A Restaurant Not To Remember

I hadn't planned on using my blog as a space to review eating out experiences, and it won't be a regular event here, but I had to make an exception after visiting the recently opened Chopstix Noodle Bar on New Street in Birmingham. If you live locally you may have seen it on the news a few weeks ago, as it was once one of the buildings destroyed in the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974.

Outside there isn't much to go on apart from a large sign advertising their cheap £4.99 all day all you can eat buffet, which may seem good value but is actually not that much different to others in the area. They also offer a takeaway box for £3.00.

Photo of Chopstix logo on Flyer


Now after working in the customer service industry for several years I know how to give good customer service - it is drummed into you from day one that the customer comes first and this eventually just becomes part of your ethos. The customer service in Chopstix is really REALLY bad. I am not exaggerating when I say this.

Usually when you walk into a restaurant or even a cafe, you receive some sort of greeting or acknowledgement from the members of staff, and they'll usually ask questions, such as how many would you like a table for or what would you like to eat/drink? No. This is not the protocol in Chopstix. Instead you receive a gormless expression and end up having to tentatively ask the questions yourself, and if it weren't for the bright yellow staff t-shirts, you may think you had asked another customer by mistake. Eventually you come to the understanding that you are expected to pay upfront for your food, and from there you are more or less on your own.

Whilst bad customer service does annoy me, I can quite easily ignore it and not let it ruin my day. If only that were the biggest problem.

The food. Wow.

For an all you can eat buffet at £4.99 there is very little choice or variety in the food and don't expect a dessert as offered by most other buffet style restaurants. I am a fussy eater I admit and my first choice was pretty basic, the Lemon Chicken. All I can describe this as is strong Lemon Jelly watered down with soggy bread and a hint of meat. Undeterred, I went for something different...let me say it only got worse with the left over stodgy gravy roast dinner complete with battered chicken pieces and vegetables masquerading as 'BBQ Chicken'. Needless to say I didn't take advantage of the 'all you can eat' offer.

Overall Chopstix was a huge let down - I expected a lot more from a new restaurant in the city centre and whilst the price is attractive, the choice of less than 20 dishes that are basic and inadequate is enough to put me off for the foreseeable future. The staff need to spend less time staring into space and could benefit from a few lessons in how to treat the paying customer.

If you are looking for an all you can eat buffet restaurants in Birmingham, I would instead recommend Big Wok in Chinatown, who offer much more choice and diversity for a cheap price, or the slightly more expensive Dragon BBQ near Five Ways, who not only have variety but also for a small additional cost allow you to cook food at your own BBQ table, so that you can cook to your taste and enjoy this unusual novelty.


I'll be back to my usual art related posts again in the near future; I've started work on a pen and ink drawing of a dragon moray eel - bit more complex than my other drawings so I'll see how that turns out and upload photos of my progress soon!


Caroline

Updates to Website

A quick update:

I've had yet another day of arguments with my website however I have finally managed to upload some images of my art work to the site - there will be more coming soon.

On the site you'll now be able to see some of my illustrations using pen and ink, and also some of my earlier marine prints from the final year of my degree - I plan to upload the photos of my final exhibition pieces later this week.

To see the updated images just click here


Caroline

An Afternoon at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

It is, in my experience, a generally accepted occurence that people rarely visit the tourist attractions that are local to their area, preferring to travel further afield on those precious days off in order to explore and experience something new.

I have recently been researching the various historical, cultural and exciting attractions within my local area, particularly those that are either free or relatively easy on the bank balance, and I have been surprised by how many good days out can be had within such a close distance.

Whilst I am familiar with some of these attractions, whether through prior visits or through local advertising, there are some that I have never really taken full advantage of, such as Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum.

Now as a Fine Art graduate I have of course visited this excellent local gallery before on several occasions - it would be practically unacceptable if I hadn't - but with it being more or less on my doorstep, I was surprised to find that it had so much more to offer than I had previously realised. The gallery is currently being renovated and updated, leaving one gallery off limits for the present, but there is still plenty more to see beyond this and you will find their is something for all the family to enjoy.

The rooms within the gallery are laid out more or less in chronological order, showing the progression of art through the centuries, not just through paintings but through sculptures and furnishings, and it is likely that at some point through your journey around the gallery you will find at least one familiar name amongst the artists, such as Rossetti, Holman-Hunt or Madox Brown.

As you walk around the gallery you will find entertaining activities for children (and certain adults who should know better, such as myself) if you are attending with your family, with jigsaw puzzles of art works to complete, musical instruments to listen to and even a drawing corner, all of which will make your experience more enjoyable.

