Race #83 - Great post-race buffet at the Galley Patio and Restaurant (Hypothermic Half Marathon)

This was the first time I ever ran in the Hypothermic Half-Marathon. First of all, I would like to thank all my friends at the Running Room for your support in my pursuit for 100 races. The Hypothermic Half is a Half-Marathon/Full Marathon series across Canada organized by the Running Room. These races are community events where participant numbers are around 100 - 500. This event comes with a decent amount of swag. Each participant got a Running Room backpack (which retails at $59.99), a bib, a medal and a post race buffet. 

   The event features a double figure 8 loop starting at Jericho Sailing Center. It is pretty hard to find a location to host a race that is perfectly 21.1km, so that made sense to me from an operations perspective. The weather was thankfully very good and the skies were partly cloudly. On that note, the course was very beautiful, which definitely made it more fun to run considering that it was a repetitive loop.

   When the event finished, my favourite part was the post race breakfast buffet. It is not very common to see at an outdoors athletic event that uses ceramic and have a sit down place for food. The Jericho Sailing Center has a really nice restaurant that overlooks English Bay. The food selection and post race buffet was spectacular. From freshly baked croissants to sausages, eggs, waffles, hash browns, bacon and fruits, this is definitely one of the best post race buffets around. I am definitely fan girling around the fact that we get ceramic served food. I didn't eat too much though since I am not usually that hungry after a race, but I did have some food :p

"Is that a dinosaur?" - Beaty Biodiversity Museum UBC Overview and Tips

My feet compared to a dinosaur's

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum has got to be one of the coolest places to visit for both UBC students and the general public. From the outside, you can see this big blue whale skeleton hanging from the ceiling (or to some they think it's a dinosaur). I used to walk by here during the times I was doing my degree and I came in here a few times to check it out (it was free for students). However, it was hard to appreciate the things in here in its full entirety as a student as my priorities were dedicated to exams and graduating.

The big blue whale 

   I decided to come back here today as I saw a 2 for 1 deal on Groupon (UBC Alumni gets a 2 for 1 deal already). There was a "save 20%" deal on Groupon and I used Ebates so the total came to less than $12 for 2 people (which was roughly 75% off the regular price). I came here with my +1 as he loves animals (and I do too, but I'm a nerd and loves everything) and we were in the area for a meeting.
    The museum itself isn't super fancy, but it has all the bells and whistles a museum should have. There is a mini-gift shop, a small cafe (which I believe is closed) and an admissions desk at the top level. Upon showing my groupon, the volunteer at the admissions desk checked it off of my app.
No flash photography, foods or drinks are allowed in the museum. After entering the lower level through a ramp, you enter the main hall area where there are some displays and the entrance to the theatre. Inside the theatre, they feature a documentary on how the big blue whale skeleton was found. The movie wasn't playing when we were here.
    After walking past the main hall, you will see rows upon rows of black shelves (I am not sure what you would call them... maybe cabinet? We'll call them shelves - lack of a better term). There were over 30 rows of shelves. It looked sort of like a library at a glance. However, once we walked into the first row, it was impressive to see the displays. The very first row is a display of animals that went through taxidermy encased in glass cabinets. There were so many of them. For each animal class, there were numerous species in display. From goats to jaguars to different kinds of birds, insects and their eggs. This row was mainly an overview row I think. However, I genuinely enjoyed the captions that the animals had.

  We decided to start from the back and work our way forward. The very back section of the museum contained fossils of plants. If you keep walking into the sections, there are displays in the ground (such as a dinosaur feet). While we were comparing our feet to the dinosaur's, a volunteer was pushing a cart with a bunch of bird feet. It wasn't encased in anything, so we decided to take a closer look. The volunteer also had pictures (like full body ones) of each bird and she was showing us how birds that prey have clawed feet while birds that swim would have webbed feet. Looking at the wide variety of specimens of different bird legs was interesting as it painted a story on how animals adapted to their environments.
    During our conversation with the volunteer, I asked her if many students visited here. To my surprise, she said no. She was mentioning how ignorant some students were and how some students actually asked her if the big blue whale skeleton over the main hall was a dinosaur. I had a chuckle when I heard that (the skeleton didn't even have legs, how can it be a dinosaur?!). She also referred us to the hands on area hidden at the back and how we can feel some of the taxidermy animals.
    The hands on area was like a classroom. Before you are able do anything hands on, the volunteers would ask you to wash your hands (understandably, as you are touching fragile specimens). In the back of this hands on section were cabinets. When we were here, a volunteer had one open and inside were jars of animals placed in formaldehyde. My eyes grew wide open as I started to question what they were. Before we knew it, we were in a deep conversation with the volunteer and he opened every cabinet to show us everything they had. There were very interesting things from road kill (like skunks) to turtles, fossils and more. They even had taxidermy of many types of birds (they didn't do the eye part too well on this part, but it was cool to see none-the-less.

