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  • Calendar of Events
  • mqPQi1c8

    The Peri Peri Shack

  • 19

    Tacomio – Spring Menu

  • 8

    YVR Cookie – Mother’s Day Launch

  • 7

    Frankie

  • IMG_1057

    Joffre Lake

  • 11

    AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint

  • itars5_g

    Good Dee’s Corn Free Bread Low Carb Baking Mix

The Peri Peri Shack

April 16, 2021 By therdizzle in Eateries No Comments Tags: grilled corn, peri peri chicken, The Peri Peri Shack, Vancouver peri peri chicken, vancouver restaurants

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I decided to order dinner from The Peri Peri Shack on Uber Eats.

I’m a huge fan of peri-peri chicken and this place does it right!  I tried:

  • Leg and Thigh Peri Peri Chicken in hot – I was a bit confused when I opened the take-out box and received one piece of chicken.  I was under the impression this was going to be two pieces.  I did end up calling them and they clarified that the leg and thigh are connected.  The seasoning is on the money, the chicken is perfectly cooked – moist (sorry, I know, I hate that word too) and tender.  Really yummy.  Next time I will get more because I definitely wanted more than the one piece.  I got extra hot sauce because I love spicy.  Their sauce is delicious.
  • Caesar Salad – Pretty straight forward, basic, caesar salad.  It’s good.
  • Peri Corn Ribs – Brushed with butter, seasoned with peri peri spices, then grilled.  So good!

I really like the items that they’ve included in their menu.  A mixture of healthy and fresh with some indulgent items such as fries and mac and cheese.  They also have a list of decadent desserts!

I enjoyed my dinner.  I will order dinner from here again for sure.  I’m looking forward to trying more items from their menu.

https://theperiperishack.com/

 

 

Tacomio – Spring Menu

April 11, 2021 By therdizzle in Eateries No Comments Tags: crispy chicken taco, restaurants, tacomio, tacomio vancouver, vancouver takeout

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By now you all know how much I love Tacomio.  Since my last post on this restaurant, I’ve been actively eating my way through their menu.  They get it right every single time….EVERY SINGLE TIME!

I was lucky enough to be invited to try their newest menu item, the crispy chicken taco, as well as their diablito hot wings.  Of course, because I can’t get enough of this place I added a few things to my order.

  • Crispy Chicken Taco – crispy is right!  The fried chicken portion in this taco is huge and it is so perfectly crisp.  There’s a spicy mayo, cucumbers, pico de gallo, cabbage and jalapenos in the taco.  I’ve never  had tacos with cucumber slices in them.  The combination of ingredients work so well together.  This taco is a such a winner!
  • Wild Pacific Cod Baja Taco – each taco had a large beer battered piece of cod in it.  It had shaved cabbage, pico de gallo and chipotle mayo.  I love fish tacos, but I sometimes find that the fried fish can be greasy.  This was not greasy at all!  This was my husband’s favorite taco of the night.
  • Diablito Hot Wings – I love spicy food, so if you’re into spicy like me – these will hit the spot.  These wings are grilled.  The hot sauce is served on the side so you can control how spicy you like it.  A side of sour cream also comes with it to add a bit of coolness.  The hot sauce was a bit too spicy for my hubby, but he said that the wings were really delicious even without the sauce.  I really enjoyed the extra heat.

We also got the Birria Tacos because they are my fave!  I’ve previously written a review on it.  It can be found here:

https://sprinkletherdizzle.com/taco-mio-take-out/

Although I didn’t get it this last time, I also wanted to touch on their Al Pastor chicken wings.  It’s also a newer menu item that I tried not too long ago and it definitely deserve a mention.  They are less spicy that the diablito hot wings.  Grilled wings, fresh pineapple and cilantro.  It tastes like summer.  Soo good.  I would highly recommend.

