Review of the "50 Years of Television" exhibition

I was under the impression that this exhibition would be as its name suggests i.e. a look into the history of TV for the past 50 years. However, it was rather disappointing on several counts and I did feel misled by its title and what it suggested would be covered.

First of all, the scale of the exhibition was considerably small especially when you are talking about 50 years of content to be covered. It took me slightly less than 15 minutes to cover the whole area even though I thought I had been taking my own sweet time taking photos and looking at the displayed items. Of course, considering that 50 years is a long time, it is impossible to expect that everything can be covered but I would have liked the scale of the exhibition to be bigger and more inclusive.

Secondly, the title of the exhibition was rather misleading because the afterthought of viewing this was that, did I just look at the history of MediaCorp only? Isn't the title of the exhibition "50 Years of TV"? The "convenient" omission of MediaCorp's competitors such as the now-defunct Mediaworks and entry and proliferation of cable TV were so obvious that I think the title needs to be changed to "50 Years of MediaCorp".

Thirdly, the selection criteria of items or content to be featured was bewildering, if not inconsistent. The emphasis of the TV programmes highlighted were mostly Chinese dramas thus there was little mention of variety programmes which I think deserved quite a bit of attention too. Channel 5 had its fair share of hits too but only "Phua Chu Kang" was featured. Where does that put "Under One Roof" or "Growing Up" then? I think it would have been better to feature different zones for various content i.e. one for Chinese dramas and one for variety shows, one for Channel 5 dramas or sitcoms, one for the development of TV  over the years in the lives of Singaporeans, one for changes in the equipment or technology used to produce TV programmes etc. Information displayed in the form of trivia e.g.which TV drama was the top-rated in the 80s, 90s and 2000s would be quite interesting to see. More effort also needs to be put into the writeup for each of the displays because I think they are quite bland to read. And if this exhibition is meant to be for all to enjoy, surely you need to have the content translated in the four official languages? I saw a lot of elderly people at the exhibition and I'm sure the English content didn't help them in understanding the displays better. Even in the small number of Chinese words used in the writeups, I could spot at least one mistake i.e. the name of Yang Guo which I think reflects badly on whoever should be responsible for the exhibition because of this lack of QC.

The biggest problem with this exhibition is, it tried to do everything and made a mess out of it by not having a focus theme. In the end, I didn't really gain much new knowledge on top of what I already know and it was such a pity.

*Side note: I wrote this review last night but surprisingly, an article appeared in the evening news today with the same criticism as what I have mentioned above. So I guess I'm not the only one who has issues with this exhibition? ^__^

If I have to name the two highlights of this exhibition, they are actually not so related to it in a sense. First of all, the feature of magazine covers from I Weekly and 8 Days on the wall was a welcome walk into history as you see some of the more notable cover pictures of stars, some as far back as 20 over years ago. I would have preferred to see more of the covers though but given the scale of the exhibition, it would have been difficult to ask for more. The problem is, this section felt pretty much standalone and it would have been better to weave it into the central theme e.g. saying which cover was for which TV production and offering some titbit info on what went on behind the scenes for the production of these covers. Otherwise, just showing the covers alone would take a bit of effort on the part of the visitor to recall the linkage with TV programmes.

On the second floor, you might miss this wall of photos unless you walk into the interior part of the museum and catch a glimpse of it from the ground floor. This wall of photos features some of the most memorable characters or stars which I think works better than most of the exhibits in the main exhibition. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, it's not possible to be as inclusive as possible but I think it's commendable that they had this at least. Otherwise, I think the exhibition would have seriously flunked in my eyes for being totally ineffective.

Just next to this display and on the reverse of this wall, is a special feature of the ongoing big production on Channel 8 i.e. The Voyage. I watch this drama from time to time but I wouldn't count myself as an avid viewer. What was interesting wasn't the display of the costumes of four of the characters but rather the production process shown at the back of the photo wall. It shows the amount of effort and technology in making the drama while giving you a background of the historical setting of the story. Quite informative, I would say but I think it deserves a better place to be displayed because I'm sure many people would not have known that there was something behind the photo collage wall. Wonder who was doing the space planning, really leaves much to be desired.

