Special holiday event where Charmander, Pikachu, Bulbasaur and Squirtle are out and about - so I had to start playing again!...
The adventure continues...
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Saturday, December 03, 2016
Culture Night: Nutcracker
Started with a bunch of oysters nearby, then off to the Nutcracker.
This was a pretty cool show. A lot of kids perform in it as it turns out. The dances were pretty cool throughout!
This was a pretty cool show. A lot of kids perform in it as it turns out. The dances were pretty cool throughout!
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Honolulu Thanksgiving - Day 4: Mitch's Sushi
Rounding out the trip, we went to Mitch's Sushi for dinner before going to the airport.
...Grilled abalone, Kama, Spiny lobster sashimi, Tako wasabi, Amaebi and Hamachi sashimi, and some miso soup to complete the meal. Mmmm...
...Grilled abalone, Kama, Spiny lobster sashimi, Tako wasabi, Amaebi and Hamachi sashimi, and some miso soup to complete the meal. Mmmm...
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Honolulu Thanksgiving - Day 3: Snorkeling in Hanama Bay and Hakkei
Today we booked an excursion to Hanama Bay. Not wanting to go on a boat dive, we decided to just do snorkeling instead. Luckily, today the sun was shining and so even though it was slightly cooler than it was back in June, we were able to just lay in the sun.
There was alot of fishes and corals to look at in the bay. I was pretty surprised since the last time we came here to scuba, a lot of the coral was dead. Saw pretty large fishes too, and also was able to swim with schools of fishes. Pretty happy with the outing!
After snorkeling, we went back to Waikiki and had our daily shaved ice and Gyu-kaku happy hour.
Then off we went to Hakkei for dinner in the evening! We had to re-order the Boba Shrimp Tempura (Arare Temprua) because it was just way too good. The Boba breading just made the tempura extra tasty.
There was alot of fishes and corals to look at in the bay. I was pretty surprised since the last time we came here to scuba, a lot of the coral was dead. Saw pretty large fishes too, and also was able to swim with schools of fishes. Pretty happy with the outing!
After snorkeling, we went back to Waikiki and had our daily shaved ice and Gyu-kaku happy hour.
Then off we went to Hakkei for dinner in the evening! We had to re-order the Boba Shrimp Tempura (Arare Temprua) because it was just way too good. The Boba breading just made the tempura extra tasty.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Honolulu Thanksgiving - Day 2: Cafe Miro
In the evening, off we went to Cafe Miro. Was pretty excited since it was a French restaurant. Their website looked pretty delicious. On arriving, the decor was a bit lacking (they have checkered table cloth and the place looked more Hawaiian than French). The service was really good though - super attentive, and super friendly.
Their menu was a bit complicated to understand - but it was pretty fun to be able to pick and choose the parts of the menu that you want once explained. The food itself though was nothing spectacular (ie. Pig and the Lady or Hakkei would be a better choice). But from their website, it looks like their menu changes frequently so maybe it is worth another shot in the future. (FWIW though, because the menu differs from the website, there was a dish we wanted to have that actually wasn't there... so I guess it is a double edged sword situation)
Their menu was a bit complicated to understand - but it was pretty fun to be able to pick and choose the parts of the menu that you want once explained. The food itself though was nothing spectacular (ie. Pig and the Lady or Hakkei would be a better choice). But from their website, it looks like their menu changes frequently so maybe it is worth another shot in the future. (FWIW though, because the menu differs from the website, there was a dish we wanted to have that actually wasn't there... so I guess it is a double edged sword situation)
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Honolulu Thanksgiving - Day 1: Hunting for Turkey
Arrived late last night, so today we just bummed around. It was a tad cold and windy for going to the beach.
For dinner, went to a restaurant that had a Thanksgiving special. They served food really quickly - almost like they wanted us to eat and then leave. The place did have a nice atmosphere though.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Uni in a Box... Mmmmm..
Arrived in Vanc. to fly out to Hawaii the next day.
Was greeted with a box of uni - how sweet life is!
Was greeted with a box of uni - how sweet life is!
