Birthday Business

V and I celebrated his birthday with dinner at Bistro 101 in Granville Island a couple weeks ago. It's runned by the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and all the food is prepared by students. Basically, we enjoyed a fine dining experience without the fine dining prices. The Groupon coupon that V found made it even sweeter deal. Overall, the service, food, and presentation were all fantastic!

Hanging out at Granville Island during the day


The restaurant had a very calming atmosphere. V mentioned that they had just recently renovated, which really upped the level of sophistication.


My appetizer and entree: halibut and steak


The highlight was definitely my dessert that was almost too pretty to eat! It was a burger made from a sweet pastry as the bun, strawberries as tomatoes, melon and kiwi slices as lettuce, white chocolate as cheese, and a piece of brownie as the patty. Creative eh? And surprisingly tasty! It came complete with fries made of shortbread and sweet fruity dipping sauces. MmmMmm.




I also had a mini birthday celebration of my own with some friends last week. It feels weird to think that I'm already in my mid-twenties! Not long until I reach the big three oh! Good thing 30 is the new 20 nowadays...

Dinner was at Felico's and it was great! Greek food never disappoints :) I want to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday and those who made it to dinner. I had a wonderful time and I hope you all did too!


A few snapshots from dinner:


L: Me with V and A - all smiles
R: Ly and Ernz chowin' down


L: G waiting anxiously to start eating
R: Photo op with J and Winf, my weekend girls. Love you!


L: With Cin and Lyds
R: Paparazzi shot - when you least expect it


L: The Famous Platter that V and I shared
R: BCIT buddies

Thanks for all the love :)

retail therapy.. once again

Despite the rainy weather, me and a few of my girlfriends headed downtown today to do some shopping. It was the first time we've been down there since the riot broke out last Wednesday. I remember watching the news that night and just being in complete shock that some people in our city can become so violent and destructive. It's hockey, not the end of the world. The Canucks had a good season and will get to play again next year. Thanks to the volunteers who helped clean up the streets on Thursday, Granville and other areas seemed clean and back to normal again. Although we did see some broken windows that were temporarily blocked off with boards.

So on a happier note, a whole bunch of stores were having sales, including Zara, Plenty, H&M, and Banana Republic. Check out those stores if you're looking to add to your summer wardrobe!


A few things I saw at Zara on Robson:




L: Trouser pants for about $35.99. Large selection in many colours and styles.

R: Blazer for $69.99. I almost purchased this one because I was looking for a light-colored blazer. I ultimately decided against it because I still want one that's more of a blush color.




L: Khaki trench coat for $79.99. If you are looking for a nice trench, go find yours at Zara now! They had a great sale selection today, but they sell fast! I have this exact one and the fit is great for petites.

R: LBD for $99.99. A cute, classic shape.



Jumbo hot dogs! No better way to refuel after hours of walking.

Playing badminton on Sunday left me with sore muscles that didn't feel better until today. It's sad and shows how extremely out of shape I am! Ironically, my friends and I have plans to go hiking on Monday (possibly doing the Grouse Grind!). No idea how I'm going to pull that off. I very much might be out for a week after. Actually, it would be nice to just be able to finish it in one piece!




After our badminton workout, we headed off to What8ver cafe. Upon hearing news about bubble tea powder + pearls being cancerous, we opted for the fresh fruit drinks and the green teas. Better safe than sorry right? We also got the orderd the honey toast to share. Magnificent isn't it? It's a cube of toast with filled with honey, ice cream, strawberries, banana, oreo, and Pocky sticks. It's yummy but definitely looks better than it tastes... especially since our toast was a bit burnt :(

So I'll be heading downtown to watch game 7 with Vic and his friends tonight. I'm actually worried about how crazy it might get. I just hope we win and that there will be no big riot!

food for thought

Yesterday, me and a couple of friends headed downtown to attend the EAT! Vancouver food, beverage, and cooking festival at the Vancouver Convention Centre. There were hundreds of vendors and many scheduled events and speakers. Tickets were $14 online and $16 at the door. Unfortunately, the ticket site was down that morning and I had to pay the extra $2 at the door. However, I got a chance to taste a wide range of foods from different cultures and and had a lot of fun just spending the day out and about.



There was definitely a large turnout of people as the place was very packed.



The gelato ice cream was deelish!



Rob Feenie giving a cooking demonstration. A few lucky people got the chance to sample some of his food. (J was drooling :P)



J and K: Cheers!



Go Canucks Go!

Sunshine and Shopping

I definitely tried to make the best of the weather earlier this week. Too bad I had to work for most of the week.. and when I finally had a day off, it rained :( Talk about bad luck..

I did make the best of Tuesday when me and mommy dearest went downtown for some shopping.


L: My hipster mommy trying on some accessories for fun at Urban Outfitters.
R: Casually strolling on Robson Steet.


We stopped by Babylon Cafe for some chicken wraps. They were soo good! I forgot to take a picture before we devoured them :(


Yesterday, me and J went to check out the new Anthropologie store that opened on Graville Street! The store reminded me a lot of Urban Outfitters but with a dantier, girlier feel.


Other than clothes, the store also had a big selection of housewares.


They also carried lots of off-beat items, like these funky, colourful knobs. Wouldn't they look so cute added onto a dresser or on some cabinets?


J finding something she liked.

Tomorrow's going to be a fun day! I'll be doing some shopping in the states. My friends and I have already planned out what places we want to go to and where we want to eat. I love road trips. Can't wait!

Freeeeedom

The week of exams is finally over and done with! what a relief! 7 in 5 days was just seriously too intense.

Feels awesome to be done! It'd be more awesome if I wasn't too sick to enjoy it. I woke up this morning feeling like I got punched in the throat. Not the best feeling. My immune system was working overtime and it finally gave in :( I'm going to need a good week to rest up and recover from the exams+sickenss...

On a happy note, I bought 2 sets of scrubs for the upcoming hospital clinical term! They're not the most flattering, but they'll do. I'll definitely need to hem the bottoms though.


Right after our last exam on Friday, me and my friends took no time to start celebrating our long-awaited freedom. First off was lunch at Red Robbins. I haven't been there for so long! I was debating whether to get the chili burger or the bbq chicken burger. I ended up getting the bbq chicken. It wasn't so great. I guess I just wasn't a fan of the crispy onion bits in the burger. Next off, shopping! First metrotown, then we headed downtown.


So it was also A's birthday dinner at Ichiro in Steveston on Friday. It was great seeing everyone again! We also went for some cosmic bowling after dinner. I definitely need to practice on my bowling skills...