Two Truths and a Lie - Toastmaster Ice Breaker Speech

One of the things, you’ll find when you start to get to know me is that I can take things quite literally. For example, I often answer rhetorical questions sometimes unintentionally but mostly unintentionally. So, it’s only natural that I’d my first Ice Breaker speech, but doing an actually Icebreaker. Although it’s a one-sided Icebreaker. However, if you’d like to share your two truths and a lie with me later it would be greatly welcome.

If you are not familiar with the two truths and a lie icebreaker it essentially just a fun little activity that people will do at a networking event to get people to start speaking with each other with more ease. You go around the group and each tell three statements about yourself but they have to be two truths about you and one lie.

Here are the three statements about myself:

The first one being it once took me 15 minutes or longer to remove a dead mouse from my kitchen. The second, since 2007, I have traveled to a different country every year. The third in honor of NY coming up that for one of my new year’s resolutions was to always carry stickers with me for that year.

I’ll give you a few seconds to think about which one is false.

The first one taking 15 minutes to remove a dead mouse is true. I’m not a big fan of creepy crawlies at all. And I’m extremely grateful that it wasn’t alive when I found it otherwise, I’d probably have to move out. It’s just one of the down-sides of growing up and owning your own home or being a landlord. I really do enjoy it, because it’s is actually really gratifying to slowly improve and fix my house. I don’t question if I’m an adult yet as much.

The second statement was traveling out of country since 2007. This is false, if you got this one wrong you aren’t alone.  My sister who I’ve known for well over 20 years also got this incorrect. In 2007 I travelled abroad to South Korea. I have some of the best memories from there and met some amazing people who I keep in contact with. After that trip, I think I made a sweeping declaration that I would travel internationally once a year and that I wanted to truly live and experience new foods and cultures. However, I learned that travelling is super expensive and I don’t really enjoy the travelling part of travelling. And I have a lot more responsibilities now like owning a home and having worry about who will mow my lawn etc. I don’t regret not travelling internationally every year because I do travel when I have time and there’s still so much to see within the US. My perspective and priorities have changed.

Which brings me to the last statement which is true about carrying stickers around as a new year’s resolution. My logic was that stickers were underappreciated and underutilized by adults with the exception of elementary to middle school teachers.  I thought it would be nice to get a sticker or some nice gesture when you do a job well done. But I don’t take new year’s resolutions that seriously mainly because it never works for me, because to me it’s like making a sweeping declaration about travelling to a different country every year. I rather focus one thing or goal at a time like joining toastmasters to learn how to speak more confidentially which leads me to advance my career to allow me to update my home and pay others to mow or shovel the snow while I’m travelling to a different country. Or something even more simple like telling two truths and a lie to complete my first icebreaker speech.

The 128 Cafe - Eye Feast

This restaurant did not disappoint. The 128 Cafe is definitely one of my favorites now in the Twin Cities area.

Luckily, we stopped by here for Restaurant Week.

Sadly, I don't recall everything we ordered, but I assure you every dish was amazing. Especially the dishes we had low expectations for.

Here's a feast for your eyes:

Beef Tartare

Gnocchi

El Tequila Restaurant Review

I never thought one amazing dish could keep me coming to one restaurant over and over again. In regards to Mexican cuisine, I pretty much assume their typical dishes will easily compare to other restaurants. However at El Tequila their chicken enchilada in the green sauce is pretty much AH-MAZING. I am constantly craving this dish.

It's hard to not re-order this dish every time I go there.

Chicken Enchilada with green sauce

Chaulafan

Seriously, not sure how far you live from this place, but it's worth a trip just for their enchilada. It's the best I've ever had. Their chaulafan was pretty mediocre, but who orders "fried rice" at a Mexican place, my boyfriend. I've also had their chicken quesadilla on our second trip there. It was good, but I thought it was a little over-priced for what it was and a smaller portion size for the price. However, I can't stop eating their addicting free chips and salsa once I get there - so no big deal.