The hands on section of the museum

    Overall, there is more to the experience than I can write with this post. There are so many different animals and things you can learn about the living world here. From the animal kingdom to the fungus, there are specimens from all 5 kingdoms of the living world. Moreover, this place is actually used by researchers, so it is interesting to know that by going to the museum, you are contributing to research efforts as well as recognizing the work that many people put in, in the field of life sciences. Whether it's kids young and old, I definitely recommend coming here. The amount of things you learn is well worth it.

Tips:

One of the sections inside the rows upon rows of displays.

• If you want to save money, take public transit (remember, it's $1.75 per every half hour of parking at UBC, and no there's no combo pricing for anywhere under 6 hours)
• Students, faculty and staff go in for free, alumni can get in with a 2-for-1 deal.
• If you are not associated with UBC, you can get a Groupon for a 2-for-1 (they are not always available, however when the Groupon is available and you combine it with a Groupon sale) and then a further 6% off with Ebates.
• Website: http://beatymuseum.ubc.ca/

Time to get your inner geek out! A Halloween Night at Wayne Manor (Brock House Restuarant) Event Recap

The reception area

This was one of the most unique events I have ever been to (it was from October, I was a bit late in posting this) A good friend of mine had an extra ticket to "A Halloween Night at Wayne Manor" at Brock House Restaurant and she invited me to go. What an experience it was! A fully immersive theatrical event where there were actors acting out parts from the Batman movie coupled with good food from the restaurant and all guests dressed up (except me...) really made this a spectacular event. Put on by the Geekenders, it was nice to see so many actors who were so passionate about what they do. Just a warning, if you are coming to an event like this, be sure to dress up. My friend and I didn't dress up because we just assumed it was a casual dinner with no dress code, but we were wrong... haha.
   When we arrived, the parking in the surrounding areas were full so we parked a few blocks away. The Brock House restaurant is a vintage house built in the 1900's. It's more of a mansion than a house (especially in modern day Vancouver where houses are getting smaller and smaller) and it definitely has some historical significance to it. It was definitely majestic to see the house from the outside as the building felt like it was from another era (one where Vancouver was probably more affordable).

The appetizers 

   From the entrance of the Brock House, a small line up of people attending the event can be seen. Everyone was dressed in suits and gowns so at that instant, I felt abit weird. Once the line started moving and we were on the porch and inside the restaurant, we were greeted by people from Geekenders. They were all dressed up and really contributed to the vintage and classy feel that the Batman movie portrayed.
   After we finished with the coat check, and got our champagne tickets, our attention immediately shifted to one of the characters trying to show the upstairs venue to a bunch of guests. To be honest, I am a nerd, but I'm not much of a Batman nerd so I don't really know many of the characters (that explains my choice of clothing). It was only a few moments into the event, I was already impressed.
   The main dining hall had some characters playing and singing on the piano and food. The first hour was the appetizers which included cheese, crackers and vegetables. There were also olives and a cheese platter. All around were characters acting out scenes. There were also photographers (one was a character from Batman) walking around with vintage cameras to take pictures. After about an hour, this was when the entrees and appetizers came out.

The self serve entree bar

    The appetizers were exquisite. From spring rolls to smoked salmon on cream cheese and cucumbers to mini quiches to skewers with bacon and asparagus, the selection was quite well done. The taste of them and the quantity were very well done. I personally loved the smoked salmon (I think I had at least 10 pieces because I don't eat smoke salmon often). 
    In addition to the appetizers the main dish was a self serve bar where you can choose things like shrimp, fish, meat, pasta, vegetables and more and there are live chefs there cooking for you. I had some shrimp mixed with pasta and some white sauce. It was sooo good. There weren't many places to sit, but they had chairs lined up on the side of the dining hall. 

