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Crystal "Queen of the Yelp-i-dom aka Yelp Ambassador" H.'s Profile
DateVancouver, BC V6J 1N3
(778) 329-2710
Icebreaker TouchLab
Category:
Sports Wear
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano
Listed in: Shopping in Vancouver: A right…, Baby It's Cold Outside
Vancouver, BC V6B 3N3
(604) 488-0399
Peaceful Restaurant Downtown
Category:
Chinese
Neighbourhoods: Downtown, Granville Entertainment District
I broke a deal for Peaceful tonight: No eating out until our Asian vacation that starts next week. But it was worth it. The menu has so many enticing sounding dishes, and after much debate -- Sichuan stir fry or northern curry -- we ended up ordering cumin beef noodles, spicy eggplant and dumplings to go. They. All. Rocked. Period. Spicy, just enough to not kick my wimpy-spice-sensors into overdrive, and deliciously garlicky, Peaceful continues to knock it out of the park for me.
The staff might not be smilers, but they're friendly just the same. And take it from me, if you like to watch, sidle up to the stools right inside the door, and be dazzled. Hand pulled noodles people, get some!
Cash and debit only.
Listed in: Noodling it up in Vancouver, A Halfer's Guide to Asian…, 5 Vancouver Days, 5 Lunch…
1 Previous Review:
-
6/9/2011
Now this... this makes me happy! Downtown version of one of my favourite Chinese joints?
With lunch combos like spicy eggplant for $7.95? Yes! (Would I order this over and over again, that would be a full YES once again). A choice of cutting or dragged noodles? Yup - they're here too. And sorta slow service that ensures you get lots of chit-chatting in over a long lunch? Why yes, i believe they have that too. (In a rush? I'd suggest asking for your bill when your food arrives).
If you order a la carte at dinner you're looking at $15 for the same thing (but larger size). And you will need to specify that you'd like noodles with your eggplant, or any other dish. There's an extra charge at dinner time, but still worth it. My take out order was enough for 2.5 meals!
What am I waiting for? No seriously, I'm hungry just writing this...
Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1
(855) 454-1002
car2go
Category:
Car Rental
Neighbourhoods: Downtown, Gastown
Ten days later, after a phone call and an email, I received a refund and a 15 minute car credit. I appreciate the sentiment, but after that rigamarole, I don't plan on putting it to use anytime soon.
I want to believe that this service works, because people keep telling me that they have great experiences, but alas, another time let down.
1 Previous Review:
-
12/10/2011
The idea is great. Getting a membership is very smooth. And more often than not, there are vehicles around, which makes it a convenient choice, but that varies by neighbourhood. I've used Car2Go a number of times and have faced a few frustrations with their customer service, the website and the app, which makes the whole convenient proposition a little less enticing.
Customer Service:
The staff I've dealt with is friendly, but pretty useless. I don't think they have enough people working their phones. Or, there's lots of problems that they're fielding = they need more staff.
On one trip, I parked in a Car2Go designated parking spot, in the Georgia and Richards EasyPark lot. The GPS signal didn't register and said the car was out of the service area. Needless to say, I couldn't lock the car nor could I end my rental. So I called the 1-855 number. I call, it connects, no one answers. 3x, followed by 3 minutes on hold. By this time I'm late for a meeting, I'm agitated, and I start walking towards my meeting, still on hold. When I finally speak to someone, they insist I go back to the car because I've left it unlocked. I explain my situation and agree to go back after my meeting.
After my meeting, I went back to the car to help them out and get the same run around on their 1-855 number. Late for another meeting, I abandoned them. Now, had their phone system worked, and the first call I made gone through, we probably could have solved the problem there and then. Days later, I get a call from Car2Go. The message they leave me prompted me to call back. Guess what? No answer when I called back 5 minutes later. Ha. I abandoned them for months after that.
When I gave them another try, it was because I wasn't in a rush. It worked okay for a few trips, without any kinks.
The app/website:
The website is geared to building new memberships. Please, someone tell me where the LOGIN is? I stumble on it every time. You have to go through the new member "Registration" to get to another page that has a teeny tiny login button on it. Intuitive? No. Pretty poor actually.
And the app looks pretty slick, but unfortunately, it's off base. When you reserve a car you have 15 minutes to use it. It often doesn't recognize the location of the vehicle. If it's in an alley, it might tell you it's on a street instead.
I'm glad to say that I'm an early adapter, but until these glitches get sorted with their app, customer service and website, Car2Go will continue to be my 3rd or 4th backup plan.
Vancouver, BC V5Y 3X2
(604) 685-3611
Greenworks Building Supply
Categories:
Building Supplies,
Home Decor
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
Then one fateful rainy afternoon, Peter S and I were walking by. And it just so happened we'd just come from a neighbour's apartment that was being renovated. Needless to say, we had flooring on the brain.
