WHAT? : Japanese-style prawn curry.  (Confession: This dish is actually served with 5 prawns, not 4, as shown in the above picture. I was so hungry that day that I had a prawn before remembering to take this shot. OOOPPS!)

WHY? : Entree was part of a “lunch set”. Served with coffee or tea. Delicious and well prepared with little extras such as almond silvers and pickled ginger.

HOW MUCH? : $11.99 for the set. An excellent deal!

WHERE? :

MORE: Formerly known as UCC Cafe Plaza, Aoyama Cafe is renowned for their UCC coffee blends – a brand that has been developed over the past 70 years. Choose your own individually “siphoned coffee” from a variety of coffee blends such as No. 1 Jamaican Blue Mountain, Hawaii Kona, and Sumiyaki (charcoal roast). Food is a fusion of Japanese and European - pastas, rice dishes, sandwiches, and desserts.

NOTES:  Had a wonderful experience at this location. Staff were exceptionally attentive and gracious.  Restaurant is divided into 2 sections – dining room and cafe. There is a minimum charge of $10 per person in the dining room. The airy and comfortable dining section is decorated with sleek, modern furniture. A lovely environment indeed!

WHEN? : April 17, 2010

WHERE?: Holt Renfrew Department Stores – Canada-wide. Click here for locations.

Writing this post on Orla Kiely (Hong Kong) has been on my “to-do” list for some time now. Sadly, by the time I got around to it, I found out that the boutique had closed it’s doors here in Hong Kong. Sniff Sniff!

To pay homage to their “once” Hong Kong store, I hereby post this entry.

I’ve been a admirable fan of the kitschy, 60s -inspired line, Orla Kiely. Faring from the UK, this brand is most notably known for it’s bright and colourful line of handbags, clothing, housewares, and linens. High quality materials coupled with whimsical designs, these products are sure to inspire your playful yet feminine side.

Up until last year (2009), Orla Kiely had 2 boutiques in Hong Kong. After the closure of it’s Times Square (Causeway Bay) location, only one remained in Hong Kong – the boutique in Central on Wyndham Street.

I have patronized both locations and have always been impressed with the service. Sales personnel are not condescending and seem genuinely willing to assist with any questions or suggestions. And let me tell you, this type of service can be hard to come by within the confines of this bustling city.

The real bonus for all you fans of this label – is the price!!! If you have shopped in the UK or the USA for Orly Kiely products, you will be pleasantly surprised to know that most of their products are sold for LESS in Hong Kong.

Another tip is, the boutique in Hong Kong consistently have promotions or sales – and they are indeed fabulous. Unfortunately, this boutique does not advertise these sales and therefore we, as consumers, are forced to check in periodically, for promotions. But who’s complaining? I love a reason to shop! Yes, even window shopping counts.

Before it’s closure on February 28, 2010, the store had a closing out sale. Items were being sold for below cost!!! Initially I felt that I had missed a great opportunity, but upon reflection, it’s probably for the best…. I’m sure I heard my pocketbook heave a big sigh of relief. For all you that made it out to the sale, I hope you procured some fabulous deals.

To my fellow Orla Kiely fans, a moment of silence for our dear friend ….

If anyone should know of where to purchase products from this brand in Hong Kong now, please drop us a comment. I know it would be much appreciated.

WHAT? : Aritzia’s Warehouse Sale

WHY? : Apparently this is Aritzia’s biggest warehouse sale ever! Discounts frm 50% – 90% off.  5000+ jeans on sale.   Plus, new items added daily and throughout the day.  Need I say more?

WHERE? :

http://www.aritzia.com/blog/2010/03/warehouse-sale-april-1st-april-5th

INFO : Free parking available.  Cash, debit, and credit accepted forms of payment.  Individual and communal fitting rooms on site.  All sales FINAL.

WHAT? :  CUT & COLOUR promotion at Toni & Guy Vancouver.  For $90, you can get a fab haircut AND a full head colouring. Add $30 for highlights. Promotion is valid for new clients and is only with specific stylists/colour technicians. Limited time only.

WHY? : With spring in full swing, it’s time for a new do. And who can say “no” to this irresistable offer from a reputable salon?

HOW? : Offer is valid at the Kitslano location. Call salon for an appointment.

