Karen Karenson Reviews Everything

  Rating: 9/10 Complaints: Cold, Late, Average, Meh, Middling, Expectation was Low and Still Disappointed, Undercooked, Pale, 45 Minute Wait, Pizza Hut, Downhill since the 90s, No Dessert Bar Anymore  I don't seriously think anyone orders food from Pizza Hut expecting it to be fine dining, but our recent foray into ordering from Pizza Hut really took the cake (or should that be pie?) We normally go to Hell's or Domino's, both of which are perfectly fine and do the job (it is takeaway pizza after all, and you sort of have to approach it with an open mind, hungry belly and a low expectation). Pizza Hut, similarly to so many well-loved institutions fondly recalled by anyone old enough to remember Y2K and handkerchief tops, has taken quite a dramatic nose dive in terms of food, service and atmosphere over the past 25 years or so. For those who missed out by being born too late, Pizza Hut used to be completely different to what you see now. Once upon a time, a visit to Pizza Hut...

  Rating: 5 / 10 Complaints - Carpark, Old Food, Meat Selection, Karens, Altercation, Obscene Profit So this review is half about the actual Countdown supermarket, and half about a severely unpleasant incident in the car park that didn't need to escalate the way it did. If you were involved in this incident, please feel free to apologise in the comments. Countdown is my go-to for small and quick grocery shops, as it's a bit easier to simply pop in and out. The nearby Pak n Save generally has better prices and a wider selection, but is a much bigger supermarket and you need to have about half an hour on your hands, as opposed to doing a quick Countdown run and taking 10 minutes or so. It stocks all the staples you'd expect although the meat section deserves a special mention for being both limited and frustrating. There is very little choice in meat and they seem to package it up in counterintuitive portions, e.g you can buy 1 chicken breast or 3 but not a pack of 2. Someti...

  Rating: 7 /10 Complaints - Inconvenience, Slowness, Poor Quality, Misleading, Price, Annoying, Limited This place replaced two kiosks at Wellington Station that sold tickets, chips and candy floss so I suppose it's an improvement on that. It has a convenient location, decent staff who do their level best against a constant influx of harried commuters and convenient opening hours but I’m afraid that’s about it. It's probably the most expensive New World I've ever been to, and that's really saying something given that New World seems to be aimed at the leisured and moneyed demographic (darling). Expect a basic sandwich with misleadingly arranged fillings to set you back at least $7 and prepare to be sorely disappointed by the selection of items. The choice on offer is between a small handful of equally premiocre brands and if you're after something specific, don't bother they won't have it and you will end up awkwardly leaving empty handed as all the staff s...