This Week’s Dot Com Pho Location - Congee Noodle House

It’s that time again! Like on Iron Chef, where a secret ingredient must be unveiled, this week, a secret location must be unveiled. OK, it’s not really as dramatic since the title of this post has the location. This week, we stay asian, we stay with noodles and rice, and we stay with plenty of MSG and “assorted meats” at the Congee Noodle House in Vancouver, BC!

This location is right in the middle of Vancouver with six transit stops within a one block radius right at the corner of Broadway and Main. There is parking in the back, but there are various side streets that you can stash your car away if you are driving. Otherwise, it’s metered parking along the street. Of course, Scooter has no problems parking anywhere, but if your ride is lowered like Kwanye’s, you’ll want to stay on the street as scraping may occur in the back. CycleBC, where we rented our scooters for Dot Com Scooter Gang is actually three blocks or so behind it.

Here’s a map to get you there…

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We’ll be meeting there at 12:30 PM for a delicious and cheap lunch along with the usual banter and hilarity that you know and love and expect from a stronger and reunified Dot Com Pho. Although I haven’t been to this place myself, iPhone Gary speaks highly of this location. Hopefully his taste buds are better than BCM Greg’s as Cuu Long wasn’t what it was played up to be. I have been to the one near Kingsway and Joyce called Congee Noodle King and left totally full for under seven bucks. That’s half what we spend at Pho with a way better MSG high!

As always, we welcome anyone to come to our Dot Com [fill in the blank].  Just twitter me or post a comment to let us know that you’re coming and we’ll save a seat for you. Be prepared to join in the fun as you’ll never know if you’ll become Internet Famous in one of our Dot Com Pho Episodes. See you on Saturday!

The Dot Com Scooter Gang Aftermath

Yesterday was a blast! Dot Com Scooter Gang was a complete success (with some FAIL) all at the same time. On one hand, everyone had a blast terrorizing and honking at the citizens of Vancouver. On the other hand, Michael Kwan the Internet Famous Segway Crasher, bailed once again and we now add Scooter Crasher to his list of nicknames in addition to Kwanye. Thankfully, Scooter was unscathed and was able to stay away from any Kwan Carnage though there were a few other close calls besides the one in the video.

Of course, no Dot Com Adventure would be complete without John Chow doing something mischievious as he tears up a gravel parking lot doing scooter burn outs. Gary Ng tries to prove that the iPhone 3G is actually useful for something and Carl Nelson takes us down to the Barefoot Kitchen for some authentic Japanese fast food. It’s all right here in the first ever Dot Com Scooter Gang Video…

If you liked the video, definitely head on over to YouTube and give it a rating. You might make Kwan “Internet Famous”.

Was It The Helmet?

I have to hand it to Kwanye. By the time the day was over, he was ripping the throttle wide open instead of putting around like granny on a mobility scooter. His cornering and handling was also 100% improved over earlier in the day. No longer was he causing women to scream because it looked like he was bailing into the cars in the turning lane from the curb at Spanish Banks, or rubbing up against inanimate objects with his body parts, leading to required first aid assistance. It was like he had changed from Scooter Crashing Kwanye into Somewhat Sketchy Kwanye. I’d ride with Somewhat Sketchy Kwanye any day at a safe distance. I’m still cracking up over how he tried to keep a straight face and tried to hide the gaping hole in his jeans as he explained to CycleBC how he didn’t know how the huge scratches got on his scooter.

Don’t forget to catch up with us again at Dot Com Pho. We’ll be heading down to the Congee Noodle House this Saturday. Watch for complete details posted on Friday or put me on your Twitter Hot List for up to the minute Dot Com Pho updates.

Next week, we’ll be doing our first Dot Com RockBand. Stay tuned as Michael Kwan tries to redeem himself with the soothing sounds of Timmay and the Lords of the Underworld. I am sure that EPIC Hilarity will be on the menu in some shape or form.

Three More Useful Scooter Accessories

My first Yamaha C3 Scooter modifications addressed some basic comfort and styling issues that were nagging me. Sticking to the non-warranty voiding modifications that don’t allow me to personally crack open the engine, I’ve done a few more small mods that offer some utility, safety, and fun.

This One’s For Kwanye The Segway Crasher

If Danger Prone Kwanye bites it today at Dot Com Scooter Gang like the poor guy did at Dot Com Segway, we’ll be well prepared. Because of the cavernous storage compartment in my Yamaha C3 Scooter, I can fit a whole ton of things in here. One of those things is this first aid kit that I picked up at MEC for $14.50. This kit gives you all the basics including rubber gloves so you can tend to your own wounds or the wounds of your wiped out comrades without catching cooties. The kit is small, flat, and waterproof so you don’t end up applying soggy bandages. Even if you don’t plan on spilling, you never know when someone else will.

The Dot Com Scooter Cam

There is no better way to capture the action than with a video camera. However, video cameras and digital cameras in general are expensive and running over them with a Segway or a Scooter isn’t a great way to take care of them. That’s why having a cheap and useful video camera in your reportoire like the Flip Mino is great for those times when you know (or don’t know) how much carnage may happen on a machine that is built to be crash proof. But how are you going to mount it so that someone can’t blame it for causing the Segway to crash? How about an UltraPod Mini!