Their customer service is pretty good. However, there was a bit of a language barrier with one of their waitresses, but she's attentive. 

What are some of your favorite Mexican restaurants? Have you been to El Tequila before? What do you usually order. 

Szechuan Restaurant in Roseville Review

This was a spur of the moment pit stop after dropping off a package at FedEx. I was expecting an over-priced/American Chinese food based on the design of the restaurant, but it actually the opposite.

Szechuan was fairly reasonably priced and looked much nicer than your typical family run Asian restaurant. I thought the flavoring of the food was stellar, but the meat quantity was lacking for the price.

Chicken Fried Rice

Beef with Green Peppers

They had a lot of dishes that were different from the typical fast food Chinese joints, so it caught me a little off guard as well as items written in Cantonese/Mandarin. So I was a little out of my element and not prepared to order. I'm still waiting to give them place a chance to wow me and try some of their specialty dishes.

Have you been to this place before? Any suggestions?

Osaka Sushi Review

Grabbed a quick dinner with a good friend of mine at Osaka Sushi in Roseville.

The service was fast, and the food was reasonably priced. 

I ordered the shrimp and salmon teriyaki box. It was delicious and the portion was reasonable. The leftovers made for a great snack/brunch the next day.

I'd definitely come here again. The atmosphere was great for a fun and low-key event. 

Have you been to any of the Osaka locations? What did you think? 

Corner Cafe Review

Had a quick lunch here with the BF at Corner Cafe (which he frequents fairly often).

It was pretty much adorable. Loved the atmosphere and the sandwiches were fairly good, and at a a great price. We were both having a pretty crappy work day, and it was a great spot for us to get away, but be able to rush back to workload.

I ordered a made-to-order wheat bread with turkey, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, onion, and hummus. I also loved that you had the choice of just having your bread toasted or the entire sandwich. This was only half a sandwich. I was worried that it would be tiny, but it was the perfect portion for me that day.

I'd definitely come here again, and see the appeal of it. It was fast as well. It's the equivalent to Acoustic Cafe in Eau Claire, WI except there are no hoagies.

Didn't get to try their soup, but I will next time.

The Rest of Target's Customer Service

Well obviously there's the customer service at the actual retail locations at Target, but what about the rest of Target customer service?

For example, the online and telemarketing services. Recently, I purchased Up&Up toothbrush replacement heads, and it had serious quality issues.

You really do pay for what you get. I decided to go with the cheaper Target brand compared to the brand name like Oral B. The Up&Up brand toothbrush head was loose which caused it to snag the inside of my lip causing it to bleed. Like any idiot, I still continued to give it 4 more tries. I thought I was the problem. Well, 3 out of 4 times, the toothbrush head snagged my lip. It was time to get a refund and report the issue.

Problem: No receipt, and one was used.

I contacted the number listed on the back of the box to see if I could get a refund. I wasn't in the mood to go run to my nearest Target.

Basically, I wasted 15 minutes of my life to mainly prove a point. My point being, I don't think any one manned the number that I called. All it did was continue to ring and then say "We're sorry to keep you waiting. Calls are answered in the order they are received."

My first thought was "How many crazy people are calling to complain about stuff?!" Then, I was like "I don't know maybe more than I know."

Next, I tried the website listed on the packaging.

Also no good.

However, it did finally redirect me to a different page, where I filled out a form. The only difference to getting to that page...not entering in the "www."

So it said someone would respond within one to two business days. I didn't believe it, and went to the store to return it. 

I went to the DT Minneapolis store with the opened package and missing used toothbrush head replacement ready to fight the customer service employee for my money back. It was easy and painless. She told me I probably wouldn't get the full amount back, and it was only for store credit. I was satisfied!

They actually did respond to me within one to two business days as well. It was asking for a variety of information about the product though, which I no longer had since I already returned it. Hopefully, no one else gets the same experience with the product as I did though.

