Andrea "Kuidaore" W.'s Profile

Reviews of restaurants, bars and coffee shops are useful enough. But, the truth is, a bad experience with that type of business isn't likely to end up costing you hundreds of dollars more than you expected or depriving you of your possessions (although that may depend on what kind of restaurants you go to). I think reviews of moving companies are very important because you are so vulnerable as a customer.

I recently moved back to Toronto from Waterloo, Ontario. I had a week's notice to find an apartment and get all my possessions shifted on my own. I contacted half a dozen moving companies about moving a one bedroom apartment's worth of stuff from Waterloo to Toronto on a weekend (April 3rd, actually). Most of the moving companies talked about extra fees for staircases, mileage costs, truck usage costs, premium rates for working around the first of the month and all kinds of other add-ons. One moving company was dismissive of me ("Look, sweetheart, we don't do quotes.") in a way which made me wonder why anyone would hire them.

Then, I found Moving Titan's website after reading positive things about them on BlogTO. I filled out the online form and got an personal e-mail back within half an hour. Their rates seemed so much lower than the other companies that I presumed I was misunderstanding something. I called the office and spoke to Primrose. She patiently answered my many questions and explained the Moving Titan costs: $59 per hour with a minimum of three hours charged for loading and unloading, plus one direction of travel time also at a rate of $59 per hour. No extra fees for mileage or driving time to my house or to return to their depot, no charges for staircases, no extras at all. I booked them for my move.

On moving day, the crew arrived half an hour early - I was ready to go, though! I was confused/concerned that my movers Walter and Sylvester arrived with a full-sized truck as I did not have so much furniture to move. Maybe the company fleet only has large trucks? The movers got to work right away, no dawdling. Everything was carefully carried and packed, no scratches or bumps.

We then set off on the ~150 km drive from Waterloo to my new Toronto apartment. After they'd unloaded everything, it was time to calculate the bill. With the three hour base price for loading/unloading then driving time, the total with tax came to $335. I couldn't believe how low it was. They had definitely rounded down on the driving time. Even with a generous tip, I had spent much less that what it would have cost me to rent a truck and move the stuff myself. I swear that I will never again ask friends or family to help me move as I know they do trips within Toronto, too. Moving Titan is the way to go: affordable, efficient and trustworthy.

Awtash Cafe opened just a few days ago and I am so delighted! It's close enough, and good enough, to become a regular lunch hour destination for me.

I have a decent imagination but I cannot comprehend how Awtash Cafe used to be that somewhat dive-y Tea House 168. The interior and exterior are completely different. Dark wood furnishings, cushioned couch banks, heaps of pillows, dramatic light fixtures, Persian print posters: it is all such a remarkable upgrade from the former shabby, scuffed-up bubble tea cafe.

The drinks menu includes coffee shop staples like cappuccinos, lattes and teas as well fruit shakes, lemonade and special Persian-fusion creations. There are several different chai, rosewater and saffron beverages on the menu, which I'd say are quite unusual.

For lunch today, a friend and I each tried a specialty pizza and a shake. I had a coconut shake which was rich and tasted of actual, real, fresh coconut. My friend tried the saffron shake, which came in a dish with sliced fruit on top. The saffron shake also had a delicate essence of rosewater. My dining buddy declared she wanted to order a second one immediately. I think this is going to be her new "I'm having a rough day" treat.

For meals, the menu lists sandwiches, hummus platters, salads and two genres of pizza (standard combinations and Persian specialities). The pizzas are $8.50 for a dinner plate size (I took half home for later). I tried the Fessnjoon pizza with chicken, pineapple, pomegranate-walnut sauce and a sesame crust. It was an unusual combo but a very good one. I recommend it. Some of my other co-workers tried the sandwiches earlier this week ($6.50 each) and declared them to be extremely good, too. There is a dessert menu: cakes by the slice and ice cream too, I think.

Awtash has applied for a liquor license, and I can definitely see myself reclining on those piles of pillows enjoying an after work drink - perhaps a saffron martini or similar? And did I mention this place is also a shisha/hookah bar? AND there's wifi, a big TV projection screen and also a separate lounge room at the back, perfect for a group event. It's all here! And as an added bonus, the staff is super friendly, too.

*note - they are still new so they don't take debit or credit cards yet*

I had dinner with a group of 10 at E Pan last night. This restaurant is a steep step up from most others in its vicinity - very clean, friendly staff, tasteful decor. It's a regular favourite dining spot for most of the people I was with but this was my first visit.

We walked in, 10 of us, on a Saturday evening, with no reservation and we were seated immediately with no fuss. Menus, tea and water were brought out swiftly. Throughout the meal, tea and water was replenished frequently without us having to ask - great service.

Since we each picked one dish, I don't remember the names of everything we had but I'd say 7/10 were excellent and the other 3 were quite good. The meat was tender, veggies seemed fresh. The dishes that stood out as being my favourites are the breaded grouper (I think?), the deep-fried squid, the terrific spicy beef hot pot, the sauteed greens (I forget which, specifically) and the stir-fried tofu. We also had these giant oysters - one each. I'm not a huge oyster fan but my companions seemed to think these were great.

The one very minor negative thing I could say is that of the 10 main dishes we ordered, the last two arriving at the same time were very similar beef dishes. It would have been better to have these two come out at different times to spread the beef through the meal, but maybe since the dishes were similar, they took the same amount of time to cook? This is only a small complaint.

