was a goner and I lost all my info. So I jumped in a cab and went straight to the Mac store, which luckily was open in the middle of the night. I totally recommend going during those times. Other wise is a freaking zoo. It's actually their fault in a way because it was a magnetic attachment for my iSight. Why would you even make a magnetic attachment for a computer add on anyways?

24hr. Apple store 767 Fifth Ave in the middle of the day is crazy packed!

The Genius Bar completely saved my life and computer! They really lived up to their name "genius" there. Apple care told me over the phone that the error message that I was receiving meant that my computer was unrecoverable. The guy at the Genius Bar took my computer and hooked it up to his computer, did a couple of things and BAM! My info was saved! So I immediately bought an external hard drive and backed up all my info. For those of you that haven't done that yet. I highly recommend that was well! You can buy these lil hard drives that will hold hundreds of GB's now a days for really cheap. Don't worry if you do not live in NYC. All Apple Stores have genius bars, just not 24hr. ones.

24hr. Apple store 767 Fifth Ave at 3am is all yours! Skip the chaos and come at night!

USA ties the #1 ranked team in the world Argentina. USA vs. Argentina, Sunday June 9th at Giants Stadium

Tanaka Report — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:54:00 GMT

USA vs. Argentina, Sunday June 9th at Giants Stadium

Wow, what a game! Over 78,600 people came to support their countries last night at Giants Stadium. You could feel, see and hear the excitement in the air. Even port authority was packed with soccer jerseys and fans all trying to get to the game. I could not wipe the smile off my face immediately after I entered the parking lot. People were all tailgating and gathered around starting their per-game chanting and cheering. I was at the Red Bulls vs. Galaxy game with 66 thousand people but the support of the national team was a different world.

USA fans chanting while entering the stadium

For those of you that have not experienced a national team game, I highly suggest it. It is an incredible display of national team spirit. Everyone is wearing their national colors and flags were flying everywhere. People are chanting and screaming for their country and even a lil friendly opponent heckling was going on last night.

USA's fan section

For me the real excitement was seeing Messi in action. Seeing the whole game live is a totally different experience. You really get to see the skills of the players shine through. You get to see the whole field as the players sees it and you also get to see how they run off the ball. Which is what really sets the better players above the rest. I also got to see some other great players in action for the first time like Mascherano and Heinze. I was upset to see that Riquelme and Tevez were not on the roster last night. Would of been awesome and probably a different outcome if those guys were on the pitch.

USA vs. Argentina, Sunday June 9th at Giants Stadium

USA vs. Argentina, Sunday June 9th at Giants Stadium

Justice are more then musicians: Justice and Surface to Air

Tanaka Report — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:06:00 GMT

Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay: "Justice"

For those of you that know them as Justice, the French duo Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay are more then just your average musicians. Justice broke out in the music scene in 2003 with their remix of Simian's track "Never Be Alone," which later was renamed "We Are Your Friends" in 2006 for the commercial UK release. This track won Justice the MTV Europe Music Award in 2006 for (Best Video). After that, they remixed songs for many top artist such as N*E*R*D, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim and even Britney Spears. They didn't personally get noticed again till 2007 when "D.A.N.C.E" got nominated for (Video of the Year) at the MTV Video Music Awards. Justice achieved their highest notoriety for their 2008 Grammy nominations for "D.A.N.C.E" (Best Dance Recording) and their album "†" for (Best Electronic/Dance Album). They have even hit mainstream success with one their tracks "Genesis," which is the song that is featured on the new Cadillac Escalade commercial "If my Cadillac had a bathroom, I would live in it."

Justice: "D.A.N.C.E"

Besides making great music for the modern ear, they are also trying to appeal to your eyes with fashion as well. Justice is teaming up with Surface to Air to come up with their own line of jeans and leather jackets. They first linked up with Surface to Air when they worked on the "We Are Your Friends" music video together.

Justice: "We Are Your Friends"

Now working together in fashion, they came up with a limited edition series of 3 jackets (150 pieces) and 2 jeans. Their new line should be hitting the stores this June and can be found at Surface To Air Paris, Surface To Air Brazil, Colette, Barneys, Lane Crawford, Isetan, Le Bon Marché, Paris Texas, Asylum, Le Shop, Incu.

Although when I asked Barneys about the Jackets and Jeans a couple weeks ago, they looked at me as if I was on crazy pills. One of the employees overheard me and mentioned that I wasn't the only one asking for them, so if you are interested in owning your own Justice apparel then you better act fast.

Cadillac Escalade commercial: featuring "Genesis" by, Justice

What does Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of Manchester United do after the Champions League Finals? They come NYC and to party at Mansion with Bob Sinclar!