The particular area that I had never visited before was the World Cultures section, which includes an Egyptian exhibit with several mummies and their x-rays as well as artefacts and information about the Gods to name but a few. This room can be found on the top floor of the gallery and is probably one of my favourites (now that I have actually been there and learnt of it's existence!).

Another must see is of course the Staffordshire Hoard, found just outside Walsall only a few years ago. Even now the finds are still being cleaned and examined and so the exhibition is continuously being updated as this progresses. It is great to see that so many amazing items have survived the centuries and yet remain in such good condition - it will be great to see them again once the conservation process is complete.

There are occasionally exhibitions available that do come at an extra cost, currently being The Poetry of Drawing: Pre-Raphaelite Designs, Studies and Watercolours, which is the largest staged survey of the Pre-Raphaelite drawings and watercolours ever conducted. This however will come at the extra price of £5/6 for adults, £2 for children and runs until May 15th 2011.

Overall I had a great afternoon at the gallery; it was easy to appreciate the creative atmosphere that the whole building embodies. The Midlands in my opinion is not known for it's creative side, so it is really wonderful to have all these great art works easily accessible within the centre of town and free for anyone who wishes to view them.

If you do wish to attend the gallery, check out their website for full details about how to get there, opening times and possible closures up until 2012 whilst the building renovations continue, as well as up and coming exhibitions.

You can find more details about Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, or other associated properties at the following website:

Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries


In the coming weeks I will be continuing my quest to explore more local attractions, branching out into the National Trust and the properties that they have to offer, including Moseley Old Hall and Wightwick Manor.


Caroline

Amazing Animals!

Just thought I'd write a quick note about this video I recently watched about the incredible structures ants are capable of building underground. It's an amazing short video to watch (even if I have somehow gained an irrational phobia of bronchioli shaped objects) and well worth a view!







I also just read this article from treehugger.com about a new area off the coast of Costa Rica that is now a protected conservation zone for animals including Hammerhead Sharks, Whale Sharks and Leatherback Turtles. This will definitely play a large role in the reversal of their depleted populations and is an excellent move by the Costa Rican Government! -



Cocos Island New Shark and Sea Turtle Refuge


Caroline

Slowly Making Progress!

After a lot of arguing with Photoshop and a hell of a lot of patience I have finally managed to update the home page of my website, which you can now see in all it's glory! Just copy the link below, or click the link to the right! -


Caroline Wills Art

Although this is only a small step towards the overall website being complete, it will give me a basis to work from and improve upon over the coming weeks.

My next task will be to upload my art work to Flickr, incorporating all my favourite pieces that I have produced to date. I am hoping to have different sections for each type of work, including drawings, photographs and prints.

Check back soon for more updates!!

Caroline

*UPDATE* If when you view the site the words are running over the images on the front page, please just zoom in/out to adjust. I will try to resolve this problem.

Drawing Jellyfish

When I was planning to do a pen and ink drawing of a jellyfish I knew it was going to be a much harder challenge than if I were to use paint due to the translucent quality of the animal. With paint you have the added option of colour, which can be used to build up the layers and create that essential 3D effect with relative ease. With only a nib and some black ink however, this is a very hard effect to achieve as I was soon to find out.

It's taken a few days but I finally finished the drawing last night - you can judge for yourself whether you think I have achieved my goal but for a first attempt I'm quite pleased with the outcome.

Over the next few days I plan to work on my website, building up the content and including different sections for my art work so keep checking back for further updates!

Caroline

Save the Dolphins!

And the whales of course!

Last night I attended a charity pub quiz organised by some of my friends at the National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham all in aid of WDCS - the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

It was great to see so many people turn up for this great cause - it was just one event of many that are being organised to raise a total of at least £1000.

Earlier in the month the organisers participated in a charity abseil - a feat in itself when at least one of the party happens to freak out at being a metre off the ground, let alone abseiling down the side of a cliff face!!

After 7 exciting rounds that covered topics including history and science, as well as a bonus caption competition round, the winning team 'Chow down on my Clam' collected their prize of a £20 bar tab, with the runners up receiving a mixture of wine and cuddly toys.

Everyone had a great night, but there are still plenty more events ahead in order to raise the remaining funds for that £1000 goal. If you would like to donate to this cause you can now do so through JustGiving, just click the link below!

Sponsor Alan Kwan for WDCS

First Picture: Alan and Becky before the abseil
Second Picture: Alan conquering his fear of heights!