How do you feel about Target and its customer service? I felt pretty satisfied with the in-person service, and the online/email service wasn't too bad.

Simple Courtesy Can Get You Far in Business

I recently set up a phone call with a potential client, and she picked the date and time when she was available. However, when it came to the time for the call. She did not expect us and was not ready for the call.

Why?

We didn't or more so I didn't send her an Outlook invitation.

This is a person who is busy, and I'm the one who wants her to make time for me. I should take the extra time and effort to send her an Outlook invitation. This way we both know it's going to happen, and I know that her time is blocked off for us.

It seems like a simple and no-brainer act, but it's something that is necessary. It's a courtesy to them and basically how the rest of the world functions with a few exceptions. Plus, if you want someone's time and you want to make sure it happens. This is the best solutions.

So just a quick reminder that if you are ever contemplating sending anyone an Outlook invitation or any kind of reminder...it's a good thing to err on.

What do you think? It is always necessary to send an Outlook invitation for a call or meeting?

Top 5 Apps I need on my iPhone

I'm been trying to figure out what I have been doing with myself. Surprisingly, I have not tried a new restaurant to blog about.

However, I have been dedicating perhaps too much time on Netflix, Amazon Prime, on my BF's iPad, and of course my iPhone.

Although, I love technology...I don't entirely trust technology. I mean why does a game need to have access to my contacts? Huh?! So there's limit as to what I put on my iPhone. Plus hello! Unnecessary battery drainage and data usage. No thanks!

So here are the top 5 apps I do need on my iPhone.

1. Google Maps
This is by far the most important. Because to be completely honest...I have no clue where I am or how to get to where I need to be most of the time. I do have a Garmin, but it gets confused often.

2. Facebook
I know. Even though I'm not as active on this social media as I have been in the past. I still used this all the time. Where else am I supposed to get my news? Seriously, my news feed from my friends and family allows me to learn about the weather, current news, and traffic all in one place. Thanks Facebook friends! Also, how else would I kill time without this?

3. Instagram
Honestly, I use Instagram to keep up with my friends more than Facebook nowadays. I'm much more of a visual person. It also helps expose me to some awesome work out tips and detox drinks/smoothies.

4. Bubble Mania
Although, I'm currently stuff on the level I'm on. It's a fun and addicting game. Also...hello...no WiFi connection needed. You know what that means? I can play this game when I'm on an airplane. Yes, books should be a great alternative for on flight entertainment, but I rather much play a game.

5. Uber
Uber is pretty much a life saver. No need to hail down a cab or be on a hunt for one. It's cheaper than a cab as well. Plus, I personally think it's more convenient. I can see an estimate of how much the fare will be, and I don't have to worry about if the cab driver takes cash only. Super convenient.

What are some of your top 5 apps on your phone?

Basha Restaurant Review

It was pretty much disappointing.

We have been talking about stopping by this place multiple times and finally decided to come here for a low-key celebratory dinner of our 9-month anniversary.

I was excited going off of the fact that it was a Mediterranean restaurant filled with Mediterranean patrons.That's usually a good sign.

The food was mediocre and the service was decent. Although, I'm not entirely sure if I only thought the food was decent, because I'm not a fan of Mediterranean food.

We ordered a falafel appetizer, and we both decided we don't like falafel.

Next, the BF ordered chicken tikka served with biryani rice, and I ordered the chicken and beef shawarma. I thought the portion size was reasonable.

The best thing was their complementary oven roasted bread. Although I enjoyed the meal the second time around for leftovers the next morning.

Have you been here before? What did you think? Any other suggestions for Mediterranean cuisine?

 

Crystal Ball Event at the International Market Square for New Year's Eve

Over-priced and underwhelmed. This event was called the Crystal Ball event...but there was no crystal ball. Am I foolish to assume there would be? It should have been called the confetti event in my opinion.

As usually, I would rather stay at home and have a Die Hard marathon, but I ended up going out this year since it was the BF and my first New Year's Eve together. Aww. I know.