The "Press Release" from the Mayor of Gotham City

    The highlight of the night happened after the dinner was served. The actor who played the mayor suddenly appeared on the elevated steps of the dining hall and everyone gathered around him. There were actors in the crowd who were portraying journalists and asking him questions about the mayor's decisions on building a psych ward. All of a sudden, the lights went out and the joker appeared. The joker and his gang took over the stage. Soon after, the lights went out again and the next thing we knew, Batman showed up to tied up the mischiefs. The scene was saved and then Bruce Wayne (the actor portraying Bruce Wayne) showed up. This was really well done in my opinion.
   After this scene, everyone dispersed to grab drinks. I think this was when the ball was supposed to happen. However, most people decided to just grab a drink a chat rather than dance. My friend and I decided to go upstairs and see what people were up to. To our surprise, we found the dessert section.

The dessert selection

   The desserts were amazing. There was a volunteer from the Geekenders there at the dessert table and we briefly chatted. He had a very slim face and a sort of natural evil look (like a resting bitch face, but a resting evil look instead).  It turned out he played the evil character in many movies and had small roles in movies such as Deadpool. He also has his own IMDB profile and his own acting classes. Together with mingling with actors were the desserts. The dessert selection was quite amazing too. They had cream puffs, chocolate mousses, a variety of cakes and fruits. My favourite was the chocolate mousse. I've never had mousse like this in a cup before so it was quite special.  The other desserts were good too. The selections were quite good in my opinion.
  Before we left, we discovered in one of the side rooms, there were coffee. I think that coffee room was sort of like the "introvert's corner" of the event. There were a wide variety of coffee and tea and people we were there by themselves and away from the acts happening outside.
  Overall, what an event! It was quite well done. Besides the part where people didn't really dance, overall the event was so well done. The food and drinks selection was amazing. Together with the immersive action from the Batman movie, the vintage location a Brock House Restaurant and the scheduling of the events, it was quite a well run event. If I was a bit more Batman geeky I would have understood it more, but from a non Batman geeky perspective. That said, using a bit of with a bit of imagination and a hint of nerd, I HIGHLY recommend checking out this event and other Geekender events in the future. 

Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5km - Overview and why you should run it!

My blog is all about talking about quality experiences, be it food or events. There is a discount for this event at the bottom of this page! Besides food, in the month of January I will be blogging about races and events too. If you are looking for a half-marathon (21.1km) for the target period of June then this is the race to do! I've ran this race many times and I have also paced it for the 1:45 for a few years. I am not biased, but overall this is one of my most favourite races. A few reasons why I love this race:

• It is a HUGE fundraising event for many charities. In 2017, the event raised over $970,000 for 70+ charities.
• It is very well organized by a team of people that is very passionate about the community and the running community. The professionalism they bring to the events they create is evident through how thorough it is organized and how every little detail is not missed out.
• You get great swag! From a tech t-shirt to a medal to the virtual swag bag (in the past some swags that came with the virtual swag bag includes a subscription to Men's fitness). 
• It's a great value overall and it is very well organized.
• It is net- downhill course - meaning that the course itself is designed to be downhill and fast. It's great for beginners (this was my first half-marathon actually).
• Small details about this race: they are very environmentally responsible with one of the highest waste-diversion rates in the country.
• The event has pacers to help you keep on track!

The course (half-marathon):

Out of the many races that happen in Vancouver, I would say this one is one of my favourites. The entire course is net downhill - (for those who are unfamiliar with the term, it means that you start at a higher elevation but finish at a lower elevation.

Beginning at UBC, there is an immediate downhill right after the start. Once you reach West 16th, you will turn right on it and then turn left on Marine Drive. The course will still continue to lower in elevation until the turn around point. You will then follow Marine Drive for a while until you are in the Kitsilano area. This is my favourite part because it's super scenic. You get a view of the water and the mountains. 

     Once you are in Kitsilano, there is a small uphill up Jericho (this is probably one of the three small uphill sections). You will continue all the way on West 4th, and then make your way to Cornwall (this place is very scenic as well) and then cruise all the way to the finish line after you cross the Burrard Street Bridge. As you can see, there aren't many up hills and most of the course is downhill. It's great for speed.

There is also a 5km option for those who are not as keen to run that far, the 5km is a loop in Stanley Park and West-end. The 5km option is a good family event if you want to take your kids out to be active or can't run but want to participate (this is a course that you can comfortably walk in about an hour).

Discount Code: You can sign up at https://Bit.ly/RFScotiahalf2018 and use "RFORCE2018" for 10% off!

