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.
Friday, July 6, 2007
George Bar in Yaletown, Cactus Club in Yaletown
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Friday, June 1, 2007
2007 Miss Universe Riyo Mori
I was surprised to watch a taped 2007 Miss Universe this evening. It’s changed over the years. The ladies are much sexier, thinner and taller. Some of the contestants looked like the ladies in the ads in the back of the paper, or in those “pamphlets” they give out on the strip in Vegas. The bathing suit montage that was taped earlier in various locations looked like some late night commercial for those pay per minute chat lines complete with wet girl in front of fountain doing sexy poses.
What’s with the ungracious way 2006 Miss Universe gave up her crown to the new Miss Universe. They didn’t even hug, or do the cheek air-kiss.
I don’t think Miss Japan should have won. She was not pretty, looked a little village, and the way she spoke was unclassy. The 2006 Miss Japan contestant (pictured below) deserved to win, not 2007’s.
The contest is about looks, and I think the other finalists were much prettier. Like Miss Venezuela. Miss Korea and Japan both speak English well so there’s no reason they needed a translator. If anything, it’s unfair to the other contestants as it gives them more time to think of an answer, and if they answer with run on sentences or bad wording, the translator will not translate that. By the way, Miss Japan lived in Saanich, BC for a couple years while attending high school.
I really liked Miss Tanzania, she was gorgeous, and not many women can pull off bald and beautiful the way she did. I felt bad for Miss USA when everyone was booing during her interview question. Especially after she had her nasty fall in the evening gown competition. Oh, and she looks just like Emmy Rossum.
What was with Miss Canada’s national costume?? A hockey uniform? Give me a break! Even SHE looked embarrassed.
One of the prizes include a crown worth over $200,000 but it’s like, where would you wear that to? And it’s not like there’s a high demand on ebay for these crowns. I’d rather get a necklace of the same value. I guess she can get it remade by a jeweler. I always think about weird stuff.
I didn't like Slater before, and I like him even less now. He seems so full of himself. And to think he may be a possible candidate to replace Bob Barker on the Price is Right. Say it ain't so!
What’s with the ungracious way 2006 Miss Universe gave up her crown to the new Miss Universe. They didn’t even hug, or do the cheek air-kiss.
I don’t think Miss Japan should have won. She was not pretty, looked a little village, and the way she spoke was unclassy. The 2006 Miss Japan contestant (pictured below) deserved to win, not 2007’s.
The contest is about looks, and I think the other finalists were much prettier. Like Miss Venezuela. Miss Korea and Japan both speak English well so there’s no reason they needed a translator. If anything, it’s unfair to the other contestants as it gives them more time to think of an answer, and if they answer with run on sentences or bad wording, the translator will not translate that. By the way, Miss Japan lived in Saanich, BC for a couple years while attending high school. I really liked Miss Tanzania, she was gorgeous, and not many women can pull off bald and beautiful the way she did. I felt bad for Miss USA when everyone was booing during her interview question. Especially after she had her nasty fall in the evening gown competition. Oh, and she looks just like Emmy Rossum.
What was with Miss Canada’s national costume?? A hockey uniform? Give me a break! Even SHE looked embarrassed.
One of the prizes include a crown worth over $200,000 but it’s like, where would you wear that to? And it’s not like there’s a high demand on ebay for these crowns. I’d rather get a necklace of the same value. I guess she can get it remade by a jeweler. I always think about weird stuff.
I didn't like Slater before, and I like him even less now. He seems so full of himself. And to think he may be a possible candidate to replace Bob Barker on the Price is Right. Say it ain't so!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
May 28 Police Concert and cheap parking by GM Place
The moment Ticketmaster was selling Police concert tickets, I was on their website repeatedly hitting the refresh button and getting the "sold out" message. After numerous attempts, I got the option of buying row 30 Gold Premium floor seats for a mere $425 each with only a minute to make my decision. In the frenzy of the moment, I ended up buying them. Of course I regretted it after entering in my billing info. I mean, what the heck was I thinking? I could go to Vegas, catch a concert and fly back for that price.