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Snap Snap - ankle injured :(
At least this time it wasn't as a result of just walking in a park.
But this time I heard two snaps - might be a more serious injury than usual.
How did I injure my ankle this time you might ask? Blocked a shot with the outside of my foot, then as my foot landed, it went snap snap :(.
But this time I heard two snaps - might be a more serious injury than usual.
How did I injure my ankle this time you might ask? Blocked a shot with the outside of my foot, then as my foot landed, it went snap snap :(.
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Monday, October 17, 2016
Handyman Mson... Learning New Tricks!
Given the awesome job I did over the weekend, today I spent half the day calling in a plumber and asking how to turn off the water to the shower. Finally finding one, the problem was quickly diagnosed and fixed. Turns out I was pretty close to getting the plate replaced (and heck, at this point, the shower cartridge too). The key part that caused half the shower cartridge to be stuck in the system was because it was left threaded. Also, I guess I was pretty lucky that there was enough gunk that held that piece in place, so that water wasn't spouting out.
Also asked plumber to check out why the kitchen area stank. After a quick look he recommended that I clean the garbarator. Telling him that I had (with lemon peels, drano and such)... he told me to try again - only this time, dump ALOT of ice into it, not just a few cubes or any off the counter liquids.
So off I went and brought back 5 lbs of ice. I forced it into the garbarator and at first, it didn't seem to do too much. Then as I fed the more in, brown liquid started bubbling back up from the drain and I was like oh crap!!! Did I just break the garabarator???
...Turns out it was a good thing. The brown water eventually drained and then after a few more iterations of ice forcing, the garbarator smelled good again!!! The brown water from what I can gather came about because as the garbarator spun and tossed the ice around, the ice chipped off the old gunk that was inside. With enough ice all in the garbarator, not only did the hard to get to areas get hit, but also it started to build up a backlog of ice/water/slush. With the ice in the way, the water started backing up (since during this time, cold tap water was constantly flowing into the garbarator)
All in all, new tricks learnt! Place now good as new!
Also asked plumber to check out why the kitchen area stank. After a quick look he recommended that I clean the garbarator. Telling him that I had (with lemon peels, drano and such)... he told me to try again - only this time, dump ALOT of ice into it, not just a few cubes or any off the counter liquids.
So off I went and brought back 5 lbs of ice. I forced it into the garbarator and at first, it didn't seem to do too much. Then as I fed the more in, brown liquid started bubbling back up from the drain and I was like oh crap!!! Did I just break the garabarator???
...Turns out it was a good thing. The brown water eventually drained and then after a few more iterations of ice forcing, the garbarator smelled good again!!! The brown water from what I can gather came about because as the garbarator spun and tossed the ice around, the ice chipped off the old gunk that was inside. With enough ice all in the garbarator, not only did the hard to get to areas get hit, but also it started to build up a backlog of ice/water/slush. With the ice in the way, the water started backing up (since during this time, cold tap water was constantly flowing into the garbarator)
All in all, new tricks learnt! Place now good as new!
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Handyman Mson... Fail!
Today the new appliances arrive! So pretty and shiny :)
As I was checking out the rest of the place, I noticed that the shower plate (aka the escutcheon plate) seem to be coming off. So Handyman Mson opens the plate up, and lets the water out that was ponding at the bottom of the plate (guess whoever was taking care of the place before didn't know to not seal the bottom half of the plate so that water could escape if it does get in.
After taking it out, I thought, why not replace the knob and the shower plate all together, so it is brand spanking new? Easy enough task I thought so off I went...
Little did I know,
#1) each shower assembly only works with certain models (ie. a lever type shower handle cannot be used to replace a knob type one).
#2) shower cartridge is the thing that controls the hot and cold water. To work with that piece, the water should to the shower valve should be turned off.
#3) replacing the plate is pretty simple - but some models come with a shower cartridge replacement. So if you are not careful you might pull out the shower cartridge without knowing.
Well, turns out that was me. But luckily (or unluckily), no water was spouting out even after I pulled out the shower cartridge. Later on I realized that when I was unscrewing the shower cartridge, I only unscrewed part of it... yikes!.
