Aug 07 2012

Panasonic RP-HT21 Headphones

After having gone through many pairs of headphones (for use when exercising) over the past couple years, I’ve finally found a pair that can withstand a beating whilst making music sound like it should! I’ve tried using “earbuds” and other inside-the-ear headphones, but I find that they not only get to be really uncomfortable after a short period, but also that they don’t stay in my ears during high-impact workouts (like running). So instead, I’ve focused on finding the right pair of over-the-head headphones (you know, the ones that spawned the term originally ;-)). I have purchased many different brands in a couple price ranges, but one of the primary goals is to keep the cost low since they’re for working out.

I stumbled upon the Panasonic RP-HT21s on Amazon one day, and was shocked at the number of positive reviews, especially since the headphones were under $5.00 USD. For that price, what’s the harm of ordering a pair, right? Since I had to order another portable music player anyway, I threw the pair of headphones onto the order.

Panasonic RP-HT21 headphones

The first thing that I noticed about the headphones was that the sound had a lot of depth to it, which I didn’t expect from such a lightweight and inexpensive pair. The bass is powerful without being “boomy” at all, and the midtones come through nicely. From a sound standpoint, the only disappointment to me is that the high registers seem to be a bit fuzzy and shrill. As I said, though, for under $5.00 USD, one should not expect audiophile-grade sound reproduction.

The second thing that I realised is that these headphones are extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. The band fit my head nicely, and situated the speaker pads in a great spot for sound fullness. Also, the band holds its form nicely, even after having gone for very long runs with them on for months. Several other pairs that I’ve had give out after a month or two, and start to slide down or backwards as I run; these haven’t at all.

If I had to find a downside to the headphones, it would be that the connection is a little finicky, but that could also be the portable music player that I purchased. If I bump the connection between the headphone jack and the music player, I may lose sound in one of the sides or the other, or the sound may just become significantly more quiet. At this stage of “testing” (and I use the term loosely), I am more likely to blame the music player than the headphones.

All and all, this is a GREAT pair of headphones for working out. The price is fantastic, the build quality is pretty high, and the sound is surprisingly good! Are you going to be blown away by the pristine clarity? No, but hopefully you realise ahead of time that these are not Sennheiser HD 800s. 🙂

Cheers,
Zach

Aug 06 2012

Kashi Cherry Dark Chocolate Chewy Granola Bar

If you keep up with my blog, you know that I really like to find new healthy snacks that taste good at the same time. Also, you’ve probably noticed that I tend to like a lot of the Kashi products, especially the snack bars. One of my absolute favourite varieties is the Cherry Dark Chocolate Chewy Granola Bar. Unfortunately, a lot of the other granola bars have too much fat in them based on their overall weight for me to justify them. The Cherry Dark Chocolate ones, though, have very little fat by comparison to overall weight, and other nutritional value:

Kashi Cherry Dark Chocolate Chewy Granola Bar - Nutrition

As you can see, for only 120 calories and 2g total fat (of which 0.5g saturates), these bars have 4g of fibre and 5g of protein (meaning that ~14% of the weight of the bar is protein, and ~11.5% of the weight is fibre). With 24g of carbs, these bars are great for me to eat a little bit before going on a run. The carbs provide immediate energy, and the little bit of protein adds me along the way. Obviously, 5g of protein is not a huge amount, but it is helpful in adding to one’s overall dietary intake.

Kashi Cherry Dark Chocolate Chewy Granola Bar - box

The bars have a very good taste as well. I love the combination of the slightly tart cherry and the dark chocolate. The oats are similar in taste to just about any other granola bar (except not as sweet as many of the ones from Quaker). The texture is pretty good as well. Calling the bars “chewy” doesn’t really seem right to me. I find them to be a little more firm than chewy, but at the same time, they are not like some of the bars that I’ve had which are hard enough that one has to worry about cracking a tooth.

