Keefer Bar Dim Sum Cabaret Elite Event

What could I say that wasn’t total love for Unilocal AND Keefer Bar. Seriously.
Also, if you ever want me to rave about something give me food, drinks and burlesque and I’ll love you forever, thanks Unilocal!
The place was packed, the food was great and the drinks went down perfectly.
I find sometimes it’s hard to find vegetarian gluten free options at events but this was not the problem here. There were great choices of all sorts of samples of Keefer Bar’s food and if I hadn’t been here before for Sweet Sips our lovely event would have had me hooked.
I was really impressed with the different types of drinks they had, although the Rosemary Gimlet was my favourite. And the burlesque, while challenging to see from the back of the place, was entertaining. It was awesome they got Crystal Precocious out to shake it for all of us Unilocalers.
All in all it was lovely, and yet another example of the fun times had at Unilocal elite events.

Unilocal Elite parties are pretty sick. This time around, it was a smaller, relatively low-​key affair in the narrow Keefer Bar. I stuck at the bar and took in the good times and vibes of another community bonding affair.
When you host a party at the bar, the drinks must be good… and they indeed were. We were pretty impressed by the service and output by all the bartenders shuffling out the gin and bourbon drinks as we witnessed a brief yet bizarrely entertaining burlesque show by Crystal Precious.
I sat down at the bar with Colene and Vincci and they just kept serving me/​us food. From meat and cheese plates to dim sum, mushroom sliders, spring rolls, meat on a stick, and various appies, it was all fairly delectable.
What I enjoy most about these parties is the variety. Sampling Vancouver food, drink, dining, and nightlife and what is has to offer is so much fun. I’m always impressed by our local hospitality community’s support.

So THIS is what it means to be Elite! Thanks to Malloreigh, I got to tag along to my very first Elite event and it didn’t disappoint. The Keefer is a fantastic venue — the whole building is spectacular — the bar is long & narrow & they’ve cleverly used mirrors to give the illusion of space. The bartenders were friendly, the happily obliged our requests for veggie/​vegan tapas and omg the Rosemary Gimlets. I’ll be back for those.
It’s party planning at it’s best when you can walk into a night knowing no one and walk away with some business cards, photobooth photos, memorabilia, a few new friends and most of your money still in your wallet. I really appreciated the care spent making this a lovely weekend. Thanks Unilocalers! Robin! Crystal!

I managed to make it to another of Robin’s awesome elite events. I didn’t know what to expect at The Keefer, but once I entered the establishment, I knew that it would be another fun night.
The Keefer has some pretty stunning lighting and decorations. I really like the green and red theme. One has to go inside and see for themselves.
The staff were very friendly. The food and drinks were very good. Their dim sum was very tasty — it’s even better than the dim sum place across the street.
Pixelbooth was so much fun and the dancing lady at the end was a bit of surprise too.
I met and chatted with a lot of really cool people (new and current) and I left with an awesome Unilocal watch!
Big thanks to Robin and Crystal!

Despite variables in theme, venue and time (I, for one, liked the early start to the event — it kept after-​festivities to a respectable hour), there are a few but important constants to Unilocal Elite events. Namely — great people, awesome entertainment, delicious food and drink and the obligatory photobooth. And for me, getting called out on hyperbole usage in my Unilocal reviews. As I insisted that night, I stand by my blasphemous statements.
As much as I hate to admit it, I really like Keefer Bar. The location, outdoor firepit, décor and cocktails are tops. However, I’m always conflicted about yuppified faux Chinese places. I’ll stop it here before I launch into a Paulie Walnuts style rant about the ‘rape of my culture’. But hey, this visit was favourite — free food and booze to a cheap Chinaman like me is an aphrodisiac. This wasn’t the Keefer Bar that night — it was «Key-​Fah Baah»! And I said it — ‘Chinaman’ — we’re taking that word back. Hell, I’ll take Key-​Fah Baah too if they aren’t careful.
Service was excellent (as usual) — as I soon as I got near the bar, I was handed an R&B East Side Bitter. A bitter from my favourite local brewery? Yes please. Despite the delectable drink selection and constant praises about, I stuck with the Opium Sour for the rest of the night. Freepoured Maker’s Mark as base is a no-​brainer. Instead of trying to describe how strong these drinks were — I will present empirical evidence: there was clean up for a massive spill and at least one person dropped their glass. Mazel Tov! And I had enough of these delicious poppy seed drinks to fail any drug test.
And any time that involves bourbon and a rapping burlesque dancer is a sign you’re having a great night. Although I wasn’t sure if I should jam along while Crystal Precious was spitting or make it rain. But then I remembered where I was, that this was burlesque and I didn’t see any umbrellas — so I quietly tucked my emergency knot of US singles back in my pocket… well, that’s my excuse for the bulge in my pockets and I’m sticking to it. As if I wasn’t already turned on by the free booze, it was titillating and… assceptional… performance. (Sorry I couldn’t think of anything better).
Yup — five stars all the way. Even though I got the one broken/​dead battery Elite watch. And old school China (wo)men would say clocks/​watches are inauspicious gifts. But it’s red. LUCKY LUCKY RED! And swag hand-​delivered by the lovely Robin? No complainants.
Robin and Crystal are excellent hosts. Next time, I’ll try to be a better Chinese guest. I swear, next time: a bag of oranges for the hosts. Makes for delicious snacks and beating unruly Chinese kids — remember, no bruising! Well… just on the oranges… I’m sure the fine folks at Key-​Fah Baah can make some delicious concoction with tenderized orange pulp.