Tips:

1. HYDRATE!!! I would recommend stopping at every aid station (especially the ones at the very beginning). I lost track of how many people feel sick or light headed over the years because they think they don't need to hydrate. (Mind you, don't over hydrate either... that can cause hyponatremia which isn't good).
2. Do not underestimate the weather - It can be very hot out there. Remember to wear sunscreen and a hat. I would put the sunscreen from the eye level down (anywhere above the eye level will make the sunscreen run and sting your eyes after you start running and sweating).
3. Pack light - There is bag check at the event, but be reminded that it's run by volunteers and that it's a pain for them if they have to move heavy things. 
4. DO NOT over do it when you are at the downhill portion (especially at the Marine Drive downhill). Since the biggest downhills are at the beginning of the race, many people love to run these hills super fast. Unless you have a strategy, burning out your thighs so early on is not a good idea.
5. DO TRAIN for the race, even though a half-marathon is not a marathon, it is still an endurance event. 21.1km is still very long.

If you are looking for information about training for a marathon / half-marathon, please visit my other post: https://vantraveller.blogspot.ca/2018/01/marathon-half-marathon-training-info-if.html

Vancouver's only marathon - the BMO Vancouver Marathon Overview and Experience and why you should run it!

BMO Vancouver Marathon is THE MARATHON to run if you are in Vancouver. We are talking about the 42.195km full marathon (there is also the half-marathon and 8km distances that the race offers, but I've only ever done the full marathon for this event). There are other small marathon distance races around in Vancouver, but nothing matches the amount of organization, effort in planning and the scale of the BMO Vancouver Marathon. Organized by the nonprofit society, Vancouver International Marathon Society, this event brings out the entire community (For those unfamiliar with sponsorships, BMO is the title sponsor of the event, but the event is actually run by a nonprofit organizing group). Points about this event that I love is:

• World class marathon expo at the Vancouver Convention Center - The marathon expo has always been one of my favourite things about this event. 
• World class organization - When I mentioned that the entire community is involved, I was not kidding. During the marathon, the city's police and ambulance forces are all connected to the marathon. Every care and detail is put into the race from safety measures to washrooms and more.
• An add on to the point above.. there's washrooms on course (you have NO IDEA how important that is, try holding your business in for 3 (or in some cases 4+) hours and add on running. 
• It takes close to 4000 volunteers to make the marathon happen and it's largely volunteer driven.
• It is rated by Forbes and CNN as one of the most scenic marathons in the world. The course is like 70% by the water and you run in a mix of residential, parkland, city and more. 

The Expo
From the plaza outside, there is a stage where there are performers, activities and flags to welcome people from all over the world. There are usually activities outside as well on the plaza and photo opportunities.  Inside the convention center, there are many exhibitions ranging from running products, nutrition products, other races and travel information. I absolutely love the expo as it's bustling with people, new products and all of that. It gives the running nerd inside of me a nerdgasm.


The full marathon course
The marathon itself have changed over the course of the last 46 years. Originally it was just loops around the Stanley Park Seawall. But now, it goes through many neighborhoods of Vancouver. Often times, the neighborhoods of Vancouver all come out to support the marathon.

The marathon map from the BMO Vancouver Marathon Website

Starting at the Queen Elizabeth Park, there is a slight up hill for the first kilometers and then it is all downhill on Cambie Street (it's a gradual downhill) until 49th Avenue. Cambie Street is big and quite beautiful to run with buildings on the sides. Here you will continue further downhill on 49th Avenue. 49th Avenue is primarily residential areas, and the houses are big. The trees on both sides create a tunnel like feeling to the course.

You will continue on the course until you hit Camosun. This is where the challenge begins. This hill is not exactly that easy to get up to so over the course of a few years, the race has implemented a "hill challenge" where timing mats are placed at the bottom and top of the hill. Runners who are non-elites who races up to the top with the fastest time gets a prize (usually a cheque) - personally, I would take this part easy as I try to go slower at the beginning to reserve my energy reserves.

After the top of the hill you will continue on to West 16th Avenue where there is still a small hill. The left side is Pacific Spirit Park while the right is residential areas. The gel station is up ahead (I highly recommend grabbing some gels here and eating it too so that your energy levels can be replenished). You will continue on to West 16th Avenue until you get to Marine Drive at UBC (where the down hill begins).