In conclusion, I probably would not recommend that people go for this exhibition especially if you already have a fair bit of knowledge about local TV programmes. It basically doesn't offer enough insight or additional information to spark your interest and the selection of displayed items just isn't inclusive enough to satisfy the needs of most visitors. It's also not so user-friendly towards people who can't understand English. I think you might be better off satisfying your curiousity via the Internet where you can get access to multimedia content rather than cold displays you see from this exhibition.

Review of Tonkotsu Itto (Ramen Champion - Bugis+)

Tonkotsu Itto is one of the newest competitors at Ramen Champion's outlet in Bugis+ and takes over the spot vacated by Ikkousha which has ventured into Tanjong Pagar with their own shop. Hailing from Tokyo, Tonkotsu Itto's specialty is in tonkotsu ramen rather than the usual soy-sauce flavour chicken-based broth which is a bit unusual considering its origins. And precisely because it is now occupying Ikkousha's previous spot and sells a similar style of ramen like theirs, I find myself comparing Itto's version with Ikkousha's somewhat unconsciously.

It was a pretty quiet Saturday afternoon when I visited so there wasn't any queue at most, if not all of the stalls. Ordering was a breeze but the time taken to prepare the ramen was somewhat longer than expected. I wonder if it had been that the stoves were turned off during the afternoon lull and the staff needed some time to get the right temperature to cook the ramen. Anyway, the wait wasn't that unbearable but it was a surprise to get a bowl of ramen which felt somewhat lukewarm instead of piping hot. And I certainly don't think I took such a long time to take pictures that it lost its warmth so rapidly so the lukewarm serving was probably deliberate.

At first sip, the soup felt somewhat close to Ikkousha's standard but a bit toned down. For people who don't like their tonkotsu soup to be too rich, Itto's version would suit you better. Coupled with the sesame seeds (you can help yourself to them at the counter), it brings out a nice fragrance in the broth. However, I thought that the body of the soup wasn't consistent because when I got to the bottom of the bowl, the flavour turned out to be quite bland instead of the other way round. I'm not sure if there was a conscious effort in trying to change the original taste to suit local taste buds but I think Itto's version of the soup wasn't as memorable as Santouka's or Keisuke's although I admit the latter two can tend to be a bit oily depending on what you order.

As for the noodles, I thought it wasn't cooked thoroughly and with the crunchy black fungus, it was a different type of texture I had never experienced before. Most noodles tend to be infused with the broth and could be slurped up very smoothly. Itto may have wanted the noodles to avoid being overcooked and coordinate with the black fungus to give a surprise to their customers but personally, I prefer my noodles to be flavourful and not overcooked at the same time. Itto scores in the texture aspect but taste-wise, the noodles felt rather bland if you try to eat it on its own without the broth.

With regard to the chashu, I think it's of a good thickness and quite tender. However, that's also its slight flaw because Itto's version of the chashu at this standard can be easily found elsewhere and it needs a stronger distinguishing factor in this item to win over fans who are meat lovers.

On the whole, I think Itto's version of the ramen is good in its own way but in order to stand out from the competition, there is a need to have a stronger selling point in order to catch the attention of those who go to Ramen Champion. Being situated right inside the restaurant has its challenges because people can easily bypass you. To win like what Ikkousha achieved, Itto must find their selling point and capitalise on it. It's as if Itto is an all-rounder right now with credible performance in every aspect but if I have to name something they are very good at, I struggle to come up with an answer.

Last but not least, my favourite side dish whenever I have ramen. Just like Itto's ramen, I also struggle to find fault with this dish. It's not bad yet not superbly interesting to entice me back. One bugbear I have with their gyoza is probably the lack of consistency when it comes to cooking them. As you can see from the photo, the first gyoza didn't have that golden brown skin as seen in the other pieces which seems to suggest uneven cooking. Some of the pieces were even charred at the edges. I like my gyoza to be crispy and yet succulent at the same time which is seriously a huge challenge so that's why I can't  find a version to date which has truly awed me beyond words. Despite the less-than-desirable appearance, the quality of the taste is still acceptable but I think the filling needs a bit more seasoning. If you dip it in the chili oil and vinegar, it easily overwhelms the palette and you really can't taste what's inside the gyoza because it is beaten hands down in terms of flavour.

So the dust has settled? Or so it seems, for the time being.

The news has finally been confirmed. Taewoong, Sikyung and Haejin are leaving the 1n2d. I guess for the first two, they have their other work activities to think of. Taewoong just announced his involvement in a new cable drama a few days back while there is word that Sikyung needs the time to work on his album. Haejin also has his acting projects to think of but it's still sad to see him leave after such a short time on the show.