We almost had to stay in because my tenant's side had no heat...luckily...only on the first floor. But after spending $130 some dollars on our general admission tickets which was only for an entry fee - no free booze not even a class of champagne for the toast - I was determined to go out.

We arrived there around 9 pm...a little too early for there to be a crowd. There was a $4 coat check and the coat check attendants were only allowed to take $4 exactly (I overheard). Luckily we had exactly $4 otherwise, I'd shit bricks. Also...longest wait was for the coat.

One of the pros of the event...it didn't take us that long at all to get a drink and plenty of bathrooms so no super long wait.

To each his or her own in regards to how you prefer to ring in the New Year...would not go to this event again...although the headliner was what reeled me in. Dessa who I have learned of from the Tiny Desk Concert Youtube video. I think she gave a decent performance...but either the sound system sucked or I was to drunk to really understand her lyrics and songs clearly.

Where were you on NYE? Were you at this event? What was your perspective?

Bombay Bistro Food Review

I've almost tried every Indian restaurant in the Twin Cities area or at least it feels like I have This time my boyfriend was craving Indian buffet. Yes, we are fat!

Bombay Bistro was our destination this time. They offer free parking during dinner and weekends if you hate paying for parking like I do. There was good variety of North and South Indian cuisine. We arrived there promptly at 12 pm and not everything was set out yet, but it was nice and fresh. I think is one of the largest Indian buffets that I've been to in this area.

They also had two sides: one of vegetarian dishes and the other for meat entrees as well. There's something for everyone there, and it was reasonably priced.

Have you been to Bombay Bistro before? Any favorite dishes?

Downtown Philadelphia Restaurants Review

I haven't been on the East Coast in a long time. Luckily, I had some PTO days to use or lose, and a sister who travels for work.

I tagged along for my sister's business trip to Philadelphia for a conference. It was a business growth opportunity and a chance to travel. Finding a cheap flight was more difficult than expected. The cheapest flight I got was to Trenton-Mercer airport in New Jersey which was $144.00 which didn't include the price of $30 for a carry-on item and $25 for a check-in bag including only one personal item. This would then involve a Uber taxi ride from the airport to Trenton Transit Center for about $20. Since, it was a weekend the Septa train was $9 to Center City. Once making one of the last stops in Center City it was one block walk to my destination at Philadelphia DT Marriot.

So far still cheaper than a $500 flight from MSP to PHL. However, it is more time consuming and inconvenient.

First night, we ate at a delicious place called Original Dim Sum Garden.
We ate light Queens. Stuffing our faces with seaweed salad, scallions pancakes, shredded pork cabbage and noddles, hot and spicy soup, and chicken dumplings. We ate our dishes with their dumpling sauce and tried their ginger sauce as well. The dumpling sauce was good and sweet; however, the ginger sauce was too sour for our liking. We both typically do enjoy more sour sauces and flavors.

The seaweed salad, scallions pancakes, and chicken dumplings were very good. However, the hot and spicy soup was very bland. I wasn't a big fan of the shredded pork and cabbage and noodles. It didn't have much meat in it more my liking, but the flavor was good. This was the best place we ate at during our stay. It was also very reasonably priced.

Hot and Sour Soup, Chicken Dumplings, Scallion Pancakes, and Shredded Pork Noodles

Whenever, I travel I like to do some of the typically touristy things such as visiting the Liberty Bell, Brotherly Love sculpture, and eating a Philly Cheese sandwich.

In picking a place to try our sandwich, we went with proximity. We ordered The Works at Campo's Deli. It was disappointing and no different from anything you'd find in the Midwest. I thought perhaps they cooked the meat differently, and it was more tender. But I could have just been looking for some sort of positive of us walking in the cold and myself with a torn ligament for this sandwich.

The Works Philly Cheesesteak

However, there was a perk to our walk for an "authentic" Philly Cheesesteak. We stopped in for some warmth and hot cider at an adorable coffee shop called Menageri Coffee.