WHERE? :

 www.toniguyblog.com

For those of you who are in “the know” of all things beautiful in Hong Kong, have undoubtedly heard of Paul Gerrard – a well established beauty salon.

The Good Customer loves to do her research before embarking into any new establishment – especially beauty salons.

After delving into the world wide web, to search for a reputable place to have my locks clipped, I came across Paul Gerrard Salon.  What is this? A dedicated page that had info and bios of their whole team – hair stylists, estheticians, nail technicians, assistants. There is also detailed information on their services plus pricing. Love it! In addition, you can also book your appointment online. How convenient is that?  Love it!

I choose my stylist from the thumbnail pictures and made my appointment online. 2 days before my appointment, I get a reminder text (sms) message from the salon. 1 day before my appointment, I receive a personal call from the salon. How courteous and efficient. Seems like they run a well-oiled, tight ship of an operation. Love it!

The day of  appointment arrived. After carefully manoeuvring my way up the knobby steps of Pottinger Street in Central, I found my way to the 2nd floor of Wah Hing House.

The interior of the salon is dated due to the age of the building it is housed in. What is lacking in ambience is made up by the down-to-earth, and super friendly staff. Love it!

This is not your average high-end salon chock full of starlets and wealthy housewives. You will not find hipster assistants scurrying around the “too cool for school” stylists.

Clientele consists mostly of expats and most of the stylists are not local Hong Kongers.  Apparently, this salon is renowned for their hair colouring/hi-lighting services for blondes.

Service is gracious without being pretentious. Love it!

Those of you seeking a day of pampering, can also indulge in the salon’s esthetician and nail services.

WHAT? : Bon Bon # 12 bubble bath by Tokyomilk. Infused with Japanese green tea extract, avocado oil, olive oil, and vitamin E.  No.12 fragrance is aptly named “gin & rosewater” – a fragrance combination of citrus zest, rosewood, mimosa, and mandarin.

WHY? : The beautifully illustrated packaging will inspire you to decorate your bathroom with these vintage-style glass bottles. Oh, and the bubbles! So plentiful and luxurious. The lingering scent will leave you and your bathroom smelling oh so fresh.

WHERE? : Homewerx, 1053 Davie Street, Vancouver BC, Canada  (604) 662-2204 ;  Tokyomilk online ;  Sallie Home online ; Anthropologie online

HOW MUCH? : 16oz/473ml – $22.00 ;  33.8oz/1l – $33.00

FUN FACT: The founder of Tokyomilk, designer Margot Elena is also known for her other luxurious bath/perfume product lines – Archive and Lollia.

It was a glorious feeling when I clicked on the OK button and instantly received a note with a confirmation number. Seconds later my email program notified me of incoming mail. It was official – my room at the W Hotel in Seattle, WA had been confirmed. 

My confirmation email thanked me for booking with them and asked me questions – “What is the purpose of my visit? Is it for a special occasion? Do I have any questions or concerns regarding my upcoming visit?” The email also suggested that I contact them to tell them about my upcoming visit so that they can better serve me during my stay.

Obviously, this was an auto-generated message that is sent out to all their clients. Regardless, for the 45 seconds that it took me to read the message, I felt pretty darn special.

A few days before my arrival, I received another email. The hotel told me that they were looking forward to my arrival. A hotel has never been so excited to receive me. The excitement is infectious and I found myself in giddy anticipation for my upcoming stay.

The day of check-in arrived and I was in high spirits. As I followed the instructions on my GPS, I pulled up to the front entrance of the hotel. To my confusion, the curb side of the front entrance was also a bus stop. There was no valet in sight and no signage to direct us elsewhere. I was left with no choice but to go inside the hotel to inquire about the valet and loading zone.

As there were no hotel personnel by the front door, I found myself in line at the front desk to ask for directions. There was 1 person behind the counter. As customers in front of me were being attended to, I waited anxiously whilst my car waited patiently in a bus zone. When I finally got to the front of the line, the front desk personnel tells me that the loading area is on the side street. Huh.