Tacomio is a family owned business.  I learned that the chef owner used to be the Executive Sous Chef at the Vancouver Club.  A lot of the dishes that Tacomio has on their menu are inspired by the mother’s family recipes.  It shows.  There is so much heart in the cooking.

I’ve noticed that my husband, Chris, goes all quiet when we eat Tacomio with the exception of “sooo good” murmurs every so often.  Between this post and my last, I’ve tried many of their other menu items and they always get it right.  I don’t know how they do it, but I’m happy that they do.  I can confidently say that Tacomio is my favorite take-out spot in Vancouver.  You know what a foodie I am so that’s saying a lot.  If you haven’t tried it yet, you definitely must!

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Thank you Cleo for letting me try some of your menu items.

 

 

YVR Cookie – Mother’s Day Launch

April 9, 2021 By therdizzle in Eateries No Comments Tags: apple pie cookie, cookies, lemon loaf cookie, YVR Cookie

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YVR Cookie has dropped two new flavors just in time for Mother’s Day.  Lucky for me I had the opportunity to try them both and oh my are they ever delicious.

Mom’s Apple Pie – spiced cinnamon dough loaded with white chocolate chunks and filled with diced apple pie filling with a crumble topping.  Sooo freakin’ good!  The apple and cinnamon are the perfect combination. The crumble topping is my favorite part – omg yum!

Glazed Lemon Loaf – lemon cookie dough stuffed with lemon loaf, white chocolate and topped with a lemon icing glaze.  This cookie is stuffed with an actual lemon loaf.  How cool is that?  I’ve never had a cookie stuffed with a cake loaf before and it just works!  So incredible!  You can taste the lemon in each bite.

The owner, Monique, based these flavors on her mother’s favorite recipes and it really shows.  I kept saying to my hubby I feel that the cookies are giving me very “homey” vibes.  I feel like these cookies take me back to mom or grandma’s kitchen.  They fill me with a sense of comfort.

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Thank you YVR Cookie for sending me these delicious new flavors to try.

Frankie

April 7, 2021 By therdizzle in Eateries No Comments Tags: Frankie, Frankie YVR, restaurants, vancouver restaurants

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Frankie is a new take out/delivery only restaurant in Vancouver.  According to their Instagram account, a frankie is a type of Indian street food – a roti wrap or a Mumbai burrito.   They take this concept and put their own spin on it, elevating it to a whole other level.

This restaurant is owned by Chef Evan Elman and Chef Tushar Tondvalkar.  I’ve previously tried Chef’s Elman’s cooking at Dinner in the Sky and loved everything he prepared for us.  I also follow Chef Tondvalkar on Instagram and all his dishes look gorgeous.  When I saw that they had opened up this new spot I just knew I had to try whatever they came up with.

I tried the:

  • chicken tikka frankie – grilled chicken thighs marinated in garlic, ginger and house-made tikka in a roti wrap
  • lamb kebab frankie – grilled lamb kafta kebab mixed with house-ground spices in a roti wrap
  • piri piri fries – fries tossed in piri piri spices

The hubby and I split each wrap so we could try both kinds.  They were stuffed full of cabbage, garlic sauce, mint chutney, colorful pickled turnips and onions.  Every single bite was a burst of flavor – out of this world good!  I usually like to outline in my reviews what of the options I like best, but I can’t choose.  Both options were equally delicious and the fries were crispy and addictive.  I added on extra hot sauce and garlic sauce as an addition to our meals.

My husband Chris loved everything also.  He also mentioned that he liked how easy it was to eat.  He likes Indian food, but can find it a bit messy at times.  Having everything wrapped up made it easy for him to chow down while he was working on the computer.

I can’t wait to try more of their items in the future as well.  They have a butter chicken poutine that I have my eye on.

I would definitely recommend that you give Frankie a try.  You’ll thank me for it.

