Tag Archives: British Columbia

09.27.14
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You Can Get a Decent Dessert from a Stone’s Throw

StonesThrow1Stone’s Throw Restaurant
642 Johnson St.
Best Western Plus Carlton Plaza
Victoria, BC
(778) 433-0028

J: Ed and I have nasty habits, we’re what you would call outdoorsy people, not the type you would think of. None of that camping in the rough with nothing but a tent and a sleeping bag for us. That may be all well and good for some people but Ed and I have cravings for a little social scenery. As Alicia Bridges sang, “I Love the Nightlife”, it very much applies to at least one of the Blokes. And for this week, our night life was an evening among animals who could eat more than us. Yes, it is possible. I’m talking about dinosaurs in the BBC travelling show Walking with Dinosaurs. As good as the show was, I was eager to spend my money on dino merchandise (I bought a Raptor mug) than on overly priced food at the Save on Foods Memorial Centre. So like hungry raptors we wandered the streets of Victoria looking for our next meals. It was very grim, restaurants were either closed or their kitchens were. Victoria is still a sleepy city most of the time even during tourist season.

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09.26.14
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The Five Must See Movies of Sept 26th – Oct 2nd, 2014

TheBoxtrollsHello again and welcome back to my weekly article. As we approach the month of October there can only be one thing on people’s minds. No, it’s not Halloween and it’s not pumpkin pie, it is the upcoming movies. As we leave the hum drum that can sometimes be the September movie month, we arrive at the doorstep of October where animation and horror films can be found inside just by turning the doorknob.

Although there are plenty of films for the family in the month ahead, you may be surprised to learn that many of them do not make my “Must See” list. Out of the ten films from the top ten list to be published in an article on Otaku no Culture, here is a sneak peek at five of those movies:

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09.24.14
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GottaCon 2015 Update

Gottacon2015GottaCon announced the official hotels for their 2015 convention. Both Quality Inn Downtown Victoria and The Fairmont Empress are returning as official hotel sponsors for Vancouver Island’s largest gaming convention that’ll take place from Feb 27th to March 1st, 2015 at the Victoria Conference Center.

Convention-goers should book early to avoid disappointment.

For more information on what amenities are offered for each hotel, click here.

In addition, the Community Applications are now open for all gaming groups and clubs. To apply for a booth at GottaCon, click here.

09.23.14
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Hunting for Food In the Bengal Jungle

Bengal1The Bengal Lounge
721 Government Street
The Fairmont Empress
Victoria, BC
(250) 389-2727

J: The Fairmont Empress (formerly The Empress) to me is the big time. I’ve both dined here and ate breakfast. I’ve even had the pleasure of staying here for two days. To me, nothing beats The Fairmont Empress when it comes to quality and service. And until I find something better, consider me biased.

The leader of the island’s hoteliers has seen it’s fair share of famous names and one of those is one of my favourites, Bing Crosby. This is going back to a time when Bob Hope would come here to golf, Don Wilson (of The Jack Benny Program) would come here to fish and the Duke himself, John Wayne, didn’t consider it un-American to order some candy treats from Rogers’ Chocolates on Government Street. But Ed, myself and our photographer Yvonne Fried were not here to stay the night, we were here for a photo shoot within the Empress’ walls and to have a spur of the moment bite in The Bengal Lounge.

E: Can you imagine us, Two Hungry Blokes, as models? Okay, wipe that thought from your minds. James and I have plans, as I’ve mentioned in a previous article, to expand our site to cover more than just food. We will be covering the arts and local culture, so what better than to use the classiest hotel in Victoria for images. Mind you, I think we should have posed with the tigers before entering The Bengal Lounge. I’d like to see James stick his head into a tiger’s mouth. On this day, both our tummies were roaring for food.

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09.20.14
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The Five Must See Movies of September 19 – 25, 2014

AGunInEachHandWhen it comes to movies, I love to write about the films that may have garnered critical acclaim yet few have seen. These are also films that may win awards but reside in relative obscurity. I’m talking about Canadian films, the sometimes weird and perhaps the most wonderful films of any country on this globe but sadly the least celebrated.

Like many people, I root for the underdog and champion for that charitable cause. And until we as Canadians come to celebrate our own cinema by starting with creating our own star system, obscurity is where these films will stay.

Here is a my pick of some of the 2014 Canadian films that have caught my eye. These movies are already making the rounds in cinemas or on the festival circuit.

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09.16.14
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There’s Good Thai Over the Blue Bridge

Zap Thai Restaurant
1207 Esquimalt Rd.
Esquimalt, BC
(250) 389-1845

E: So many jokes can be made with a diner simply named Zap Thai, but upon walking in, I wondered if James and I entered a radio fix-it shop or we wandered into a gym. The ornaments were mixed, but it made for an interesting cozy atmosphere where Thai food can be enjoyed in the middle of the municipality of Esquimalt.

J: The atmosphere is as mom and pop as you can get. It is in the same strip mall were once a locally known burger place was situated. I visited the shop in the 80’s but now that it’s long gone and Pad Thai is here, I have a reason to return. And for you young girls, you may appreciate the hunky male server who looked more like he belonged in a gym than a restaurant. Hopefully his lack of enthusiasm wasn’t a sign of things to come.

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