What is "gender illusionists"...?

Question

would you eat at a resturant ...that.advertises there wait staff like this ? ( it is in s.f. naturally)

Answer 1

There are performers who prefer to be called "gender illusionists" who do blur the line between transgender and drag queen.

Answer 2

I've eaten in Cabaret's in Europe that have trans-people waiting tables, in addition to being on stage... it's a great show... for people with open minds and continental tastes... so closed minded, homophobic AmeriKans wouldn't like it.

Answer 3

Just went there Friday night.  It's a blast, the food is good, and the performance is great.  Plenty of straight men and women enjoying the show.

Of course it's "naturally" in San Francisco.....we know how to have fun!

Answer 4

Hi,

cross-dressers

there's a place in the village called Lips or something, the food was great, our server 'pepper' was very professional and fun, and there was karaoke entertainment - lucky for us the disney cruise performers were there and they could sing lol.

was a great time.

Answer 5

If the restaurant review below is any indication, I'd  enjoy eating there. The food sounds great, reasonable prices, and unique entertainment. Sounds like fun!

"AsiaSF Is Anything But a Drag"

"....Good food, `gender illusionists' make for a flashy, fun experience

Michael Bauer, Chronicle Food Editor

Sunday, June 21, 1998

Anyone who enjoys dining out knows how difficult it is to find really good service. But hiring at AsiaSF, the new nightclub-restaurant on the corner of Ninth and Howard streets in San Francisco, must be particularly challenging. The requirements are exacting:

1. Waiters must be Asian men.

2. They must be willing to dress like women.

3. And they must be able to pantomime or perform show tunes in between waiting tables.

They also have to walk around in five-inch heels during a six-hour shift and still be able to smile at the end of the night.

And just so there's no mistake: The AsiaSF waiters are not transsexuals, cross-dressers or drag queens -- they are ``gender illusionists,'' in owner Larry Hashbarger's words. Their outfits range from s**y (tight-fitting, strapless tube dresses) to outrageous (gauzy negligees trimmed in ostrich feathers and worn with combat boots).

SENSUOUS INTERIOR

It's amazing that chef Matthew Metcalf's food is able to compete with the ``girls'' and the sensuous interior featuring two luminous walls that slowly change from pink to blue to gold.

But he pulls it off, crafting dishes with skill that would inspire envy in chefs at more ``serious'' restaurants. The menu features appetizers with a California-Asian twist, and they're among the most innovative and well-priced in the city.

The entire experience at AsiaSF comes together with a comfortable style that's never tawdry or tacky. It's fun, but not freaky.

On the first visit I was skeptical, but after sampling a few appetizers I became a convert. On each of four subsequent visits I expected to uncover a deficiency, but there wasn't one to be found among the dozen items on the menu.

Grilled dill flat bread ($7.50) is like an herb-flecked pizza crust topped with caramelized red onions and paved with smoked salmon, dollops of tobiko caviar and crisscrosses of wasabi cream.

Chez Panisse would be proud to serve the grilled shrimp and herb salad ($7.25). The chef tosses Chinese cabbage and sprigs of cilantro, mint and basil with bits of coconut, lemony Thai vinaigrette and grilled shrimp, creating a fresh, vibrant partnership.

And Metcalf's take on a hamburger ($7) is one of the few deviations that really works: The meat is first marinated in lemongrass, soy, garlic and ginger. Then it's grilled and placed on a slightly chewy bun slathered with a subtle wasabi cream and slices of cucumber, daikon and tomato. The ahi burger ($9.25) is equally enticing. The ground patty is pan-seared with a mild teriyaki glaze and served with horseradish-Chinese cabbage slaw.

Most dishes are based on familiar combinations, but the chef adds innovative twists. Potstickers ($5.75) are stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and doused in a ginger-mushroom broth with just the right level of acidity. Quesadillas ($6.75) are layered with tea- smoked duck and jack cheese that enhances but doesn't overwhelm the poultry. The sun- dried cherry cream fraiche dipping sauce sounds weird, but tastes great.

There are also stellar interpretations of chicken sate ($6.25) with spicy roast peanut sauce; an orchid salad ($8) filled with prawns and tangles of thin glass noodles; and pan- fried soba noodles ($6) with barbecued pork and pineapple sage.

CLEVER DESSERTS

Desserts are just as clever, including creme brulee ($5) flavored with Mandarin orange and ginger, and banana beignets ($6) with fruit baked in phyllo-like dough and served warm with caramel and chocolate sauce. My favorite is a trio of miniature ice cream cones ($4) served on a red and black lacquered stand. The kitchen at AsiaSF is run by Taste, one of the largest and most respected caterers in the Bay Area. Catering contracts are fairly common in museums and public institutions, but in most cases the food is unexciting. Here everything is prepared and cooked on site, clearly setting a new standard.

The interior is as well conceived as the food. A 40-foot bar, covered in red rubberized vinyl, dominates the room. It also serves as the catwalk for the live performers.

Bar tables and chairs fill one side; dining tables are on another. Curved leather-like sofas line one wall.

At each table, red and white napkins and flaming-red chopsticks are folded together in origami-style sculptures to form centerpieces.

The colorful light walls cast a s**y glow over the entire room. Another wall is accented with lime green paint and massive stalks of

bamboo set at dramatic angles. In back of the center bar is a small dance floor and the entrance to the downstairs club, which features a different theme each night.

SNAPPY REPARTEE

At AsiaSF the martini ($4.75) and cosmopolitan ($6) reign, served in oversize glasses. In the hands of the waitresses, the flutes and service utensils become accessories to their flashy costumes. They may not have mastered the finer points of service, but they compensate with bravado, snappy repartee and downright niceness.

When one friend called for a reservation the hostess explained that they weren't accepted for small parties. ``But come anyway, it'll change your life,'' she said. ``It might even change your s*x.''

Our waitress was dressed in an off-the-shoulder, tiger-print minidress that looked like it was designed for the Flintstones movie. She breezed over to our table and squatted down to eye level. ``Hi. I'm Wilma,'' she joked, patting the top of her long silken hair. ``But I forgot my bone.''

FUN-LOVING ATTITUDE

With that fun-loving attitude, how can anyone get upset if the servers occasionally forget the potstickers or are a tad slow in bringing a Manhattan?

Especially when you see them on the bar, dancing and singing to Celine Dion's ``Titanic'' theme, ``My Heart Will Go On.'' It's destined to become a drag-queen classic.

LIMITED WINE LIST JUST FINE

The 25-item wine list at AsiaSF takes a back seat to the drink selections, which include martinis and cosmopolitans made with Kettle One or other premium liquors.

Still, the wines are pleasant and well priced. About half of the choices are available by the glass, ranging from $5 to $7.

Generally, the wines are well matched to the vibrant Asian-inspired food: For example, there's the 1996 Smith and Hook Viognier ($29), the 1997 Swanson Rosato of Sangiovese ($21) and the 1996 Seghesio Zinfandel ($24).

There are also three sakes, which help reinforce the fusion style of the food......"

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...

Answer 6

yeah...it could be a grea show...