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Joffre Lake

April 2, 2021 By therdizzle in The Great Outdoors No Comments Tags: beautiful bc. hiking, joffre lake, the great outdoors

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My hubby and I decided to drive up to do this hike.  We drove up pretty early and the parking lots were still almost completely full by the time we got there.

This hike consists of three levels with three beautiful, pristine lakes that sparkle with magic at each stop.  I would say its a pretty easy hike, with the second of the three levels being the most steep with intermediate sections.  The hike is well worth it.  You’ll be in disbelief at how gorgeous the views are.

I was absolutely in awe of the gorgeous turquoise lakes – so stunning!

It’s important to wear proper shoes, bring a snack, mosquito repellent and go to the bathroom before you begin.  The biggest challenge is parking as Joffre Lake draws in big crowds on a clear day.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: my visit to Joffre Lake was prior to the pandemic.  I would recommend reviewing www.alltrails.com for all up to date information on trail closures or restrictions.

AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint

March 29, 2021 By therdizzle in Eateries No Comments Tags: AJ's Brooklyn Pizza Joint, Pizza, Vancouver Pizza, vancouver restaurants

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My husband, my cousin and I popped in to AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint for dinner one evening.

This place is awesome.  It gives off a neighborhood hang out vibe.  I feel like if I was living in the area this would be my Central Perk, my Peach Pit, my Moe’s Tavern.

It’s a small restaurant and all the seating was full.  There was probably about 8 people lined up outside.  Luckily, we made reservations and were seated as soon as we arrived.

There was hand sanitizer at the door, plexi-glass installed between the tables and the staff was all masked.

The atmosphere in here is absolutely buzzing.  The walls are covered in baseball paraphernalia, there are screens with sporting events playing and they were bumping old school hip hop (think Biggie, Dre and Eminem).  The staff seemed friendly and relaxed.

Talking to our server felt like you were just chatting with an acquaintance you ran into.  She was chatty and likable.  She went through the menu with us.  They have tons of beer on tap and offer so many different types of pizzas with a vast array of toppings.

We ordered two half and half pizzas.  We went with:

New York Style Style 1/2 and 1/2 of –

  • Spicy Tuscan Margherita – fresh mozarella, crushed tomato sauce, basil and chili flakes (usually comes with crispy prosciutto, but we omitted)
  • Italian Beef – tomato sauce, shredded mozza, italian beef, jalapenos, roasted red pepper

The Detroit Red Top 1/2 and 1/2 of –

  • Thor! – spicy sausage meatballs and ricotta
  • Veggie – fire roasted tomatoes

The Detroit Red Top came out first.  I initially thought we accidentally got the wrong order.  It looked like a lasagna to me.  It was a deep rectangular pizza unlike any I’ve seen before.  It was in reverse, toppings on the bottom and the red sauce on top.  The slices were huge and this pizza was sooooo delicious.  The fire roasted tomatoes on the veggie one were so flavorful.

The New York Style followed.  I was already pretty full by the time we got to this pizza, but I wanted to to try all the types that we ordered so I made extra room. It was a thin crust along the top, yet thick and crisp along the edges. These pizzas were just fire.

My cousin was attempting to give me his best critique of the pizza, but finally said that AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint had the best pizza he’d ever had in his life.  My husband, Chris, is a self proclaimed pizza connoisseur.  He talked about how much he loved the pizzas the whole way home.

I was so happy with our experience at AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint.  I would highly recommend.

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Good Dee’s Corn Free Bread Low Carb Baking Mix

March 27, 2021 By therdizzle in Keto and Low Carb, Product Reviews No Comments Tags: baking mix, Good Dee's Corn Free Bread, Keto corn bread

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One morning I woke up with a really strong craving for Boulevard’s delicious cornbread.  More often than not, I try to eat keto or low carb (I group my cheats or tastings together).  This craving came in the midst of me being full on keto.  I waited for the feeling to pass, but it didn’t so I started browsing Switch Grocery’s website and came across Good Dee’s Corn Free Bread Low Carb Baking Mix.  I decided I needed to try it and put in my order.

