I was donating to Steve's annual Becel Ride for Heart event, and for some reason my old high school shop and computer science teacher came to mind. I had found out only after some years that he had passed away and I was very saddened by it. If I knew of his passing I would have attended the funeral services.
He had a knack for making sure people didn't fuck around with him. He'd yell a lot, call idiots in the class obscene body parts but still making it legal. My first encounter with him was in Grade 9 shop class. I was only 1 of 3 girls in that class. He made sure we were well looked after and always answered our questions first. Sexist? You betcha. But he was one of my favourite teachers. I ended up with the only 90 in that class and I was ecstatic (I DID earn it tho .. those drawings were hard).
I had him again for Grade 10 Computers. Granted his teaching ways weren't always the best, but if you asked, he always told you what you needed to do to get high marks. And that I did. Only a handful of us asked what we needed to do for the 10 page essay. He said just write about ANYTHING. Pictures are good too. So we did that, and 100% we got.
I remember he always smelled of coffee. He'd always be sipping some from his mug. He told me why the ink on the papers I submitted had lines running through them. He told me the difference between good and crappy pencil lead. He's also the one who said I should scream like a crazy maniac instead of keeping quiet should I ever saw my finger off in shop.
3 teachers in class have ever made me blush real hard, and he was one of them.
RIP Mr. Silzer .. you will always be remembered.
His obituary.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Product Reveiw: JVC HAEB75 Sports Clip Headphones
In the past 3 years I've owned a few sets of earphones. The standard iPod earphones that came with my iPod are about 3 years old now and still working. They aren't really that bad, but I say that only because my ears are small and encasing it in those foamy covers help keep them in my ear. I bought 2 pairs of earphones in Hong Kong last year for ridiculous prices. $8 for a pair of Sony in-ear earphones, which I use at work to prevent coworkers from hearing my obnoxious music (and fit quite comfortably for my small ears) and $15 for a pair of Bose in-ear earphones (which retail for $100+ here!). The Bose ones are VERY nice and I bought them on recommendation from a friend. I bought a 2nd pair for the bf and he really likes them.But no matter which pair of earbuds I have bought so far, they will not stay in my ear while working out. My left ear is just .. deformed?? Ok maybe not deformed but let's just say that no earbud will firmly stay in my ear while I'm moving. The iPod earphones have fared the best so far, since all the foam covers I plaster on it help keep them in my ear. But needless to say, after about 2 minutes of running, the left one will eventually wiggle out and I'll have to pop it back it in. The Sony and Bose ones, while good for sitting (and good for people with "normal" ears), pop out of my ear while WALKING, so forget trying to exercise with them.
I don't know how I endured this for so long but eventually one day I thought maybe I should invest in something different. I chose to search on Amazon because I find they have more customer reviews than other websites (i.e FutureShop/BestBuy) .. and I find them more accurate and helpful. The funny thing is that there are NO reviews on the Amazon.ca site but the Amazon.com site has many reviews for the same product! I guess it's just a bit of a hassle trying to figure out which earphones are good and also checking to see if it's available on the Canadian website.
It was either between this pair or the Philips SHS3200 earphones. These were cheaper so in the cart it went. It arrived about 2 weeks after I ordered it.
Comfort/Fit: 4/5
The ear pieces have a simple adjustable piece to fit all ears, which is kind of nice. I had my first run with it today, and it was fantastic not having to shove the earpiece back in my ear every 3 minutes! I didn't have to adjust it once (I habitually kept nudging it to make sure it was there ..). The earbud itself has a little plastic ridge on it (I guess to help keep it in your ear?). After a period of wearing it (1hr+ for me), you do feel a bit of ear pain .. but that seems to be the only downside of it so far. I'd rather take this but not have to adjust my earphones all the time!
Durability/quality: N/A
I've only had these for a few days so I can't really comment yet. I'm not one of those people who excessively sweat and so hopefully no short circuiting should occur. I frequently catch the cord on random things like chairs and it causes a tug on the cord so hopefully these will hold up. The cord is average length .. good enough for me.
Sound quality: 4/5
The sound quality on these earphones are decent! Comparable to my Bose ones, actually. My music has average treble/bass (although I've heard of some distortion happening with bass-heavy music). My rock music fares pretty well on it (and anything treble-heavy). I don't adjust any of my AV settings on my player and the sound comes out quite clear.
Overall rating (so far): 4/5
For $20, I find these earphones to be a bang for their buck so far. Granted I haven't had them for very long but so far they're exceeding my expectations. I was willing to plunk down $50 for a decent pair. These fit my ears and stay on my ears while working out. They're relatively comfortable and look decent (not the best looking pair but let's not nit-pick now). The sound quality is pretty good (for my music) too.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
News articles like these always give me chills. But I always read them for some reason ..
I really wish that the justice system worked in an "eye for an eye" fashion in these cases. So the jerk off who did this would get to experience the cruelty of his own crimes.
