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Job Interview

Greg Roden Rising Star Ever since asia sf established itself in the site of a former gay bar on Howard Street, no one can stop talking about the place, Metropolitan included. It's a new restaurant after all, and new restaurants are always garnered with lavish attention. But don't kid yourself. The real reason most people want to check this place out is its gimmick: "supposedly gay males who dress up as women and entertain" in the words of one member of the waitstaff/entertainment. Recently, Todd Dayton stopped in to chat with one of the restaurant's rising stars, Iyanne, to find out what the job is all about and how some enterprising Asian XY might find him/herself gainfully employed. Todd: What is you job? Iyanne: I am what you call a gender illusionist for asia sf. How long have you been doing it?: I've been doing this ever since the opening, which was about five months ago. Do you like it?: I enjoy it. It's fun. It's different. It's ... fun! What's your most memorable moment?: I think my most memorable moment is when people walk in here, and they don't know what to expect. Like when they think it's a normal bar?: Like a normal bar or restaurant--and they just look around, and their eyes just pop out and they're like "Are we in the right place?" How did you get started?: One of the owners approached me. I used to be a nurse--an LVN--and we met at a Walgreen one night, and he said, "You know, I'm opening up this restaurant. You might want to come and try it out and see if you want to work there." So I came, and I was hired on the spot. If you weren't doing this, what else would you be doing?: I'd be stuck in a hospital somewhere. What's your favorite shade of lipstick?: Pale lipstick, I guess. [ San Francisco | MetroActive Central | Archives ]