Later that night, we ate at a restaurant super close to our hotel, Hard Rock Cafe. Nothing too exciting there, since you can find that in pretty much in every big city in the US. Although, I do regret not trying the Salted Caramel Cafe drink. It looked delicious!

The following night, since I want to try somewhere different we went to Vietnam Palace even though my sister had wanted Thai, but suggested this Vietnamese restaurant. She's crazy...sometimes...is my point.

Not gonna lie...it was kinda disappointing especially, since we had our mind on Thai food. We ordered the papaya salad with beef jerky, beef pho, and salt and pepper seafood. I think I was most disappointed with the papaya salad since I'm used to Thai/Lao style papaya salad. Also, I wished the beef jerky was in bigger pieces, but the basil on top was a nice touch. The portion of the salt and pepper seafood was smaller than we would have liked, and we had to order rice separate. They were generous enough to bring us some complimentary Hot Tea though. Overall, it was a decent place, but compared to the Original Dim Sum Garden it was lacking.

Papaya Salad with Beef Jerky

Have you been to Philadelphia? What are some of the must try restaurants in the Downtown area?

Quantum Riveting Red Color Replenishing Shampoo and Conditioner

As mentioned in an earlier post, my hair stylist suggested I get shampoo with red in it.

I went to Sally Beauty Supply, and the only option they had was Quantum Riveting Reds Color Replenishing Shampoo . Since, it was reasonably priced and the ONLY option I went with it.

So far...I'm not in love...I hate the texture since it doesn't lather and smells weird. It also gets red every where. I can't say it does the trick as I do use other shampoos as well, but week 2 of getting my hair dyed the color is still fairly vibrant. We'll see how if fairs after a month or 3...

Have you dyed your hair red before or any color? What types of shampoo or conditioner did you use?

Ghost Oil Hair Product Review

WTF is ghost oil? Does it keep the evil spirits away? Not exactly...

I was first introduced to this product when I dyed my hair earlier this month and the hairstylist used it in my hair. It was super light and smelled amazing.

"Ghost oil is a weightless blend of argan + moringa oils. It's a vanishing daily restorative that revitalizes and repairs the hair. The integrated blend of oils enriches the hair shaft with essential nutrients that naturally smooth frizz and promote radiant shine for all hair types."

The weightlessness of it is where the name comes from. On top of it giving you healthier and shinier hair. It smells amazing.

I don't use this product every day, but I think it does everything that is advertise. I think it's worth purchasing if you want smoother and shinier hair.

Let me know if you've tried this before and what you think about it. Do you have any other hair product suggestions?

2014 Iron Fork

This is a foodie's dream! It was a fundraising event to feed the hungry and all proceeds went towards the cause.

I kept on telling my boyfriend how happy I was. I mean what was their not to love. You walk around sample food and booze?! Plus as Chopped fanatics there's a chef and bartender competition?

We got there super early, because I thought they were starting the competitions immediately, and we were able to try the different foods and drinks that the competitors would created. WRONG! Also for general admission there was no seating. So I worried some giant (or average-sized person) would be standing in front of this shorty (I'm barely 5'1'').

There was about 26 different venders there:
-A Cupcake Social & Pipeline Cookie Company
-Ames Farm Limited
-Mattie's On Main
-Caves of Faribault
-Erte & The Peacock Lounge
-Rusty Taco
-Sea Salt Eatery
-Tiny Diner
-The Third Bird
-Lunds and Byerly's
-Yum! Kitchen & Bakery
-Barrel Butter
-Pizza Luce
-Filfillah
-B.T. McElrath Chocolatier
-Signature Cafe
-Pour Wine Bar & Bistro
-And more.

You were able to walk around and try decent sized samples for the various venders. It was a fun and exhausting event. I think the least fun was the actual competition. It seemed to take forever. I also don't think the MCs were that great as they were not knowledgable on bar-tending or cooking.