I hope he burns in hell.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/962101--911-call-recorded-attack-as-woman-sexually-assaulted-strangled?bn=1
I really wish that the justice system worked in an "eye for an eye" fashion in these cases. So the jerk off who did this would get to experience the cruelty of his own crimes.
I hope he burns in hell.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/962101--911-call-recorded-attack-as-woman-sexually-assaulted-strangled?bn=1
Monday, March 21, 2011
Vegas 2011: Tips to share
Vegas 2011 was my (and every one else's) first visit to Sin City. Here are some tips:
- Plan. At least a bit. Like which hotels/areas you'll hit up each day and how you'll get there. You'd be surprised at how quickly time flies by
- Transportation. If you're lucky (and rich), your hotel is smack in the middle of the strip. We, on the other hand, were at the bottom end of the Strip. The Strip is about 5 miles long and walking it is a pretty long way. The Deuce/Express bus is a good (read:cheap) option to get from bottom to top, and so is the monorail.
- Cab rides are not cheap. Some are there to rip you off. If you are further north than Tropicana, it's cheaper to take a shuttle bus to your hotel from the airport.
- Budget. Food costs money. Gambling costs money. Beer costs money. Transportation cost money. Everything costs money. Goes hand in hand with planning. Figure out what places you'll blow your $ on .. and try not to bet your first born kid and your house.
- Beer is cheap in the little beer/souvenir stores on the Strip. Yes, it is real beer. Yes, it is cheap, and YES you can drink it on the street! Double your beer intake by buying it in the store and not in the hotels.
- Stamps are a rip off at the hotel concierge. They charge you double, as I've found out. I found a beer/souvenir shop that has a stamp vending machine!
- Forget the north end of the strip. Like anything near Circus Circus/Sahara (which is closing down)/Riviera/Trump. They are lame and time-wasting.
- Go to the Las Vegas Premium outlet mall and buy craploads of clothes! (and don't waste your time at the outlet center at the bottom of the strip)
- Watch the Bellagio fountains at night (try not to fall in if you're drunk). If possible, watch it from the Eiffel Tower in Paris hotel.
- Eat at Bouchon in Venetian. Don't get the french toast (not so great), but get the chicken and waffles and a cup of coffee (excellent food).
- Best bathrooms are in Palazzo
- Be serenaded in a gondola in the Venetian ($16/person)
- Eat a dessert or bakery item from Jean Philippe Patisserie. And drool at the fondue fountain!
- Visit Freemont St at night time. It's pretty cool and free.
- Buffets at Wynn/Bellagio are expensive and overrated. But try at least one.
- The nicer the hotel, the less smoke smell you'll find in the lobby/casino area. For example, Bellagio has a soapy scent while New York New York reeks of smoke.
- Best indoor areas (casino/shopping/lobby) are Paris, Venetian, Palazzo, Bellagio, Mirage and Cosmo. Nods also to Luxor, Aria, and Mandalay Bay.
- If your flight is quite a while after check out, most hotels let you leave your luggage with them for free. Just don't gamble or lose your luggage ticket!
- DO NOT FORGET TO BRING YOUR ID.
- If you get a chance, go visit Red Rock Canyon and Grand Canyon. Something to see at least once in your lifetime.
- Plan. At least a bit. Like which hotels/areas you'll hit up each day and how you'll get there. You'd be surprised at how quickly time flies by
- Transportation. If you're lucky (and rich), your hotel is smack in the middle of the strip. We, on the other hand, were at the bottom end of the Strip. The Strip is about 5 miles long and walking it is a pretty long way. The Deuce/Express bus is a good (read:cheap) option to get from bottom to top, and so is the monorail.
- Cab rides are not cheap. Some are there to rip you off. If you are further north than Tropicana, it's cheaper to take a shuttle bus to your hotel from the airport.
- Budget. Food costs money. Gambling costs money. Beer costs money. Transportation cost money. Everything costs money. Goes hand in hand with planning. Figure out what places you'll blow your $ on .. and try not to bet your first born kid and your house.
- Beer is cheap in the little beer/souvenir stores on the Strip. Yes, it is real beer. Yes, it is cheap, and YES you can drink it on the street! Double your beer intake by buying it in the store and not in the hotels.
- Stamps are a rip off at the hotel concierge. They charge you double, as I've found out. I found a beer/souvenir shop that has a stamp vending machine!
- Forget the north end of the strip. Like anything near Circus Circus/Sahara (which is closing down)/Riviera/Trump. They are lame and time-wasting.
- Go to the Las Vegas Premium outlet mall and buy craploads of clothes! (and don't waste your time at the outlet center at the bottom of the strip)
- Watch the Bellagio fountains at night (try not to fall in if you're drunk). If possible, watch it from the Eiffel Tower in Paris hotel.
- Eat at Bouchon in Venetian. Don't get the french toast (not so great), but get the chicken and waffles and a cup of coffee (excellent food).
- Best bathrooms are in Palazzo
- Be serenaded in a gondola in the Venetian ($16/person)
- Eat a dessert or bakery item from Jean Philippe Patisserie. And drool at the fondue fountain!