What's more surprising is the manner how Sugeun has bowed out from 1n2d. It just reminds a lot of how Mong and Hodong left the show against their own will. In Mong's case, although it's been some time since his case was closed, he still hasn't made his comeback. I think the trauma of the backlash against him was very overwhelming and hurting so it really made him lose the confidence to restart his career. Hodong did make his comeback but not without some setbacks in the beginning. Sugeun's situation is somewhat in between the two of them. Although he is a famous comedian and host, his status in showbiz still pales in comparison to Hodong prior to his scandal so it will be quite difficult and time-consuming before he makes a comeback. Coupled with that, he still has two young kids to take care of and his wife's health condition wasn't that good too. Since he has already admitted to the illegal gambling charges, I won't dwell too much on this or criticise him for what he did. All I have to say is, if not for this case, Sugeun might not have left the show which he has stuck with for so long. I feel for his family especially since he had been under so much pressure to keep the show going after all these changes and support his family but this scandal will no doubt make it difficult for him to continue his career for a period of time. If only he had left on a voluntary basis and not under the shadow of such a scandal...

Now, it seems like there are at least two new names being said to be the "confirmed" new cast members of season 3. Actor Kim Joohyuk and rock singer Jung Joonyoung are said to be joining Jongmin and Taehyun in the new season. I suppose there may be more new names to be announced soon? I've only seen Kim Joohyuk in one of his dramas Terroir which wasn't very exciting but I vaguely remember seeing him on Running Man before. Still, I wonder how he will be like in 1n2d. As for Jung, I really have no idea who he is so I will be getting to know him through the show.

Not again! Rumoured departures from 1n2d?

I am so sick of such news, really.

Rumours are going around that KBS is planning a season 3 of 1n2d after a PD change and impending departures of Sung Si Kyung, Yoo Hae Jin and Kim Jong Min. Just when PD Lee has finally come up with some "better episodes" (the recent Campus 24 Hours episodes were the most enjoyable I've seen in recent days) and the cast is finally starting to gel together, this had to happen. Did PD Lee lose his job because the ratings were bad? Then again, their main competitor Running Man is also suffering from low ratings too because competition is getting so much stiffer in the same timeslot with many options available. Yet, you don't see them changing the cast or PDs so readily as if it's a game of musical chairs. And the Running Man cast was very frank about the state of things and stated in recent interviews that they try to focus on their programme rather than worry about the figures which is beyond their control. So why is 1n2d being "punished" for having equally low ratings?  Was it because 1n2d was so successful in the past that any drop in the figure becomes an unforgivable sin?

Ratings simply do not tell the whole story about the quality of a show. However, in reality, that's how they usually get judged because advertisers look at the ratings to decide where to buy CM slots in. I admit, 1n2d has lost its shine over the years but I think it also has to do with the series of changes it went through. Starting from the time Jong Min rejoined the cast, Kim C left, Mong had to leave because of his military service scandal, Ho Dong leaving due to the tax evasion scandal, addition of new cast members (Uhm Tae Woong, Kim Seungwoo, Joo Won, Si Kyung, Tae Hyun, Haejin), departures of the original core six (Seunggi and Jiwon) and departures of the "new members" (Seungwoo and Joo Won), you cannot deny that these changes hurt the stability of the show. With each change, the cast must adjust its momentum to suit one another again. Just when things get on track, they have to change again. How can you blame the viewers from jumping off the bandwagon if they have to sit around waiting for everyone to find their footing again? Especially for those who remember the heydays of the core six, the comparison becomes even harsher and less forgiving to the new people who come into the show.

Of all people who could have quit the show, I didn't expect it to be Jong Min. He pulled through such tough times when he was criticised for being not funny and causing the departure of Kim C (which had nothing to do with him since Kim C wanted to pursue his music career and frankly didn't seem to enjoy his variety persona as much as the rest) so why on earth is he pulling out of a show which he spent so much time and effort and put his soul into? For the sake of Koyote's activities? For some other work activities? I seriously don't get it. Haejin being the newest addition to the cast, he has impressed me with his quiet and hardworking style but honestly, he sometimes does not get enough airtime and doesn't seem to be the one to initiate the laughs. Maybe he is indeed finding it tough to keep going? As for Si Kyung, rumour has it that he wants to concentrate on being a singer. Well, if you ask me, I think the idiot Sung image probably gets in the way of his ballad prince image but that has also made him more endearing to the public. It's a double-edged sword, I guess. You get the awareness and popularity but have to overcome the impression the viewers already have of you.

