Cafe Bel Ami
Posted on April 27, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink.
I had blood work done after work on Friday. I hate getting blood work done. It’s always really traumatic because they can never find my veins.
Brian was nice and rewarded me with dinner at Cafe Bel Ami after we left the lab. I was really surprised. He’s not usually one to suggest such a place. He’s more of a Chipotle kind of guy. LOL.
The food at Cafe Bel Ami is amazing. I love eating there whenever I can, which is not very often. You’d think I’d be there all the time considering that it’s within walking distance from my work, but it’s more of a leisurely dining experience. When you only have an hour for lunch, it doesn’t work out so great. If you do have time it’s definitely worth checking out. The food is definitely worth the wait.
Brian had the Bel Ami chicken on Friday.
I’m a little piglet. I had the Bel Ami trio which consists of a beef tenderloin, chicken, and shrimp. It’s like their signature surf and turf. I normally have the grilled tilapia when I’m at Cafe Bel Ami but I wanted to try something different.
I’m glad I tried it because everything was delicious. I don’t eat a lot of beef because it’s never prepared the way I like it. This was perfect. You only get three shrimps with the entreé but these were huge. The chicken had excellent flavor. Sometimes I end up regretting deviating from my usual but I was very pleased that I tried something new this time. I think I have a new favorite.
Brian and I shared a slice of cheesecake for dessert. It was just a standard cheesecake but I enjoyed every bite of it. It’s not every day that I get poked with a needle so I felt like I earned my dessert. LOL.
After dinner we stopped by Mr. Diggs, a home furnishings store across from Tracy’s Automotive. I’d been wanting to check that place out for a long time because I always see their sign whenever I’m in a meeting. You can see the building from our conference rooms at work.
It’s a really neat store and definitely worth a look. Their loft showroom is amazing. Their products are not as affordable as other stores but they have many unique pieces that you won’t find anywhere else. And you can get some great ideas from how they’ve grouped and showcased items together.
I wanted to stick around for the Final Friday festivities. It’s been a while since we did an art crawl. We were both really tired though, and we had Sir Roger Moore waiting for us at home. We were set to watch A View to a Kill
We spent the rest of the evening watching our weekly Bond film and relaxing at home. It was the perfect way to end a busy week.
Comment on This
Oriental Express
Posted on April 26, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink.
Got to try a new place while we were in Topeka this week. It doesn’t look like much inside (or outside for that matter) because it’s a bit of a hole in the wall but it came highly recommended. Lance has eaten here half a dozen times and he keeps coming back so it must be good. LOL.
For starters I recommend ordering the Oriental Express appetizer sampler platter. It’s an excellent value. You get to try several things for about $10. Can’t beat it. Oh, and they’re serious about their chicken satay. You don’t get a bamboo skewer with a little bit of chicken. You get a large piece of chicken on a skewer and you get two of these.
The crab rangoon was just okay. Very few places really have fantastic crab rangoon. It’s not a deal breaker for me. I didn’t get to try any of the other things on the plate because I wanted to save some room for my meal and I could feel myself getting full already just off the one chicken satay and one crab rangoon.
I ordered the triple delight which consisted of shrimp, beef, chicken, and broccoli. The sauce was a little too salty but it was good overall. I mean, that’s what steamed white rice is for after all — to absorb some of the saltiness. Right?
Rachel and Sally both had combination dinners. Rachel had the basil chicken (above) while Sally had the sesame chicken below.
I didn’t know you got dessert with the combination dinner or I would have opted for it also. Their cake thing looked yummy, specially after a savory meal.
Lance was all about the sushi.
I think every time he has dined at Oriental Express he’s always ordered sushi. I must say that the restaurant has quite an extensive menu. They have a full page of sushi options in addition to the Oriental food selections. They have Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai. They offered a smorgasbord of dishes. Seriously. Anything you could think of, they had. It’s easy to see why the place is favored by the locals.
The best part is they have a drive thru window so you don’t even have to come inside when you order take out. If you need food quick, forget the national fast food chains. Just hop on over to Oriental Express. You won’t regret it.
Comment on This
The Moose Truck
Posted on April 26, 2014 by Ching under Food and Drink.
Did you know that the Blue Moose has a food truck? I didn’t either until we saw it the other day in front of their restaurant in Topeka.
Sally, Lance, and I were in Topeka for training last week. I had eaten at the Blue Moose once before with Tammie, Jimmy, Patrice, and Connie. I don’t really know a lot of restaurants in Topeka so I went ahead and suggested the Blue Moose as a dinner option for the three of us.
Here are some pictures of our food.
These are the shrimp wontons. Not bad. You can’t really go wrong with wontons. You can put just about anything in them. Brian and I have made roast beef and cheese before and called them Philly cheese eggrolls.
Lance ordered crab cakes, which he shared with me and Sally. They were served with two different types of dressing. They were just okay. However, the crab cakes themselves were yummy.
You won’t see any other pictures besides this one because all there of us ordered the fish tacos. There’s really no point taking three pictures of the exact same thing. LOL.
I liked the Blue Moose the first time but I liked it even more this time. I think it’s because I got to try different things this time and they were all very good.
I’ve only eaten at the Blue Moose twice but the restaurant is quickly growing on me. I think this is officially one of my favorite places to eat in Topeka.
Comment on This
Bad Teamwork vs. Good Teamwork
Posted on April 24, 2014 by Ching under Leadership, Videos.
I spent a couple of days in Topeka this week for Remarkable Leadership
Comment on This
I Don’t Need to Buy More Clothes
Posted on April 20, 2014 by Ching under Outfits, Shopping.
“You don’t need to buy new clothes,” I always remind myself. It used to be that I would tell myself I don’t need to buy new clothes just because the old ones no longer fit. I just needed to lose weight. That was always my mantra, and a way to keep my weight/figure in check. However, I’d still feel the urge to shop for new outfits on a somewhat regular basis, and I’d often fail to resist. I’d cave and end up with even more clothes that I don’t need in my closet.
I have a new mantra these days. Since joining Stella & Dot a couple of months ago, I learned that I really don’t need to buy more clothes. I just need to accessorize. Whenever I’d get bored and feel the urge to go shopping, I remind myself that I really don’t need to go shopping. I just need to review the contents of my closet and combine the clothing and accessories that I already own in new and different ways.
I don’t need to buy more clothes. Neither do you. What we need are versatile accessories that we can use to spice up our wardrobes. I will prove it.
Fashion jewelry can change the whole look of an outfit. You can have the same top, dress, suit, or other foundational piece but look completely different based on your choice of accessories. Accessories such as scarves, jewelry, belts, and shoes can instantly transform an outfit. Here’s another example:
You don’t really need several black dresses. One will suffice as long as you accessorize. I’m not just saying this to sell you jewelry either. Style expert Bridgette Raes recently posted how you can wear a simple, summer dress in five fashionable ways. It’s true and it works.
I can’t believe that I just now came to this conclusion. I wish I would have known this years ago. I could have saved myself a lot of money. LOL. Anyway, I’m paying it forward by sharing this knowledge with you. You’re welcome.
Now that I’ve had this epiphany, my next project is to pare down my closet to just the basics. That may be more challenging because I’m a bit of a pack rat. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, if you’re looking for some awesome accessories to spice up your wardrobe, head on over to Stella & Dot.
Comment on This