- Visit Freemont St at night time. It's pretty cool and free.
- Buffets at Wynn/Bellagio are expensive and overrated. But try at least one.
- The nicer the hotel, the less smoke smell you'll find in the lobby/casino area. For example, Bellagio has a soapy scent while New York New York reeks of smoke.
- Best indoor areas (casino/shopping/lobby) are Paris, Venetian, Palazzo, Bellagio, Mirage and Cosmo. Nods also to Luxor, Aria, and Mandalay Bay.
- If your flight is quite a while after check out, most hotels let you leave your luggage with them for free. Just don't gamble or lose your luggage ticket!
- DO NOT FORGET TO BRING YOUR ID.
- If you get a chance, go visit Red Rock Canyon and Grand Canyon. Something to see at least once in your lifetime.
Vegas 2011: The Detailed Itinerary
Recently, the 4 of us hit up Vegas to check out the sights. When you go completely ad hoc I think you waste a lot more time and money, so we did our research (and budgeting). Here's what we came up with (sched updated from what was planned to what was actually done):
A summary of each day:
Saturday
- We got ripped off by a cabbie. He took the long way to our hotel and made some big spiel about tipping the cabbie. Everyone wanted to shoot him and stuff him in his trunk and blow the cab up. Don't mention it to the others again or they'll just shake their heads and get started on it. I hope he burns in hell.
Sunday
- La Salsa Cantina has a cheap $4 breakfast which consists of eggs, bacon/sausage, home fries and 2 tortillas. Unfortunately it didn't taste too great. The water had some serious chlorine issues with the taste, the egg tasted watered down or tasted like egg substitue, and the corn tortillas were eh (maybe flour tortillas taste better) and the sausage was oily (but expected). The only DECENT thing we had was the side of Texas toast that we ordered.
- M&M's world is cool. 4 levels of ... M&M's related stuff.
- There is a tram between Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Make use of it.
- There is a patisserie called Jean Philippe Patisserie and they have locations in a few hotels. The desserts are mouthwatering and they have a wide selection of bakery items. If you get a chance, grab a dessert here and buy some bakery items home!
- The "shark reef aquarium" at Mandalay Bay is nice but not really worth $16. We took about 45 minutes to walk through it and we were walking pretty slow and spent a good 15-20 minutes at the sting ray interactive exhibit (you get to touch sting rays and other aquatic animals). The glass tunnel at the end was cool tho - you see all the fish swim about. We spent a good 5-10 minutes sitting here and staring at the fish.
- Bellagio fountains are pretty to watch during the day but even more beautiful to watch at night.
- Bellagio buffet dinner is nice but overrated.
- There are Walgreens and CVS pharmacies on the strip. It's good (and cheaper) if you need to buy snacks/food.
Monday
- In n Out Burger is overrated. But cheap. Fries and shakes are decent.
- Hoover Dam is nice to see. But it is just a dam .. good thing it's only 45 min away.
- Red Rock Canyon is beautiful. Do make the trip out to see it!
- We missed all the production in Ethel M chocolate factory because we got there right at closing. Would have been cool to see chocolate moving along the conveyor belt. Had some friends try the chocolate, they say it tastes like any other chocolate so not sure if you want to fork over $ to buy chocolate there.
- Food in Il Fornaio in New York New York was TERRIBLE. It's got to be some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. The guys thought it was decent because they were starving but I thought it was pretty bad .. comparable to Sbarro (never eating there again either). Portions were small, the tomato sauce on our spaghetti was watery and tasteless, cannelloni was sloppily put together and too cheesy (maybe it's like that?).
Tuesday
- Grand Canyon is quite a sight to see. Go see if you have a chance. We went to the south rim on advice from the car rental lady at the hotel. Heard that the west rim is owned by the Indians and they may restrict you on what you can do. But also heard that the general sights at south rim are more spectacular. Make sure you make good use of the free bus rides to different view points. I would suggest you get there early to go to as many points as possible.
Wednesday
- IHOP has pretty good breakfasts, I have to admit. My first and only time there and it did not disappoint. I had a giant omelet that came with pancakes. Other ordered waffles, and strawberry pancakes and everyone enjoyed their food. Way better than Denny's.
- Las Vegas Premium Outlet mall (near Freemont st) trumps Las Vegas Outlet mall any day. The premium outlet mall is like Shops of Don Mills - all the shops are outdoors and in a nice complex. It was a beautiful day for us so it made the experience that much better. You could seriously spend a whole day here shopping and prices were dirt cheap so allocate a day here!
- Trevi @ Cesars was decent Italian food. Definitely better than Il Fornaio.
Thursday
- Deuce/Express bus that runs along Las Vegas Blvd is a very nicely run transit system. $5 for 2 hrs or $7 for all day (week/month options available too). Runs frequently and there are informational things at the stops that shows which one stops at which stops. Cheap way to get to the north end of the Strip or to go to Freemont St/Premium outlet.