This is when I remember Tae Woong's words to Tae Hyun when they were on the Bau Trail which I thought really hit the spot when I first watched that episode. When asked about his thoughts on 1n2d, Tae Woong said, "You know what? You leased or rented an apartment but the owner just fled and now I own it. And I can't sell it. I can't do anything with it. And the maintenance is expensive. It was hard for me at first because I didn't feel like a permanent member. I felt like I was a guest. Actors usually come as guests. So I got here, and the others were so good, and it was fun to watch them. I had no idea I would be doing stuff like this." It's really true when you come to think of it because out of the original six members, only Sugeun remains. From being a newbie member to being one of the "old" cast members from season 1, Tae Woong must have really felt that he has some responsibility towards the show and can't leave it easily even though he wasn't doing it right from the start.

And that makes me wonder at the same time, is it better to let the show go out on a high note rather than let it suffer brickbats and add further insult to injury as it gets ridiculed for the low ratings? I have a lot of feelings and memories of 1n2d since I've been watching it since 2008. That's a long 5 years I've spent with the show. However, it pains me to see it suffering from bad reviews, all these changes and departures of its cast. Sometimes, I feel that if someone's not going to be in for the long haul, they might as well not come in at all. Of course, for the people who left, I believe they had their own reasons to do so and understand their problems but you just can't help feeling as if they abandoned the rest of us i.e. the crew, cast and viewers. I don't mean everyone though, I just feel this way towards some of them.

If there is an intention to revive the show, they have to do more than to go to the same places in Korea all the time. More must be done to make the travels and games more enjoyable to watch. Editing must be consistent and not be all over the place. And staying focused is important rather than trying to do everything at once. If it's better to have the cast together during shoots, don't send them on small group missions because it affects the air time proportion and fluidity of the show. The thing is, will anyone do something before it's too late? Or will the so-called season 3 hold new promise with its cast additions if the rumours are indeed true? Seems like more news will follow after the shoot this weekend so I'm keeping my eyes open for the updates. In the meantime, enjoy it while you can!

Comfort food at a premium - Tonkichi (Tampines Mall)

Whenever I crave for tonkatsu, I usually go to Tonkichi to satisfy my desire. It's not to say that other places can't serve up decent versions of this because there are many other Japanese eating places which I've never tried before. It's just that among those which I've been to, I still prefer Tonkichi's version.

The common grouse which I have with tonkatsu is that the batter is too thick, the meat tastes too dry due to overcooking and loss of moisture in the meat or the aftertaste is too oily. Tonkichi never fails to serve up a good dish of tonkatsu and my favourite is the Kurobuta which contains lots of meat juices and doesn't taste dry at all. Paired with the thinly-sliced and crunchy cabbage, the savoury sauce and light but still flavourful miso soup, the kurobuta set always gives me lots of satisfaction. However, there is a stronger smell of pork compared to the usual types of pork used in tonkatsu so for people who may not like the meaty smell, perhaps the other types of pork offered by Tonkichi might suit you better. In addition, some of the dishes here tend to be a bit pricier compared to other places so you may not want to choose the kurobuta version if budget is a concern here.

I also tried two dishes which I've not tasted before, the first being the potato croquette. Surprisingly, it was larger than I expected since most places have this at usually half the size of what Tonkichi served up.. The crust tasted somewhat similar to the tonkatsu's version which was a bit unusual among the different types of croquette I've tasted. Since the crust is very thin and relatively oil-free, the filling is quite substantial as seen from the photo. What I liked about the filling was that there were some bits of potato which I could taste rather than a paste-like mashed potato filling. The uneven texture made a simple dish like this a bit different from the norm so I was pleasantly surprised by this offering which turned out to be better than expected.

As for the kushiyaki, I ordered the tsukune and momo with leek. The tsukune looked slightly bigger than usual so two sticks of this was rather filling. I assumed that the tsukune might taste a bit dry and tough but it defied my expectations and turned out to be moist and had absorbed the sauce fully. However, the same cannot be said for the momo which I would have expected the texture to be smoother than breast meat but turned out to be quite tasteless. It could be that the momo was not so well-marinated or the nature of the cut made it more difficult to absorb the sauce as compared to the tsukune. On the other hand, the leek seemed to be slightly overcooked as it had lost its crunchiness which I felt was a pity.