If you are into home finishings and fixtures like tiles, flooring and paints AND are someone who is also committed to sourcing environmentally sustainable items, this store is right up your alley. The staff is knowledgeable -- not just about the item, but also about its environmental footprint. They host workshops -- although according to their website -- their last one was held in July. The shopping experience itself is no pressure, quiet, and relaxed. We could take our time roaming and when we were ready, they sent us home with 2 bamboo flooring samples.
Do I want to make sustainable choices for my apartment? You bet. I just need to save an additional sum to do so! Worth it? To me, yup.
Listed in: Eco Vancouver
Vancouver, BC V5Y 1P5
(604) 875-6747
Pixie
Categories:
Sports Wear,
Women's Clothing
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
What uniform you might ask? My city-slicker-wet-weather-well-being-suit, of course.
This store seems slightly out of sync on this strip, just across the street from MEC and Europe Bound, nestled up next to Eco Outdoors and down the way from Taiga. But for the girl who likes outdoor fashion to be actually fashionable, in a non-surfs-up or snowboarder kind of way, this spot fits the bill. They carry a variety of brands like The Northface, Merrell, Nike, Kamik (Canadian made wellies) and Icebreaker. And they carry a wide range of outdoor and indoor items, "grownup" hoodies (aka hooded shirts) and cable knits, jeans, sports bras and more.
It was extremely quiet in the store. I didn't notice until I thought about it later, but there was only one other customer who browsed while I was shopping, along with an absence of music, meaning the only white noise was street traffic... oh and the full conversations of the two sales associates working. I know I didn't need any help, but still, if you're going to have a noiseless store, you probably should adhere to that policy too.
Pixie, you've made my city-slicker-suit complete, and you can bet, next time I'm at MEC I'm going to be visiting you too!
Listed in: Shopping like a Mama in…
Vancouver, BC V6B 1G6
(604) 558-4658
Bitter Tasting Room
Categories:
Beer, Wine & Spirits,
Pubs
Neighbourhoods: Downtown, Downtown Eastside
Let ye be warned - the $15-16 price tag is there because that steaming pot o' meat comes with FIVE links. Sharing is encouraged. Pickled carrots and celery, sauerkraut and mustard adorn their own plate, tasty accompaniments. I do wish that a bit of bread came with as well, but you can add on a pretzel for $3.50 if you are so inclined. The pickled eggs for $2 are herbed with tarragon and taste like little fingers of egged perfection.
3 people around a two top is a little tight, but on a Friday night, no one's being that picky, just thirsty. And oh, the beer. I had hoped for a bigger selection on tap, but the bottles were mighty impressive and made up for it with their sheer amount. I was also happy to see a few other options for the non-beer drinkers, mainly the bourbons and ryes and the beer cocktails. Bitter Chill and Milwaukee Float - I'm staring you down, waiting for my next encounter at Bitter so I can sip on you too.
Listed in: Gastown Hotspots, Vancouver Beer Culture
Vancouver, BC V5N 5E5
(604) 253-9717
Phoenix Garden Seafood Restaurant
Categories:
Seafood,
Dim Sum
Neighbourhoods: Grandview-Woodlands, Hastings-Sunrise
22$ (+ tip) = Cost for a very filling dim sum.
20% = weekday discount
2 = thumbs up
Kat S deserves 100% of the credit for inviting me for dim summing here today. We stuffed ourselves on sticky rice, beef stuffed rice rolls, gai lan, sui mai, pork and peanut dumplings and mango pudding - shaped like fishies! Everything was a hit, except I wasn't a big fan of the pork/peanuts. It was loose in it's wrapper and the combination didn't do it for me. But the sui mai was fabulously plump, juicy and flavourful.
A bustling place for a Friday at 1030, with a line up forming, and large groups dining around the big round lazy susanned pimped up tables. We were seated at a small two-top balanced precariously on the edge of two rooms. A good vantage point for "tai haa" aka "Just looking." Pronounced with sounds like -ai-sle f-a-ther. That's right, today I had my Cantonese phrase book with me and I'm putting it into practice. The downside to this spot, the managers pacing back and forth, stopping right in front of our table to monitor the line up at the door.
We doddled over our conversations and yum cha, but this could also be a pretty quick meal -- the carts were stacked full, full, full with a variety of options including some very tasty looking eggplant that were just beyond our reach as they were gobbled up by other tables. Good thing, we were pretty full.
When I asked for the maai-daan, aka the bil pronounced l-ie- f-a-ther, I almost fell over at the ridiculous cheapness. All I can say is when's the next dim sum date?