So when they added the second show, I bought two reasonably priced tickets at around $111 each with the intent of selling the floor seats for face value. Well, imagine my surprise when my friend was able to buy floor tickets for $225. In Row 19. Closer than my pricier seats. It turns out my tix cost $425 because they were Gold seats, which essentially means you get some kind of Police memorabilia. Oh, the memorabilia we got was a fanny pack. ?!?
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, I post my tickets on Craigslist a little less than face value. No response. So a few days before the concert, I post them for half price. Not. one. response. So we ended up going yesterday. It was a great concert but not worth $425 a ticket. And they were saying it was sold out, but it wasn't. I ran into some friends that were sitting in row 36 on the floor, they told me they were sitting in the nosebleeds and an usher asked them if they wanted to move to the floor, so he gave them some Comp floor seat stubs. After they moved down to the floor, basically everyone sitting around them was all giddy because they also got the free upgrade. So basically they are just trying to make it look sold out, because it looks strange to look out on the floor and see tons of empty space.
Oh, we saw scalpers outside selling tickets for ten bucks. And, I saw tickets selling on Ebay for $25.
As for the concert, Sting sounded amazing, and he looked amazing. He looked so serene and relaxed up on stage, and he looked genuinely happy. His physique is WOW. Put it this way, I signed up for yoga today.
Apparently Pearl Jam was at the concert.
Anyways, I'm pretty pissed I spent so much for this concert, and about the way they sell the tickets. I guess it's all about the concert promoters making the most amount of money. But come on, charging an extra $200 to sit further back for a vinyl fanny pack? that thing is going in the garbage anyways, taking up more space in a land fill.
Tip: If you're going to any concerts or events at GM Place in the evening, park in the International Mall on Keefer Street. It's $2.50 for the entire evening and most people don't know about it so it's not too busy. It's much better than paying upwards of $15 for parking and have a hard time getting out when the concert/event ends.
Also, instead of getting the pricey food at GM Place, walk across the street to Costco, and get a hotdog and drink for $2. If you want to splurge, get their fries too.
So when they added the second show, I bought two reasonably priced tickets at around $111 each with the intent of selling the floor seats for face value. Well, imagine my surprise when my friend was able to buy floor tickets for $225. In Row 19. Closer than my pricier seats. It turns out my tix cost $425 because they were Gold seats, which essentially means you get some kind of Police memorabilia. Oh, the memorabilia we got was a fanny pack. ?!?
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, I post my tickets on Craigslist a little less than face value. No response. So a few days before the concert, I post them for half price. Not. one. response. So we ended up going yesterday. It was a great concert but not worth $425 a ticket. And they were saying it was sold out, but it wasn't. I ran into some friends that were sitting in row 36 on the floor, they told me they were sitting in the nosebleeds and an usher asked them if they wanted to move to the floor, so he gave them some Comp floor seat stubs. After they moved down to the floor, basically everyone sitting around them was all giddy because they also got the free upgrade. So basically they are just trying to make it look sold out, because it looks strange to look out on the floor and see tons of empty space.
Oh, we saw scalpers outside selling tickets for ten bucks. And, I saw tickets selling on Ebay for $25.
As for the concert, Sting sounded amazing, and he looked amazing. He looked so serene and relaxed up on stage, and he looked genuinely happy. His physique is WOW. Put it this way, I signed up for yoga today.
Apparently Pearl Jam was at the concert.
Anyways, I'm pretty pissed I spent so much for this concert, and about the way they sell the tickets. I guess it's all about the concert promoters making the most amount of money. But come on, charging an extra $200 to sit further back for a vinyl fanny pack? that thing is going in the garbage anyways, taking up more space in a land fill.
Tip: If you're going to any concerts or events at GM Place in the evening, park in the International Mall on Keefer Street. It's $2.50 for the entire evening and most people don't know about it so it's not too busy. It's much better than paying upwards of $15 for parking and have a hard time getting out when the concert/event ends.
Also, instead of getting the pricey food at GM Place, walk across the street to Costco, and get a hotdog and drink for $2. If you want to splurge, get their fries too.
Bosa Supermarket and Grocery Shopping in Vancouver
I noticed Bosa Foods several times from Highway 1 by the Cassiar Tunnel and finally got a chance to check it out. The original location is on Victoria Drive, but they opened up this big store in Burnaby on Kootenay Drive. It is an Italian supermarket. If you're going northbound on Boundary, you want to make a left after 1st avenue where ICI paints is.
