Goldfish in Yaletown

Back in June we walked past Goldfish in Yaletown and after taking a look at it from outside, we decided we wanted to go back to check it out. So in July we tried to make reservations but was told it was fully booked. I then tried again the week after that and was again told it was fully booked. So I asked the hostess what's up with that, and she told me they only book half the restaurant since they just opened and they want to get more organized before booking more than half the restaurant. Two weeks ago I tried to make reserations for six people for Saturday night and it was no problem. So I thought, they're organized. After making the reservation and letting the rest of the party know, I went on to dinehere and read these bad reviews. I thought to myself, well, give it a chance. So my friends also raed dinehere, so we decided to eat an early dinner elsewhere first, just so we don't drop $60 on food alone. We all ordered either appys or dessert or both at Goldfish. And of course some drinks. The appy's I had were overpriced and unappetizing. Six non-fresh slightly stinky oysters for $19. The wine and drink selection is mediocre at best. The ambiance is nice, and the outdoor patio area in the back is also really nice. The staff are nice and friendly, but the service is slow. The manager/maitre'd was walking around just talking/socializing, but not actually helping the waitstaff so that was annoying. I mean, I know it's tough to make small talk with random strangers, but it was frustrating because the service was so slow and there was obviously problems getting food and drink and taking orders in a timely manner, yet he didn't seem to have any sense of urgency.

Someone wrote in one of the reviews it is a place to be seen, but I really don't think so, there were a lot of tourists, and I saw two tables of seniors.

The decor is definitely impressive. It does not quite feel like you're in Vancouver. In the bathrooms instead of paper towels, they have terry handtowels, but they were cheap old ones that you can pick up at the dollar store at three for a dollar. They should use the thick paper towels instead.

We'd probably go back there for a drink, but I think I would prefer to go to George, they have a better selection of wines and cocktails.

CDs to listen to on long road trips

I love road trips! Besides the company and destination, the third most important thing to me is music. Normally I make mix CDs that pretty much run the gamut from Dolly Parton to Snoop Dogg, or I just bring my IPod (if it's actually charged) but if you don't have the time to make mix cds and can't play your IPod in the car, then check out some of these cds.
I hate when I buy a CD and there's only two or three good songs on there, so the following CDs have AT LEAST four good songs on there. Oh, and I'm not going to list the standards that everyone already knows you should have, like, Bob Marley's Legend or Led Zeppelin's Disc 2.

The Carnival - Wyclef Jean, what a great CD, I can actually listen to the whole thing without skipping any songs. There's so much scratches on my CD, I'm going to have to buy another one.

Back to Basics - Christina Aguilera, no I'm not a teeny-bopper, but this album is good, and there's some fun songs to listen to. I really love track 10!


Greatest Hits - Beach Boys-is this an obvious one? anyways, I have so much fun singing along in the car, and it's a great way to keep you awake by singing out loud!

The Sound of Music soundtrack-I love singing along to this, my friends think I'm crazy cause I know every song by heart. I've had a few guy passengers that knew all the words too. So much fun.

M.I.A. - Kala

Madeleine Peyroux - Careless Love, A jazzy bluesy album. She sounds a lot like Billy Holiday. I like her cover of Elliot Smith's Between the bars.

80s albums like Chicago's greatest hits, George Michael and Pet Shop Boys and Madonna's True Blue album

Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson. I repeat, I'm not a teenybopper. but singing to "Since you've been gone" is fun!

I also like listening to books on CDs. The last one I listened to is "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". But I find the recording is too low, so I'm alwasys straining to hear.

Paul Potts

Wow, so, I was just browing through Youtube's top rated videos and came across Paul Potts audition on "Britain's Got Talent"
His audition made me cry it was so beautiful. Pavarotti may be better skilled, but the emotion which Paul conveys during his performance is so poignant and beautiful it is just as moving if not more than Pavarotti's performance. Give Paul some time, and he can and probably will be our generation's Pavarotti.

Paul Potts singing Opera

Paul Potts

If you are just getting into opera, check out The Number 1 Classical Album 2006. Or if you just want to download some songs, and you liked Nessun Dorma, check out these classic favorites:
O Mio Babbino Caro
Flower Duet/Lakme
Vissi D'Arte
Che Gelida Manina
and then there's of course Con te Partiro (time to say goodbye)

Kedah House on Marine Drive

Had an early dinner at Kedah House on Marine Drive a few days ago. This was my first visit there since they moved from the original Fraser and 41st location. Like their former location, the décor is still tacky. Think pink Pepto-Bismal walls. It feels like you’re in the basement dining area of a Vancouver Special fused with a mom and pop travel agency. The sign out front showed they were having a 9.95 all you can eat, but once we were seated, were told they weren’t doing the buffet. There seemed to be only one server. She was the hostess, cashier, waiter, AND bus person. I noticed several people standing at the cashier waiting to pay for their bill while we ate. Once in a while, you would see two other people helping out the server, but despite several people lined up to pay the bill, or order, or get their food brought to them, there was no sense of urgency amongst the staff.

We ordered the Roti Canai $5 (pronounced Chanai), mee goreng, a curry dish (which I didn’t try) and beef and broccoli. Within ten minutes, the server brought us two of our dishes. After poking it with my fork, the server came back and told us it wasn’t ours, and brought it to the next table. Yikes.

Our “correct” food arrived a few minutes later and it was pretty good albeit a bit too salty for my taste. It was then that she informed us they were out of beef for the beef and broccoli dish. But they could make chicken and broccoli . So we said, fine, literally one minute later, she brought it out to us. Which makes me think they screwed up, so they just said that about the beef so we would order the mistake. The fact that she didn’t tell us they were out of beef when we made our order or immediately after she put in the order confirms my suspicion. Gosh, I sound like Inspector Holmes. The meal came to around $33 before drinks. Unfortunately, it took awhile to pay. It sounded like they were playing Disney Princess music, but it still would not cover the loud sound of their air conditioning or fan.

Their service is too laid-back, which is not good when most people are in a hurry or are on their way to something else. Their former location was well-known for closing whenever they felt like despite their posted restaurant hours or not opening at all that day. I think the former location was much cleaner. Here are some reviews from other diners. Most are not so favorable. Despite my review, I think I would go back there if I had a leisurely day.
1652 SE Marine Dr, 604.325.9771
If you decide to check it out, ask for the bill mid-meal and make sure to bring cash in different denominations so there’s no need to wait for change.

If you don’t mind the drive, check out Tamarind Hill in New Westminster. The ambiance is nice, décor is beautiful right down to the small details, service is good, and most importantly, very clean and downright delicious! Oh, and the prices are similar to Kedah House, and I think the menu selection and drink selection is top-notch at Tamarind Hill.

George Bar in Yaletown, Cactus Club in Yaletown

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