Comments for smaku's World http://www.smaku.com/blog the personal blog of Taku Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:15:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on Jamming to the tunes of the Beatles by Renee http://www.smaku.com/blog/2010/01/27/jamming-to-the-tunes-of-the-beatles/comment-page-1/#comment-60285 Renee Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:15:42 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=633#comment-60285 LOL, can I be so bold as to suggest, everything but the mic? Ha ha - unless you want the most comical version of I am the Walrus. LOL, can I be so bold as to suggest, everything but the mic? Ha ha – unless you want the most comical version of I am the Walrus.

]]> Comment on Jamming to the tunes of the Beatles by Taku Kumabe http://www.smaku.com/blog/2010/01/27/jamming-to-the-tunes-of-the-beatles/comment-page-1/#comment-60284 Taku Kumabe Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:34:21 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=633#comment-60284 Ooh... I don't think I've ever heard you sing! I've been practicing on guitar lately; I'm getting better with that too now. What does A play? Ooh… I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing! I’ve been practicing on guitar lately; I’m getting better with that too now. What does A play?

]]> Comment on Jamming to the tunes of the Beatles by Renee http://www.smaku.com/blog/2010/01/27/jamming-to-the-tunes-of-the-beatles/comment-page-1/#comment-60282 Renee Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:27:55 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=633#comment-60282 If you need more band members, A and I would be happy to volunteer. Apparently I'm not so hot with the drums (all 1 out of 1 times I've played) but I can do some singing and play the bass (but not at the same time)! If you need more band members, A and I would be happy to volunteer. Apparently I’m not so hot with the drums (all 1 out of 1 times I’ve played) but I can do some singing and play the bass (but not at the same time)!

]]> Comment on Photoshop CS4 vs. Lightroom 2 vs. Aperture 2 vs. Capture One by Peter Kasbergen http://www.smaku.com/blog/2009/03/27/photoshop-cs4-vs-lightroom-2-vs-aperture-2-vs-capture-one/comment-page-1/#comment-60270 Peter Kasbergen Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:34:32 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=517#comment-60270 Very nice review! Things like this are great to read, because everyone has their own opinion and approach to working out which tool(s) work(s) best for them. I did my own comparison here: http://www.kasbergen.com/?p=35 Let me know what you all think... Very nice review! Things like this are great to read, because everyone has their own opinion and approach to working out which tool(s) work(s) best for them. I did my own comparison here: http://www.kasbergen.com/?p=35

Let me know what you all think…

]]> Comment on Hiro at Toni & Guy by wenwan http://www.smaku.com/blog/2007/11/10/hiro-at-toni-guy/comment-page-1/#comment-60242 wenwan Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:09:16 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/2007/11/10/hiro-at-toni-guy/#comment-60242 Hello, after reading your article. I wanna to go to this magic hair shop. This is my email luwenwan@hotmail.com. Do you mind tell me your name? So that next time I went there I could get 15% off! Thank you. Hello, after reading your article. I wanna to go to this magic hair shop. This is my email luwenwan@hotmail.com. Do you mind tell me your name? So that next time I went there I could get 15% off! Thank you.

]]> Comment on Photoshop CS4 vs. Lightroom 2 vs. Aperture 2 vs. Capture One by W. C. http://www.smaku.com/blog/2009/03/27/photoshop-cs4-vs-lightroom-2-vs-aperture-2-vs-capture-one/comment-page-1/#comment-60240 W. C. Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:09:59 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=517#comment-60240 Aperture 3 is rumored to be out soon, the book Aperture 3 is out in Holland. I heard Feb 2010. I hope so. Aperture 3 is rumored to be out soon, the book Aperture 3 is out in Holland. I heard Feb 2010. I hope so.

]]> Comment on Restaurant Review: Guu Izakaya (is Guuud!) by notafoodcritic http://www.smaku.com/blog/2009/12/16/review-guu-is-guuud/comment-page-1/#comment-60238 notafoodcritic Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:28:46 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=592#comment-60238 Dude, give it a rest. Guu was very good. Sure, we had to wait outside for an hour or so, but the entire night was a very good experience. If you don't like Guu, good. The wait will be shorter! Dude, give it a rest.

Guu was very good. Sure, we had to wait outside for an hour or so, but the entire night was a very good experience.

If you don’t like Guu, good. The wait will be shorter!

]]> Comment on Chili by Taku Kumabe http://www.smaku.com/blog/2010/01/11/chili/comment-page-1/#comment-60237 Taku Kumabe Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:16:44 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=605#comment-60237 Hey there Hungry Gal! Thanks for the link; you're a very descriptive and articulate blogger, making me want to cook what you post! I've considered adding chocolate, cinnamon, and even beer to my chilis, but I wanted to go with the basics this time around. Perhaps next time, I will try other things like you suggested. Thanks for the compliment on my photos. I enjoy taking photos, as much as I like eating food. ;) And I too like Bistro Camino; I haven't been in a while so perhaps it's time I give them a visit! Hey there Hungry Gal!
Thanks for the link; you’re a very descriptive and articulate blogger, making me want to cook what you post!