Unlike the poor Manfrotto ModoPocket Mini Tripod that got bent in the Great Segway Crash of 2008, the Ultrapod Mini tripod features a pivoting head and legs that are folded down the center at 90 degrees for stiffness. They fold apart like a fan when in use, and fold together when you need to store it. The best features of this tripod is the attached velcro strap that not only helps the Ultrapod stay together for storage, but also allows you to secure it to a pole, structure, or in this case, the handlebars of my Yamaha C3 Scooter.

The mounting is very secure and you can tighten it quite snuggly with the velcro around the bars. Since the head mounts on a ball socket, I can pretty much move it wherever I want. It got this at MEC as well for $13.50. Not bad at all.

I Need NOS! Two Bottles!

How about one bottle and a straw?

One of the things that many scooters lack is a place to put a beverage. This handy beverage holder, originally made for things like JetSkis and other watercraft , is perfect for the less choppy waters of a scooter. Using a pair of suction cups, this thing sticks to any flat clean surface on your scooter. I chose to mount it down low to keep the center of gravity intact, but you can mount it up higher if you wish. It’s excellent for mounting a bottle of NOS (or two if you buy a second one for the other side) to help you race for those pink slips…NOT!

Stay tuned for the Dot Com Scooter Gang Video later today! Hopefully a camera survives to tell the tale.

The First Ever Dot Com Scooter Gang!

After the great Segway Crash of 2008, we were unsure if a Dot Com Scooter Gang Meetup was a good idea. Although it is clear that Michael Kwan and Segways do not mix, perhaps he’ll fare better on a scooter!

Tomorrow, the Dot Com Crew will be renting some scooters and terrorizing Vancouver. Initially, during the Dot Com Pho Reunion Edition, which was a result of our Dot Com Cease Fire, we weren’t sure if John Chow would come out and join in on the unification activities. Even though we don’t work nine to five in a corporate environment, it is still important to have team building activities. With the help of Dot Com Historian, Carl Nelson, we were able to pry John from his MacBook Pro to enjoy some fresh air, sunshine, and some EPIC Hilarity.

If your Dot Com Lifestyle allows you to get away tomorrow, please join us! We’ll be renting scooters from the location below:

View Larger Map

We’ll be rolling out from CycleBC Rentals shortly after 10:30 AM. I will of course not be renting a scooter because Happy Scooter would be very upset if I rode off on a Yamaha BWS and still hasn’t forgiven me for riding off on a Segway. It’s kinda funny how initially, everyone kind of laughed at the idea of me zipping around on a scooter. Heck, I laugh at myself zipping around on a scooter. However, it seems that Happy Scooter has managed to become part of the Dot Com Crew afterall and will probably end up leading the Scooter Gang and definitely avoiding Kwanye as Scooter seems to have an allergy towards carnage.

If you’re available and want to come out, please Twitter Me or leave a comment and we’ll try not to ride off without you. The cost of the rental is $69.00 for the whole day (till 5:00 PM) plus $6.00 for insurance. All you need to rent is a credit card and a valid Class 5 drivers license. Since there will be a few of us, try to get there a few minutes before 10:30 to start filling out the paperwork and stuff so we can be on the road as soon as possible.

Tenatively, our route will take us out to UBC, Stanley Park, and then back into Vancouver. We should hopefully be back at the rental place before five to get our damage deposits back. However, for some of us (Oh Kwanye…), those damage deposits may need to be left behind.  See you tomorrow!

Dot Com Pho - The Reunion Edition

This week’s Dot Com Pho was a special one. Not only have we seemed to have put aside our differences with a Dot Com Pho Cease Fire, but we’ve welcomed an old friend back from overseas. Carl Nelson returns from Hong Kong to join us for a bowl of noodles and conversation about the origins of Dot Com (fill in the blank). We also had a special visit from Maria Andros the Video Marketing Queen, and we even celebrated our first ever Dot Com Pho Birthday with Qasim Rasi. Of course, our favourite evil CH.I.M.P (watch the video) John Chow is also here to join in the fun.

Returning from the dead this week is Gary Ng (aka iPhone Gary) and Greg Morgan (BCM Greg). Of course, we have our favourite Segway Crashing freelance writer, Michael Kwan and networking Diva, Bonnie Sainsbury rounding out this week’s Dot Com Pho. This week’s Dot Com Pho took place at Pho Richmond, home of the AAA Meat Pho. We’re afraid to use the word beef because we’re not sure. Enjoy the video!

Next week, Dot Com Pho returns to Vancouver and we put all the heat on iPhone Gary as it will be his choice. He has chosen Congee Noodle House which was supposed to be our location this week, till we had the great Dot Com Pho Cease Fire. I’ll repost directions and details this coming Friday so you don’t get lost. It’s a really great location with big round tables and decent parking for a great venue.

As always, if you’re a restaurant seeking some publicity, you might want to contact me or any one of your favourite Dot Com Pho Celebs and tell us about yourself. As long as you think that you can handle a bunch of rowdies every Saturday from around 12:30 to 3:00, we might bring Dot Com Pho to you. Just make sure you have parking, proximity to transit, and food discounts…or not. We’ll still come if it sounds good.

For all your Dot Com Pho up to date information, please make sure you keep me on your twitter hot list. See you all next week!