Time to Unilocal! (aside: The watch told me to say that ;) I love my watch!)
What a night. I know it’s like I say this every time an Elite event rolls around, but this night was really special. I was greeted at the door by a smiling Crystal and then swept into a very warm hug by Robin. After such a great welcome, I snagged an Opium Sour and nearly swooned. My love of that cocktail was matched by my love of the Rosemary Gimlet. Oh man, I’m coming back to the Keefer for that.
Kudos to the awesome bartenders and bar manager for keeping the drinks and yummy nibbles rolling out all night. I really appreciated seeing them shaking all those cocktails fresh, right before our eyes! What skillz.
And then to round the night out, we got a wonderful treat of freestylin’ burlesque magic by Crystal Precious. I remember hooting and hollering to «TAKE IT OFF» and I got my wish. Oh my, pie tassles. My life is complete.

Thank you to Robin and the Keefer Bar for hosting such a fine event.
The drinks were scrumptious (mmm Rosemary Gimlet), the food was delicious (oh cheese platter… I do love you) and the entertainment was fabulous (Crystal Precious you are just absolutely precious!)
It was another Unilocaltastic night!

I like food and booze. I like burlesque. I also like photobooths full of Unilocalers. The Elite event at The Keefer had all of these, so it was a pretty solid win.
It’s a tight space, and the mirrors kept tricking me out, but I like the place. It has a great feel and look, and the creepy things preserved in jars add a little extra charm/​morbidity.
The drinks were interesting, delicious and had great names. I’m all over bourbon these days, so the Opium Sour (with poppy seeds!) was my favourite. But I wouldn’t say no to any of those delightful bevvies, ever. The beer, ESB from R&B, was also very nice!
The staff were sweet and were so kind to donate all the tips to a family that has suffered a great tragedy. You’re super awesome. Thanks!
I’m very interested in going to Keefer Bar on a regular night. It was my first time there, and I liked it. It’s a must visit again.
The hilarious and hot performance by Crystal Precious was very fun. I wish there had been more!
Thank you to Keefer Bar, Crystal Precious, Robin and Crystal, Pixelbooth and all the lovely Unilocalers that came out to party.
Review #250!

Robin rocked it last night!
The staff at the Keefer were friendly, which really helped the whole vibe of the place. It’s somewhere you WANT to go and be squished in. And I don’t always like to be squished.
The rosemary gimlet and the opium sour were my faves, but the bitter beer which tasted IPA like was a little too bitter for my tastes. I didn’t really sample a lot of the food, but I had some cheese and cured meats!
PixelBooth dudes were really friendly and generous as well. I love photobooths!
However, Crystal Precious was my favourite part of the night, talking about her PIE. Just my style of humour. Props!
I also enjoyed meeting a couple new elites and seeing some old. Great party Robin.

Dim sum, burlesque and delicious cocktails, you say? On a Tuesday night? Yes please! As usual, props to our amazing CM Robin for organizing yet another unique and fantastic event.
First, I loved how I first knew I had found the place by the Unilocal sign outside on the patio. Nice touch, and way to stake our territory!
But more important was all the awesomeness that was happening inside. The atmosphere of the bar itself is beautiful, dark, sophisticated, moody… somehow not typical Chinatown and yet somehow it fits. The cocktails were potent and expertly mixed by the staff. It was very entertaining to stand there and watch them work their magic. Because I’m not a huge whisky fan, my favourite was by far the rosemary gimlet. It was light and refreshing and I loved the combo of the tart flavour of the drink and the rosemary sprig that went with it. The food was great. I didn’t try the spring rolls or the sandwiches, but I definitely loved the dim sum, the tofu and meat skewers, and the meat and cheese plate. I loved the variety and the fact that it was a mix of different cuisine types and flvours.
The divine entertainment, as well as the photobooth and the opportunity to have your picture taken while wearing a sparkly boa and oversized novelty sunglasses, added even more fun to the evening — because really, what night is complete without burlesque, sparkles and feathers?
Thanks Robin for another fantastic event and for introducing me to another great venue I wouldn’t have otherwise known about!

