Ajadz Indian Cuisine 28 Oct 2009

Restaurant: Ajadz Indian Cuisine
Address: 8 Robert St. Ellerslie, Auckland.
Phone: 09-5801555
Food ordered: Wild Fish ($18) and Mango Lassi ($6.50)
Time arrived: 5:30pm
Time left: 6:10pm
Party: 1

Wild fish is fish with curry and the menu said that it is a secret recipe so the ingredients are not disclosed on the menu. To me, it is curry add with some interesting spice and herb to make it unique. One ingredient that is visually available is tomato. I never think curry and tomato would go well with each other but my dish certainly did.

While my dish is pretty good and I am satisfied with my experience. The problem with this place is nothing really stand out. While I am happy with my meal, it is not good enough for me to call others/ drive out only to have dinner in there.

The bottom line is, my dining philosophy is that I would go to places either very cheap and the food is relatively OK and I go there as a substitute of cooking at home, or the food is top class and I am going to indulge myself in taste then I will not worry about prices. Ajadz is certainly far from being top class restaurant and its price is a tad high for a substitute for home cooking.

Momo Japanese Restaurant 21-Oct-09

Restaurant: Momo Japanese Restaurant
Address: Unit G, 113 Meadowland Drive, Howick.
Phone: 09-5349967
Special note: Close on Tuesday
Food ordered: Seafood Udon for lunch ($11)

The soup base of the udon is OK, and the udon itself is pretty good. However, the seafood, while is not bad, lack the premium ingredients. For example, there are only 4 extremely tiny, head off, shell off shrimp in the whole bowl. The whole bowl consist of couple mussels, 2 pieces of imitation crab, a small amount of squid and fish cakes. I would certainly hope for more seafood but I guess I shouldn't complain as it is only $11.

In short, Momo Japanese Restaurant is OK for a quick lunch or a quick dinner. However it is nothing fancy.

Club VO2 Health and Fitness

Address: Building D, The millennium center, 23A Main Highway, Ellerslie, Auckland
Website: www.clubvo2.com
Parking is available on site

I have tried and decided to join this gym. This is a much smaller gym compare to the Olympic. It has about 20 cardiovascular machine with free weight and other stuff. I join this gym mainly because it offered a 4 week trial membership for only $49, but also because of its personal touch. This gym feels much more personal than Olympic, which for me is a plus as I need all kind of motivation I need to workout.

Bottomline: Hardware wise, this gym cannot compare to the larger gyms (VO2 do not have swimming pool, sauna, spa pool...etc). They also have limited hours during the weekend (they close at 2pm on the weekend) but the individual attention that the trainer can give you make up for it.

The Olympic pools and fitness center Oct 6th 2009

Date: Oct 6th 2009
Address: 77 Broadway, Newmarket, Auckland
Phone: 09-5224414
Website: www.theolympic.co.nz













I have a tour in the Olympic pools and fitness center yesterday. Here are the pros and cons of the place in my opinion:

Pros: The place is huge, there is a standard size pool and a fitness center with 50+ machines. It is located in the heart of Newmarket. You can either park across at the warehouse parking which gives you 1 hour free and the next hour is $2.00. There are also parking at the back of the building which Olympic can give you a discount rate but according to the staff, warehouse parking is the cheapest. They also have sauna and spa pool available. If you are a member, they will give you a fitness assessment which is included in the membership fees.

Cons: The place looks kinda dated. Since I hate swimming, their fantastic pool did nothing for me. They do not have any membership level below 3 month, which I believe is a huge committment, especially for someone like me who don't know how long my determination for workout will last.

Bottomline: If you are looking for a swimming pool with a fitness center, Olympic is a good choice for you. Since I am looking for just a gym, I would look for another gym to try to find a better deal or one that have a trial period.