I’ve considered adding chocolate, cinnamon, and even beer to my chilis, but I wanted to go with the basics this time around. Perhaps next time, I will try other things like you suggested.

Thanks for the compliment on my photos. I enjoy taking photos, as much as I like eating food. ;)

And I too like Bistro Camino; I haven’t been in a while so perhaps it’s time I give them a visit!

]]> Comment on Chili by Hungry Gal http://www.smaku.com/blog/2010/01/11/chili/comment-page-1/#comment-60236 Hungry Gal Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:36:50 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=605#comment-60236 Hi Smaku - Found your site as I did a search through google for Bistro Camino. (one of my favourite neighborhood restaurants) You can make your own chili without using a spice pack and believe me, it will taste 10x better. Trust. One of my favourites is Cincinnati Chili which is usually on top of spaghetti noodles. There are lots of spices but it is well worth it. And I like to cook it in the slow cooker for the flavours to develop. It's yum. (If you try it, please let me know what you think!) I posted my recipe on my blog: http://mykindoffood.blogspot.com/2008/11/would-obama-eat-this-chili-i-hope-so.html (photo isn't great unfortunately) ps. I took a quick look at your photos and they are beautiful. Hi Smaku – Found your site as I did a search through google for Bistro Camino. (one of my favourite neighborhood restaurants)

You can make your own chili without using a spice pack and believe me, it will taste 10x better. Trust. One of my favourites is Cincinnati Chili which is usually on top of spaghetti noodles. There are lots of spices but it is well worth it. And I like to cook it in the slow cooker for the flavours to develop. It’s yum. (If you try it, please let me know what you think!)
I posted my recipe on my blog: http://mykindoffood.blogspot.com/2008/11/would-obama-eat-this-chili-i-hope-so.html
(photo isn’t great unfortunately)
ps. I took a quick look at your photos and they are beautiful.

]]> Comment on Restaurant Review: Guu Izakaya (is Guuud!) by goodeatz http://www.smaku.com/blog/2009/12/16/review-guu-is-guuud/comment-page-1/#comment-60234 goodeatz Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:46:20 +0000 http://www.smaku.com/blog/?p=592#comment-60234 I was thrilled to read online months ago Guu was coming to Toronto. Having lived in Vancouver for 7 years Gyoza King, Hapa Izakaya and Guu were places I loved and frequented once a week. When I called to see if they took reservations I was told no (as per usual) So we arrived early and sat in the car from 4:20. We watched car after car pull up and park on the street, but no one was getting out. And then at 4:55 like clockwork the car doors flung open and out tromped a heard of 40 diners, a sight I have never seen in Toronto. We were the first in line and last to be seated for some reason but who cares we were there and good eats were on the horizon. We were presented the menus and clearly told we had a two hour limit, no problem right? WRONG! We ordered a good bottle of sake and tea. We didn’t receive our tea until 5:35 and by the time our first item of food arrived if was 5:45 Surely they would take the slow start into account. But just to be safe I got up and asked the manager if we needed to really rush because of the two hour limit? “we want to respect your time limit but its kind of hard since we started so late” I said. He replied “don’t worry we never gonna kick our customers out” bowing profusely and smiling. I congratulated him and his team for finally bringing a proper izakaya to Toronto and told him how thrilled we were to be here and thanked him for his understanding. At this point there is a 60 person line up inside the restaurant that snakes its way between tables all the way back to the washrooms. Btw Im sure the fire Marshall will fix the overcrowding problem By this time we were speaking to a single diner next to us sharing plates and having a great time. At 6:45 we asked our waitress for two more orders of black cod. “No I’m sorry your time is up!” “Im sorry there must be some kind of misunderstanding, I spoke with the manger about it” said I. So I went back to the manager and explained the waitress was kicking us out. His reply “well did you get everything you ordered?” Mine was “Well yes we did but we didn’t know we only had one shot at it but besides you knew we started late and we agreed we got our first item at 5:45. So what’s the problem”? Now here where it goes really pear shaped. At 6:40 He walks us to the table looks at the start time on the bill and concludes “ITS TIME TO GO!” Bows and smiles. We have half of our $60 bottle of sake and a full beer on the table and now we are getting kicked out? I implored him. My wife implored him. The lady next to us implored him with “please you don’t understand they are having a great time here, they love it here, your making a mistake” I explained you cant kick customers out mid meal. I eventually told him he was being greedy and he should take care of the customers he has before accepting new ones. This is now when I raise my voice and get everyone attention including one drunk Japanese guy who is all too eager to stick up for his brethren. Now he’s yelling at me across the table. My wife is speechless thinking “can this be happening are we getting kicked out of a restaurant”??? I regret paying the bill including the sake we weren’t allow to finish. And then we were flanked out the door like some unruly customer that had been violent. I cant recall ever being so humiliated or wronged in my life. If you were there, yes I did raise my voice and so would you if you were in that situation. If the disruption ruined your dinner I know how you feel. I am genuinely sorry for my contribution but I have never been evicted from a restaurant mid meal before and I doubt neither have you. For me this was an especially painful slap in the face because I have proudly worked in the restaurant industry for over 20 years. So when we go out for dinner (which is far too much and never enough) Its rare for me not to know someone I have worked at some point and consider family(those in the industry will know what I mean by this) But this time you disgraced the industry I love. You cheated and abused the patronage of one of you own, one of the best potential customers you could wish for. I congratulated you sincerely from the heart. I tried to respect your rules when many wouldn’t bother. Then you kick my wife and I out on OUR ANNIVERSARY! I wont forget, and I will tell EVERYONE what greedy bastards you are. I was thrilled to read online months ago Guu was coming to Toronto. Having lived in Vancouver for 7 years Gyoza King, Hapa Izakaya and Guu were places I loved and frequented once a week. When I called to see if they took reservations I was told no (as per usual) So we arrived early and sat in the car from 4:20. We watched car after car pull up and park on the street, but no one was getting out. And then at 4:55 like clockwork the car doors flung open and out tromped a heard of 40 diners, a sight I have never seen in Toronto. We were the first in line and last to be seated for some reason but who cares we were there and good eats were on the horizon.

