Just a Taste: Bacchus

Bacchus is one of my favourite lounges in the city to hang out at. I honestly just learned how to pronounce it properly, the last couple of years I argued with my dad thinking it was pronounced "bawk-us". These are some photos from quite some time ago, but I remember going with the bento box (bottom photo). It had edamame beans, salmon, chili chicken and dynamite rolls. It's a cool change because it has the westernized Japanese feel to it. It's about $18 but did not fill me up this one occasion. It tasted great, I generally order dynamite rolls and chili chicken (great with the coconut rice) as appetizers to share. The music is good, servers are good, bartenders are good and environment is good. Not really any negatives to the place other than the fact that I don't like how their paper towels are set out in the bathroom. If you are looking for a place to hang out, grab a drink or some food at Bacchus. If you are under the legal drinking age, you can always access the Earl's restaurant.

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Just a Taste: Yip Hong's

This past Sunday, Aashna and I went out for dim sum. I usually go to Yip Hong's and if it's busy I will go to Mandarin. They are pretty even in my opinion, but one location is just closer than the other. 

My first recommendation is to go at 10:30, this is when the first rush of people generally is. It is hard to find a seat after this time, the waiters give each group a number as you wait. In our case, we waited for 10-15 minutes. If you plan on sleeping in, around11:30 the second rush begins. Many of my friends like to go at this time but I prefer going earlier for the fresher food and first pickings. 

We ordered rice noodles with BBQ pork, deep fried taro root, black bean spare ribs, sticky rice, pork dumplings and mango pudding with condensed milk. If you plan on going to Yip Hong's I recommend the deep fried taro root and for you to finish your meal with the mango pudding. It is worth the experience, I recommend for you to go with a group of friends or family to try a dim sum meal.

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25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

This video is incredibly impressive! Wendy spent day and night creating this video. I enjoy learning about the different ways of tying scarves but I find myself being more entertained by all of the little details.



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Lupe Fiasco - Friend of the People (Mixtape)

This is for those that missed the drop this past Thursday. It's the same Lupe, just different beats. I have only gone through it once, but I found myself listening to "The End of the World" on repeat at the end. I haven't decided if it is the lyrics or the M83 beat that I admire more.



Download Here

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Girl and Chocolate Trailer

To this day, Yeah Right is still my favourite skateboarding video. I have high expectations for this! We can expect the release for 2012, but you never know (Lakai kept us waiting with Fully Flaired).


Girl & Chocolate Trailer from Crailtap on Vimeo.


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Essentials: Dr. Larry Yang

If you see me out of the house, chances are I got most of these things on or with me.

Louis Vuitton damier graphite leather cardholder
Lose the bulk. A sleek cardholder is all I need for my ID, credit cards, and a bit of cash.

Leather Tether (hand made)

After losing my keys at the bar (and thankfully finding them the next day), I’ll never leave the house without my keys within sight; hooking them onto a belt loop does the trick. You risk looking like a janitor, but function trumps form - and lanyards are for freshmen anyways.

Audio Technica ATH-M50s

Great set of closed cans for any audiophile (or anyone who enjoys music and wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a set of Beats).

Red Wing 875 boot

If you live in this country, you need a decent set of boots to keep yourself from falling on your ass or walking home with wet socks. I prefer Red Wings, but there are cheaper alternatives. Just remember that these boots fit a bit bigger than the listed size (extra room for when you wear wool socks).

Detour bar

I always keep two of these in my school bag; One for hunger emergencies, and another in case I forget to restock my bag.

Supreme fine gauge beanies

These beanies are cheap, sturdy, and have a minimalist design. Good enough for me.

So Dr. Larry Yang isn't actually a doctor... yet. Larry's currently in Medicine at the U of S and in my personal opinion, he's going to be one stylin' doctor. Catch Larry at the U of S library in one of his Supreme beanies or follow him on Twitter: @larryyang.


