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 In moderation,  Thursday, 03 January 2008 Every friday it is my ritual to wonder down to Aba Shi curry and sample their limited but tasteful menu. The staff are nothing special to be honest, I wish one girl would stop looking so damned unhappy, but they all speak moderate Japanese if that floats your boat. The food is solid, especially if you are looking for something different. I recommend the Keema with the nan. The green is better than the red or yellow. Dont bother with the mini salad, a spoonful at most. The Tandori is ok, but how can I compare when it is my Mums favorite dish. The place has ventilation problems though, just smell your clothes the next day and you will catch my drift, but it still rates as a solid restaurant in Dalian. Dont let my cynicism stop you, I am sure you will not be disappointed.

 Papas Western Food?,  Wednesday, 26 December 2007 Having eaten enough Rice, Ma La Tang, and Soggy Egg Planet in the last six months to cover me into the next life I thought I was deserved of some good old European cooking and Italian was what was on my mind. After regularly passing the Papas located next to KFC in Victory Pasta I thought it had all the hallmarks of an Italian eatery. Inside the decor was nicely done and I instantly took a liking to the waitress who told me she would give me a few minutes to review the menu. I did need a few minutes infact, I even studiously reviewed every item on the menu. No, I was not being pedantic, nor did I have any intention of reviewing the restaurant on this website, I was simply looking for something ITALIAN? Eventually I located the microwave pizza section and a miserable looking Spaghetti Bolognese. Had I wanted Chinese food on a big plate served with knife and folk I would have been happy. Had I wanted Pizza I would have walked to Pizza Hut next door and had I wanted another serving of dry spaghetti served with a teaspoon of mince and sauce I could have gone local... To be fair, their (other) food looked ok, the place had a nice ambiance and the wait staff seemed patient and polite but if you are thinking Papas is the preeminent Italian restaurant in Dalian, you're setting yourself up for some disappointment.

 A pointless exercise,  Sunday, 02 September 2007 Someone once said Don't refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase - that's what wild geese are for. So with a dry throat and ambiguous directions (Close to Zhongshan Square) I marched around the oddly shaped quadrate for approximately one hour. Sadly, the long march was futile so I caught the 23 home.

For some this might be old news but for others, for example newbies like myself and the site admin, I just thought you would like to know that this place no longer exists. To conclude this sad story with a happy ending I did manage to find some beer and I finally caught up with the goose, and it was a delicious!.... Roast Duck actually...

(I have since been contacted by Admin directly and chatted with the Mother of Funk who have let me know that it is still around, just at a different location.)

 All was very well,  Sunday, 26 August 2007 After seeing this advertised as an expat banquet my partner and I checked it out. Despite being the only expat in the restaurant we had a very pleasant evening. We were sat upstairs in a well ventilated room, with spacious interior and modern decor. The waiters/waitresses did not stand over us nor did we get stared at by curious customers. The food was excellent, I recommend the sirloin steak and the salads. The Sushi was a bit boring but it packs a punch if you're a wasabi lover. The desert was awesome, especially the Jam Tart but it is popular with the local customers so you have to secure your portion early on. Our waiter always ensured my beer glass was full and a coffee was provided whilst we ate our desert. To finish a nice evening my partner and I took a relaxed stroll past Olympic park, onto Remin Square where we concluded the night with a quiet one at Noah's Ark.

 2nd Dalian Medical University Hospital,  Friday, 17 August 2007 Yeah, my partner fell very ill and we had similar problems. She had a high fever and we were seen by three different doctors on three different days with three different diagnosis. And yes, we also experienced the open examination rooms with no privacy. She was given a plethora of useless and nameless drugs, and spent the majority of the three days in the hospital in the stuffy IV room, sharing the air with the other 50+ sick people.

In a nut-shell, my partner caught this nasty bacterial infection off me. I visited a Sino-American friendship hospital in BJ and was seen by a Doctor who, instead of making us run around for blood, x-ray and CT scans, asked me the right questions and came to a reliable diagnosis. I was given the right treatment and recovered within days. When I tried to explain this to the doctors in the 2nd Dalian Medical University hospital it was dismissed. By day three we had enough and decided to let nature do its thing. She is recovering but it is a very slow process and this is no thanks to the hospital being discussed.