Tanaka Report — Sat, 24 May 2008 09:43:00 GMT

Two days after winning the Champions League finals, Cristiano Ronaldo and the rest of Manchester United, come to the U.S. for a lil R&R and house music.

Cristiano Ronaldo. Soon to be 08 FIFA player of the year.

Holy crap! I do not get star struck at all! But, Cristiano Ronaldo! and other Manchester United players were in NYC last night on Friday May, 23rd at our event at Mansion with Bob Sinclair! This is the second time that Man U. has come to one of our events. Last time I got to see EPL players in NYC was when Giggs, Scholes and Smith came to Suede around 6 years ago.

Bob Sinclar at Mansion

So you wanna know what people do with a extra $450,000 bonus for winning the most watched finals besides the world cup? They come to listen to great house music in NYC! I loved him before hand, but the fact that he was at our event, out of all the places in the world, let alone at Mansion with Bob Sinclair is way too cool! For all you Manchester United fans, they are staying at the..... hahaha. Should I tell you? At the "W" Hotel! (I am not going to tell you which location) They probably came to NYC because it's the only place in the world that people would hardly even recognize them! The soon to be the FIFA 08 player of the year and winners of the Champions League come to NYC to have fun without being hassled. Now the big question is.. Is C-ron gonna stay at Manchester United now that they won the Champions Leauge? Or is he gonna follow the last great Man U player David Beckham and go to Real Madrid? Hopefully he will follow Becks shoes and come to MLS. We can always dream can't we?

Bob Sinclar: "World, Hold On"

Who says we have a bad economy? Sotheby's breaks record sales of $362 million in contemporary art! Takashi Murakami reaches all time record sales of $15 million. Wednesday, May, 14th

Tanaka Report — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:43:00 GMT

Sotheby's barely trickled over the estimated $360 million in contemporary art sales this past evening on Wednesday, May 14th by only $2 million to mark the highest total in the company's history.

Francis Bacon "Triptych 1976" sold for $86.3 million @ Sotheby's

I had to feature this because not only is it astonishing that a record breaking $362 million in art was sold during these times but two artist that I have mentioned before broke personal and Sotheby's records as well. Artist Takashi Murakami jumped for joy and screamed "bonzai" when his piece "My Lonesome Cowboy" crushed the estimated $4 million to a telephone bidder for $15 million. You know you got it like that when you can purchase a $15 million piece of art over the phone! Especially when it's a life size sculpture of a person masterbating! When I was at his exhibit, I was wondering how much one of his sculptures would go for. If his smaller sculptures go for that much, I wonder how much his bigger pieces would go for?

Takashi Murakami: "My Lonesome Cowboy" sold for $15 million @ Sotheby's

Coincidentally, Marakami did a homage to Francis Bacon, who's work "TripTych 1976" was the highest sale of $86.3 million, which was a Sotheby's record for a contemporary piece of art. On the other hand, Sotheby's found buyer for 88% of the pieces and out of 12% two Warhol's did not find owners that night. One of Andy Warhol's works "Detail of the Last Supper (Christ 112 Times)" only got $9.5 million which was a lil less then the estimated $10 to $15 million. You know times are changing when Murakami can out sell Warhol.

Andy Warhol: "Detail of the Last Supper" sold for $9.5 million

Great Nike soccer commercial "Take it to the Next Level" Directed by: Guy Richie featuring "Don't Speak(I Came to make a Bang) by Eagles of Death Metal

Tanaka Report — Sun, 11 May 2008 22:49:00 GMT

Wanna know what Madonna's husband Guy Richie's is doing now a days? He is making sick ass commercials for Nike, that's what! It's no wonder they got so many uberstar players to make a cameo in the commercial. (besides Nike's deep pockets) For those of you that haven't seen it. This is the best commercial I have seen in a while. This is what commercials are suppose to be like. It makes me want to go out and play soccer right now! Guy Richie takes his film talent to the commercial media with his new Nike soccer commercial "Take it to the next Level" featuring everyone and their mother from Wenger, Gallas, Fabregas, Rooney, Ronaldo, Materazzi, Ibrahimovic, Marquez, Ronaldinho and Van Nistelrooy. It is a 1st person view of the career of a soccer player starting from the first division, premiership, and all the way to the national team. Of course he gets owned by Ronaldo! Wow, what a insane production for a commercial.

Nike soccer commercial "Take it to the Next Level" Directed by: Guy Richie featuring "Don't Speak(I Came to make a Bang) by Eagles of Death Metal

To view in higher quality. Go to Nike's direct page

Well I guess I am a lil bias because I play soccer and Guy Richie has made some of my favorite films. For those of you that haven't seen his films, you have to check out "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch". In case you were wondering what song and group he featured in the commercial. It is "Don't Speak (I Came to Make a Bang)" by Eagles of Death Metal.