It was still a fun event though, although our feet killed from lack of seating. We were also super thirsty since the cash bar line was super long.

I'd definitely go again next year with more comfortable shoes and a water bottle in my purse. Also, we won a $150 gift basket and a $10 gift card to Lunds. Nothing wrong with that!

Red Hair. Don't Care.

I love red hair, and I've been thinking about dying my hair for years.

I finally took the plunge at Stellar Hair Co.  As a faithful and loyal patron of Star Sisters from Eau Claire, WI finding a new salon to be loyal to has been an anxious feat. I googled "hair dye in Minneapolis" and Stella Hair Co. popped up first on the search. They received 4 out of 5 stars and rave reviews. It's also super close to my place which was another plus. Salon decision made. Thanks Google!

I had three different hair colors in mind.

I'm Asian and of course have super dark brown, thick and long hair which is harder to dye from my understanding. I needed to go for a consultation to see just how much this is going to cost me. The Stellar Hair Co. website was easy to navigate and see the general pricing. It was also super easy to schedule a consultation.

I had no clue which stylist to meet with but I figured those with dyed hair should know how to dye hair right? I chose Petra for my hair consultation. She was nice and enthusiastic about my hair dye and called Katie (the owner) to talk things through. They calmed my nervousness about the change, but when it came to booking an appointment Petra was booked for 3 weeks (well for the times I was available). I couldn't wait. I had an idea in my head and wanted to execute immediately. She understood and set me up with Alaina. The time worked with me.

In retrospect, I would have preferred not to go with Alaina. She did a good enough job, but she had only been working at Stella Hair Co. for about a month. Also she was specialized on men's hair.

When I met with her I told her I was contemplating the last two hair colors. We decided to go with a shade in between the two copper reds. This was exactly what I wanted. I didn't want anything too bold and loud as the second image, but I thought the last image was too safe and normal. As most hair stylist, she was nice and friendly. However, this being my first time fully dying my hair I wish she would have walked me through the process more. For example, I had no clue my scalp would itch so much. It was pretty bad, and I was ready to just stop the whole process and rinse my hair off. But, I suffered through silently. Also, she should have told me all the chemicals she used for the dye. Luckily she said she used some sort of protein nutrient which would help combat the dye and provide my hair some nutrients.

Also, she got some dye on my white sweater. I know bad move on my behalf on wearing white but still. It would have been nice to know so we could have washed it immediately. Luckily, when I got home I washed it out immediately, and it came out easily. However, I think she was gave good advice for getting a shampoo and condition which had red in it. This would help the red color stay in my hair longer as she informed me that red was one of the colors that faded the fastest. She also used this awesome ghost oil in my hair which I immediately ordered within the next few days. I liked that she didn't try to push of their products on to me to purchase.

I regret giving her 20% though. If I had known she got dye on my hair,  I wouldn't have given her that much.

I think I'd give this place another chance, but I'm not going to go to Alaina again.

Below is my red copper hair. It's a more subtle color so it's harder to tell. I like it, but I'm not in love with it.

Do you have a favorite stylist or salon in the Twin Cities? Please share in the comment section.

Meatloaf Zombie

We just had our pre-Halloween party this past weekend. and we wanted everything to be ghoulish and creepy.

We created the dead body set up for our eating table. The top of the head of course was the Meatloaf Zombie.

Since, it was going to be about 20-40 people there, and the party was between 7 pm and 12 am. I made two Meatloaf Zombies to switch out. This was only my second attempt at making meatloaf, and I thought it turned out delicious and juicy.