When my order arrived (I ordered several items), I baked the corn(free) bread the same evening.  I could not wait to try it!

This bread mix is grain free, sugar free, gluten free and wheat free.  It was really easy to prepare.  You need eggs, butter and apple cider vinegar – things that I normally have on hand anyways.  I added jalapeno peppers and shredded cheddar to make a jalapeno cheddar corn (free) bread.

This was pretty delicious.  The texture of the bread was spot on and the taste was great.  It obviously wasn’t as sweet as cornbread normally is, but that’s a given when it’s sugar free.  It was pretty close though!  I love it warmed up with butter.  This definitely satisfied my craving!

https://www.switchgrocery.com/collections/baking/products/good-dees-corn-free-bread-mix

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Feast for the Eyes: the Story of Food in Photography

March 25, 2021 By therdizzle in Events and Exhibits No Comments Tags: art, feast for the eyes, feast for the eyes review, food through photography, polygon gallery, vancouver

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Last Friday the hubby and I made our way over to North Vancouver to the Polygon Gallery to check out the “Feast for the Eyes” art exhibit.

We live in day and age where everyone photographs their food.  This exhibit takes you back in time to explore the history of food as the subject of art.

We didn’t go into the art exhibit with any expectations.  Actually, maybe that’s not true.  I should say we weren’t really expecting much.  I thought we maybe would come across a small exhibit with a few great food pics.  It was so much more that that and we were pleasantly surprised.

This exhibit was divided into three parts – Still Life, Around the Table and Playing with Food.  The images featured varied from beautiful, to political to playful.  The work of around 60 different artists were included including Warhol.

There were ads from the 60s and 70s, colorful produce pics, political pieces, sexualized art and just good old fashioned fun pieces.

A few of my favorites were:

  • Picnic Across the Border by JR – I found this piece to be especially powerful.  It’s a photograph of an epic picnic between the American and Mexican border.  On the surface of the table were the eyes on an immigrant child.  The quote from the artist was “The table goes through the wall and the people eat the same food, drink the same water and listen to the same music.”
  • Cranberry Juice into Milk and Bullet Through Banana both by Harold “Doc” Edgerton – these were eyecatching.  There was a little girl at the exhibit that was completely enamored with these two staring at them for quite some time and chatting with us about her thoughts.
  • Double Mona Lisa by Vik Muniz – pretty amazing.  Mona Lisa in the medium of peanut butter and jelly.

These were just a few of my favorites, but this exhibit offered so much more.  It is definitely worth checking out.  It runs at the Polygon Exhibit until May 30, 2021.

https://thepolygon.ca/

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Hello Nori

March 21, 2021 By therdizzle in Eateries No Comments Tags: food review, hand roll bar, Hello Nori, vancouver restaurants, yvr

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Hello Nori is a brand new hand roll bar located on Robson Street.

It’s already extremely popular.  I first heard about it through a friend who mentioned that she’d seen it and really wanted to try it out sometime.  After that, I happened to walk by it a couple times and noticed long line-ups outside the door.  It really piqued my interest.  This is definitely Vancouver’s latest hotspot.  Now that I’ve tried it for myself, I can see why.

Hello Nori offers more that just a place to grab some sushi.  This is a complete dining experience unlike any other that Vancouver has offered before.  I honestly was not expecting to be as blown away as I was.  I spent the rest of the day telling anyone who would listen all about it.

The restaurant itself is quite literally a work of art.  The overall look is clean, simple and tranquil.  The ceiling is a complete showstopper.  It’s compiled of 2400 wooden pillars that hang from the ceiling and are inspired by the waves of the ocean.  Honestly, I was in awe of the ceiling.  Looking at my camera roll after I came home, I took tons of photographs of it (most of them identical, haha).

