Comments on: Try A Little Bit harder… http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/ Style and Life in Ottawa Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:41:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Yvonne http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/comment-page-1/#comment-3480 Yvonne Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:48:24 +0000 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/#comment-3480 Hi girlaboutotown; This is a little late in getting to you but I couldn't agree more. As a designer, and the wife of a restaurant owner, it is incredibly difficult for me to go to most restaurants in Ottawa. A lot of the ones that do have a little panache are total rip-offs from famous restaurants in other cities [hello Balthazar, NYC]. Just to share a little 'behind-the-scenes' of why I think this happens - many resto owners in o-town think they can -do-it-themselves and think that a designer adds to the cost of owning a restaurant. Case in point - last summer I redesigned that Manx Pub, and along with trying to keep everything the same [not to piss off their many, many regulars], I was able to re-work their layout and add 6 extra seats to the existing space! So basically, they probably paid my fee back within the first 2 months since they were able to sell at least an extra 6 dinners/night ! Okay, I'm done ranting and wish wish wish more people could understand this concept. You reap what you so, or is that sew? - YP Hi girlaboutotown;
This is a little late in getting to you but I couldn’t agree more. As a designer, and the wife of a restaurant owner, it is incredibly difficult for me to go to most restaurants in Ottawa. A lot of the ones that do have a little panache are total rip-offs from famous restaurants in other cities [hello Balthazar, NYC]. Just to share a little ‘behind-the-scenes’ of why I think this happens – many resto owners in o-town think they can -do-it-themselves and think that a designer adds to the cost of owning a restaurant. Case in point – last summer I redesigned that Manx Pub, and along with trying to keep everything the same [not to piss off their many, many regulars], I was able to re-work their layout and add 6 extra seats to the existing space! So basically, they probably paid my fee back within the first 2 months since they were able to sell at least an extra 6 dinners/night !
Okay, I’m done ranting and wish wish wish more people could understand this concept. You reap what you so, or is that sew? – YP

]]> By: Happy Doggie http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/comment-page-1/#comment-1205 Happy Doggie Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:01:25 +0000 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/#comment-1205 Great blog Kite! I love the Manx too, food is wonderful and it has such personality and service is great too. I find there aren't too many great restaurants in the city, but there are a few and I think the restaurant scene is slowly getting better. I've wanted to try Jak's kitchen as I've heard only good things, so thanks for the review. Cheers! Great blog Kite!
I love the Manx too, food is wonderful and it has such personality and service is great too.
I find there aren’t too many great restaurants in the city, but there are a few and I think the restaurant scene is slowly getting better. I’ve wanted to try Jak’s kitchen as I’ve heard only good things, so thanks for the review.

Cheers!

]]> By: Kite http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/comment-page-1/#comment-670 Kite Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:49:05 +0000 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/#comment-670 Awesome. Thanks for the tip! I will have to put Singapore on the list to try... Awesome. Thanks for the tip! I will have to put Singapore on the list to try…

]]> By: DesignTies http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/comment-page-1/#comment-650 DesignTies Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:05:38 +0000 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/#comment-650 OK, in the spirit of rewarding chutzpah, I'll tell you about our favourite restaurant. It's The Singapore. The parking lot is small, the restaurant is small and not particularly well decorated, but the food is SO good!! My hubby started going to the Singapore when it opened close to 25 years ago. It's owned and operated by a husband & wife team -- she cooks, he cuts the chicken and washes the glasses by hand and waits tables :-) Andrew is the other waiter. He's super-friendly and likes to talk about all sorts of things. Which can actually be a bit distracting when you've got a mouthful of food, but he's such a nice guy :-) Their signature dish is laksa -- vermicelli, bean sprouts, chicken, egg, shrimp, and green onions in a curry soup base. You can get it as mild or hot as you want. And there's always hot sauce on the side if you're really brave!! Some other dishes we really like are the satay salad (best peanut sauce EVER!!), lemon chicken, and sesame chicken. And the prices are totally reasonable. Two salads, two laksas, a lemon chicken, and two soft drinks is about $45. The Singapore is at 69 Kempster. It's a small red brick building just off of Carling behind Taj. Kelly OK, in the spirit of rewarding chutzpah, I’ll tell you about our favourite restaurant. It’s The Singapore. The parking lot is small, the restaurant is small and not particularly well decorated, but the food is SO good!!

My hubby started going to the Singapore when it opened close to 25 years ago. It’s owned and operated by a husband & wife team — she cooks, he cuts the chicken and washes the glasses by hand and waits tables :-) Andrew is the other waiter. He’s super-friendly and likes to talk about all sorts of things. Which can actually be a bit distracting when you’ve got a mouthful of food, but he’s such a nice guy :-)

Their signature dish is laksa — vermicelli, bean sprouts, chicken, egg, shrimp, and green onions in a curry soup base. You can get it as mild or hot as you want. And there’s always hot sauce on the side if you’re really brave!!

Some other dishes we really like are the satay salad (best peanut sauce EVER!!), lemon chicken, and sesame chicken.

And the prices are totally reasonable. Two salads, two laksas, a lemon chicken, and two soft drinks is about $45.

The Singapore is at 69 Kempster. It’s a small red brick building just off of Carling behind Taj.

Kelly

]]> By: julie http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/comment-page-1/#comment-637 julie Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:09:53 +0000 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/#comment-637 Oh, I really can't blame you for your discontent with Ottawa. But I appreciate these tips on restaurants. The only one I've been to is the Manx (yum!) and I'm looking forward to trying the others. Great post! Oh, I really can’t blame you for your discontent with Ottawa. But I appreciate these tips on restaurants. The only one I’ve been to is the Manx (yum!) and I’m looking forward to trying the others. Great post!

]]> By: Modern Ottawa http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/comment-page-1/#comment-636 Modern Ottawa Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:13:44 +0000 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/#comment-636 I know what you mean! We decided not become complacent either. If it's not good or what we asked for, it gets sent back. We found a couple places like Moxies in Gloucester and Lemongrass on Elgin... So far soo good. Thanks for sharing these new places, I'll definitely check them out. Marie I know what you mean! We decided not become complacent either. If it’s not good or what we asked for, it gets sent back.

We found a couple places like Moxies in Gloucester and Lemongrass on Elgin… So far soo good. Thanks for sharing these new places, I’ll definitely check them out.

Marie

]]> By: Jeff http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/comment-page-1/#comment-633 Jeff Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:41:29 +0000 http://www.girlaboutotown.com/2009/07/27/try-a-little-bit-harder/#comment-633 Some truly great suggestions for dining in Ottawa - thanks Poppy! Some truly great suggestions for dining in Ottawa – thanks Poppy!

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