I bought about 3 lbs of ground meat which was 93% lean.
I mixed in with the ground beef:
-2 eggs
-1 1/2 chopped onion (saved the other half for teeth and eyes)
- 2 cups of almond milk
- 2 cups of crumbled stuffing mix
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons of mustard
- 2/3 cup of ketchup
-salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

After mixing all the ingredients shape your meatloaf (split in half) into a skull shape. Leave indentations for your meatloaf for the eyes and teeth. Layer the bacon on the top, and bake the meatloaf at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Then once completed top with ketchup. The indentations you create for the eyes and mouth will gather pools of oil/juices. Siphon the juice out and place the onions in 5 minutes before taking the meatloaf out of the oven.

Zombie meatloaf before baking

Let me know how it turns out, and any if you tried anything different.

The Soap Factory Haunted Basement Review

***Spoiler Alert***

I had been greatly anticipating this event to be the scariest Haunted House I will ever experience in my lifetime, and because I had such high hopes it left me pretty disappointed. Although I enjoyed the theme and concept of the The Soap Factory, it was definitely something different than the typical Haunted Houses, I was severely lacking on the surprise or being startled portion of Haunted Houses.

We just went to The Soap Factory Haunted Basement this past weekend. It was a group of four of us, but we got split up to the couples.

Everyone entering had to wear a face mask. They spaced it out where it was just the two of us, and there was a "creature" which lead us to a direction for a moment and then they left us to wander on our own. It was super dark and an awesome experience to move the sheets and anxiously anticipating what we would stumble upon with each sheet. However, we ran into other groups/people who were ahead of us and heard them being scared/screaming before we were scared. Also, I made the mistake of pointing out all the creatures that were going to jump out at us to my BF instead of letting them jump out at him and scaring him. I'm pretty much the worst person to go through a haunted house with. There was one time that I was startled by an actor that grabbed at my foot, but I wasn't frightened more so pleasantly surprised that I was actually surprised once.

All the actors did a great job, and I appreciated their effort. There was one demon creature who made an awesome vampire/demon sound and looked super creepy that may haunt my nightmares, but other than that it was pretty not scary.

They tried to separate us a few times, but I didn't allow it and just held on to my boyfriend's hand tighter, but eventually I  just let them separate us as one person tried to shove him into a box. Then I ran into him again and had to ask "Are you my boyfriend?" since it was dark and as mentioned earlier we were wearing masks. Then another attempt to separate us. They took him into a pitch black room and apparently just made a lot of noise. I was hoping that would scare him, but he wasn't or so he said. I just waited patiently by the door for him to exit. When we tried to enter they would just slam the door on us. We also ran into the other couple who was at the event. I think what made the event lacking in the scare factor was all of the people what was in our time slot. It was too crowded, which resulted in bad timing. Others ahead of us where scared which made everything predictable.

Even though, it wasn't as scary as I had anticipated. I think it's definitely an event to experience at least once. I'd actually give this another chance having experienced it once. I'm excited to see what they will come up with for next year's Halloween, and I might even be so bold as to let us get separated.

Mask from Haunted Basement

Let me know if you've gone before and what your thoughts are. How does it compare to this year's theme?

Gandhi Mahal Restaurant Review

We went to Gandhi Mahal last night for the BF's birthday dinner.

It was a decent meal, but it was probably one of my least favorite Indian restaurant in the Twin Cities that I've experienced so far. Everything was just very mediocre and decent.

We ordered the Masu Karma Platter for two. We both received our own platter which was nice, since my BF prefers his food a little spicier. It was supposed to come with the following: vegetable pakora, aloo pakora, papadam with chutney, lamb curry, chicken korma, basmati rice, and raita yogurt sauce. We also received a rice pudding for dessert. It was different from what was actually listed on the menu, but it was a good ending dessert as we were already fairly full.

We actually got the papadam with chutney, before we even ordered and didn't get any additional.

I don't think I'd try this place again, but if someone else suggested it I wouldn't be completely opposed to it though. I liked the overall atmosphere of the place, and I thought the customer service was again...sticking to the theme...decent.

I prefer Copper Pot and Indian House to Gandhi Mahal for good Indian cuisine though.

Inside of Gandhi Mahal

Masu Karma Platter

Rice Pudding Dessert