So let’s talk covid safety – the restaurant has a hand sanitizer station set up right at the entrance.  There is also plexi-glass installed between the seating.  The chefs and staff are masked.  I know they get pretty busy, but as I mentioned earlier, patrons that are waiting are lined up outside the entrance rather than inside.  I felt relatively safe.

Okay, now on to the part that you’ve all been waiting for – the food.  Hello Nori is a partner of Ocean Wise.  They offer high quality sustainable dishes.  The menu here is purposefully simple.  They offer several different drink options including Japanese beers and sake.  They have 13 rolls on the menu.  They cover most dietary restrictions and preferences as they offer rolls that are raw, cooked, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.  You can order your rolls a la carte, or go for one of their 3 curated set menu options.

I started off with some sake.  Their sake is locally brewed and it is exclusive to them.  They serve it cold.  Hello Nori also incorporates a Japanese tradition where they place a glass into a wooden box which I learned is called a “masu”.  They pour the sake until it overflows into the masu.  It symbolizes abundance and generosity.  I’m a sucker for symbolism and things of that nature, so I thought this was a super cool element to my experience.  When you’ve finished the sake in your glass, you can pour the extra sake from the masu into your glass and drink that too.  The masu is made of cypress which also apparently adds to the taste of the sake.

On the recommendation of my waiter, Olivier, I went with the set menu option that included 6 rolls and added on an extra a la carte roll.  I tried the following:

  • Toro
  • Yellow Tail
  • Ora King Salmon
  • Hokkaido Scallop
  • Crab
  • Truffle Lobster
  • Unagi

I love the unique approach to dining here.  The sushi bar is in a U shape and in the center are the chefs.  You can watch as they make your rolls – dinner and a show.  They make and serve one roll at a time to ensure freshness. The waiter explained to me that you should eat the roll right away so the nori (seaweed) doesn’t get soggy. The chef does not begin making your next roll until you have eaten your last bite.  Initially I felt a bit awkward like the chef was waiting on me and I was eating too slowly, but I quickly embraced this as part of the experience.  When you think about it, it’s an exceptional way to eat.  Your chef is attentive to you and he’s taking you on a journey through food.  You’re savoring and enjoying one roll fully and when you’re ready, instead of needing to flag someone down, here comes the next one.

Now I am in no way a sushi connoisseur by any means, but I can be a bit picky with with fish and I definitely know fresh seafood.  No doubt about it, Hello Nori’s sushi is fresh, fresh, fresh!  The nori is crispy and crunchy (really good!), the rice is warm and the fillings are of the best quality.

Upon first glance of the menu I assumed that my favorite would be the truffle lobster.  I am a huge lobster fan.  I did love it (it had thick, chunky lobster meat and you could really taste the truffle), but surprisingly some of the other options shined just as bright for me.  I loved the toro, ora king salmon and yellow tail.  The unagi is another one I would recommend.  It has a smoky and sweet glaze on it and they sear it right in front of you with a torch.  Yum!  Compliments to the Chef.

After I was done, I did bring up that it was all a bit messy for me.  I needed all the extra napkins.  I was told that there’s a technique to eating the rolls – taking a bite out of each end seals the filling inside – a note to self for my next visit.

The staff here was extraordinary.  I had a lot of questions and Raven and Olivier were both so kind to share all of their knowledge with me.  They were charming, attentive and engaging.  I had the best service and it really made my visit.  I even came back after leaving as I realized I missed a shot that I wanted for my reel.  When Olivier saw me, I explained why I came back and he said “of course, you are home here”.  They were absolutely wonderful and added to my experience in the best way.

Another cool thing I learned on my visit that I just have to share is that Hello Nori has partnered with a company called Chop Value to recycle their chopsticks.  The chopsticks will eventually be made into something else – quite possibly a statement art piece for one of their two new locations that will be opening in Park Royal and Brentwood.

I had a really fantastic and unique dining experience that blew any expectations I had out of the water.  I can’t wait to go back.  I would definitely recommend that you check Hello Nori out.