As I made my way around to the side, the valet parking sign for the hotel comes into sight. I pulled over. I peered out my window, searching for someone… anyone, to come to my assistance. It was raining heavily. I started to wonder if there were any other hotel personnel working. The waiting game wore me out and I resorted to carrying all my bags, one by one, in the pouring rain, into the hotel. Struggling with my bags, I finally pushed my way through the doors and made my way up to the front desk. The front desk personnel seemed to be indifferent to my state of frustration. Oh well. Furthermore, we ended up parking our car in the public parking lot next door. Why? Nobody showed up to valet our car. Nobody even asked if we had a car to valet. Nobody seemed to care. Huh.

The W Hotel chain provides car service to their guests. That is, they drive you…” whenever, wherever”. Upon trying to book a car to dinner one night, I was informed by the concierge that their car service ended at 5pm. So NOT “whenever”. Huh.

During my stay, I had made a couple of visits to the concierge desk. I didn’t get the sense that they were offering “whatever” I wished for. My questions were answered perfunctorily. No more, no less. There were no suggestions offered. While the pre-arrival emails made me feel like a VIP, I began to feel just like another hotel guest… in another hotel – and certainly not the W Hotel. Not so special after all. Huh.

I began to wonder if the W Seattle could live up to the W reputation. Having visited other W hotels throughout the world – most notably in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong, I can attest to the fact that the level of customer service did not compare. Perhaps my expectations were too high?

Upon my return home, I received an email from the W Seattle. It was from the General Manager (GM) of the hotel.

“Thank you for your stay at W Seattle. Was your stay Wonderful? Was the service fabulous? We’d like to know if anything was less than perfect. We’re genuinely interested in hearing about your experience, and how we can fulfill your wishes in the future…”

I had not planned on writing anything to the hotel as I did have an overall satisfactory experience. However, this last email prompted me to offer my opinions and experience. I sat down to compose a detailed letter about my stay – remarking on my good experiences as well as reporting on my disappointing ones.

3 months have passed now and I haven’t received any correspondence in response to my email. Was my email received? I wasn’t expecting an email from the GM himself but some sort of acknowledgment from a hotel staff member would have sufficed. How valuable can a customer’s comments be if the hotel doesn’t even have the courtesy to respond?

There is nothing more disappointing than a “no response” from a company that solicits comments from their customers. It’s important for businesses to understand that their customers take time out of their schedule to submit their feedback.

Although the W chain of hotels have a wonderful marketing strategy, the concept sems to fall weak in its execution.

To the W Seattle – Perhaps you could send an acknowledgment email to the guests who offer their comments? You seem to be efficient at sending auto generated emails. Perhaps generate another one? That is “my wish”.

WHAT? : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Mittens. Woven with an acrylic and wool blend and lined inside with polar fleece, these mitts bear the country’s maple leaf emblem on the palm-side.

WHY?: They are the “IT” item of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Not only are they the official “torchbearer” mittens, but it seems that everyone at the games – spectators and participants alike – are sporting a pair. All net proceeds from sales of these mittens go towards ”Own The Podium” – an initiative which helps support Canadian Olympic athletes. Initially, it was anticipated that 1 million pairs would be sold. Now, that number has increased to 3.4 million. With the 2010 Olympics in full swing now, the popularity of these mitts have exploded. Sellers on “ebay” are posting them for sale as much as 3 times the original price.

HOW MUCH? : $10.00 (CDN) retail.

WHERE? : In Canada: The Hudson Bay Co.; Zellers; Home Outfitters; Official Olympic Stores/Kiosks (Vancouver International Airport- YVR)     Online: HBC Online Store (shipping only within Canada); www.ebay.com

Get you hands in one before they sell out!

WHAT? : Bento box – tuna & salmon sashimi, vegetable & prawn tempera, potato croquette, salad, rice.

WHY? : Delicious and affordable. If you frequent this restaurant, then you are probably familiar with it’s loyal following of patrons. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait for a table during their dinner hours. On this particular visit, I’ve discovered that “lunch” is the perfect time to enjoy their delicious Japanese fare. Minimal wait times plus wonderful lunch box (bento) specials.

HOW MUCH? : $8.50

WHEN? : Lunch hours only

OTHER : There are 6 other bento box combinations to choose from  – $8.50 to $11.99.

WHERE? : SHIRO Japanese Restaurant;  3096 Cambie Street, Vancouver BC, V5Z 2V9, 604-874-0027