The supermarket is quite nice, it sort of reminds me of Whole Foods in North Vancouver. The deli has a great selection, especially the olives. I tried a grilled sandwich which was delicious.
They don't have a big produce section but they more then make up for it with their good selection of olive oils, cheeses, fine meats, kitchen supplies, breads from Pane Formaggio and of course pastas. Definitely worth checking out. I will be coming back for their cheeses and deli items.
Grocery shopping
I do most of my veggie shopping at Kin's. (you should go on the website just to hear the cheesy music..) Aside from the price of the avocados, I find their prices good and the produce to be good quality and selection. Plus they always have specials going on, and if you look in some of the free local papers like the Courier, they often have coupons for free stuff, or purchase a minimum of $5 and get a free bag of onions. Depending on the location you go to, they have a good selection of organic items (Park Royal location=good, Champlain Mall=not so good). I have two complaints about Kin's. The music they play in the stores, the other day I heard "My Heart will go on" from the Titanic but done music box style. Also, if the line up is long, they open up a second cash register, but they don't ask for the next in line. They just serve whoever runs up there the fastest. And if you ever go to the Champlain mall location, some of their customers know that, so as soon as they see a long line up, they sort of hang around the other register knowing they'll open it up. Annoying!
I'm super picky and selective when it comes to food shopping. I'm the person in the supermarket aisles inspecting a bunch of cans.. That being said, I think I can offer a few tips on buying produce:
-For most fruits, eg orange, take turns holding a few of the same sized oranges, and buy the heaviest one.
-Try to pick the medium sized, or medium to small sized fruits. Bigger does not necessarily equal better.
-People like to squeeze to find produce that yields to slight pressure, but after several people are squeezing the produce, it's most likely to get soft anyways, so this is not always a good test.
-Fruits from afar have to travel so much further so it's been picked way before they are ripe. Melons need to ripen on the vine, much like stone fruits. Once picked, they only get softer, not any sweeter. I like to buy local produce.
Sniff the stem end of the fruit. It should smell good. If no scent, it's probably dry.
-I love tomatoes, but it's hard to find good tomatoes in the supermarket. Unlike stone fruits, tomatoes ripen after picking, so when you bring them home, keep them in a paper bag to slow down the ripening. Also, don't store tomatoes in the fridge as it ruins the taste.
I try to buy organic, but sometimes, price is a factor, as is limited selection. And to be perfectly honest, I hardly eat any fruit..
The supermarket is quite nice, it sort of reminds me of Whole Foods in North Vancouver. The deli has a great selection, especially the olives. I tried a grilled sandwich which was delicious.
They don't have a big produce section but they more then make up for it with their good selection of olive oils, cheeses, fine meats, kitchen supplies, breads from Pane Formaggio and of course pastas. Definitely worth checking out. I will be coming back for their cheeses and deli items.
Grocery shopping
I do most of my veggie shopping at Kin's. (you should go on the website just to hear the cheesy music..) Aside from the price of the avocados, I find their prices good and the produce to be good quality and selection. Plus they always have specials going on, and if you look in some of the free local papers like the Courier, they often have coupons for free stuff, or purchase a minimum of $5 and get a free bag of onions. Depending on the location you go to, they have a good selection of organic items (Park Royal location=good, Champlain Mall=not so good). I have two complaints about Kin's. The music they play in the stores, the other day I heard "My Heart will go on" from the Titanic but done music box style. Also, if the line up is long, they open up a second cash register, but they don't ask for the next in line. They just serve whoever runs up there the fastest. And if you ever go to the Champlain mall location, some of their customers know that, so as soon as they see a long line up, they sort of hang around the other register knowing they'll open it up. Annoying!
I'm super picky and selective when it comes to food shopping. I'm the person in the supermarket aisles inspecting a bunch of cans.. That being said, I think I can offer a few tips on buying produce:
-For most fruits, eg orange, take turns holding a few of the same sized oranges, and buy the heaviest one.
-Try to pick the medium sized, or medium to small sized fruits. Bigger does not necessarily equal better.