- Bonanza Gifts is a tacky souvenir store. Great if you want cliche or tacky or gag souvenirs. Not good if you want nice meaningful souvenirs. It is a huge store tho .. you could spend a good amount of time laughing at the gag souvenirs.
- Circus Circus, Riviera and Sahara are LAME hotels, Circus Circus being the lamest of them all. I don't know how this place continues to stay in business but I wouldn't waste money returning to this place if I ever come back to Vegas.
- Pensky Ferrari & Maserati has NICE cars. OBVIOUSLY. But for $10 to see 2 dozen nice cars but not be allowed to take pictures, not sure if it's worth it. That and everything in the gift shop is absurdly priced - $50 for a TSHIRT. REALLY? $20,000 for a model car. REALLY?
- Sirens of TI is .. ok? It's a free show that lasts about 20 minutes and has fireworks and big booms so it wasn't that bad (much better than the lame shows at Cesars).
- Wynn buffet dinner is also overrated. And overpriced. Similar selection as Bellagio but food here tasted better. AND they had a better dessert area. But still .. $35 + tax/tips is kinda pricey. Unless you can eat like 20 pounds of snow crab.
- Freemont St is kinda cool. Take the Deuce/Express bus up. Takes about 45 min from the bottom of the strip but it's worth the ride. It's cool seeing the lighted ceiling and there's a lot of random stores/restaurants/sights to see.
Friday
- Venetian and the Palazzo are NICE hotels. Mirage is nice too. Others are meh. But visit them anyways .. what else are you going to do besides blow your RRSP's at the tables?
- Go visit Jean Philippe Patisserie again for dessert. It's worth it.
- Wildlife Habitat @ Flamingo is a lot smaller than we thought it was. But it's free, so go check it out anyways.
- Fashion Mall is a good place to go shopping, especially if you're not able to hit up the outlets. You could easily spend half a day in there.
- Julian Serrano was really good. At least, I liked it. Our waitress was really nice and helpful. Food was delicious.
- Cirque was .. weird? Saw Ka and it was a random collection of acrobatics, acting and cool special stage effects. No storyline whatsoever. See a different show instead.
Saturday
- Had lunch at Bouchon in Venetian. Got to be the best brunch we've ever had. I ordered french toast and didn't like it too much but their chicken and waffles is FAB (never heard of chicken/waffles til now. Seen it many times in menus). Their coffee is also FAB and I bought a bag of grind home (their cappuccino, not so much).
- Mirage volcano is a cool sight. It's free, so check it out
- Coca Cola store is cool, check it out. You can get a picture with the polie bear lol
- Cosmopolitan is quite a nice hotel. Check it out. Other hotels are quite nice, but I think Mandarin Oriental is only a hotel (while all the others have a casino and shops).
- Eiffel Tower is worth the money, especially if you go at night. You can see the entire strip lit up, and if you're lucky you can catch the Bellagio fountain show. If you're even more lucky you'll get to see a proposal in the works! While we were there a guy proposed to his gf and it was a cute sight to see. We waited about 10-15 min line and there were not that many ppl in front of us. Potential to be a long wait so make sure you're not tight on time when you visit (or you can buy the "priority" ticket which gives you first access to the single elevator (which can fit like 11 ppl), but it's more expensive.
| Date | Activities for the day | Food $ | Activity $ |
| Saturday | - Check into hotel | $0 | Cab ride: $26 Total food: $0 |
| Sunday | - M&M’s World - Visit Excalibur & Luxor - Shark Reef Aquarium @ Mandalay Bay - Bellagio Fountains - Pick up water and snacks for roadtrips @ Walgreens | Breakfast: $5 @ La Salsa Cantina Lunch: $10 @ Sandwich place Dinner: $40 Bellagio Buffet dinner | Casino: $50 Shark Reef: $16 Water and snacks: $20 Total food: $75 |
| Monday | - Pick up car - Hoover Dam - Red Rock Canyon - Ethel M Chocolate Factory | Breakfast: $10 @ diner Lunch: $10 @ In n Out Burger Dinner: $25 @ Il Fornaio (New York New York) | Hoover Dam parking: $7/car Red Rock Canyon: $13/car Total food: $45 |
| Tuesday | - Grand Canyon | Breakfast: $5 @ McD's Lunch: $15 @ local food court Dinner: $10 for 50 nuggets @ McD's | Entrance fee: $25/car Total food: $20 |
| Wednesday | - Las Vegas Premium Outlet - Las Vegas Outlet Ctr - Come back to hotel | Brunch: $15 @ IHOP Dinner: $30 @ Trevi (Cesars Palace) | Total food: $45 |
| Thursday | - Return car - Take the Deuce/Express bus to Stratosphere - Bonanza Gifts - World’s largest Circus @ Circus Circus - Visit Riviera & Sahara hotels - Pensky Wynn Ferrari & Maserati @ Wynn - Sirens @ TI - Freemont St | Breakfast: $10 @ diner Lunch: $10 Dinner: $45 buffet dinner @ Wynn ($34.95 + tax/tips) | Casino: $50 Deuce fare: $7 for all day pass Maserati Entrance fee: $10 Total food: $60 |
| Friday | - Visit Venetian, Harrah’s, Casino Royale, Imperial Palace, Palazzo - Visit the Fashion Mall - Wildlife Habitat @ Flamingo - Return to hotel to change into nice clothes - Cirque @ 9:30pm | Breakfast: $5 @ cafe Lunch: $15 @ CheeseCake Factory (Cesars Palace) Dinner: $50 @ Julian Serrano (Aria) | Casino: $50 Total food: $65 |
| Saturday | - Check out at 11am - Mirage Volcano - Coca cola store - Visit Mirage, Bellagio, Aria, Cosmopolitan, - Eiffel Tower @ Paris hotel - Flight home | Brunch: $25 @ Bouchon (Venetian) Dinner: $25 @ Jevos (Cosmopolitan) | Casino: $50 Eiffel Tower: $11 Total food: $50 Taxi to the airport $14 |
A summary of each day:
Saturday
- We got ripped off by a cabbie. He took the long way to our hotel and made some big spiel about tipping the cabbie. Everyone wanted to shoot him and stuff him in his trunk and blow the cab up. Don't mention it to the others again or they'll just shake their heads and get started on it. I hope he burns in hell.
