Flushed Away

Phở Bistro in Dublin

jpark5 — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:19:41 +0000

At Phở Bistro in Dublin, you will find something rather unexpected when you make your way to the restroom (which is kept very clean by the way with a few frames on the wall.)

On the wall is a giant magnetic board with the words “Pho Fun.” It is filled with photos of family and friends on trips, at the restaurant itself, etc.

It’s a nice touch if you have to wait to use the restroom.

Three Toilet Paper Rolls: Very clean and well kept. Has some decor that makes it feel less like a typical restaurant bathroom.

The Intercontinental Hotel in Shanghai

jpark5 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:45:14 +0000

So this is the bathroom in one of the hotel rooms of the Intercontinental in Shanghai. What do you notice about it?

There is are Venetian blinds right by the toilet. And why? So that you can watch the television while you are taking care of business.

Why bring a magazine when you you can watch tv?

Town Hall

jpark5 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:34:21 +0000

How would you describe this restroom?

Perhaps a juxtaposition of new and old? Old school bathroom floor tile with modern decor. The sink is any old sink, and the stalls are just any old stall. Perhaps at one time this was just any old restroom. But a nice paint job and a sleek mirror can change that. The mirror caught my attention. It was perhaps the most noteworthy item in here. The drawback about the Town Hall restrooms is the windows that looks down into the courtyard below. Just the idea of significant windows in a restroom. But besides the restroom, it is a beautiful restaurant with good food.

Two Rolls of Toilet Paper: Clean. Nothing really significant except for the mirror.

Sink, gone sideways

jpark5 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:16:12 +0000

What do you expect out of the bathroom in your hotel room? Free soap and shampoo, those big white robes, and towels. Lots of towels.

Here we visit the Hyatt in Santa Clara. This has all the amenities of a hotel bathroom. But the sink was worth mentioning. The spigot is on the side rather then directly in front of you. It is modern, but threw me off a bit. As long as you can wash your hands.

The chatty teen

jpark5 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:41:45 +0000

So I was a Macy’s in Union Square. Not that I am a big Macy’s girl. I was on my way to the Williams-Sonoma flagship store and realized that I had to use the restroom. A good tip if you need to use the restrooms downtown, the department stores have fairly decent ones. So, as always at any public restroom downtown on a Saturday, there was a line. I was second in line as the teenager in front of me answered her ringing cell phone and started chatting it up with her buddy on the other line.

A stall door opens as a patron steps out, but the chatty teen was rooted to the tiled bathroom floor. I sensed the frustration of the woman behind me. So I decided to just cut the this girl in line. Was it wrong of me? I could still hear her talking on the phone as I locked the stall behind me. Obviously, she did not really have to use the restroom.

The Dyson Airblade Hand Dryer

jpark5 — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 02:47:15 +0000

I was at SFO and saw the famous Dyson Airblade Hand Dryer, a way to dry your hands without pushing a button- absolutely touchless. Just put your hands inside and a sensor starts blasting a strong wall of air. As you slowly pull your hands out, the air just blasts the water right off. No paper towels or germ-infested buttons. It is still new technology so it is not widely available, but give it a whirl if you one. Warning: It is loud.

Michael Bauer comments on Restaurant Bathrooms

jpark5 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:51:53 +0000

I was browing through Sfgate and poked my way through the Food and Wine section. Most of the time I read Michael Bauer’s blog. I was delighted to see that he wrote about restaurant bathrooms. Check out his Between Meals blog.

Starbucks in Dublin

jpark5 — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:15:58 +0000

5:18 pm, a green tea frappuccino and Harry Potter.

Like most Starbucks, this one in Dublin had a single room for the bathroom, but had one for both men and women. The bathroom was clean and well-kept, but had this strange window on one side of the wall. It is completely covered with Starbucks deco for privacy. Still, a little strange.

Two Rolls of Toilet Paper: clean, but may need a future visit for confirmation.

The store is huge. There are plenty of chairs and even some couches. It is located on the corner of Amador Valley Blvd and Village Parkway.

Good to know…

jpark5 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:01:40 +0000

It’s nice to know that the restrooms are well taken care of. This was at Denica’s in Dublin. A clean bathroom is tell-tale of the condition of the rest of the restaurant.

A bit about the restaurant: Denica’s Pastry Cafe and Taco Lounge is a family restaurant that has about four different menus: the pastries, the breakfast, the cafe lunch menu, and the Mexican food menu. There are plenty of booths and tables, and there is even toys section for kids to play. Along the walls there are posters from the annual Denica’s poster contest as well as picture of their family. If you are up for it try their giant cinnamon rolls, or at least one of the cookies.

Two Rolls of Toilet Paper: The bathrooms were indeed clean. It was a single room with your basic needs.

This was also on the bathroom door:

Fourth of July

jpark5 — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:47:52 +0000

So my husband and I spent the day in the city. We weren’t planning to watch fireworks, but we wandered our way to Pier 39 anyway. I passed by some portable toilets. I couldn’t help it. I had to make a comment about the Fourth of July and the masses it brings. There were several places to watch fireworks in the Bay Area. And I am sure that most of them had these guys set up. Tonight, we were fortunate enough to have the fog fade in time for the annual pyro-technic show. Crowds walk along the Embarcadero from the Ferry Building toward Fisherman’s Wharf. Vendors sell churros, hot dogs, and glow-in-the-dark bracelets.

Here is a line to the portable toilets at Pier 39. Port-a-Potties, as we called them as children, are gross but are necessary. Have hand sanitizer on hand even if a wash station is available. There were two sets of portable toilets, by the way, each with a very long line.