-People like to squeeze to find produce that yields to slight pressure, but after several people are squeezing the produce, it's most likely to get soft anyways, so this is not always a good test.
-Fruits from afar have to travel so much further so it's been picked way before they are ripe. Melons need to ripen on the vine, much like stone fruits. Once picked, they only get softer, not any sweeter. I like to buy local produce.
Sniff the stem end of the fruit. It should smell good. If no scent, it's probably dry.
-I love tomatoes, but it's hard to find good tomatoes in the supermarket. Unlike stone fruits, tomatoes ripen after picking, so when you bring them home, keep them in a paper bag to slow down the ripening. Also, don't store tomatoes in the fridge as it ruins the taste.
I try to buy organic, but sometimes, price is a factor, as is limited selection. And to be perfectly honest, I hardly eat any fruit..
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Online sites that ship to Canada
Online shopping sites that ship to Canada
Revolve clothing, FREE shipping to Canada
Shopbop.com
Bluefly.com orders up to $300 are $34, over $300 is $45
Sephora.com (not fashion, but how can I not mention Sephora)
Victoriassecret.com (starts at $11.95) http://www.victoriassecret.com/
Activeendeavors.com Shipping is FREE to Canada!
Neimanmarcus.com, not really online shopping because you need to call to make an order, 1.888.888.4757
and of course EBay. A lot of sellers will say US only, but if you contact them, they are often willing to send to Canada. It’s actually not expensive for them to ship to Canada at all.
If you really want something from Zappo’s, you can always order through myus.com, which is a mail forwarding service so you can shop from any online store that ships to the US, but it ain’t cheap. It’s $35 set up fee, then a $132 for annual membership. These are the shipping charges for air. Each 100 grams up to 1 kg $2.20, each 100 grams over 1 kg is $1.45
Mail Network also does the same thing, but it’s more pricey for the annual membership, however, the shipping charges are cheaper.
Personally, I opened up a PO Box in Blaine. I found it to be much cheaper, and I used to go to the US about once a week so it made sense. Now I don’t go as often.
Revolve clothing, FREE shipping to Canada
Shopbop.com
Bluefly.com orders up to $300 are $34, over $300 is $45
Sephora.com (not fashion, but how can I not mention Sephora)
Victoriassecret.com (starts at $11.95) http://www.victoriassecret.com/
Activeendeavors.com Shipping is FREE to Canada!
Neimanmarcus.com, not really online shopping because you need to call to make an order, 1.888.888.4757
and of course EBay. A lot of sellers will say US only, but if you contact them, they are often willing to send to Canada. It’s actually not expensive for them to ship to Canada at all.
If you really want something from Zappo’s, you can always order through myus.com, which is a mail forwarding service so you can shop from any online store that ships to the US, but it ain’t cheap. It’s $35 set up fee, then a $132 for annual membership. These are the shipping charges for air. Each 100 grams up to 1 kg $2.20, each 100 grams over 1 kg is $1.45
Mail Network also does the same thing, but it’s more pricey for the annual membership, however, the shipping charges are cheaper.
Personally, I opened up a PO Box in Blaine. I found it to be much cheaper, and I used to go to the US about once a week so it made sense. Now I don’t go as often.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Martini's on Broadway
I haven't been here in ages, so I was surprised when I went this weekend that the place looks a lot better than before. It sort of reminds me of an upscale pub. But like in the past, they seem understaffed, however, the waitress we got was excellent. And our food was quick, she was attentive, came at all the right times. The food is still mediocre, but their reasonably priced drink menu makes up for it. Martinis for 5.45. I had a Tropical Breeze and it was pretty yummy. Monday nights they are less than 4 bucks. I remember coming here a lot because it was open late, and they served liquor late and I remember the service was really bad back then. The clientele when I went this weekend was very mixed. Some very young people, or senior citizen types. The food they have is like a pizza/greek joint. Souvlaki, pizza, pastas, kalamari, you get the picture. I think it's still an okay place to go to for a drink or some late night food.
151 W Broadway (across from Mountain Equipment Co-op)
Teaworks on Victoria Drive
This is a bubble tea restaurant in East Vancouver close to London Drugs (Victoria and 41st). This place can get really busy, a lot of young student types. The menu is pretty cheap, and the food and drinks aren't bad, but the service is not that great. Some of the waitstaff seem inexperienced and they are definitely understaffed.. I've only been twice though so maybe I went on off nights.