Sunday
- La Salsa Cantina has a cheap $4 breakfast which consists of eggs, bacon/sausage, home fries and 2 tortillas. Unfortunately it didn't taste too great. The water had some serious chlorine issues with the taste, the egg tasted watered down or tasted like egg substitue, and the corn tortillas were eh (maybe flour tortillas taste better) and the sausage was oily (but expected). The only DECENT thing we had was the side of Texas toast that we ordered.
- M&M's world is cool. 4 levels of ... M&M's related stuff.
- There is a tram between Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay. Make use of it.
- There is a patisserie called Jean Philippe Patisserie and they have locations in a few hotels. The desserts are mouthwatering and they have a wide selection of bakery items. If you get a chance, grab a dessert here and buy some bakery items home!
- The "shark reef aquarium" at Mandalay Bay is nice but not really worth $16. We took about 45 minutes to walk through it and we were walking pretty slow and spent a good 15-20 minutes at the sting ray interactive exhibit (you get to touch sting rays and other aquatic animals). The glass tunnel at the end was cool tho - you see all the fish swim about. We spent a good 5-10 minutes sitting here and staring at the fish.
- Bellagio fountains are pretty to watch during the day but even more beautiful to watch at night.
- Bellagio buffet dinner is nice but overrated.
- There are Walgreens and CVS pharmacies on the strip. It's good (and cheaper) if you need to buy snacks/food.
Monday
- In n Out Burger is overrated. But cheap. Fries and shakes are decent.
- Hoover Dam is nice to see. But it is just a dam .. good thing it's only 45 min away.
- Red Rock Canyon is beautiful. Do make the trip out to see it!
- We missed all the production in Ethel M chocolate factory because we got there right at closing. Would have been cool to see chocolate moving along the conveyor belt. Had some friends try the chocolate, they say it tastes like any other chocolate so not sure if you want to fork over $ to buy chocolate there.
- Food in Il Fornaio in New York New York was TERRIBLE. It's got to be some of the worst Italian food I've ever had. The guys thought it was decent because they were starving but I thought it was pretty bad .. comparable to Sbarro (never eating there again either). Portions were small, the tomato sauce on our spaghetti was watery and tasteless, cannelloni was sloppily put together and too cheesy (maybe it's like that?).
Tuesday
- Grand Canyon is quite a sight to see. Go see if you have a chance. We went to the south rim on advice from the car rental lady at the hotel. Heard that the west rim is owned by the Indians and they may restrict you on what you can do. But also heard that the general sights at south rim are more spectacular. Make sure you make good use of the free bus rides to different view points. I would suggest you get there early to go to as many points as possible.
Wednesday
- IHOP has pretty good breakfasts, I have to admit. My first and only time there and it did not disappoint. I had a giant omelet that came with pancakes. Other ordered waffles, and strawberry pancakes and everyone enjoyed their food. Way better than Denny's.
- Las Vegas Premium Outlet mall (near Freemont st) trumps Las Vegas Outlet mall any day. The premium outlet mall is like Shops of Don Mills - all the shops are outdoors and in a nice complex. It was a beautiful day for us so it made the experience that much better. You could seriously spend a whole day here shopping and prices were dirt cheap so allocate a day here!
- Trevi @ Cesars was decent Italian food. Definitely better than Il Fornaio.
Thursday
- Deuce/Express bus that runs along Las Vegas Blvd is a very nicely run transit system. $5 for 2 hrs or $7 for all day (week/month options available too). Runs frequently and there are informational things at the stops that shows which one stops at which stops. Cheap way to get to the north end of the Strip or to go to Freemont St/Premium outlet.
- Bonanza Gifts is a tacky souvenir store. Great if you want cliche or tacky or gag souvenirs. Not good if you want nice meaningful souvenirs. It is a huge store tho .. you could spend a good amount of time laughing at the gag souvenirs.