"Don't Speak (I Came to Make a Bang!)" - Eagles of Death Metal

First Pizza place in America and made Pizza a household name: Lombardi's

Tanaka Report — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:57:00 GMT

Did you know that right here in NYC was the first pizza restaurant in America? I have been living here for 9 years and have eaten it a couple times before at friends homes and during jobs. But it took me watching a Food Network show about the history of pizza to find out about Lombardi's history. Lombardi's was the first restaurant in America to make and serve the original Naples style pizza. That is pretty crazy considering that pizza is now basically a food category. They started off in 1897 in Little Italy as a grocery store and in 1905 was established as the first pizzeria in America. It wasn't till after the war, that pizza really took off. When all the soldiers came back from overseas and were looking for that Margarita pizza. Which name originated in Naples when a chef made this flat bread treat for Queen Margherita. By the way that's the only way that I have had it there so if you stray from that and are disappointed, then it's not my fault. I love pizza with everything on it as well, but the simple traditional style is the way that it was meant to be enjoyed.

Lombardi's 32 Spring St. (corner of Mott) 212-941-7994

Man, if you have not had coal oven pizza before, I highly recommend it! This is what pizza is suppose to taste like. In order to really enjoy Lombardi's, you have to eat it there. You can't get it delivered or take it out. It's just not the same once you get home. When you eat it in the restaurant, the crust is so crispy and crunchy, it's delicious. The only other place that can even compete is Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. Who's going to go all the way to Brooklyn for pizza? Well to tell you the truth, I tried to go the other week after I went to the Takashi Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum and there was a line out the door of 30 deep! I just could not wait that long and decided to head to my other favorite restaurant in Brooklyn, Peter Luger's!

Want a flashy watch? Tokyo Flash

Tanaka Report — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:05:00 GMT

Tokyo Flash Pimp

So if you're looking for a interesting watch, then the Tokyo Flash is definitely a watch to check out. They specialize in telling time in the most unusual way. This particular watch is called the Tokyo Flash Pimp (Pimpin aint Easy) Seriously, that's the name of it! I found out about this watch when I was placing an order on the Giant Robot website. I was actually ordering some Takashi Murakami and Simone Legno stuff and ran into this watch on accident.

Tokyo Flash

They put this great material on the back of the band which makes it extremely comfortable. This watch is a great conversation piece and is definitely a looker. The thing about this company is that if you see something that you like, then you better pick it up. Once they sell out of the watch, they discontinue the production of that particular model. The one negative thing is that since this watch features 72 LED lights and does a lil light show from 6p - 11p, the watch uses two lithium batteries and only last up to a year if used regularly.

Tokyo Flash Operations Video

The Rolls Royce of Men's Jewelry: Lazaro

Tanaka Report — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:10:00 GMT

What does Whoopi Goldberg and Kid Rock have in common? Believe it or not, they use the same jeweler.

Lazaro, 54 Mercer St. New York, Soho (b/w Broome and Grand) 212-219-8494

When it comes to men's jewelry, you have many designers to choose from. Of course, the most well known would be Chrome Hearts, you have Good Art HLYWD, King Baby, David Yurman, John Hardy and all the usual big name fashion designers have dabbled in their attempts at jewelry. If you ask me who makes the best men's jewelry, I would have to say without a doubt, it is Lazaro. I was put on to him about four years ago and had a major problem back when I was first introduced. My good friend Eros mentioned this new designer that did all the jewelry for the Blade movies. That alone caught my attention and I had to check him out.

Some of my Lazaro collection

As you can see, I have my fair share of Lazaro jewelry. Like I said before, I had a slight Lazaro addiction when I was first introduced. The best thing about Lazaro compared to the other designers is the personal touch that Lazaro's pieces have. He literally has anything that you can imagine to fit your tastes. From exotic skins to precious stone, from rare coins to fossils, he has the right look that you are after. If he doesn't have what you're looking for, the best part is that you can get Lazaro to customize his jewelry or even come up with something completely original.

Custom Lazaro Bracelet

This bracelet was actually two different rings which I then added to a plain bracelet. I would not go so far as to say plain, the bracelet itself is gynormous and heavy as all hell. I originally had the snake and lion rings and then, bought the custom dragon ring that I currently wear. I felt like I had animal kingdom on my fingers so I stopped wearing the lion and snake. So I bought this chunky bracelet and asked him to take the lion and make that into the clasp and take the snake and wrap it around the bracelet. I must say that it came out pretty hot. I get tons of compliments on it, as well as most of my Lazaro jewelry.