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https://www.hellonori.com/

Thank you Hello Nori for inviting me to try out your menu.

YVR Cookie

March 17, 2021 By therdizzle in Eateries No Comments Tags: cookies in Vancouver, vancouver foodie, YVR Cookie, YVR Cookie review

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YVR Cookies is a local company that delivers ginormous stuffed cookies right to your front door.  Lucky for me YVR Cookies sent me a batch of their Instagram famous treats to try.

I was so excited when the cookies arrived!  I just love the way everything is packaged – it felt like I got a present.  It was a clean logoed box with the cookies wrapped in crisp tissue and a cute little chocolate chip sticker.  Each cookie was vacuum sealed in individual packaging to ensure freshness.

My box contained 4 cookies.  There was a little card that said I should microwave them for 30 seconds, then let it sit for 1 minute before eating.  I did just that and here are my thoughts:

  • Mini Egg – this just may be my new favorite cookie ever.  Vanilla cookie dough filled with marshmallow crème and topped with Cadbury mini eggs.  This one is soooo good.  I imagine it’s a limited time one and this makes me sad because it’s just that good! I wish we had it in our lives always!
  • S’more – cookie dough loaded with graham crackers, milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.  This one is also filled with marshmallow crème.  I am generally obsessed with s’mores.  They weren’t something that I grew up with, so I jump at the chance to eat everything s’more that I can as an adult. This was heavenly – you literally cannot go wrong with that flavor combination.
  • Birthday Cake – sprinkles!  Vanilla cookie dough with sprinkles, salted caramel chips and filled with white chocolate.  Oh my goodness, another delicious one!  I inhaled it.
  • Cookie Butter Skor – as soon as I heated this one up the whole house smelled divine.  I’ve ordered YVR cookie in the past (different flavors), cookie butter was one of them.  This is still as good as I remember it being the first time.  This cookie has salted caramel chips and is covered in Skor bits.  Yum!

These cookies are huge.  I feel like for some people it could feel a bit too sweet if your plan is to devour a whole or multiples in one sitting as they are so massive.  For me, I split each one with my husband so it was just perfect.

For someone like me with a huge sweet tooth, they are extremely satisfying.  I completely understand why they are so popular.

Get your orders in before Easter!  You don’t want to miss out on the mini egg cookies!

https://yvrcookie.com/

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Thank you YVR Cookies for sending me these delicious treats to try out.

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Crystal of the month

     Rose Quartz

  • stone of unconditional and universal love.
  • popular, powerful gem for anyone that is wanting to attract romance.
  • essential part of your self love journey.
  • helps one release and express emotions.

If you’ve come across this card at your place of business, a review of my experience will be posted by this coming Sunday.

About Me

Welcome to my lifestyle blog.  Thank you for stopping by! My name is Romaana. I live in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia.  I’m a social butterfly with a creative flair, a passion for food and a love for travel.  I’m all about soaking in all life has to offer.  I am trying to make healthy living a priority – mind, body and soul.  I want to share a sprinkle of my experiences and thoughts with you as I maneuver through this thing called life.

CONTACT ME

 

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A Little Sprinkle of the R Dizzle

Latests posts

  • Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok
  • The Lift Bar and Grill (Brunch)
  • Fixins Mac n’ Chicken
  • The Botanist
  • Holokai Catamaran
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  • Cartems Donuts
  • Notch 8 Weekend Brunch Buffet
  • Gnooda, the keto pasta
  • Free Spirit Spheres (Luna)
  • Simply Delish Natural Instant Pudding
  • Braised Beef Ribs
  • Too Good Gourmet Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Lemon Baked Salmon with Dill Yogurt Sauce
  • Notch 8 Weekend Brunch Buffet
  • AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint
  • Perverted Ice Cream
  • Zenden Meditation
  • The Lift Bar and Grill (Brunch)
  • Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok
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