Overall, I find these granola bars to be satisfying. Not only do they take the edge off when I’m feeling a bit hungry, but not enough so to eat a meal, but they also give me just a little fuel for some of the longer runs that I go on in the evenings after work.

Cheers,
Zach

Aug 05 2012

Review of Asian Kitchen in Durham, NC

As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of Asian food, and having been in the Durham, NC area long enough to have tried nearly every Asian restaurant nearby, I can say with confidence that Asian Kitchen offers some of the best Chinese and Thai dishes around. Before discussing their outstanding food offerings, it’s important to note that they received the prestigious award of being amongst the Menu Asian’s Top 100 Asian Restaurants in the United States. Even more impressive is that they were one of just three nominees in the state of North Carolina, and that one of the other two is a national chain. Such an award doesn’t come just from having great food, but also encompasses the friendliness, courtesy, and professionalism of the staff, the cleanliness of the restaurant, and various other elements that make up the overall dining experience. As such, Asian Kitchen excels in all of those categories as well.

Now, getting down to the primary focus of a restaurant review–the food–I would like to talk about the dishes that I have had. Unfortunately, it might be a bit of a long read if I mention every offering that I’ve had there, as I have eaten nearly every appetizer and main course listed on the menu. Instead, I am going to focus on some of the ones that I’ve found to be their bests. In terms of appetizers, their egg rolls and spring rolls are both very good, especially if you want to stick to some starters with which you’re more familiar. If, however, you would like to venture out into some items that aren’t found on the menu of nearly every Chinese restaurant (fine or greasy spoon), I would highly recommend their “Steam [sic] Dumplings” (either the standard ones with pork, or the vegetarian ones). I personally prefer the veggie variation, as they are a bit lighter, but the pork dumplings do pair very nicely with the ginger-garlic soy sauce. Another fantastic choice is the “Thai Style Summer Role” which reminds me of some of the rolls that I’ve had in upscale Vietnamese restaurants. Prepared in moistened rice paper with shrimp and mango, they are slightly different from the Vietnamese-style rolls which generally have fresh tofu and vermicelli noodles.

Moving onto the main courses, some of the highlights for me are teriyaki chicken (I know, I know, that is a Japanese dish), orange chicken, and–undoubtedly my favourite–their green curry tofu. The teriyaki chicken features beautiful slices of nicely grilled breast meat, and some incredibly fresh vegetables mixed with a scrumptious glaze of soy and mirin. Though I very rarely will eat fried foods, the orange chicken at Asian Kitchen is a dish that should not be missed; it is simply remarkable! They very lightly bread huge chunks of white-meat chicken (where the breading is nothing more than a thin layer around the juicy centre), and toss it with a sweet and syrupy (yet light) sauce and orange rinds. If I’m going to splurge and eat something fried, I want it to be perfectly done, and their orange chicken is just that. Last, but absolutely not least, my favourite dish on their entire menu is the “Tofu with green curry sauce.”

Asian Kitchen in Durham, NC - Tofu in green curry sauce
Click to enlarge

With an outstandingly fresh medley of broccoli, courgettes, green bell peppers, white onions, and beautiful, crisp French beans, the stir fried tofu sits in a fragrantly floral green curry sauce made from coconut milk, oil, and cymbopogon (lemongrass). Though red curry is also nice, I find it goes better with a heavier protein (like beef or possibly pork). The green curry is also a little spicier, which I really like (the hotter the better, provided that one can still taste the flavours). My favourite part of the whole meal, though, is taking the leftover green curry sauce, and mixing in the white rice:

Asian Kitchen in Durham, NC - Rice in green curry sauce
Click to enlarge

The rice absorbs the sauce and takes on an incredibly creamy consistency that is both appealing and comforting. What an excellent ending to an already wonderful meal! If you are ever in the Triangle area, you would be foolish to not stop by Asian Kitchen (tell Julia that Zach sent you)! Oh, and by the way, at the time of writing, they offer 10% off of your order if you place it online through their website (just to sweeten the deal).

Cheers,
Zach