Stay classy Saskatoon,
Jason Tran

Saskatoon Barnstone Soccer Tournament 2011

This past weekend was the Barnstone tournament I had been talking about. We weren't successful as a team, but still managed to have a lot of fun. We played three matches and I had my father and a friend record some clips of the matches. I compiled a whole bunch of raw footage and put together a mini YouTube video. I apologize that some clips are blurry, my dad wasn't really sure of how to work the camera. Enjoy!



R. Mack

Nike Air Jordan III - Black Cement

This Friday (Black Friday), the Black Cement Jordan III's will be released. An instant classic, the model and colour way are loved by all. This is one of those shoes that gets sneaker heads going wild. These will be found at select stores within Saskatoon, Momentum on 8th for sure and perhaps Foot Locker.

Get on your good foot!

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The Weeknd - The Knowing

OVOXO


The Weeknd - The Knowing (Official Video) from xoxxxoooxo on Vimeo.


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Take Five Trading presents Billionaire Boys Club

We can expect to see BBC popping up in more stores across Canada now!

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Burton - Standing Sideways Premier

Nothing like watching some snowboard videos to get you ready for the winter season.  We’ve got the Saskatoon premier of Burton’s new video Standing Sideways at Bacchus Nov 24th 9pm.  Followed up by the new ski video Retallack.  Followed up by a slew of vids to get you ready for the snow.  Music provided by the Gaff.  Drink specials and fun on tap all night.  Bring a friend. Momentum

From what I heard, this video is supposed to be better than The Art of Flight. Whether you enjoy snowboarding or not, you can always hit up Bacchus for the good food, music and social experience.


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Just a Taste: Prairie Ink

Prairie Ink is located in our own McNally Robinson Bookstore. Aashna chose to come here after school one day last week. The prices of a meal begin at around $11 or $9 for breakfast but come in hand with good service and a good meal.

The menu created some problems for us. It was larger than expected and gave us plenty of options. The salads, sandwiches, wrap/pitas, pizzas, burgers and desserts caught my attention. The menu changed from the last time we ate there, so I am unsure of the names. But when it was time to order, my girlfriend ordered a salad with Thai coconut dressing and shrimp and I went with the burger and a side of "Cheesy Logger" soup. As usual, it was fresh and delicious. The salad was delicious. I did not know what to expect because I have never had a Thai coconut dressing before. The salad was sweet because of the dressing but spicy from the red onions, they complimented each other well. The burger on the other hand was your average burger, nothing special but I did enjoy it too. We finished it all off with a health muffin. It was gigantic and one of the best muffins I have had in a long time, it had that homemade feel to it. 

Pop in one day during the holidays with a book and treat yourself to a nice meal.

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Scion iQ: Smart

For those that are unaware of this new car brand, Scion is a division of Toyota aimed to provide affordable cars to a younger demographic.

Set to release soon is the Scion iQ, the World's smallest 4-seater. It features an innovative seatingplan known as the "3+1." Basically three full-sized adults and one child/baby seat. From the videos I've watched, it really can comfortably fit three 6' tall adults and a baby seat. I don't know how they figured they can fit a small child though...

This car has gone through some heavy engineering to make everything fit. I'll save you the details, but it really is an engineering marvel.

Because Scions are marketed to a younger crowd, there are a lot of customizable options available from the manufacturer. That means body kits, rims, lots of paint options, performance parts, and the like.

This car is in the same market as the Smart ForTwo, Mini Cooper, and the Fiat 500. Personally, I think this is going to come out as the big dog in the small-car market. We don't have a Scion dealership in town, but keep an eye out for the iQ in the near future. There should be a couple cruising around town.


Stay classy Saskatoon,
Jason Tran

Thank You

The last two months have been crazy on the blog and we are almost about to hit our 500th post. With losing all of our photos and some how gaining many new readers, we appreciate the support. I just want to thank everyone who stays up to date with hello saskatoon, both new and old. Dallas, JJ, Jason, Mike and myself will try to keep everyone up to date with our adventures.

We are curious to getting to know you too. Leave us a comment. You can share your website, your Twitter, your thoughts, anything.

You can follow us through Twitter.