- Circus Circus, Riviera and Sahara are LAME hotels, Circus Circus being the lamest of them all. I don't know how this place continues to stay in business but I wouldn't waste money returning to this place if I ever come back to Vegas.
- Pensky Ferrari & Maserati has NICE cars. OBVIOUSLY. But for $10 to see 2 dozen nice cars but not be allowed to take pictures, not sure if it's worth it. That and everything in the gift shop is absurdly priced - $50 for a TSHIRT. REALLY? $20,000 for a model car. REALLY?
- Sirens of TI is .. ok? It's a free show that lasts about 20 minutes and has fireworks and big booms so it wasn't that bad (much better than the lame shows at Cesars).
- Wynn buffet dinner is also overrated. And overpriced. Similar selection as Bellagio but food here tasted better. AND they had a better dessert area. But still .. $35 + tax/tips is kinda pricey. Unless you can eat like 20 pounds of snow crab.
- Freemont St is kinda cool. Take the Deuce/Express bus up. Takes about 45 min from the bottom of the strip but it's worth the ride. It's cool seeing the lighted ceiling and there's a lot of random stores/restaurants/sights to see.
Friday
- Venetian and the Palazzo are NICE hotels. Mirage is nice too. Others are meh. But visit them anyways .. what else are you going to do besides blow your RRSP's at the tables?
- Go visit Jean Philippe Patisserie again for dessert. It's worth it.
- Wildlife Habitat @ Flamingo is a lot smaller than we thought it was. But it's free, so go check it out anyways.
- Fashion Mall is a good place to go shopping, especially if you're not able to hit up the outlets. You could easily spend half a day in there.
- Julian Serrano was really good. At least, I liked it. Our waitress was really nice and helpful. Food was delicious.
- Cirque was .. weird? Saw Ka and it was a random collection of acrobatics, acting and cool special stage effects. No storyline whatsoever. See a different show instead.
Saturday
- Had lunch at Bouchon in Venetian. Got to be the best brunch we've ever had. I ordered french toast and didn't like it too much but their chicken and waffles is FAB (never heard of chicken/waffles til now. Seen it many times in menus). Their coffee is also FAB and I bought a bag of grind home (their cappuccino, not so much).
- Mirage volcano is a cool sight. It's free, so check it out
- Coca Cola store is cool, check it out. You can get a picture with the polie bear lol
- Cosmopolitan is quite a nice hotel. Check it out. Other hotels are quite nice, but I think Mandarin Oriental is only a hotel (while all the others have a casino and shops).
- Eiffel Tower is worth the money, especially if you go at night. You can see the entire strip lit up, and if you're lucky you can catch the Bellagio fountain show. If you're even more lucky you'll get to see a proposal in the works! While we were there a guy proposed to his gf and it was a cute sight to see. We waited about 10-15 min line and there were not that many ppl in front of us. Potential to be a long wait so make sure you're not tight on time when you visit (or you can buy the "priority" ticket which gives you first access to the single elevator (which can fit like 11 ppl), but it's more expensive.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Foodie Blog: Sakura Sushi Japanese Restaurant
An additional comment to the Sakura Sushi Japanese Restaurant from my post last year:
We went here yesterday and ordered volcano rolls. It was DELICIOUSSSSSSSS! It is pretty much cucumber roll with a giant blob of spicy crab and tobiko on top. It's a bit pricey at around $15-16 for the maki roll (you get 8 pieces but sometimes they're really generous and give you 10, as we've found out with some other rolls). If you go here, make sure you order it, it is definitely worth the money.
We went here yesterday and ordered volcano rolls. It was DELICIOUSSSSSSSS! It is pretty much cucumber roll with a giant blob of spicy crab and tobiko on top. It's a bit pricey at around $15-16 for the maki roll (you get 8 pieces but sometimes they're really generous and give you 10, as we've found out with some other rolls). If you go here, make sure you order it, it is definitely worth the money.
Foodie Blog: Ga Bin Korean Restaurant
Ga Bin Korean Restaurant
633 Silver Star Blvd
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Korean
Date visited: March 2011
We had just finished a movie and it was kind of late (9:30). The places that are usually open late are asian places. We hadn't been along Silver Star Blvd for a while so we decided to hit up that area again. We narrowed it down to either Ga Bin or LemonGrass. Guess who won.
Food: 4.25/5
Since it was kind of late and we weren't absolutely starving, we ordered some soup dishes. Well first we asked for an order of steamed dumplings. This was before we were brought a set of mini appetizers that's so traditional of Korean cuisine. D'oh! I polished off the japchae instantly and we ate from most of the dishes (except for the seaweed .. I wasn't fond of it and neither was the bf). Our dumplings came .. on a plain white plate but placed eloquently. I ordered gamjatang and the bf ordered a hot and spicy soup. They came out on sizzling hot stone bowls some 10 minutes later (his looked like boiling lava .. seriously). I really enjoyed my soup. It was very flavourful and a tad spicy but there was soooo much meat I think I only ate less than half. The bf really enjoyed his soup but I found it too spicy. The portion size was good too.
