Friday, April 6, 2012

Xin Yuan Garden- Chinese Fast Food

-Location: Right next door to Texaco on Maurice Bishop Highway.  Facing the gas station, it will be on your left.   Take the SGU Grand Anse bus and stop at Texaco.
-Hours: M-Sa 11:30am-3PM; 4PM-9:30PM
Sundays and holidays closed
-Phone: (473) 444-5161
-Menu included below

You know that loud yellow and green building you pass by almost everyday while going to and coming back from school?  Have you ever wondered about how Chinese food would taste in Grenada... if there were even Chinese people working inside?  I have (haha) and last night, I decided to put wonders aside. 

About this restaurant:
*Though there were many customers ahead of me (4), my order came out in 15min. tops (I ordered two meals) 
*Their food is not as addicting as the food from the Chinese lady located at the SGU gazeboo (yay, because that probably means there's little to no MSG in it). Despite the fact, the food tasted good (simple).
*Their meals are really cheap for what you get!  They give a lot of rice compared to meat so you may want to order a side of extra meat (like fried chicken wings MmmMMm)
*They serve beer and soda
*The have a little TV you can watch while you eat
*The have plenty of large tables
*They have a separate front patio where you can hang out
*There's a bar/pool table/karaoke next door called South Breeze
*They have nice workers
*It's one of the few restaurants that closes late
*You can order to go
*Yes, there are actual Chinese workers inside hahah.
Fried Chicken MMMmmm

Food review:
*Their fried chicken is garlicky. It's tender and has a lot of batter. It's soooooo goooooood and such a great deal. I ordered  chicken on it's own and got 6 wings for 9EC.  I don't eat fried chicken often but when I do, I'm coming back here (Dody Dock also has great wings...dollar Wednesdays (from 5:30), but just in case you want something close by, this is the place to go).
*Their sweet and sour chicken is the battered deep fried kind with a corn starch kind of sauce.  It was delicious (just as almost every Chinese fast food sweet n sour chicken is.  Though the chunks of chicken aren't as big as that of as Panda express, it was still good).
*Beef with pepper in black bean sauce-  If you know Chinese food well, you'll know that black bean type dishes are most likely to be drenched in black bean sauce.  This dish was not. If I didn't know the title of this dish, I would've never guessed that there was black bean sauce in it.  It tasted more like a soy sauce stir fry with a distinct green bell pepper taste.  It was simple but good. 
*Roasted chicken with special sauce:  The chicken was cooked nicely.  It was tender and the skin was still intact, contributing flavor to the dish. The sauce was made of soy sauce, corn starch, and maybe some chicken broth.  It was simple.  I enjoyed the chicken the most because it tasted like simple roasted chicken.
*Their fried rice is different from the usual fried rice you would get in America.  They use local rice and local rice can be a little on the dry side.  On the bright-side, at least it's not drenched in oil... so no worries about feeling weighed down at the end of your meal.
Click on Menu to Enlarge
Sweet and Sour Chicken

Roasted Chicken with Special Sauce
Front Patio
Beef with Pepper in Black Bean Sauce


Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Teach the Children, Save the World- The Limes After School Program (volunteer portfolio under construction)

Throughout life, I've encountered people that have inspired and motivated me through tough times where I've felt helpless and alone. As a kid, I was unaware of how much they've done for me, but as I grew older, I realized how much time and effort they've contributed to my well being. In honor of these people, I've set out to give back to others what they've given me--hope, encouragement, respect, a voice, joy, and a drive to try my very best. Such characteristics, I believe, are ones that contribute to the good of all humanity. A little inspiration has gone such a long way and I can't imagine where its influence will end. Here at the Limes After School Program, I set out to inspire and teach as many children as I can in hopes that someday they will be able to prevail in all their future endeavors; I truly believe this is my purpose.
Community service not only satisfies my hunger to help those in need. It also opens my eyes to important issues in the world that often go unnoticed, such as poverty and the inequalities that follow.  Yes, it's unfortunate that the kids don't get as many learning resources as any caring adult would love for them to have, but the success of a child, in my eyes, is not dependent on how many tools they have, but on how they utilize the tools they do have.  

With some passion, a lot of love, a little creativity, and a few bucks, I pledge to teach the kids how to utilize their tools, while instilling new ones, and to support and unlock every child's will and determination to succeed. 
 I feel like the most fortunate person in the world to have the honor of being a part of all of these little kid's lives.  They're so intelligent, comical, and full of life (amongst many other things) and there's no other place I'd rather be than by their side giving them what the need.  I still have a year and a half with them and yet I miss them already.  

What you will find on my volunteer blog:
A glimpse of the activities volunteers plan for the kids
Our day to day routine
Funny moments
Important life long moments
Personal learning experiences
Loads of pictures
Observations
Suggestions
Video Clips
messy action yay! hahhahah

Volunteer Information:
Founder: Ann Hopkins 2003
Meeting Times: Every T, W,Th 3-5pm
Location: The field in back of Texaco
Visit the SGU volunteer website to learn more About The Limes After School Program
Click HERE to find out more about other volunteer opportunities 
Volunteer coordinator email: so.sgu.volunteer@gmail.com

Benefits of Volunteering:
*Strengthens the community
*Transform your own life
*The skills you obtain while volunteering can aid in helping you achieve your goals
*Volunteering can enhance your marketability with prospective employers 
*Training in cross-cultural understanding
*Development of life long friendships
*Intangible benefits in making a difference in humanity
*Meeting of a diverse range of people
*obtain skills to help you raise your future kids
*At the end of your service, you may request a letter from the SGU volunteer coordinator notating your total hours of service. 

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Macartney's Burger Menu


La Luna Restaurant Menu








MNIB Val-U Garden Mini Super Market located in Excel Plaza, Grand Anse



-Location: Excel Plaza, Grand Anse.  The big orange complex halfway between CK's Super Valu and Le Marquis Complex (aka "round houses").  From school, take the grand anse bus and ask the bus drive to stop in front of excel plaza (1 min away from texaco towards IGA)
-Hours: M-Sa 8am-6pm; Su 9am-12pm
-Phone: (473) 439-3353  Mobile: (473) 418-0869


MNIB is a local mini market located in Excel Plaza.  They always have fresh local produce at great prices and an SGU bus stop is conveniently located right in front. There's also a hardware store located on the upper level and a subway located on the first level.

 What you will find here:
-Oils (vegetable, coconut, extra virgin olive)
-fresh local nuts
-jam and jelly
-spices
-local bread
-frozen chicken and turkey
-veggies (callalou, local spinach, tomatoes, bodi beans, pat choi, pumpkin, carrots, cabbage, red cabbage, ginger, onions, sweet potatoes, cassava)
-Fruits (oranges, soursop, bananas, plantains, apples, wax apples, avocados)
-Fresh herbs (basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, chives)
-daily baked local cakes and pastries
-flours, sugar, legumes
-eggs
-rum









39th Anniversary of Grenada's Independence

2.7.13 St. George's Downtown and National Stadium Grenada, West Indies. © Katherine Fung, All rights reserved.  Grenada, The ...