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"All I Need" - Method Man Ft. Mary J. Blige

This is that classic love hip hop. <3



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Just a Taste: Fuzion (again)

I took my brother out to Fuzion for the first time. We went with some simple foods, he isn't much of a sushi eater but he enjoyed it a lot. We ordered Dynamite and California maki, teriyaki chicken bowl and sweet chili chicken rice. Go for lunch sometime on your work or school break. The special is $8 for 12 pieces of maki and a rice/noodle bowl is $6.75 I believe.

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Drake - Take Care

Just ran over to Future Shop with my father to pick up a couple of copies of Take Care. It's a good listen, much better than Thank Me Later. My favourite tracks at the moment are: Crew Love, Doing It Wrong and The Real Her. It features artists such as Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Andre 3000 and The Weeknd. This dude definitely outshines the rest of Young Money in my opinion, I wouldn't put him in the same category as Wayne or Nicki. Whether you're a fan or a hater, at least give a listen to a few of his tracks before judging. Give this Canadian boy some love and support and purchase his album.

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BBQ Chicken Pizza

This weekend Aashna wanted to cook a fun meal, so Jared and I helped her with a recipe she found on the internet. We ran to the grocery store to pick up Pillsbury Pizza Crust, a tomato, marble cheese, a red onion, chicken breast and Kraft's Low Calorie BBQ Sauce. We diced up the vegetables, grated the cheese and cooked the chicken as we let the crust rise. As soon as the crust was golden brown we basted a layer of BBQ over the top then covered it with the rest of our ingredients. As we left it in the oven, Aash made a small side salad for us. For as simple and easy as it was, it was quite delicious.

R. Mack

Just a Taste: Fuddruckers

I always remember of my cousins in Calgary wanting to go to Fuddruckers because of the good experience they had in the United States. Then it makes me think of how I don't understand how Fuddruckers didn't survive any where else across Canada, this place is the closest thing to going outside to barbecue. It is your basic family restaurant, children want to go there because of the activity centre around it and it's a good place to go for a birthday or with the sports team.

The food is good as well, I typically order a burger or a taco salad. The greatest thing about either is piling your meal up with fixins from the salad bar. My dad always says that messier the food, the better it is. The assortment of burgers here are much better than fast food restaurants, especially when you are paying pretty close to the same price. I'll just assume you have been to Fudd's before too, they changed their wedge fries to straight fries which was a disappointment for me. Although you change that disappointment around with the desert menu, it includes ice cream, cookies (oatmeal raisin is my favourite) and to die for pies. I like to grab my little cousin an apple pie from here because they are his favourite.

Fuddruckers is a busy restaurant, but that should not stop you from going there. Sometimes at work we will even call and order for take out. Go for you child's birthday, out with the guys for a quick meal or with that girl you've been trying to get to know, it's a place for any occasion.

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Essentials: Sam Seto

Computer: MacbookPro. I use this as my main device, no complaints and gets the job done.

Backpack: Incase. One of the best purchases of my life. Super comfortable bag with a perfect line compartment for my macbook.

Camera: Canon 30D. A bit of a hassle to carry around, but still keep it in my bag just incase.

Mobile Devices: I never never never leave home without my 9900 or iPhone. These 2 keep me in touch with my friends and my job. From emails to my music, these are the ultimate devices.

Sunglasses: Just picked up these Oakley Holbrooks in the summer, so far huge fan.

Necklace: Benny Gold x Good Wood. One of my favourite Benny Gold pieces, so glad I got a chance to pick this up.

Wallet: Of course an essential, just your basic snap wallet.

Sam does work for Outside the Box, a media company. If you want to keep in touch with him or see what he is up to you can follow him on Twitter or his blog.

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The Nyjah Huston - Rise and Shine

Element is quite lucky to have Nyjah Huston on the team. He has been winning many skate competitions and gaining a lot of publicity lately. This was a solid part, minus that Weezy in the background in my opinion. I enjoy that new skate style, the technicality of tricks really gets me going. To see Nyjah doing different variations of blunt slides is awesome. You know? That flip in, flip out.