Marine Drive is relatively flat at UBC. When you get to the intersection of West 4th and Marine drive is when the massive downhill begins. The views here are gorgeous as you can see the sea and mountains. You will continue to Spanish Banks and all the way to Jericho Beach (slight uphill here) and then on to West 4th Avenue. The course continues on West 4th Avenue until you hit Alma, and then you will continue along 1st Avenue until you are on Cornwall. For many, this is where the real challenge begins. It is roughly 28km into the race and many runners (including me a few times) hit the wall here.

The last hill of the race is here and that is going over the Burrard Street Bridge. There will be lots of people cheering before, during and after the bridge. Once you are past the bridge, you will continue on Pacific Avenue until Stanley Park. Once at Stanley Park, you will follow the seawall all the way around until the finish line in Downtown Vancouver.

TIPS:

• If you are planning to run the full marathon, do not underestimate it. It does take training and is not something you can just do without knowing what it takes. I've seen people who do not train for the marathon and regretted it during the race (many don't even finish), they underestimate how long 42.195km really is. A good rule of thumb is to have completed a half marathon and a 3-6 month training program before attempting the marathon. Here is a nut-shell edition of how I trained for the marathon: http://vantraveller.blogspot.ca/2018/01/marathon-half-marathon-training-info-if.html
• Sign-up early! The rates increase closer to the event date. It's easier to plan training and travels (if need be) earlier. Students get a discount of 30%!! ****NOTE: you have to be 19 to run in the marathon. 

  

  The Marathon provides shuttle buses for those not in Vancouver

• If you want to be a part of the excitement, but not ready to run a full marathon by yourself yet... try the relay! Grab a team of 4 and take turns to run it. Everyone on the team gets a medal and the experience (without the 42.195km of pain (though it's one of those hate love things)).
• Nutrition: The race do provide aid stations and gel stations. That said, everyone has a different taste bud and needs. As with any marathon, it's best to check what supplements are provided before running. I would recommend bringing a hydration pack and your own gels anyway. I've ran this race a few times and sometimes I get experimental (like trying a new gel on the course that I've never taken before during training). Let me tell you... that causes a lot of stomach problems and sometimes your body doesn't know how to handle the new gels. 
• Do be mindful of hydration. Dehydration (and sometimes over hydration - a condition called hyponatrema) is common. So please be mindful of your hydration levels. Stopping at a water station to drink water takes a few seconds.. getting a cramp from dehydration.. that could take you out of the event and possibly send you to the hospital.
  
• Take public transit to the startline. Translink and the marathon work together, so there are shuttles. Information can be found on the marathon website and you usually have to indicate if you are using this service during sign up.
• Pace Bunnies : The race offers pace bunnies (not real bunnies silly, but people who will run holding a stick with a time written on it) to keep you at a constant pace throughout your race. Every bunny have their own strategies but for speeds slower that 3:30 for the marathon, many will do 10-1's (meaning they will run for 10 minutes and walk 1 minute). You don't have to stay with a pace bunny, but they do help you gauge an estimate of what your finish time will be.
  
  

There are all my thoughts for now, I will probably post a Part 2 edition later on. Feel free to let me know what you think so far and if I missed anything. Cheers and happy training <3

Renting a Car VS Car Sharing : Pros, Cons and findings

Sometimes you just need a vehicle that can get you places but you don’t really want to necessarily spend money to buy one. Renting would be the next option, but the amount of options out there is also pretty huge. After doing research, I deduced the endless options out there to 2 categories. The first category is renting a vehicle from a car rental place while the second one is opting for Car Sharing.

   Carsharing is a great way to get the job done as you can easily access a vehicle whenever you please and just pay for the amount you use. There are some downsides too such as the limitations of where you can get your vehicle, limitations on what you can do to your vehicles and the cost going up if you drive past the allotted mileages. The same goes for car rental places where it’s cheaper to rent for a few days at a time.