So now I learnt what a 'shower cartridge' is.
Handyman Mson..
Fail :(.
After taking it out, I thought, why not replace the knob and the shower plate all together, so it is brand spanking new? Easy enough task I thought so off I went...Little did I know,
#1) each shower assembly only works with certain models (ie. a lever type shower handle cannot be used to replace a knob type one).
#2) shower cartridge is the thing that controls the hot and cold water. To work with that piece, the water should to the shower valve should be turned off.
#3) replacing the plate is pretty simple - but some models come with a shower cartridge replacement. So if you are not careful you might pull out the shower cartridge without knowing.
Well, turns out that was me. But luckily (or unluckily), no water was spouting out even after I pulled out the shower cartridge. Later on I realized that when I was unscrewing the shower cartridge, I only unscrewed part of it... yikes!.
So now I learnt what a 'shower cartridge' is.
Monday, October 10, 2016
Lummi Island - Willows Inn... Continued
Woke up in the morning, and ate the breakfast. Very glad we decided to eat here, because the juice and food was pretty unique and tasty!
On the way back, dropped by Taylor Shellfish and bought a fresh geoduck. Sliced it up and ate it at night. Mmmmmm....
Sunday, October 09, 2016
Lummi Island - Willows Inn
We were lucky enough to get a reservation for Willows Inn on Lummi Island with just two weeks notice. Even though it was a Sunday reservation, it was worth going for our first ever big celebration!!!
So we drove up on Sunday, and boarded the ferry which was super convenient. It is a 10 minute ferry ride, which runs every 30 minutes or so. The ride over was really nice. Then on landing, a short drive and we were there!
On checking in, we were greeted by a bunch of proscuitto's and interesting teas that was delicious. There was even lamb proscuitto which was pretty awesome! After snacking for easily a half hour, we walked around the area - saw the outdoor smoker, walked down to the beach, then we rested a bit in our room before going to the dining area.
Arriving a bit earlier, we settled in and ordered some drinks, and then a short while later the appetizers started coming. We took care of those, and then eventually we were seated!
So we drove up on Sunday, and boarded the ferry which was super convenient. It is a 10 minute ferry ride, which runs every 30 minutes or so. The ride over was really nice. Then on landing, a short drive and we were there!
On checking in, we were greeted by a bunch of proscuitto's and interesting teas that was delicious. There was even lamb proscuitto which was pretty awesome! After snacking for easily a half hour, we walked around the area - saw the outdoor smoker, walked down to the beach, then we rested a bit in our room before going to the dining area.
Arriving a bit earlier, we settled in and ordered some drinks, and then a short while later the appetizers started coming. We took care of those, and then eventually we were seated!
The dinner menu - lots of small bites that make for a delicious time!
- Toasted Kale Leaves (even for someone who doesn't eat alot of vegetables, this dish was good)
- Steelhead Roe (really tasty - texture was excellent, and the roe bursting as you eat it combined with the crisp outside was amazing)
- Smoke Black Cod Doughnut (unique and tasty)
- Raw fish and Shellfish
- Cauliflower mushroom
- Gooseneck Barnacles (really tasty - really hard to find)
- Island Pears
- Lightly cured rockfish in a broth of grilled bones
- Sea Urchin and Rutabaga
- Porcini mushrooms and burdock root
- Herb tostada (basically a flower taco)
- Crab soaked in pine nut milk
- Bread from heirloom wheat (and pan drippings).. the drippings was really yummy!
- King salmon (steamed with husk cherries and lovage)
- Grilled Cod Collars
- Digestive Tea (of toasted birch branches)
- Kiwi berries with lemon thyme (really delicious - another fruit we tried to look for everywhere but couldn't find)
- Pumpkin Seed Fudge
- Roasted Crabapples (with hazelnuts and sage)
All in all, this was a pretty unique and delicious experience. With 18 small dishes (and a digestive tea), for $195 a person (excluding drinks), while that it is not cheap, you do get what you pay for.
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