We were presented the menus and clearly told we had a two hour limit, no problem right? WRONG!
We ordered a good bottle of sake and tea. We didn’t receive our tea until 5:35 and by the time our first item of food arrived if was 5:45 Surely they would take the slow start into account. But just to be safe I got up and asked the manager if we needed to really rush because of the two hour limit? “we want to respect your time limit but its kind of hard since we started so late” I said. He replied “don’t worry we never gonna kick our customers out” bowing profusely and smiling. I congratulated him and his team for finally bringing a proper izakaya to Toronto and told him how thrilled we were to be here and thanked him for his understanding. At this point there is a 60 person line up inside the restaurant that snakes its way between tables all the way back to the washrooms. Btw Im sure the fire Marshall will fix the overcrowding problem

By this time we were speaking to a single diner next to us sharing plates and having a great time. At 6:45 we asked our waitress for two more orders of black cod. “No I’m sorry your time is up!” “Im sorry there must be some kind of misunderstanding, I spoke with the manger about it” said I. So I went back to the manager and explained the waitress was kicking us out. His reply “well did you get everything you ordered?” Mine was “Well yes we did but we didn’t know we only had one shot at it but besides you knew we started late and we agreed we got our first item at 5:45. So what’s the problem”?

Now here where it goes really pear shaped. At 6:40 He walks us to the table looks at the start time on the bill and concludes “ITS TIME TO GO!” Bows and smiles. We have half of our $60 bottle of sake and a full beer on the table and now we are getting kicked out? I implored him. My wife implored him. The lady next to us implored him with “please you don’t understand they are having a great time here, they love it here, your making a mistake” I explained you cant kick customers out mid meal. I eventually told him he was being greedy and he should take care of the customers he has before accepting new ones.

This is now when I raise my voice and get everyone attention including one drunk Japanese guy who is all too eager to stick up for his brethren. Now he’s yelling at me across the table. My wife is speechless thinking “can this be happening are we getting kicked out of a restaurant”??? I regret paying the bill including the sake we weren’t allow to finish. And then we were flanked out the door like some unruly customer that had been violent. I cant recall ever being so humiliated or wronged in my life.

If you were there, yes I did raise my voice and so would you if you were in that situation. If the disruption ruined your dinner I know how you feel. I am genuinely sorry for my contribution but I have never been evicted from a restaurant mid meal before and I doubt neither have you.

For me this was an especially painful slap in the face because I have proudly worked in the restaurant industry for over 20 years. So when we go out for dinner (which is far too much and never enough) Its rare for me not to know someone I have worked at some point and consider family(those in the industry will know what I mean by this) But this time you disgraced the industry I love. You cheated and abused the patronage of one of you own, one of the best potential customers you could wish for. I congratulated you sincerely from the heart. I tried to respect your rules when many wouldn’t bother. Then you kick my wife and I out on OUR ANNIVERSARY!

I wont forget, and I will tell EVERYONE what greedy bastards you are.

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