G-Men Ramen

Ming took me to a ramen joint in Richmond tonight. I already liked it when we drove up to it because ... there's so many parking spots! Free is good too. (The only ramen places I know are in downtown where parking spots are limited). G-Men is its name. And it's located in the Continental Plaza. (Yes, you can run next door for some Pearl Castle bubbletea afterwards).

I loved the decor. Because there simply wasn't much. Much like any other ramen joints, there was a curtain at the door and special items posted on the wall. We sat on tall stools ( I guess for Ming, not-so-tall stools) at the bar table. (There isn't a bar but that's the best I could describe it). It brought me back to the ramen place I visited in Tokyo. It was just like that. We sat at a long bench. All the chopsticks and spoons were in a bucket on the table and we poured our own water.

strange decorations.

I ordered the Tonkatsu Miso Ramen. I added one of their options of butter and corn. Because well, I love corn. It didn't take too long before our food arrived.  It had a lot of toppings - the bbq pork, green onions, wood ear mushrooms, and seaweed. Oh, and the butter and corn. I had to fish out the block of butter. Shum would probably scream if she read this as she loves to order double butter.

Ming's Tonkatsu Shoyu Ramen. Didn't take a picture of mine but it looks the same.

I loved the soup. Y'see, I don't know if I'd go back to Kintaro a second time even though my friends continue to rave about its flavour and authenticity because I find Kintaro's soup too oily. I could also see the pieces of fat from the meat floating in it. I instantly lost my appetite a little. So, no matter how I noticed that the Japanese people hung out there at Kintaro and I could see the authenticity with the big pots of broth stewing (as well as smelling it in my clothes afterwards), I couldn't see the appeal that everyone else saw. Needless to say, I haven't been back a second time.

But, at G-Men, the soup was just perfect. This also comes with a comparison with Menya. I preferred Menya over Kintaro simply because the soup was not as fatty. However, I could also see why people have said that Menya's soup doesn't quite measure up. The flavours aren't quite there. Well, G-Men has it all. No floating fat in my soup and it was perfectly rich and creamy.

I also really enjoyed the pork. And that actually says a lot. I'm not a big fan of pork. Good pork to me is hard to come by. I'm quite picky even with Chinese bbq pork. I almost never order pork chops (except for the chinese style baked ones) because they're generally too dry. And like Kintaro, there was a lot of fat hanging off of their pieces of pork. Or, sometimes I find pork to be under or over seasoned. Anyway, I'm not picky in that I'd complain about pork to death... I simply just rarely eat it. But, surprisingly the pork was really good at G-Men.

It looked so good (and I was hungry after work) ... I could wait to dig in when the steaming bowl of goodness was set infront of me. I was so into eating it, I barely took any photos. In fact, I forgot totally until Ming reminded me while I already had chopsticks and spoon in hand, "Don't you want to take a picture?". Oh. Right.

And even at that... I don't have good ones. I wanted to eat!

Another thing... I didn't understand it at first, but I was given a porous spoon. I was thinking, what am I suppose to do with this ... I plan on enjoying the soup. But later, I realized it was to help fish out my corn and other goodness without taking in only spoonfuls of soup. Clever!

It was mmm mmm good. I was stuffed. Ming wanted bbt but of course we couldn't go next door to Pearl Castle. He was craving Dragonballz. I'm not sure I know anyone else would who drive across town just to get their bbt when it could have been so readily accessible. But I guess, hey, when you gotta satisfy a craving, you gotta satisfy a craving. (Okay, I only wrote that last bit 'cause I know he reads this. Ha ha. )

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra - Concert #1

For Christmas, my cousin got me a Symphony Sampler from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra that consists of four concerts that we can choose from a list of concerts. Tonight, we went to our first pick.

One thing that I'm super grateful for with my parents putting me through all those classes that I went through as a kid is piano. I loved it (even though I never practiced it). I took lessons every week for a good 17 years before I had to call it quits (moved away from my piano teacher of 17 years and couldn't fathom finding a replacement).  I didn't know it then, but the theory classes that went along with piano lessons have taught me to really appreciate music so much more. It's not just about the skill of playing or the ability of reading music, but to really understand the life and style of composers and learn about the different music eras has really made me love music that much more. So, of course, I was over the moon with these tickets to the VSO!

I'm also lucky to have someone who enjoys it just as much as I do (if not more). My cousin and I have the same taste in music and I think enjoy it equally as much... which makes her a great partner to attend all these concerts and shows.

The beautiful Orpheum



Nareh Arghamanyan, the pianist, was AMAZING. She left my cousin and I both awestruck. We kept exchanging looks with each other... is she for real?! . Her fingers flew across the piano keys so effortlessly. And if you've also done music theory, you'd know that Liszt wrote difficult pieces. If only I could play like that! The orchestra was phenomenal. Our seats gave us a good view of each component. The volinist, the celloist, the drummer, the conductor... oh the conductor! He was so energetic and animated. Just watching him was entertaining enough. Ahh,  the classicals... I love it.  Brought me back to my childhood.

I looked around and commented to my cousin that more than half the audience has white hair. I didnt' feel out of place at all.  Music always makes me feel right at home. If this is what I get to look forward to when my hair turns all white, I think I'd be pretty content.



