3 Paws Saloon Attic

Last week was the 2^nd week of the Chinese New Year. T-Rex and I decided go to Chinatown in the city and do a bit of exploring. It has been a few years since our last visit.

Things seldom go according to plan. First, we had to get there, running the gauntlet through the unexpectedly heavy traffic that ensnared going into the city. On a Sunday? After struggling through the traffic snarl, we had problems getting into the street that we wanted. There seemed to be a whole heap more No Right Turns than we last remembered. We had to drive around in circles just to get there, only to greeted by the sight of major construction work right next door. A block of apartments was going up. Dust and ruckus. Darn, we could have stayed home and got that for free. So much for the 50% discount.

To add to our dismay, there was no parking at the hotel and the construction site had swallowed up all other parking spaces. T-Rex had to drop me off with the bags and drive to the nearest parking station to leave it there overnight. He had to walk over 2 blocks back to the hotel. It was a hot and humid summer’s day.

When we did a walk-through of Chinatown, T-Rex was already foot-sore and weary, and not up for wandering around. But we did find a few food courts and shops worth having another look the next time we’re in town. T-Rex got his favourite Shanghainese dumplings or pot-stickers, steamed BBQ pork buns and deep-fried spring rolls. All freshly-made at the store too.

I enjoyed the bit of Chinatown that we got to see. We wandered into this shopping arcade tucked into a side street and found this little shop that sold jade, semi-precious stones. I enjoyed a friendly chat with the shopkeeper, who came from Taiwan. It was fascinating to hear about things from a different perspective.

She gave me a few tips on how to spot quality jade and how to detect if it had been tampered with. Apparently, some places inject green dye into the jade to artificially enhance its appearance. The danger is that this dye can irritate the skin especially when the jade is worn over a period of time. Let the buyer beware.

In the evening, we had to get our dinner elsewhere as the restaurant was shut on a Sunday. T-Rex wasn’t pleased that we didn’t get to use 50% loyalty discount from his hotel membership. Amazingly, this was supposed to a be a hotel from a 5-star chain. Then when we were about to leave for dinner, we found a sign on both lifts that they were out of order – and we were on the 7^th floor.

This was the last straw. By now, T-Rex was frothing at the mouth and quite ready to chomp on someone. He got on the phone, did a bit of stomping and presto, the night supervisor came up to take us in the staff lift.

We ended up going to a nearby bar and restaurant which used to be a brewery. The music was too loud (we’re getting older – not quite deaf yet) but the place had a feel of history. It was once a pumping station in 1890, before becoming a tavern and brewery in 1975. The food was good and portions were generous. T-Rex had a black burger with beef patty, pineapple fritter, cheese and bacon. I think it was rye bread. I had beer-battered whiting and chips. The classic fish-and-chips. It was a pleasant surprise to realise that dinner and soft drinks in total cost us under AU$50 (US$36). For a night out in Sydney, that was pretty reasonable.

http://pumphousesydney.com.au/index.php/about-pumphouse.html

After dinner, I persuaded T-Rex to chill at the hotel bar with complimentary drinks we had been offered. I had an apple cider and T-Rex got a tonic water with lime. We sat, read the paper, said hello to a couple sitting next to us, had a quiet chat, sipped at our drinks, let the dinner digest in our bellies and relaxed. Much to our relief, the lifts were working again as well. 

In the morning, we had a hearty buffet breakfast. The staff on the morning shift did their best to make sure everyone was looked after. They seemed a lot more on the ball than their colleagues from the night before. The buffet supervisor even gave us a plate of sliced fruit to go with our meal. 

Still, it was nice to get away for a while. We just have to be a bit more thorough in making sure of the hotel facilities before we book anything. It’s a good reminder not to take anything for granted.