  I wanted to find a car that I can use just for a day, so I decided to compare the differences between a car rental place and having a car share account and this was what I found:

	Pros	Cons
Car Rental Place	Cheaper to for an entire day or more (long term). More options to the types of vehicles No long term commitment Some places don’t require a driving record… so there is less administrative work. More options through provided services (such as booster seats and more that you can’t get with a car share account). There are COUPON codes lying around... you can easily google one and find one.	Mileage not included so you would need to gas up yourself. (some car rental places may even have a surcharge for mileage past a certain amount). Insurance not included.
Car Sharing	More flexibility as cars can be rented for a small period of time (like a few hours or minutes) Included Gas (200km) and insurance Fluid pickup and drop off locations (some car shares let you pick up and drop off at different locations)	Jargon: Membership fees, annual fees, administrative fees. Insurance policies tend to be ambiguous (they say the deductible need Tedious sign up process (must get a driving record from ICBC and etc…)

I found that you can get a car from a car rental place, you can get a relatively decent car for $40 a day, versus getting a car from a car share location (which can go from $60 and above). You also have more access to varieties and more flexibility as what you can do your car. You also don’t need to have a membership and get membership approval like what you would need to do for a car sharing co-op. Hence, if you are going on a road trip that lasts over a day, I would recommend going to rent a car.

    With regards to damage and liability,  you definitely want insurance to cover yourself against damage/loss, and generally car rental places do provide insurance where they handle all of the claims and such. However, I found that rental places do tend offer insurance at a premium compared to buying the insurance from a separate insurance company. As an example, AVIS offers insurance for $29 a day while Allianz offers their insurance (up to $40,000) for only $11 a day (price as of May 30th, 2017).It is worthwhile to note that there may be a deductible (the price you would need to pay in the case that an accident happens for the insurance to work).  Also, some credit cards do also provide insurance (this is where you need to go into read the ant-like fine print from your credit card benefits) and this may be used towards a deductible.

   For short distances and shorter travel, car sharing would be the best option as it’s cheaper. If you are thinking about driving a lot but only on special occasions or to commute, getting a car sharing membership is worthwhile. The initial setup may be higher, but it’s definitely better for the long run due to the convenience of choosing a car at a moment’s notice vs having to book and go all the way to a rental place each and every time.

*Disclaimer: These are just my findings, and can be inaccurate. These are my own findings and I am not responsible for anything that is caused by anything written on this blog.

2 for $3 Samosas (Maurya Express UBC Review)

Being one of the only places that specialize in Indian food on campus, Maurya is an average place to get your dose of India. I was going to Staples with a friend when I noticed a strong scent of curry. Being a huge curry lover, I decided to investigate and it brought me to the door steps of Maurya. 

   The first thing I noticed was the special offer they were offering on a poster at the door. Apparently, it was 5 dollars for two scoops of rice and a choice of curry. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal (or should I say, spicy deal? ;)), however I wanted something small. I noticed that the samosas were 2 for $3. That seem to be a good deal so I went in.

    The inside of the restuarant was small and felt like it was designed for the take-out sector. There weren't many dine in seats and the seating was awkward. It was right in front of the cashier, so I'd imagine it wouldn't be too comfortable sitting there.

    After looking at the pretty uninteresting menu (there wasn't much to it beside black and white words. You'd think there would be a design of some sort... but noooo. ), I ordered the samosas.

   The cashier had to warm them up before giving them to me. This makes me wonder how fresh the food here is.

       Has it been sitting in the heater all day? The samosas themselves taste pretty average. It was on the small side and it wasn't as spicy as I'm used to from the samosas at the other Indian restaurants I've been to. Nor are the portions as big. This samosa can be put togther with another one to make a bigger one. Overall, the place is pretty average and price is slightly on the high side because of the smaller portions. Otherwise, the samosas were good.

Lots of Meat and Zombie like servers (Float Restaurant Review)

