Ryan "Yelp-aholic punkcataloger" T.'s Profile

I was supposed to have been writing other things at this venue--getting academic work done, as I have done so here in the past, quite a number of times. Coming to the cafe, I had overlooked one difficulty I've had here in the past: the finicky wifi network. While I don't have this problem with all the other places I frequent, it seems the WEP, aka wired equivalent protocol employed here for the wifi access acts more like it's "UEP," "unconnected equivalent protocol." It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't need the connectivity, and I could work offline. The rather limited menu and so-so coffee drinks don't help either, not to mention the cash-only payment acceptance. It's not that bad service is given here--they're very nice. However, with all these circumstances and not being able to accomplish what I had set out to do here, I'm afraid this place will have to take a much, much lower spot on my list of coffeehouses to frequent.

I found this establishment just from walking around the West End, and from all the walking I had done earlier that day, decided I wanted a bite to eat that featured locally-sourced ingredients--at least it was my hope that such ingredients were used here. Cute little place, really small, very mod in decor with a very open kitchen so you could see everything being prepared very easily. So I had an order of fish and chips. The price and portions were pretty average, even for that part of the city. Sadly, the timeliness of the service was a bit a miss, and in this, I somehow get the impression the restaurant hasn't been open that long, albeit there seemed to be no easily discoverable evidence to support this. I sat and sat, waiting to catch the wait staff's attention so I could take care of my bill. And I could have used a bit more flavor in the dish, whether it be an adjustment to the batter or tartar sauce. However, with the great location and cool decor, this place does have potential, and I would most certainly come back to check out other items on the menu.

Upon reading about this place, it was referred to as the "Starbucks of bubble/boba shops" in one source, so in this, I was somewhat intrigued. And the shop's conveniently in the West End, where I knew I'd be spending a bunch of time on my visit a few weekends ago. So I decided at some point during the weekend I would stop in. It so happens that upon my visit to Michi Waffle, I discovered Bubble World is basically next door. This is the sort of tea place that uses some powder mixes, but I'm not sure that's exclusive for all drinks. I had a taro milk tea with pearls. So much sweeter than what I'm used to at home in the SF Bay Area, so much so I was unable to finish the drink. While that was one minus, the staff were friendly and quick; I would come back for another visit and hope to have a more balanced beverage.

I had discovered Michi Waffles via a Yelp search while planning a trip to Vancouver about 2 months ago. Upon reading past reviews as well as looking through the establishment's website, I decided I wanted to check this place out. I thought a morning visit for coffee and a waffle would be a great idea. So I made my way--about a 15-20 min walk--from my hotel in Yaletown to Michi, only to discover a locked door and dark place, contrary to the posted hours. When I arrived, it was well after 10:30am, nearly an hour and a half after their posted opening via their website and this Yelp page.

Later that afternoon, I did wander back to the West End, and Michi was open! I ended up ordering a what they call an "O.M.G. (oh my green tea)" waffle as well as a cold drink, an espresso frappé. I was asked about the sweetness level for the cold coffee drink, and I requested it to be medium sweet. What came out was what I'd call hardly sweetened, but against the ice cream topped waffled drenched in caramel, it was ok--just not a drink I was able to finish. As for the waffle, great green tea ice cream on top, rather funky but ok combo w/ the caramel; not enough green tea flavor in the waffle, and it should have come out almost overdone or crispier to off-set the melting ice cream.

Some great ideas here, a bit lacking in the execution (including some sort of mysterious problem of opening that morning), but given the chance, I would visit here again and hope for a better experience. Two and 3/4 stars.

I can just say this place is incredibly overwhelming, with all the selections of fresh produce, fish/seafood, cheeses, and food stalls for bakeries, chocolatiers, florists, and many varieties of prepared hot and cold foods. Had I more time during my first visit last weekend, I would have ventured into trying the fresh produce; instead, I grabbed a sock-eye salmon roll (à la fresh spring roll in a rice wrapper-style with noodles and veggies) from the Fraser Valley Fruit Bar & Salads stall, as well as a little butter tart from the Stuart Bakery.