Final price for 10 people to stuff themselves silly (soup, 10 main dishes, a giant oyster each plus complimentary dessert) was $167 including tax.

I definitely want to go back - it's good enough that I'd even bring my Chinatown-hating parents! Who will join me for the $34 Peking duck set?

I had lunch here today when I was randomly doing field work in northern Pickering.

I had the very tender boneless chicken roti, freshly made and smothered in the rich and spicy sauce. My co-worker liked his veggie roti very much, too. Trust me, it was the best part of our day in Durham County.

Cheap and delicious lunch special, cheerful serving lady and cook, smiling, happy customers. If I'm ever in the area again, I'll be sure to return.

Tibet Cafe is such a sweet, cozy little place. I wish it was a few blocks closer to my office so that I could spend more of my lunch hours there.

The menu has everything: Tibetan favourites are alongside fruit smoothies, all day breakfast, burgers, pasta, stirfrys, pad thai, soups and salads... This is exactly the type of menu those Restaurant Make-Over people would slash to pieces. Take off the pasta and the chicken Parmesan, focus on the Tibetan specialties and the other Asian dishes!

I go here for the momos, beef or veggie, which are served on a platter with a side salad for $8. Such a tasty, hearty, cheap meal! I confess, however, that I've never met a momo I didn't like, neither in Toronto or in their Himalayan heartland. The fruit smoothies are good, too. The soups are also recommended - big portions!

Everything here is homemade and very fresh. However, because everything is homemade, it takes a not insignificant amount of time for the food to be served. This isn't the spot for a speedy meal. The staff at Tibet Cafe are very kindly and attentive despite the slowness. And maybe the 70s green colour scheme, the hand-painted and tiled decor plus the Dalai Lama portraits will make you smile.

So, my co-worker Jed ghostwrote my five star FTR of Manic when it was new. He used to be Manic's biggest fan but he now no longer goes there, ever. Jed thinks that the customer service and coffee quality have declined significantly with Manic's growing popularity.

However, my boss still gets coffee and lattes there, whatever that's worth.

I'm shocked and delighted to be Lily of the Valley's first review!

I love this place: the location by the gates to Palmerston Boulevard, the Asian-themed decor, the blackboard outside with its frequently updated titillating slogans... even their website is pretty and sweet.

At Lily of the Valley, there's a special emphasis on Southeast Asian beauty treatments and organic or vegan products.

My most recent experience there:
My skin has been rather volatile as of late. I remembered the blackboard advising that LotV had started offering facials (only a month ago). I went in on my lunch break to find out what treatment would help soothe this breakout. Lily and her staff were super friendly and attentive even though I had just come in to ask some questions. I ended up making a booking for that afternoon.

Amanda was my aesthetician and I was very happy with her gentle technique and demeanor. She customized the products and treatments to my requirements. I had signed up for the 40 minute 'to go' facial but I idly wondered if I had inadvertently booked a longer one since Amanda smoothly transitioned through so many treatments. But, she just did a lot during those 40 minutes.  I also wondered if my sensitive skin would react to the many products used (all from the  Éminence Organic line - http://www.eminenceorg...). I didn't react to anything, thank goodness. And although my spotty face wasn't cured overnight, my skin is much improved. I'm pleased with the results.

One thing to note about Lily of the Valley is that it is located within a converted house, so there isn't a huge amount of space. At the back, there's a room which is divided  by a tall folding screen: this is where the waxing and facials are done. As you lie on the heated table enjoying your relaxing treatment, you will be able to hear the conversation in the other section. It doesn't bother me but it is worth mentioning in case you prefer a vast, airy and silent spa setting.

Kim Bo is the only pho within lunchtime walking distance of my office. If there were any other choices, I'd never go there. But sometimes, you just need pho, you know?

The interior is dark and cluttered. The service is quick-ish and the prices are cheap. I usually get the standard rare beef pho, and it is nothing remarkable. Last time, I ordered a spicy noodle soup (was it Hue style? I forget) and it looked and tasted like they had simply dumped a liberal amount of chili oil into the regular pho. The flavour was harsh.

Kim Bo is apparently a satisfactory choice for doctors and nurses on break from Toronto Western Hospital across the street. But who says medical professionals have great taste in restaurants? I expect their choices are also limited by a short lunch hour schedule.

The Mr Soles gents are very friendly and they will do excellent work to spruce up your favourite shoes and boots. I've had soles replaced, zippers fixed, seams stitched, heels refurbished, straps repaired, buttons reattached and leather stretched. The prices might be higher than you were expecting to pay, but as I said, this is quality workmanship.

The trick to a good Mr Soles experience is this: the day you are told to collect your repair job is actually the day you should drop by the store to remind them to start your work. They have a slight issue with workload evaluation and management of customer expectations. Your shoes won't be ready when you're told they will be but give them a gentle hint and you'll be walking proud a few days later.

-$40 for parking
-Line-up for field access for the concert was in utter chaos, with officials giving conflicting information and causing a near stampede. Actual line-up situation was totally different from the info e-mail sent to me by stadium management via Live Nation. Other venues can work line-ups, why was this such a total disaster?
-It took 2 hours just to exit the parking lot, and another 1.5 hours to get to I-95. Total travel time from the stadium to Brookline: 4 hours.

The horrors of the parking lot were more memorable than the concert.
Never again.

Note: I can't review any of the amenities or facilities. Because the line-up was so badly organized, I had to go 12 hours without a washroom or anything to drink. Other stadiums made the waiting quite comfortable, however, so this is not just a given for rock concert attendance.