When it comes to restaurants, in terms of size, there probably are very few that are as big as Floata around town. Located in Chinatown ( and a few minutes from the Stadium-Chinatown Skytrain Station), Floata is very accessible.
A group of friends and I were invited to a banquet that was part of an election campaign. I haven't been to a banquet in a really long time, so I happily agreed to attend the banquet.
 Because Floata is located on the third floor of the Chinatown Mall, one had to climb up a few flights of stairs (or take the elevator). I decided to walk up the stairs as the elevator seemed a bit on the sketchy side (and I got stuck in an elevator around Chinatown for half an hour before... So decided to not risk it). Upon entering the restaurant, I was greeted by staff.
In terms of the decor and restrooms, the doors were slightly falling apart. The facility was a bit on the poorly maintained side. The staff were all dressed up banquet clothes, but I guess they must've been tired as they had a zombie look across their eyes. After navigating through a jungle of tables and election campaign papers, I found my table and friends.
On the table, besides having tons of campaign papers, were two one litre bottles of Pepsi and Sprite. Also, there was a bucket of ice and some tea. There was also sheet of paper describing the dishes that was going to be served. My first impression was the ordering of the dishes seemed to be off. The rice and noodles were put at the end just before the dessert while the things most full of protein and a heart attack (if it was deep fried) was at the front. It seemed to make more sense to have the rice and noodles first, but I was willing to give the way they ordered things a try.
The banquet started by the politicians making a speech and some lion dancing. At that time, I was pretty hungry as I have been running 10km in preparation for a half-marathon. The first dish came and it was the BBQ Cold Cut combo. There was at least 4 types of meat. This included pork, duck, chicken and something jello like (I think it's jelly fish). There was nothing too special about this dish. The meat tasted pretty average and slightly on the mass produced side. I felt bad for my vegetarian friends at the table (and my intestines as it was crying "constipation..!")
 The next dish that came with the Pan Fried Broccoli with Chicken. I was happy because there were some greens. The taste wasn't anything too special. There seemed to be MSG in this, but I wasn't too sure. I felt bad for my vegetarian friends, so I picked out the broccoli for them.
The next dish that came out was the Pan Fried Prawn with Special Sauce. You may wonder what the special sauce was and to be honest, I wonder the same thing. One thing I can tell you was that the prawn tasted as if it just went swimming on a very hot day in a pool next to a butter factory that just had an accidental butter spill. The butter was all over the prawn. It tasted good, but I won't lie, I'm not very used to eating something so greasy. I only had one or two to give it a taste.
At this point, it seemed like the dishes are all arriving simultaneously. The next dish that came was the soup. When the soup came, it came in a huge bowl and the waitress laid out the smaller bowls. The waitress had a look on her face as if she hasn't slept for a while. After filling our bowls, she quickly rushed to the next tables. The soup was a bit on the thick side, but it was okay.
The next dish was the Abalone Mushroom with vegetables. I liked this dish because it gave me some more greens. The only downside was that it was a bit on the greasy side.
The Braised Duck with Taro came next. This dish was very big. I had a hard time figuring out what was the taro and what was the duck. Eventually I figured out the softer pieces was the taro while the duck was the harder ones. The duck meat was a bit on the hard side to find as it was hidden in the midst of the duck and taro.
 After the duck, everyone was already getting full. I definitely was on the full side. One reason was probably because the food was slightly more greasier than what I'm used to eating and it was all meat and vegetables which literally translates to protein and fibre. The protein and fibre both makes you feel full than the carbs from rice and bread, which we have yet to see.
 The next dish that came out was the fish fillets and chicken. The fish fillets tasted a bit old (unfresh) and the chicken was not too bad. I didn't eat too much as I was already full at that point in time. The fish fillets also was snow white in appearance, which makes me suspect that the fish fillets have gotten some colouring to them.
 Finally, the carbs arrived, and that was the sticky rice and noodles. At this point, no one had the appetite to eat the rice or the noodles. The rice was very tempting though, it was mixed with some soy sauce, and it smelled very nice.
The only thing that was left to come were the desserts. Like the soup that was served earlier, the waitress brought the big bowl of Taro and Tapioca and a plate of some pastries. The pastries were good and it was all nice and crispy. The Taro and Tapioca was really good too. It was one of my favourite dishes too!
There were a lot of food left over, so the waitresses brought around containers for the guests to put their food in to take home. I felt really stuffed at this point as I haven't eaten this much food or meat in a very long time. Even when I go to all you can eat places, I rarely eat all that I can eat.
Overall, the quality of food was slightly on the lacking end. The food also tasted a bit like it was massively produced. The portions were big, but it was also made to feed 10 people per table. That said, the variety of meats that I got to try was impressive. Apparently, the banquet costed about $60 per person. Personally, I wouldn't pay this much for food for myself, so I probably wouldn't come back. That said, I am not sure about their regular menu... Now time to get more greens in the system.

