The original plan was to go to Boneta. Alas, we found out at the last minute that it's closed on Sundays, so we had to quickly come up with an alternate restaurant for dinner. Italian Kitchen was one of those places that opened when I was away from Vancouver, so I didn't catch much of the press surrounding it. My friend also hadn't heard of it before, so we were walking in there with clean slates. As we stepped in, I was immediately impressed by the simple and sleek design of the room, and the way it contrasted with the brightly-lit bar. We chose to sit at a more secluded corner booth inside (although there is a small but inviting patio!), and immediately began scoping out their menu. Choosing was difficult, since the restaurant offers a good deal of variety in terms of both appetizers and mains. After we finally made our selections, it wasn't long before the antipasto arrived at our table...

When H&M first came to BC, it was kind of assumed that it would open in some sort of central location - Downtown, Metrotown, South Granville... So when it was announced that the first store would open in Coquitlam Centre, the overall reaction was one of surprise. Most urban Vancouverites can barely describe where Coquitlam is, much less travel there to go shopping. The fact that a two-story flagship store is about to open in Pacific Centre is either a dream or a nightmare, depending on how you look at it. Many girls and boys are excited to have the store be so close - H&M is great for affordable, trendy clothes and accessories. Others are already complaining that this is going to breed uniformity in a city where fashion is hardly bursting with excitement.

Personally, I'm happy to have H&M be so close and accessible. I'm a student with limited funds, so I'm always price-conscious when I shop. The wonderful thing about H&M is that you can buy seasonal pieces to dress up your wardrobe staples, and you can do so without too much guilt. I'm also super-curious to see how they've redone the space formerly occupied by Holt Renfrew, which has now become a behemoth of outrageous prices and luxury on the other side of the mall. H&M is good with keeping a constant buzz around its brand, especially because of its collaborations with international designers and celebrities. Currently, they are featuring a collection with Finnish design house Marimekko, and although it's not my personal favorite, it will definitely be recognizable. For the next collaboration, that they are working with Rei Kawakubo, founder and head designer for Comme des Garçons. Now that is something to be excited for.

This week, Vancouver will be hit with two completely opposite acts of the electronica variety. First up are Treasure Fingers, Kill the Noise, and Datarock, who will grace us with their presence this Thursday. The following night is Superstar DJ Keoki, who hasn't been to Vancouver in years, and whose career has been spanning for a lot longer than that of your average DJ. The two shows are going to be totally different, but both will hopefully get people moving and talking...

I ended up at Legendary Noodle because I had been bugging my Chinese-teacher-turned-friend to take me for Chuan'r, a type of Chinese meat-on-a-stick street food. It's very popular and available all year round, but is best had on late summer nights, while sitting outside with a bottle of Tsing Tao beer. When we got to Legendary Noodle on Main Street, we were informed that Chuan'r was only available at their Richmond location. A little disappointed but very hungry, we decided to stick around and give the handmade noodles a try.

There were three of us, so we ordered three appetizers and three noodle dishes. We started with the Tudou Si, a type of shredded potato dish available in pretty much any restaurant in China. It was very well done, with just the right amount of spice and flavor. We then tried the Pea Shoots with Garlic, which were fresh and incredibly tasty. I would go back again just to have them. We also had Guo Tie (fried dumplings) - these were a favorite of mine in China, but the ones at this restaurant had just a little too much ginger for my liking.

More on the main dishes after the jump...

The folks over at Tazzu are organizing a three-hour seminar-style camp about all things blog-related tomorrow evening at the Network Hub! Even if WordPress isn't your platform of choice, you can still learn a great deal about blogging by attending. The list of speakers and their topics is quite diverse, so there will be something here for everyone. To find out more, visit their website or Facebook event page, and show up early tomorrow to make sure you get a spot! I'll be there, laptop battery charged and typing fingers ready to go.

Thanks to Peter for the heads up!
Photo by ryn wltr wgnr from the BR Flickr Pool.

Hey apparently Canada has a second official language! It's not Mandarin or Cantonese! Crazy, right?

I've received news that French speakers, a species so rare in Vancouver that they have to be seen to be believed, gather once a month at the Backstage Lounge to listen to music, mingle, and dance. They'll be out in full force tonight, and so will I. The night is called C'est Extra, and there are shots of Jäger on special to make you that much more confident in speaking. Personally, I'm hoping for lots of hot men standing six meters away from the entrance, smoking cigarettes, and, if I'm lucky, doing the poutine dance captured above.