Listed in: Vancouver's Cheap Eats, A Halfer's Guide to Asian…, Chinese Cuisinery, Vancouver Dim Sum Dining
I wasn't especially feeling the atmosphere: it was sparsely seated with that all too commonplace look and feel of a Greek restaurant. However, it was a Sunday night and we were in for a slightly later dinner. But I do have to tip my hat to our server. I liked her bubbly personality and her help in pronunciation, respected her honesty about some of the dishes and drinks we were contemplating, and her generosity in bringing us a sample of their house wines while we hummed and hawed around our decision. (Note to anyone who really enjoys their wine - steer clear of the house Greek choice.)
All in all, a delicious feed. Bravo, Estia, Bravo!
Listed in: Sprinkled With Haligonian…
Vancouver, BC V6J 5L1
(604) 731-4687
Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
Category:
Performing Arts
Neighbourhood: Fairview Slopes
Sitting in the third row, I was humbled by the small orchestra area where suited up musicians were tickling the ivories and beating drums. The chairs are low this close to the stage, which made this an ideal section for me, all 5 foot 4 inches of me. Peter S even rejoiced as he dangled his legs in behind the second row, all 6 feet 4 inches of him! But don't forget to bring a shawl, a scarf or a sweater. When the curtain goes up it takes with it all of the warmth from the room, well at least that close to the stage.
The most exquisit feature to my eyes, are the shell sculptures that adorn the walls, trimming the ceiling. It's the small details that make me pause and look up. A perfect thing to do while you're waiting for the theatre to clear during intermission. For 2.5 hours I almost felt like I had been breathing in a different era. Although, that might have also been the fact that it was a rendition of White Christmas on the stage.
Listed in: Granville Island Best Of's
Vancouver, BC V6E 1N4
(604) 688-0911
Super Valu
Category:
Grocery
Neighbourhood: West End
Staff look miserable, but they're quite friendly. And honestly, I can't blame them -- they have to work in those drab lights, wearing drab uniforms, and ringing in sad and drab orders.
Listed in: A Guide to Vancouver's Dining…, Vancouver's Cheap Eats, Organically Delicious., Eating In, On the Cheap
1 Previous Review:
-
3/5/2009
Welcome to the grocery store I stop in at when I'm late, I've forgotten an ingredient and am willing to improvise, or just need something basic.
Top five reasons why you would shop at Super Valu -
5. They're open late
4. There's always something on sale
3. You can watch TV in the checkout aisle, and rent a movie at the door
2. The staff is generally friendly (even that time they accidentally charged my debit card over $800 instead of $8, honest mistake!)
1. If you look closely you'll see some important bits of organic merchandise: meat (there's an entire organic section!), canned goods (president's choice but I'll take it) and dairy.
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Vancouver, BC
Yelping SinceOctober 2008
Things I Lovefriendly neighbours, wine pairings, loose teas, sushi, local beer, fab bands in small clubs, independent bookstores, cooking, chocolate, reading, films, coffee, nerds, writing, eco-chic, environmental causes
Find Me InHunters, somewhere snowy, getting my Americano on
My HometownVancouver, BC
My Blog Or Website When I'm Not Yelping...it's because I have a cocktail in each hand.
Why You Should Read My ReviewsMy tummy holds surprisingly more food than you would think!
My Second Favourite Website The Last Great Book I ReadFive Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris
My First ConcertNKOTB, age 8
My Favourite MovieDan in the Real Life, Juno, Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing
My Last Meal On EarthMarrow @ Daily Kitchen, Korean ribs @ Flying Tiger, stuffed tomatos @ my kitchen
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I secretly watch Dawson's Creek and think about Pacey
Most Recent DiscoveryAsparagus Farm, Cobble Hill, BC http://tinyurl.com/yel...
Current CrushA monkey on a toilet... nodding
Icebreaker is not really trendy, the colours are staples, the cuts are classic, the designs are simple. So why is it that for Icebreaker I'm willing to fork over all of my dough? Quality + warmth + the way it feels.
Quality: I can go multiple wearings without washing. And that on its own is good enough for me. I pack one hoodie for a 4 legged trip, wear it on each airplane ride, air it out for the day and wear it when I'm lounging in my hotel room at night. Zero airplane odour. I can wear a tank top up a mountain in the blazing sun, air it out for an hour and then wear it to dinner the same night. And I can repeat that cycle several times over. Brilliant!
Warmth: 100% merino wool in various weights equals different levels of warmth or coolness. And I own the gamut - tank tops, long sleeved undershirts, hoodies, dresses, leggings, capris, jackets - multiple.
Feeling: I like this store. The layout: Guys on the left, girls on the right. The staff know their product and can explain the layering system. They're helpful, but not in your face. The first time I put on an Icebreaker shirt, I knew it. I was hooked.