I should have probably written this when I found out about it, but I was lazy. Two weeks ago when Lingon and I went for Free Waffle Wednesdays, which by the way is amazing, Lingon picked up a flyer from someone about downloading the PayPal app. From now till (sadly) Wednesday (which is in 2 days time) one can get discounts from various merchants, between $5 and 10, by paying using the PayPal app.
I feel like since I have benefited greatly from this, I should really write a short thing about the app. It's not bad, I've asked the various merchants if they liked it, and everyone seems positive to somewhat positive on it. One merchant said that customers seemed to have difficulty at times locating their venue. There are a couple of ways to use it. You can either log-in or check-in to the venue when you are there, and after you have ordered tell them you will pay by PayPal. As long as you are logged in to that venue properly, they will be able to find you and charge your PayPal account, which is either linked to your PayPal balance or credit card. The other way is to order beforehand, which only works for some venues with their menu online. I think they use Eat24 to populate and order. Once you have ordered, they will charge your method of payment and let you know the time frame to pick your food up. I think you can also order delivery using this method.
Pros of the app - say I'm going running, which is not an infrequent occurrence, I don't have to bring my credit card or cash with me. Or if I get robbed and the robber lets me keep my phone, I won't go hungry. Cons - sometimes I can't find certain merchants, like that one merchant griped about above. Also, I'm sort of a bit anti-apps/technology, so I think this just adds another layer of confusion and complication to life. I recommend it for people who like technology, but otherwise find pulling my credit card out of my wallet a rather simple task and personally prefer doing it.
I spent the past week or so trying out different places, using my discount. Here are quick sort of reviews or discussions (sorry no pictures).
1) Delica - this is one of my favourite casual eateries, though a bit expensive. Located in the Ferry Building, very convenient. I usually get some kind of Japanese curry, the roast beef sushi or agedashi tofu, and I like all of these. Recently I discovered the ginger beef bowl and crab croquette, and those are yummy too. They also have noodles, but last time I got tempura soba I found it rather unimpressive.
2) Fuel Cafe - this is the cafe located inside the Equinox gym on Pine Street in the financial district. We got the salmon burrito, twice. It was a large burrito, both Lingon and I shared it, and it was delicious.
3) Dinosaurs - funny name for a Vietnamese sandwich place. We first found this place through Groupon and it sells cheap yummy Vietnamese bahn mi sandwiches (we have tried the meatball sandwich and the special sandwich with pork and pate) and shrimp and pork spring rolls. Good and cheap. The vegetables in the sandwich are super fresh. The spring rolls are really fat, and they give you three and it costs $6.25. The peanut sauce that comes with the spring rolls is one of the best. The only other peanut sauce that might be able to compare is Out the Door, but those spring rolls are expensive, I think around $10 after tax and healthy SF charge, and only 2 spring rolls.
4) Creperie Saint-Germain - I've been to the 2nd Street location a long time ago where I enjoyed a savoury crepe. This time I went to the newer one in 555 California. Got me a bechamel chicken crepe (Sauteed Mushrooms, Tomato, Spinach, Swiss Cheese). Delicious. The crepe was a bit dry, but I attributed it to being buckwheat. I still have one more coupon and am contemplating a sweet one some time...
5) CREAM - got lucky and passed here in San Mateo. Salted caramel ice cream was yummy, and had an oatmeal cookie and white chocolate chip macademia cookie, though did not make into an ice cream sandwich because I wanted to eat in a civilized fashion. The cookies were good, but I think I was spoiled by Diddy Riese in LA, so maybe B+. Also, they were kind of soft cookies, which makes me wonder how on earth one would make an ice cream sandwich out of that. Wouldn't everything just flop over and leak? Yucks.
6) Thrive and Project Juice - I really like juices but they are so expensive. Even with the discount they were between $4-5.50. Glad we got this coupon and got to try the yummy juices, but would probably not buy at full price.
7) Sunrise Deli - went to the one on Belden and Pine, and ordered the vegetarian plate (Tabouli, Babaghanuj, Hummus, Tahini, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, with Falafel and Dolma, served with pita bread). Everything was actually pretty good when fresh, but had leftovers and wasn't so good.
8) Onigilly - love onigiri and this is really innovative. Glad they opened up a brick and mortar store. I got the spicy cod roe and beef, and they were both really good. However, kind of expensive for what they are. Around $3-4 each after tax depending on the filling. I actually have a picture of this!
9) Muracci's - I LOVE Muracci's! Normally I get some kind of katsu curry, but since Lingon was eating this with me we got the beef and the beef itself was just so so, but the curry was as usual spot on!
10) Bun Mee - after my Dinosaurs (see above) spring roll binge, I felt like having some spring rolls without having to drive. Got the summer rolls from Bun Mee, which after tax cost $8.25, a whopping $2 more for only 2 rolls and mediocre peanut sauce. Worst buy. Place was crowded though, so maybe I had ordered the wrong thing.
11) Chubby Noodle - read an article about the new joint in the Marina, so it had already been on my radar. Preferred the menu at the old joint which was inside the pub, super random location. We ordered the garlic noodles, steamed chicken buns and kung pao chicken wings. Noodles were very very good, I would do this again with or without a coupon. Steamed chicken buns were more like pan fried dumplings, the skin was very thick, the filling was not very good, this was a bust. Chicken wings were pretty good.