Service: 3.75/5
Our waiter was nice but after we ordered he didn't come by to refill our tea (it came in tiny cups!!) except to give us our dumplings and soup.
Atmosphere: 3/5
Don't expect much decor from this place. It's pretty plain and white, with a dozen tables set up. There are 2 large tv's mounted on opposite sides of the wall. At least it was clean. OH the placemats had 'learn Korean' phrases on it. I thought that was kind of cool! There was Korean/Chinese/English translations (Korean does look a bit complicated).
Price/Value: 4.5/5
We were pretty full after our appetizer and 2 soups. Add on top the free mini appetizers they give you (about 6-7 dishes). Total damage was $22 for 2 people. Tips was $25. Pretty good for dinner.
Overall dining experience: 4/5
We were quite impressed with the soups we ordered. I remember coming here almost a year back and ordered bibimbap and bulgogi and it was good too. The server was quiet and polite and the food was decent. I didn't care too much about the decor and didn't get a chance to see the washroom. Food came promptly and the value was good. They had japchae (eeeee!!!!) so it looks like we will be coming back!!
633 Silver Star Blvd
Scarborough, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Korean
Date visited: March 2011
We had just finished a movie and it was kind of late (9:30). The places that are usually open late are asian places. We hadn't been along Silver Star Blvd for a while so we decided to hit up that area again. We narrowed it down to either Ga Bin or LemonGrass. Guess who won.
Food: 4.25/5
Since it was kind of late and we weren't absolutely starving, we ordered some soup dishes. Well first we asked for an order of steamed dumplings. This was before we were brought a set of mini appetizers that's so traditional of Korean cuisine. D'oh! I polished off the japchae instantly and we ate from most of the dishes (except for the seaweed .. I wasn't fond of it and neither was the bf). Our dumplings came .. on a plain white plate but placed eloquently. I ordered gamjatang and the bf ordered a hot and spicy soup. They came out on sizzling hot stone bowls some 10 minutes later (his looked like boiling lava .. seriously). I really enjoyed my soup. It was very flavourful and a tad spicy but there was soooo much meat I think I only ate less than half. The bf really enjoyed his soup but I found it too spicy. The portion size was good too.
Service: 3.75/5
Our waiter was nice but after we ordered he didn't come by to refill our tea (it came in tiny cups!!) except to give us our dumplings and soup.
Atmosphere: 3/5
Don't expect much decor from this place. It's pretty plain and white, with a dozen tables set up. There are 2 large tv's mounted on opposite sides of the wall. At least it was clean. OH the placemats had 'learn Korean' phrases on it. I thought that was kind of cool! There was Korean/Chinese/English translations (Korean does look a bit complicated).
Price/Value: 4.5/5
We were pretty full after our appetizer and 2 soups. Add on top the free mini appetizers they give you (about 6-7 dishes). Total damage was $22 for 2 people. Tips was $25. Pretty good for dinner.
Overall dining experience: 4/5
We were quite impressed with the soups we ordered. I remember coming here almost a year back and ordered bibimbap and bulgogi and it was good too. The server was quiet and polite and the food was decent. I didn't care too much about the decor and didn't get a chance to see the washroom. Food came promptly and the value was good. They had japchae (eeeee!!!!) so it looks like we will be coming back!!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Foodie Blog: 5th Elementt
5th Elementt
506 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Indian, Eclectic
Date visited: February 2011
My coworker went here with her s.o for Valentine's day and had a wonderful time. We decided to team up and do a double date since there was a promo going on - $29.95 for a 3 course prix fix menu for 2 people!
Food: 4.5/5
For appetizer, there was choice of: Rack of Lamb (with creamy potato salad and lamb jus), Salmon Wrapped Scallops (with tomato salsa and soy glaze), Masala Fried Basa Fillet (with chipotle sauce and mint chutney), Mango & Clementine (with feta cheese and masala dressing), Potato Pappri Chaat (with yogurt mint chutney and tamarind chutney), and Vegetable Samosa Melt (with mozzarella Cheese and basil tomato sauce). I got the Vegetable Samosa and it was fab. It was wonderfully spiced, the spiciness was perfect and the portion was very generous. Bf got the seared scallops and it was good too (but not as good as mine :) )
For entree, there was choice of: Pan Grilled Atlantic Salmon (with bengali curry sauce), Kaima Stuffed Tandoori Chicken Supreme (with creamy butter chicken sauce), Braised Lamb Shank (with garam masala infused tomato lamb sauce), Baseball Steak 8 oz (with vindaloo sauce/fries), Truffle Infused Stuffed Mushroom Korma (with saag paneer and daal makhani). I got the grilled salmon and it was very tender and moist inside. sauce was a different touch but very good. I'd have to say it was one of the better tasting fish meals I've had. Bf got the steak (surprise surprise!) but he thought it was quite nicely done. Vindaloo sauce was quite the kick and I didn't have much since it pushed my heat button. Fries were very tasty (and a generous portion not to mention).