The only thing lacking is more inside seating for those wanting to have some eats on-site; on good-weather days, there's more to be had outside, and even at that, it was crowded. So yes, I definitely need to make another visit to Granville Island Public Market.

Rather surprised there are no reviews ahead of me for The Kingston. I discovered The Kingston via browsing through hotel listings on the http://Priceline.com site, and through much comparison with other sites (Kayak, hotwire, http://hotels.com, tripadvisor among others), found this would be the best deal for me. It did indeed turn out that way. It's a cute, clean, basic stay (billed as a boutique hotel)--mostly smaller rooms with shared bathrooms, which spells out the price savings, with a few larger rooms with private bathrooms. I did have a small single room; most of the time, the bathroom was available, especially for my late night showers. Otherwise, the next floor bathroom was not too far away. And the shared bathrooms on both floors I used appeared to be cleaned very regularly.

Although I never took advantage of the continental breakfast provided, the breakfast room/lobby area appeared rather welcoming, and I noticed the service in that area to be quite attentive. Service at the lobby/check-in area was very attentive and friendly, and any questions I had were answered in short order.

Good strong wifi that was always available when I needed it--huge plus for me!

The hotel is right next to the Kingston Taphouse & Grill, which I'm guessing is owned by the same management. I could hear some of the classic/80s/90s rock tunes from the taphouse through my window, but the music quit before 10:30 every night of my visit.

Great location in Yaletown for this establishment, only a few minutes' walk from the Vancouver City Centre SkyTrain and such attractions as the Vancouver Public Library, The Vancouver Art Gallery, and the Granville entertainment district. I would seriously consider coming back to The Kingston should I find myself visiting Vancouver again, hopefully sooner than later.

Lots of good I experienced on my arrival at YVR on 8 July 2011, and on my departure on 11 July. First, traffic appears to flow well through the airport (albeit my arrival gate was quite the hike away from the customs area, but no "traffic jams" to speak of). Having quick and easy access to the Canada Line SkyTrain station is another great plus. And during my wait for a delayed departure, the free wifi really was a godsend. Although the problem of the customs cattle call (i.e., a very crowded customs line) seems endemic to international airports in general, a more efficient line with better ventilation would be my only suggestion for YVR. I look forward to visiting Vancity again with YVR as my entry point into the city, hopefully sooner than later.

Although I've lived in the Bay Area for more than ten years now and have flown out of all three major airports, in the past few years I'm just beginning to fly more frequently. However, no matter where I've lived in the bay, it seems the most convenient for me to commute to has been SFO, because of its connections via CalTrain and BART. I don't have to deal with a shuttle bus, such as the Air BART for OAK or the #10 Flyer VTA bus for SJC. And the last two flights out of SFO I've been able to take advantage of free airport wifi while waiting to board. So for me, this is my favorite bay area airport, hands down.

Just had a drink here on my visit to the Gayborhood in April, found the space rather inviting. Great spot to go people watching overlooking Cedar Springs via the upstairs deck. I would definitely come back for another visit!

Although I hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, I'm up for an adventure in experiencing gay venues wherever they may be. So very glad to have had the privilege to go to S4, with a friend who's a native who also is well-versed in the history of the Gayborhood as well as most if not all the many venues on Cedar Springs and surrounding areas. I'm totally impressed--blown away, even--by the huge spaces afforded in S4 for the various stages and patio areas. Most impressive is the permanent drag stage and the fabulous drag shows, of which one I experienced my very first night in Dallas (and now I wish I had asked about and remembered all the amazing performers gracing that stage). I just had to wonder, is there a permanent drag stage in San Francisco (I know about Trannyshack, but the current venue housing that event, DNA Lounge, has revolving events)? If not, this is something SF really needs to address. Very spoiled to not only have my friend as my host/guide for the Gayborhood, but his connections with various folks at S4, especially with the bartender who he swears is the best in the house! When Ryan does Dallas yet again, you know I will be hitting up S4!