The last time I was there, we were seated before a group of four guys. We kept trying to flag the waitress to order. It took a while for the server to come around, and when she did, she served the four guys first. What was annoying was, those four guys KNEW we were there first, AND they saw us trying to flag down the waitress, but they had no sense of courtesy to say something to the waitress. What was even more annoying was, the guy that started ordering looked almost smug cause he knew they were getting served first, acting like he was some VIP. I think most people would say, "i think they were here first". Anyways, they were right next to us, so she took our order next, so I told the waitress we were here first, "and those guys know that we were here first AND that we were trying to order, but they were too rude to let you know". The waitress apologized, glanced at the guys and looked uncomfortable, and she ended up bringing our order first. The four guys started whispering to each other, probably plotting what they'll say, but think they realized they are assholes. Anyways, the tables are very close together, and it's a super busy environment, and the temperature is very cool in here. So bring a sweater, and be prepared to be in a noisy non-relaxing environment. In that part of Vancouver, there's not that many restaurants open late that are good except maybe Neighbour's restaurant, but the food is very mediocre there.. Oh, and there's Mui Garden, but after my last experience there with a very strange smelling dessert I will not go back there again.
Seto Restaurant in Richmond
I was here a few days ago, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's a little bit pricey I think for what it looks like, but the food is good and quite authentic. In fact, I saw a couple Japan Airlines flight attendants that made their way out here, perhaps on the way from the airport to their hotel in downtown. (They were not in uniform, but I know a flight attendant when I see one)
They have a good selection of sake too. One thing that was a bit funny was, there is a poster for some Japanese girl pageant in Vancouver. There's a picture of five girls (probably the finalists) I think, and it's autographed by all the girls. I just thought that was funny for some reason. If I come back again (which I'm sure I will), I'll take a pic of it if it's still up.
Service is average.
151 W Broadway (across from Mountain Equipment Co-op)
Teaworks on Victoria Drive
This is a bubble tea restaurant in East Vancouver close to London Drugs (Victoria and 41st). This place can get really busy, a lot of young student types. The menu is pretty cheap, and the food and drinks aren't bad, but the service is not that great. Some of the waitstaff seem inexperienced and they are definitely understaffed.. I've only been twice though so maybe I went on off nights.
The last time I was there, we were seated before a group of four guys. We kept trying to flag the waitress to order. It took a while for the server to come around, and when she did, she served the four guys first. What was annoying was, those four guys KNEW we were there first, AND they saw us trying to flag down the waitress, but they had no sense of courtesy to say something to the waitress. What was even more annoying was, the guy that started ordering looked almost smug cause he knew they were getting served first, acting like he was some VIP. I think most people would say, "i think they were here first". Anyways, they were right next to us, so she took our order next, so I told the waitress we were here first, "and those guys know that we were here first AND that we were trying to order, but they were too rude to let you know". The waitress apologized, glanced at the guys and looked uncomfortable, and she ended up bringing our order first. The four guys started whispering to each other, probably plotting what they'll say, but think they realized they are assholes. Anyways, the tables are very close together, and it's a super busy environment, and the temperature is very cool in here. So bring a sweater, and be prepared to be in a noisy non-relaxing environment. In that part of Vancouver, there's not that many restaurants open late that are good except maybe Neighbour's restaurant, but the food is very mediocre there.. Oh, and there's Mui Garden, but after my last experience there with a very strange smelling dessert I will not go back there again.
Seto Restaurant in Richmond
I was here a few days ago, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's a little bit pricey I think for what it looks like, but the food is good and quite authentic. In fact, I saw a couple Japan Airlines flight attendants that made their way out here, perhaps on the way from the airport to their hotel in downtown. (They were not in uniform, but I know a flight attendant when I see one)
They have a good selection of sake too. One thing that was a bit funny was, there is a poster for some Japanese girl pageant in Vancouver. There's a picture of five girls (probably the finalists) I think, and it's autographed by all the girls. I just thought that was funny for some reason. If I come back again (which I'm sure I will), I'll take a pic of it if it's still up.
Service is average.
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