Fresh Sashimi and a funny owner (Yakinikuya Review)

Yakinikuya In a sea of Japanese restaurants in Vancouver, many of which aren't exactly "authentic", Yakinikuya is one of the few authentic Japanese restaurants around.
There are so many places that just squish rice and seaweed with a bit of overly fried shrimp together and called it sushi, but Yakinikuya stood out. It was around lunch time and I met with my friend to celebrate her birthday, and we were on Robson when their advertisement for the $8.95 lunch grabbed our attention.
Upon entering, the restaurant had a very authentic feel to it. The decor was all black and you can tell they've put a lot of thought into creating an atomosphere for their customers. We were immediately greeted by a very friendly waitress and seated. Looking around, we were surprisingly the only customer in the restaurant. She quickly brought us the menu and asked if we would like water or tea. The tea was the traditional Japanese matcha, which was pretty good.
 My friend and I decided to take selfies... So we took a bit longer than normal to order. I think because the restaurant was empty, the waitress came back at least 5 times before we made our order. It was hard to settle for what to order. There were so many things beside Japanese food such as Korean BBQ. My friend and I decided to get something we can share, so we decided to order two lunch boats. Our first boat is the sashimi boat while our other one was the Korean BBQ boat.
 While we were waiting, I noticed the owner (or what appears to be the owner, walking in and out of the restaurant as if he was patrolling. He seemed a bit bored and I see him rushing outside to remove a leaf that's fallen on to a table and cleaning up the leaves of the sidewalk. There was a moment when a couple walked in to the restaurant and he greeted them with joy. However they left after looking at the menu and the owner jokingly said "too expensive?'' This was definately the first time I've ever heard a restaurant owner saying something like this. After getting our order in, the waitress immediately brought us our miso soup and salad. The miso soup was very good and the flavour was just right. The salad was special too.
There was siracha sauce added to the salad, as well as a few pieces of sashimi (salmon and tuna). I must say, the Sashimi was very fresh and I was impressed. Right after the salads came, the boats came right after. My first impression of the boats was that they were very well presented. In many other Japanese restaurants, I noticed that they would just place their food on to the dishes without putting much thought into it. However, at Yakinikuya, there was thought put into the placement of food. Starting with the Korean BBQ boat, besides being very nicely presented, it tasted really good too. The pork had a texture where it was slightly harder on the outside but the center was full of juice and it was soft. The sashimi boat was very good too. The sashimi was fresh as mentioned before. Also, for both of the boats, asparagus bacon skewers were included. Besides being on the greasy side, the skewers were good too. The only downside to the two boats is that for $18.00 per boat, the amount of food that was included was not as much as I expected. I guess the trade off is that the quality of food was good. Overall, the service is good, the food is good, the price is on the higher end and I would definitely come back again (once my wallet stops crying).

Very light tasting miso soup... (Library Sushi Review)

There are many sushi restaurants around this area and I really love how creative they are when it comes to what they name themselves. I guess this one is one of the most original (well not exactly...), because the restaurant is located in the library complex, the name "Sushi Library" caught my attention.
My friend and I wanted to grab something fast because we have a lot of studying to do, so we decided to give them a try. Walking in, the restaurant seem to be lacking in space. In addition, it felt crowded too. When we came in, we ordered first and paid first before we sat down. Looking at their menu, many of the sushi and combos are priced at the average (such as $3.50 for a California Roll is the average price around Vancouver). I was hungry so I wanted something more, so I decided to order the Chicken Teriyaki Bento box. For about $10.00 for the bento box, it seemed pretty fairly priced.
After paying for my meal, my friend and I grabbed our seats. The very second, my friend bumped his back to the counter behind him because of how cramped the restuarant is. The waitress / cashier then brought us our tea and miso soup. I saw that the miso soup was kept in a big Thermos, of which she used to pour into smaller bowls. Having a sip at the miso soup, it tasted as if it has been sitting in the Thermos for a while. The taste was not only lacking and on the watery side, the tea tasted like hot water.
After when the bento box came, I was so hungry I forgot about the miso soup. However, my first feeling was that the bento box was on the small side. There was only two pieces of gyoza, small salad, 4 pieces of tempura and chicken teriyaki over a couple bites of rice. The tempura felt like it's been sitting in the deep fryer for too long. The prawn tempura was so hard and dripping with oil while the yam tempura was all burnt on one end. I usually don't complain too much about food, but eating tempura that makes your mouth feel like it's hit a pocket of oil is not exactly pleasant.
After, I took a stab at the chicken teriyaki, and the meat was pretty fresh. That said, the teriyaki sauce feels a bit thicker than what I'm used too. It's almost as if corn starch was added to the teriyaki. In addition, there was not a lot of rice with the teriyaki. The salad also was a bit on the funny tasting end too, but it wasn't too bad.
The service was pretty decent however, the cashiers and waiters were all very nice. That said, the food quality can be improved.