So that concludes my PayPal escapade for the week. I have 2.5 more days, we shall see what will come!
I feel like since I have benefited greatly from this, I should really write a short thing about the app. It's not bad, I've asked the various merchants if they liked it, and everyone seems positive to somewhat positive on it. One merchant said that customers seemed to have difficulty at times locating their venue. There are a couple of ways to use it. You can either log-in or check-in to the venue when you are there, and after you have ordered tell them you will pay by PayPal. As long as you are logged in to that venue properly, they will be able to find you and charge your PayPal account, which is either linked to your PayPal balance or credit card. The other way is to order beforehand, which only works for some venues with their menu online. I think they use Eat24 to populate and order. Once you have ordered, they will charge your method of payment and let you know the time frame to pick your food up. I think you can also order delivery using this method.
Pros of the app - say I'm going running, which is not an infrequent occurrence, I don't have to bring my credit card or cash with me. Or if I get robbed and the robber lets me keep my phone, I won't go hungry. Cons - sometimes I can't find certain merchants, like that one merchant griped about above. Also, I'm sort of a bit anti-apps/technology, so I think this just adds another layer of confusion and complication to life. I recommend it for people who like technology, but otherwise find pulling my credit card out of my wallet a rather simple task and personally prefer doing it.
I spent the past week or so trying out different places, using my discount. Here are quick sort of reviews or discussions (sorry no pictures).
1) Delica - this is one of my favourite casual eateries, though a bit expensive. Located in the Ferry Building, very convenient. I usually get some kind of Japanese curry, the roast beef sushi or agedashi tofu, and I like all of these. Recently I discovered the ginger beef bowl and crab croquette, and those are yummy too. They also have noodles, but last time I got tempura soba I found it rather unimpressive.
2) Fuel Cafe - this is the cafe located inside the Equinox gym on Pine Street in the financial district. We got the salmon burrito, twice. It was a large burrito, both Lingon and I shared it, and it was delicious.
3) Dinosaurs - funny name for a Vietnamese sandwich place. We first found this place through Groupon and it sells cheap yummy Vietnamese bahn mi sandwiches (we have tried the meatball sandwich and the special sandwich with pork and pate) and shrimp and pork spring rolls. Good and cheap. The vegetables in the sandwich are super fresh. The spring rolls are really fat, and they give you three and it costs $6.25. The peanut sauce that comes with the spring rolls is one of the best. The only other peanut sauce that might be able to compare is Out the Door, but those spring rolls are expensive, I think around $10 after tax and healthy SF charge, and only 2 spring rolls.
4) Creperie Saint-Germain - I've been to the 2nd Street location a long time ago where I enjoyed a savoury crepe. This time I went to the newer one in 555 California. Got me a bechamel chicken crepe (Sauteed Mushrooms, Tomato, Spinach, Swiss Cheese). Delicious. The crepe was a bit dry, but I attributed it to being buckwheat. I still have one more coupon and am contemplating a sweet one some time...
5) CREAM - got lucky and passed here in San Mateo. Salted caramel ice cream was yummy, and had an oatmeal cookie and white chocolate chip macademia cookie, though did not make into an ice cream sandwich because I wanted to eat in a civilized fashion. The cookies were good, but I think I was spoiled by Diddy Riese in LA, so maybe B+. Also, they were kind of soft cookies, which makes me wonder how on earth one would make an ice cream sandwich out of that. Wouldn't everything just flop over and leak? Yucks.
6) Thrive and Project Juice - I really like juices but they are so expensive. Even with the discount they were between $4-5.50. Glad we got this coupon and got to try the yummy juices, but would probably not buy at full price.
7) Sunrise Deli - went to the one on Belden and Pine, and ordered the vegetarian plate (Tabouli, Babaghanuj, Hummus, Tahini, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, with Falafel and Dolma, served with pita bread). Everything was actually pretty good when fresh, but had leftovers and wasn't so good.
8) Onigilly - love onigiri and this is really innovative. Glad they opened up a brick and mortar store. I got the spicy cod roe and beef, and they were both really good. However, kind of expensive for what they are. Around $3-4 each after tax depending on the filling. I actually have a picture of this!
9) Muracci's - I LOVE Muracci's! Normally I get some kind of katsu curry, but since Lingon was eating this with me we got the beef and the beef itself was just so so, but the curry was as usual spot on!
10) Bun Mee - after my Dinosaurs (see above) spring roll binge, I felt like having some spring rolls without having to drive. Got the summer rolls from Bun Mee, which after tax cost $8.25, a whopping $2 more for only 2 rolls and mediocre peanut sauce. Worst buy. Place was crowded though, so maybe I had ordered the wrong thing.
11) Chubby Noodle - read an article about the new joint in the Marina, so it had already been on my radar. Preferred the menu at the old joint which was inside the pub, super random location. We ordered the garlic noodles, steamed chicken buns and kung pao chicken wings. Noodles were very very good, I would do this again with or without a coupon. Steamed chicken buns were more like pan fried dumplings, the skin was very thick, the filling was not very good, this was a bust. Chicken wings were pretty good.
So that concludes my PayPal escapade for the week. I have 2.5 more days, we shall see what will come!
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