Category Archives: Events

O5 Tea

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O5 Rare Tea Bar on UrbanspoonCheck out O5 Tea, a unique tea shop that sells only selected, rare teas from around the world. Don’t expect your cheap bags or leaves from fast food or regular cafes. If you’re really serious about tea, this is the place to go.

The interior decor is fresh, unique and modern. The tea ceremony bowls are sold at $150. There isn’t really a menu or set stock as the teas are always changing. There are pretty ikebanas in the bathroom, and coat hangers since there are only stools to sit at (except for one table with 2 chairs).

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idearabbit-o51Cool lightsidearabbit-o52Unique set up and presentationidearabbit-o53Chamomile teaidearabbit-o54 idearabbit-o55 idearabbit-o56Tea ceremony bowls $150 eachidearabbit-o57Noriko-san making okonomiyakiidearabbit-o58Rare teas available

I was invited by a friend to join Noriko-san on a Monday evening for her Tokyo nights series, focusing on different aspects of Japanese cultures. That night, it was Okonomiyaki. Check out their website under the events menu to see something different happening almost every evening.

It was kind of like a house party. Don’t expect your food to be ready right away or have restaurant service. It’s a sit, chit chat while Noriko-san (and a few helpers) cook up the food as if they were cooking at home. My friend’s Dok Cha (tea) $12 took 30 minutes to boil and be ready to drink!

The Okonomiyaki, dessert (red beans filled yaki with vanilla ice cream) and special tea (except matcha) comes out to $15. I suggested the ice cream to add to the red beans, so they are pretty open and free to do what they want. I didn’t find free parking in the area, so I ended up paying $7.25 from 7:30pm to when it wrapped up around 10pm.

It was an interesting experience, and the main is socializing and enjoying the tea. Of course the food was good to, though if you’re hungry, it can be a bit frustrating if you’re so used to restaurant culture. However, watching one of the girl prepare all the different kinds of tea in front of us was quite interesting. The presentation was unique and memorable. I would definitely love to go back again for another evening, though will have to check out on parking around the area first…

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Prince William and Kate Middleton in Calgary 2011

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Back in 2011, I happen to be in Calgary when Prince William and Kate Middleton were visiting the city. I thought it was once in a life-time opportunity to see the Royals, so I lined up with a huge crowd for hours and hours in the summer’s heat, just to see 30 seconds of them pass by, far off in the distance at a Government Reception at the BMO Centre on July 7, 2011. The newly wed Royal Couple were on their 8th day of their first joint overseas tour.

idearabbit-royalsParade before the Royals arrive

idearabbit-royals2 idearabbit-royals3 Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive on a horse drawn carriage wearing cowboy hats

Unfortunately, we couldn’t see the rest of the ceremony which was held in front of the building from where we were standing. With so many people, there was no way to get any closer. Still, it was exciting to get a glimpse of the Royals :)

Sala Thai on Burrard – Dine Out 2013

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SalaThai on Urbanspoon

Dine Out Dinner Menu @ Sala Thai
Neighborhood: Downtown

Cuisine Type: Thai

Dinner Menu Price: $28 (appetizer, entree and dessert)

 

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Appetizer:

idearabbit-salathai3     Spicy marinated chicken salad with Thai herbs & tomatoes, Thai-style egg nest with pork & shrimp filling
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Spicy Tom Yum seafood soup

Entree:
idearabbit-salathai6Roasted duck on sautéed bamboo & bell peppers in thick green curry sauce, duck fried rice
or

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Stir-fried assorted seafood in Thai turmeric curry, onions, bell peppers, celery & cream

Dessert:
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Deep-fried coconut ice cream, crispy crepe, pandan leaf and mango sauce
or

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Baked squash & custard with Thai banana chips

There were two young hostesses that greeted us with smiles. We were seated by the window which my friend was happy about. It was my first dine out for Dine Out Vancouver Festival. It was $28 per person which included an appetizer, entree and dessert. We ordered everything opposite so that we could try out the entire dine out menu. The restaurant was very comfortable and spacious, the servers were very friendly and happy.

First, the appetizers. The spicy Tom Yum seafood soup was super sour, but in a good way. The soup was room temperature, so eating soup a bit cold was odd, and wondered if that was supposed to be like that. I should have asked for a knife since the large prawn was difficult to eat with fork and spoon. Still, I enjoyed the soup.

The chicken salad was very interesting and flavourful. The cilantro really added to the flavour. The salad was very refreshing, though as you got closer to the bottom with all the sauce, it too was quite sour, as if I was drinking juice straight from some lemons. However, out of the two, I would have to say I liked this salad over the soup. My friend agreed.

The roasted duck was cooked really nice. Super soft, with a sweet sauce. Went really well with the vegetables and rice. Delicious!

The seafood curry was impressive visually. At first it almost looked like it was a lobster, but it was a jumbo prawn. The turmeric sauce was excellent, and again, went well with the prawn, vegetables and jasmine rice. We tried eating all the meat from the prawn, even trying to get some out from the arms, but the outer shell was super prickly with thorns which made it a bit difficult to eat.

The deep fried ice cream was amazing. The combination of the crispy outer shell, the cold melting vanilla ice cream and coconut was so yummy!! Presentation was also superb.

Baked squash with custard was very interesting. I never thought I’d see squash as a dessert, but it went really well with the custard. The banana chips were crispy, and went well with the strawberry icing – which at first looked like strawberry ice cream.

The food was wonderful, service was top-notch, and the restaurant has a nice comfy atmosphere. I totally recommend it. Each time we finished our plates, we were given new plates, and was looked after very well. It was the second time for Thai for my friend, and he totally fell in love with it that he said he was going to come back for another dine out with his parents. 2 thumbs up!!

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