The Nyjah Huston - Rise & Shine from Ladd279 on Vimeo.

22nd Annual Barnstone Soccer Tournament

On November 18-20, 2011, there will be an indoor soccer tournament held at both soccer centers. Turf games will be located at Saskatoon Kinsmen and the boarded matches will be at Henk Ruys Soccer Center. Their will be a tournament for men, women and co-ed with different age categories and divisions. There are cash prizes to be won for first place in select competitions.

This year instead of co-ed, I will be playing with JJ on a men's team in the boarded league. It's a good group of guys who are highly skilled and love to have fun. More than anything, we are all there for the fun environment. There is many games to play, watch, drinks and socializing. There is always a lot of people too of all ages, if you have time to check it out I recommend it. On the Saturday night there is usually a huge social in the upstairs lounge at Henk Ruys Soccer Center too. Everyone is welcome to come party and hang out, hope to see you out!

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18th Annual Jingle Bell Walk and Run

The Arthritis Society is putting on their 18th Annual Jingle Bell Walk and Run for Arthritis. It is on Sunday, November 20, 2011 starting at 10 o'clock am at the Radisson Hotel. You are able to participate in the 1 km, 2 km, 5 km or 10 km. Any ages can join, I saw little children, babies in strollers and seniors. The fun thing about all of this is that you can register as a team. Each team has their own fundraising goal and you yourself can donate or you can pledge a participant. The website keeps track of how much money you raise and how much your team raises. Money can be donated from online or in cash, so you are able to ask those who don't even live in Saskatoon. It isn't too important but the Arthritis Society has prize incentives to be won for raising different ranges of money.

The Arthritis Society has set a goal to raise $72 500 this year. Approximately four and a half million people just within Canada are living with arthritis (140 000 in Saskatchewan and 37 200 in Saskatoon).

Unfortunately I cannot take part of this because of a soccer tournament, but I participated last year and it was a lot of fun. People shared stories, businesses put teams in, food was provided and I had fun joining it with my friends.My mother has a minor case of arthritis and it's just a great idea to aware the public of ways they can help each other.

Sign up!

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Just a Taste: Saskatoon Asian Restaurant

Today after a work function, I was terribly hungry and asked JJ to go out for supper. He recommended Saskatoon Asian Garden, and I haven't been there in years so it sounded like a grand idea. They are known for preparing Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese meals. We both went with different vermicelli dishes, he had the BBQ beef and I went with the BBQ pork. One thing that impressed me is that they are one of the only Asian restaurants I know that do not serve peanuts without asking. The other thing that impressed me was the crunch in a spring roll even after being soaked in fish sauce. I like a stronger fish sauce on my noodles, but I was able to add more flavour with the addition of spices and Sriracha (Rooster/Cock sauce).

In conclusion, the meal was affordable, staff was friendly and food was tasty. I am still on the adventure of finding the best vermicelli in the city, so I will continue trying both old and new Vietnamese restaurants.

 Vermicelli with BBQ Beef (as you can see, we also managed to win the Campus Rec league)

Vermicelli with BBQ Pork

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Pusha T - Tony Montana

Oh hello...



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Essentials: Johnny SL

Some how I manage to fit all these in my pockets.

Samsung Galaxy S2: This is my personal phone. We have a love/hate relationship. So far its love.

Blackberry Bold 9780: This is my work phone. So now work can follow me home. Once again, love/hate. This phone makes me miss my old Blackberry.

Wallet: Simple card holder wallet. This is a rare picture because I never carry cash.

iPod and Headphones: This one's a bit of a lie, my everyday iPod is in my car right now and my brother currently has the car. Panasonic headphones, these do the trick just fine. 

Keys: Work, house, car keys and Ichigo's head.

Cigarettes and a Lighter: Everybody has their vices. Don't smoke. Seriously

Seiko watch: This watch was a birthday present from my mom so it holds a lot of sentiment. And there's red on it so it's extra fast.

Thanks again to Johnny for being our first guest to share his "Essentials". You can follow him on Twitter or visit his blog. 

Love the North