Custom Lazaro Dragon Ring and Necklace

Both of these pieces are also custom jewelry by Lazaro as well. I had some old jewelry that had some stones in them that I was never going to wear again. So I took all the stones out and added them to some of Lazaro's jewelry. I took a couple diamonds that I had from previous rings and jammed them in the eyes and mouth and all along the crest of the dragons head. I also put black diamonds going down the body of the dragon.

Custom Lazaro Dragon Ring

I went into the store the other day and he had the dragon pendent with rubies on the tongue! Although I like the minimal look, I could always use some more stones on my jewelry. I feel that I could never go over the top with his stuff. Of course you can if you really wanted to, but the great thing about Lazaro is that he has something for everyone. He even has an amazing women's line. Actually, he started off in women's jewelry and still does an amazing women's collection but his men's line is certainly the hottest men's jewelry your money can buy.

Lazaro Chain Wallet / Necklace

Another cool thing about his jewelry, is that he has several pieces that are versatile and multi functional. This is a chain wallet that can also double as a necklace. I must say that the chain wallet has saved me from pick pocketers a couple times. I highly suggest getting a chain wallet for the city. It's not only fashionable but it will save your ass. I even wear mine with my suits. I wouldn't of even gotten a chain wallet because I always thought it was not my style and a lil too rock and roll for me. Then I was watching Dolce and Gabbana's runway show and they both came out in the end wearing suits with chain wallets on. If D&G can wear it on the runway, then (so can I damn it!) I have to say it's not just for rockers. I actually thought that was pretty cool that they were wearing chain wallets. I was reading this article about them and they were saying that Armani brought the Italian style to America in the 80's and D&G wanted to bring the U.S style to Italy. Influenced by our rock 'n' roll culture, they brought the American rock style, into Italian high fashion.

Lazaro Chain Wallet / Necklace

He puts incredible attention to detail in all his work. You might of seen his talent and art on some of his credits like the "Blade" movies, "Steven Tyler" on the cover of Private Air, "The Notorious Betty Page" movie, "John Varvatos" and "Joseph Abboud" runway shows, "Kid Rock" on Rolling Stones cover, and even Shaggy's new album cover and "Bonafide Girl" video. As you can see he has been placed in a wide variety of different styles, and can match the look for any occasion. From the runways, movies, rock stars to hip hop, Lazaro has managed to branched out his style in the entertainment world. He is even working on a artist collaboration with John Varvatos as we speak. I can't wait to see what they come up with.

Shaggy's new album "Intoxication" / featuring Lazaro Jewelry

Shaggy "Bonafide Girl" / Intoxication / featuring some Lazaro's Jewelry

Kid Rock: Rolling Stones wearing Lazaro

Steven Tyler: Private Air Magazine wearing Lazaro

Steven Tyler: Private Air Magazine wearing Lazaro

His unique style has found its way to wide range of celebs from Kid Rock, Steven Tyler, Shaggy, Jamie Burke to Whoopi Goldberg. The thing about these guys are that they actually own the pieces that they are wearing. Instead of some stylist just putting it on them, this is what these guys are personally spending their money on. Even Whoopi gave a shout out on "The View" the other day and mentioned that all the jewelry that she was wearing was Lazaro. Whoopi Goldberg wears and owns tons of Lazaro jewelry. She is even going to be wearing his jewelry when she hosts the Tony Awards next month on Sunday June, 15th on ABC. You should definitely check out his website but in order to get what you are really looking for, you have to go to his store in Soho. His jewelry is exclusively sold there and only there for what I know of. I am sure that you could make an order over the phone but you have to go by the store because not everything is featured on the website and he is continuously coming up with new designs.

Lazaro, 54 Mercer St. New York, Soho (notice the necklace is the same link as my chain wallet)

Here is a picture of one of his cases in the store. Check out the 15 million year old Megalodon Sharks Tooth with black and white diamonds on it! If you're not into big pieces like that, you have the Fleur de les with black diamonds on it right next to it. Or you can go all out with the skull and cross with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. If jewelry just is not your thing, and you are still interested in obtaining some of Lazaro's designs, you can also decorate your room with some of his home furnishings.

Lazaro's home furnishing (check out those hot candle holders)

He recently started carrying clothes from other various designers that really fits his style well. The last time I went down there I noticed that I found myself buying two shirts instead of jewelry. He has everything from dress shirts to belts to complete your look and makes a great one stop shop. It's also a great place to come for gift ideas because of his wide range in men's and women's jewelry as well as his home furnishings. So, get off your butt and head down to Soho, and stop by Lazaro's and take a peek. Mention that you read this article from the Tanaka Report and he will definitely take care of you. I am sure if you end up going down there, you will not leave empty handed and you will be returning for more.