For dessert there was choice of: Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake, Carrot Halwa with Raspberry Sorbet, and Blueberry Cheese Tart. I got the cheese tart. It was ok, didn't blow me away and I don't think I ended up finishing it because it was very rich. Bf got the peanut butter cake (surprise surprise!) and it was really sweet (maybe too sweet).
My appetizer blew me away and my entree was very delicious, so this place gets a good food standing in my books.
Service: 3.75/5
Our waiter was nice but nothing stood out about him. Didn't come by too often but we didn't need to top off our water either.
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
For the four of us, we got seated in a tight fitting booth. Since it was winter time, we had our jackets and the bf and I also had a small bag with us, so stacking all of our stuff in the corner made the roominess very close. There's not much room between the table and the seat so you're quite squished. I'm a small person so I didn't have a problem, but for someone bigger, they would need to a seat at a different table. I found it VERY dark in there and it wouldn't hurt to give more light. Atmosphere was nice and casual, not too loud or mousey quiet. Didn't visit the bathrooms.
Price/Value: 4.5/5
I'm giving this a good review because of the $29.95 for 2 people deal. I don't know how much a meal like this would have cost but it's an even better deal than Winterlicious (they used to be on this I think). The food was delicious and was a good bang for your buck.
Overall dining experience: 4/5
The food was great but it was a bit dark. I didn't have to yell across the table to talk to others and that's definitely a plus. I was quite squished in the limited booth space, but if it was summer it'd be a lot easier minus the jackets taking up space. If they can repeat the food quality and if it was summer time, I'd like to come back and see what else is on their menu (or try to score another deal!)
506 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Cuisine(s): Indian, Eclectic
Date visited: February 2011
My coworker went here with her s.o for Valentine's day and had a wonderful time. We decided to team up and do a double date since there was a promo going on - $29.95 for a 3 course prix fix menu for 2 people!
Food: 4.5/5
For appetizer, there was choice of: Rack of Lamb (with creamy potato salad and lamb jus), Salmon Wrapped Scallops (with tomato salsa and soy glaze), Masala Fried Basa Fillet (with chipotle sauce and mint chutney), Mango & Clementine (with feta cheese and masala dressing), Potato Pappri Chaat (with yogurt mint chutney and tamarind chutney), and Vegetable Samosa Melt (with mozzarella Cheese and basil tomato sauce). I got the Vegetable Samosa and it was fab. It was wonderfully spiced, the spiciness was perfect and the portion was very generous. Bf got the seared scallops and it was good too (but not as good as mine :) )
For entree, there was choice of: Pan Grilled Atlantic Salmon (with bengali curry sauce), Kaima Stuffed Tandoori Chicken Supreme (with creamy butter chicken sauce), Braised Lamb Shank (with garam masala infused tomato lamb sauce), Baseball Steak 8 oz (with vindaloo sauce/fries), Truffle Infused Stuffed Mushroom Korma (with saag paneer and daal makhani). I got the grilled salmon and it was very tender and moist inside. sauce was a different touch but very good. I'd have to say it was one of the better tasting fish meals I've had. Bf got the steak (surprise surprise!) but he thought it was quite nicely done. Vindaloo sauce was quite the kick and I didn't have much since it pushed my heat button. Fries were very tasty (and a generous portion not to mention).
For dessert there was choice of: Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake, Carrot Halwa with Raspberry Sorbet, and Blueberry Cheese Tart. I got the cheese tart. It was ok, didn't blow me away and I don't think I ended up finishing it because it was very rich. Bf got the peanut butter cake (surprise surprise!) and it was really sweet (maybe too sweet).
My appetizer blew me away and my entree was very delicious, so this place gets a good food standing in my books.
Service: 3.75/5
Our waiter was nice but nothing stood out about him. Didn't come by too often but we didn't need to top off our water either.
Atmosphere: 3.5/5
For the four of us, we got seated in a tight fitting booth. Since it was winter time, we had our jackets and the bf and I also had a small bag with us, so stacking all of our stuff in the corner made the roominess very close. There's not much room between the table and the seat so you're quite squished. I'm a small person so I didn't have a problem, but for someone bigger, they would need to a seat at a different table. I found it VERY dark in there and it wouldn't hurt to give more light. Atmosphere was nice and casual, not too loud or mousey quiet. Didn't visit the bathrooms.
Price/Value: 4.5/5
I'm giving this a good review because of the $29.95 for 2 people deal. I don't know how much a meal like this would have cost but it's an even better deal than Winterlicious (they used to be on this I think). The food was delicious and was a good bang for your buck.
Overall dining experience: 4/5
The food was great but it was a bit dark. I didn't have to yell across the table to talk to others and that's definitely a plus. I was quite squished in the limited booth space, but if it was summer it'd be a lot easier minus the jackets taking up space. If they can repeat the food quality and if it was summer time, I'd like to come back and see what else is on their menu (or try to score another deal!)
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