Haiku Review:
The narrow Keefer
Keeps things close, conversation
is more intimate.
Dani makes fine drinks
Crystal Precious makes us drool
We all make friends.
Did I mention Drinks?
Vanilla infused Chartreuse!
Higher level bar.

My jaw hit the floor when the Burlesque dancer hit the stage and started freestyling — that girl has skillz! Definitely an eye popping and other things popping experience.
Keefer bar is a sexy, narrow space — «oops, sorry — hi!» could be the easiest opening line ever for anyone here.
The drinks be strong and I be a lightweight, but the Opium Sour bourbon drink was excellent. And thanks, Mark for havin my weak-​sauce back! «She’s DRIVING, ok? Do you want her to DIE?!» Lol, good times.
Nibbled on some deep fried tofu square and proscuitto from the charcuterie plate, saw some sandwiches being passed around but didn’t manage to snag one!
Always fun to have Pixelbooth at an event — heading over to facebook now to check out the pictures!
Thanks, Robin & Keefer Bar for a fantabulous Tuesday night shindig! And Crystal for the swag — lovin’ the Unilocal watch!

Snappy.
Classy
Elegant
Cabaret
Keefer
Chinatown
Cultural
Elite
Unilocal
Robin
Crystal.
It’s been awhile for me since the last event I attended.
This is the second event that I’ve been to hosted by Robin M and Unilocal and I must say…
It just keeps getting better and better.
:)
Smiles.
And with all those Unilocalish folk there to make this event another great one.
I must say. Thank you to the fine folks at the Keefer bar. Many a day have I taken a gander inside when they were closed, wondering what it would be like to have a nice drink there. I’ve heard so much about this place and now that I was able to try it via an Elite Unilocal event. I felt inspired.
I was really happy to see Crystal at the front greeting everyone with her familiar smile and hearing her laughter reminded me of the old days of Unilocal Vancouver.
(Hah! It wasn’t that long ago!!)
The event was wonderful. The «Burlesque» show, Tittie Tassles and all. The Unilocal watches, the wonderful flavoured liquids that everyone was drinking, served well with the dim sum. Chinese food really needs a good liquer and wine pairing.
I forgot my flash, but got a few pictures this time to make history of the event.
I shall submit them soon.
5 stars. Cheers!

When this was first mentioned in my email box, and I saw the venue that the next ‘grand’ Elite event was going to take place I knew that this would be a rip-​roaring crazy Unilocal-​tacular time! One of my favorite joints to hang out, and with a ton of the Unilocal faithful filling up the narrow comfy surroundings of the Keefer on a November night, you cannot go wrong. For our ambassador Robin, you keep the party rolling, and the bar sitting nice and sky-​high!
A cold, semi-​rainy night coming into the Keefer, and being warmly greeted by Crystal, (how she still finds time during her hectic Unilocal schedule to come is still an awesome sight to have her there!) is always a welcome sight, and you just know you have arrived. Robin was everywhere during the event, and even though the Keefer is a smal place, she made the rounds to make all of us feel welcomed again, and did I hear the words «go get a drink from her» once I entered… I think I did!
The bartenders were working their magic, yet again, like out of the movie «cocktail», and keeping all that were in the joint, well hydrated (or dehydrated) with drinks called ‘Sexual Healing’ and other concoctions that were on the menu. Little cute steamers were located at the bar area, filled with little dim sum treats for us to poke at with the mini skewers provided. Food in mouth, drink in hand, and many old, and new friends about, the party started, and just continued.
There was also a photobooth in the back, near the washrooms, where we got ‘propped’ up, and did our crazy shots looking our weirdest, a great touch as many went multiple times with different combos of people to make some very memorable pictures!
A very nice touch, was the giving of gifts before we left the door (isn’t this a little early, Christmas is next month) with a digital red watch, and a poncho so you can cover yourself for the rainy season ahead! Another awesome event that I will remember, and I am still remembering from what I am feeling right now while I write this review (stomach feeling funny, throat sore, not wanting to be at work, tired, bones aching, etc, etc, etc!)
As with everyone one of these, loved it, can’t wait for the next one, enjoyed seeing familiar and new faces, and loving the banter of the after parties… until next time!