Dressed up in nylons and a winter twead skirt



Dine Out Vancouver

Dine Out Vancouver is a city event that happens every winter with 3-course menus that range from $18, $28, or $38 depending on the participating restaurants. I haven't done this for a few years now but decided to use it as an excuse to hang out with my friends. We chose to try out Le Bistro De Paris on Denman St. It's been around for a while. I remember hearing about it years ago. So... why not.

The moment I stepped in, I was taken back to the time I was in Paris. To be honest, the ambiance was refreshing even though it is very much decked out in old European posters and art with signs of Parisian streets names hung all over the walls. I don't know about you, but for me, some of the new restaurants get "old" sometimes. The modern decor that are predictably in colours of dark brown, black or white with some sort of "accent" colour... with the same dark lighting and the repetitive beats playing in the background. (I mean, if you were to walk into Joey's, Brown's, Romer's, Society, Cactus Club, and even the Keg... don't you get the same vibe? I do.)  So yes, I very much enjoyed the change of scenery at Le Bistro De Paris.

All three of us picked the same items from the menu.

Escargot with puff pastry. There was a lot of garlic... just how I like it. I almost wanted to take a piece of bread to clean out the garlic left. Almost. The puff pastry was definitely not without guilt.

Halibut with roasted pear and a lemon coulis. The portion was huge. Three big pieces of halibut. The sauce was creamy yet lemon tangy. The roasted pear added a bit of sweetness. It had a good portion of mixed veggies. However, the halibut was a bit disappointing with it being overcooked and tough.

Chocolate Mousse. I wanted the creme brulee but they ran out. The waiter said it would be on the house the next time we come back. True or not, it was a nice gesture. But, I must say that the chocolate mousse was probably the best part of the meal. It was so light and fluffy that I bet my cousin would describe it as "like eating clouds".

I think the overall experience was excellent. Mostly because of the people. The company of my friends. And the service of the restaurant. The girls and I had some good girl talk... picking all the good parts of life to discuss to death. I can't help but laugh just thinking back to our conversations.  And with the service... the people at the restaurant were friendly and the service was prompt. We had a good chat with our waiter.

We went back to Wendy's place to finish up our gab session. We were all home a little past midnight. That's really all you need to make a good Friday night.

Karen and Wendy

Spent The Night At George's

When night falls, there are a lot of options. Usually, mine is to stay at home in my comfy home clothes. On the couch. Wrapped in a blanket. With a good book. Or a movie. Maybe just my laptop. Music in the background. And a warm Christmas in a Cup. But, usually of course doesn't mean always. The rarity of a full weekend off makes it more tough to get out on a Saturday night. But then again, tough doesn't mean I don't.

So, this Saturday night, I put on my heels and went out with a couple of my friends to Yaletown and hung out at George's. A lounge with few seats, great drinks, and even better bartenders. We got there at the best time. Right around 10pm. A few people were just leaving after watching the hockey game, but most decided to stay. We got in right before the line-up started to form at the door.

Once we got in, we went straight to the bar before we found a seat. Then, the night really started to.. hum......

Before we knew it, (or was it more ... before *I* knew it), it was one drink... then two... then three.... then .....

Gosh, I can't remember the last time I drank.... that much. (And it wasn't even much!). Where has my tolerance gone? Even my friend, Allie, who used to get drunk on half a drink outdrank me. And where does the time go? First we were talking about this, then we were talking about that... then the next thing, I don't remember what we were talking about or if  we were even talking. Or just laughing. But the lounge was ready to close.

Somehow, the buzz didn't hit me until it was time to leave. Oh great, I thought. Now I have to walk.

Right before we left, Allie pulls me to the bar. "We're going to have a shot with the bartender!". Are you nuts??

What I do remember was the bartender first denying the shots because the bar was officially closed.... but then he proceeded to whip out three shot glasses.

The rest... well. The sound of my friend dry-heaving, then a lot of laughing, and the rest to your imagination. Good times.

(Oh by the way, the drink called "20th century" is an old one but a pretty good one).

Ending Up At The Shangri-La

It is a sure sign that we're *ahem* growing up now when we're choosing hotel lounges over club lounges. We ended up at the Shangri-La last Saturday night. For some of us, not our first time. No head pounding beats to rap and hip hop. Just soothing piano jazz music cooing us to contentment. We sat in comfy, cushy chairs at a round table much suitable for some entertaining conversation. Oh, good times. We laughed so hard that we flopped on the table or flung our heads back with laughter. Probably disruptive to others around us. We made requests with the live entertainers and bobbed our heads to their songs. Michael Buble's Everything. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You. So many old and new ones that seem to be plucked out of romantic comedies.  All the while, nursing our drinks and cocktails.

I couldn't help but think how our conversations have changed over the years. It brought up all sorts of issues like parents' approval, future plans, kids, and commitment. There is no more try it out and see... or fun and games... we're *cough cough* grown ups now. The fun and games now come with us imagining what it is like to talk to someone a decade younger than us. Would we be able to relate? Do they know who R. Kelly is? Do they even know who P. Diddy is? Where does the time go...

But as long as we're having a good time, then there'll always be stories and laughs to share. Till the next hotel lounge...