Cocktails, Keefer Bar, Dim Sum, Charcuterie, Sliders, Unilocal,Elites. Yes, that basically sums up all awesomeness that took place last night.
Ok. I’ll go into some detail. The dark and mysterious and narrow space of the Keefer was another good location for an event. You almost had to mingle with everyone in order to access the bathroom. Pixelbooth was also located near the back, and it was lots of fun wearing all different props and snapping away with wacky poses.
I must admit, I got a prime seat in the house, right at the bar in front of the bartenders. There, I got to witness some wicked skills performed by them, as well as gaining easy access to drinks and food. Cocktails were amazing– I especially enjoyed the Rosemary Gimlet: gin, rosemary, and lime cordial. The Opium Sour was another favourite, followed by the Sexual Healing cocktail-​scotch, pineapple, syrup and spiced sugar…
Also got to try out the food-​skewers of tofu, ginger beef, vegetarian spring rolls, and my favourite– the sandwich consisting of duck, cucumber, and plum sauce.
Excellent service from the friendly people at the Keefer Bar, it made for an even more enjoyable night. So much fun meeting more new Unilocal Elites and seeing familiar faces! Great big thanks to Robin and the Keefer bar, for putting out another great event.
Of course, the highlight of the night for me was receiving the highly coveted red Unilocal watch! Finally!

Dish out the apple pie!
Hats off to Robin, Crystal and anyone else that took the time to make this event happen.
The drinks were dangerously good. The Rosemary Gimlet was fantastic, the little branch of rosemary would poke you in the face but you didn’t care because the drink was just delicious. «I got rosemary in my eye and it stings, i don’t care because I’m loving this drink»
OK perhaps the rosemary in the face was an exaggeration but you get the point.
Entertainment was divine, a burlesque show with a kitchen themed song. I will think of this night every time I dish out a slice of apple pie, delicious delicious apple pie.
Can’t wait for the next event.

Thanks so much Robin for making this event happen, The staff really rock here in all areas with their local community support to their assume service, what great drinks & snacks!!! The Keefer is truly a cool hangout place for all seasons & any time of the year, Im so glad its within walking distance.

They made drinks with skill and potency. There was Pixelbooth with lots of props. Dim sum was pleasantly served. Burlesque performer who awesomely free-​styled about dishing pie.
Robin, you rock. I wish every night was Unilocal Tuesday night.
Bravo.

As usual, huge props to Robin, our amazing Community Manager who organizies these amazing parties! These social events are all because of our amazing CM! Thanks a lot Robin! :D
First thing I was welcomed by an amazing layout outside patio. With a lit fire spot, but it was raining… I would stay outside if it wasn’t raining and a little bit of windy. I would smoke right outside with a cup of whiskey on the rocks.
I loved how they gave us a perfect mix of food for the night. First, they gave us the traditional baskets of Dim Sum, but they were all packed into the basket without giving space for each piece… felt a little awkward there that they ruined the placement of the dim sum. But what ever, I shouldn’t judge much about it.
Anyways, the drinks were STRONG. O. O I was like WOAH after like the 4^th drink. I stopped there as I have already tried ALL the drinks. They really put a lot of alcohol into the drinks! Well done guys, very well done! I really enjoyed the drinks for sure! :D
Thanks to Pixelbooth for dropping by! Always good to see Bill again, since he left the community. Misses him a lot! Hollar to you dude! :3
The Burlesque was amazing. Loved the boobs, even as a gay guy I was surprised… O. O Anyways, more on Sunday to come for sure! :D
Thanks to Robin again for pulling off an amazing party! Love it always~!!
D.

It’s at times like this that I am *so* proud to be an Elite. Where else can you get toasted and eat dimsum at the same time? AND make friends with other Elites? Just thinking about tonight brings a tear to my eye.
Thanks so much to Robin and Crystal for making it happen. And for the watch. I am wearing it proudly as we speak.
Wow, this bar is TINY. We had to squish along the main corridor so that the bartender could walk past. I thought there were extra rooms, but both places turned out to be mirrors. Good thing I didn’t walk into the glass, though I did watch several people do just that throughout the night.
The décor was like a Chinese-​themed. hospital? Reminded me of a cheesy horror flick. Not sure if it’s supposed to turn people on, but I found it curious if anyhting.
3 drinks were available: Rosemary Gimlet (really fragrant but weak), Opium Sour (strong), and Sexual Healing (strong with a slice of pineapple). Oh yeah, there was also R&B East Side Bitter (tasted like IPA).
For food there were spring rolls (surprisingly good), dim sum, and ham + cheese + crackers. Those were okay, but let’s be honest here, most of us were here for the drinks. There was also a Photobooth. These things are always AWESOME. With the prop hats and glasses and scarves, this made for some seriously random pictures. Nothing like shoving 10 people into a space meant for 4. Ooh yeah.
During the course of the night, there were a burlesque show, with (99%) titties. Like the Bloodhound Gang album, Hooray for Boobies. That was interesting to say the least. Yes I’m a guy.
All I can say is, be a proud Unilocal Elite. You won’t regret it.