For a place like Tonkichi which is known for its specialty in tonkatsu dishes, I tend to be a bit more wary about ordering dishes outside their niche area since it can be a mix of hits and misses. This is exactly how I felt this time because the croquette and tsukune impressed me but the momo was kinda disappointing. Then again, I can't expect it to be good at everything so I'll be content to head there for my comfort food once in a while.

Monday Couple's unbelievable win - 20 Oct 2013

Last Sunday's episode of Running Man was quite interesting. Not because of its guests (IU and Park Myung Soo) but rather how the game wasn't simply won through strength, brute force nor athleticism. I like it when luck and strategising are key factors in determining whether someone wins so I think the wolf and sheep prediction game was good in the sense because it is controllable in the sense that if you win the mini-games, you get a chance to change the cards and know the ratio of wolf and sheep. It is also uncontrollable because you can't change your prediction at the beginning of the day after seeing how the games proceed. And this is why I think Gary and Jihyo guessing the correct ratio right from the start and managing to win it at the end of the day was simply amazing and truly unbelievable.

The Monday Couple seems to be getting closer these days and showing lots of chemistry on screen. It's good for fans of them because we know that in real life, it's not going to be a fairytale ending for them after all unless anything changes in the future. For now, let's enjoy it while we can. Like what we see in 1n2d, nobody stays around forever. Running Man has better luck in this sense since the only departures so far were Lizzy and Joongki. I hope things continue this way for as long as possible because the current cast has such great teamwork that I hate to see anyone coming in or leaving the show which could jeopardise the stability of the programme.

Review of Skinny Pizza (100AM)

 This was my first visit to Skinny Pizza although I've walked past its outlets here and at other places before but never got the urge to try this out. A colleague suggested heading here for lunch and so here I was making my maiden trip to this outlet. 100AM is pretty quiet outside of meal times but since we were there right during lunch time, there was lots of activity going around and the restaurant was about 80% to 90% full when we reached. We got our main dishes and ordered some pizzas to share and the staff was quite patient with us, suggesting what choices might be nice.

I started off with this sweet corn crab soup but it was rather disappointing. Not only did I not taste the seafood taste of the crab (there were only two pieces of crab meat which I identified), the texture of the soup was also rather uneven. I could taste the overwhelming sweetness of the corn in some mouthfuls while in others, I could taste the water and the corn as separate entities. Coupled with the bread that was a bit too soggy to be eaten with this soup (I would have wanted a slice of toasted french loaf with this), I have to say that this soup did not match up to my expectations.

Next up was the black pepper tiger prawn linguine. The pasta itself was great and was thoroughly covered with the black pepper sauce so each mouthful was full of the mildly-spicy flavour. The prawns were very disappointing though because the second piece didn't taste fresh and I had problems detaching the prawn flesh from the shell (they were stuck together). Perhaps if the prawns had been shelled and that they were coated with more of the black pepper sauce so that it absorbed the sauce a bit more, it would have made the dish a lot better. In this version, the prawn shells had the flavour but the prawns itself were bland, to say the least. I wouldn't go to the extent of striking this dish out completely since the linguine was really well-done. It could just be that I happened to get a plate with lacklustre prawns so who knows if I might get something better next time?

And now, here's the pizza lineup! Chicken satay is said to be a chef's recommendation and a popular choice so we decided to go with this.The skinny crust was packed a lot of crunchy goodness and I didn't really feel like I was eating a pizza. As for the ingredients, there were lots of vegetables along with the chicken satay. I like the chunky texture of the vegetables but the chicken satay was a bit lacking since it didn't actually blend well with the crust. It felt as if the crust and the topping were too different things. Perhaps like they had allowed the pizza crust to absorb more of the satay's flavour, it would have brought about a perfect union between the two. Personally, I found this still OK but my dining companions thought otherwise because they didn't like the fact that the chicken satay was too bland to their liking.

This has to got to be the highlight of our meal at Skinny Pizza because this Macadamia Roasted Pumpkin pizza was simply amazing. I would never have imagined putting these two ingredients together on a pizza but surprisingly, they turned out to be in tandem with each other. The sweetness of the pumpkin coupled with the crunchiness of the macadamia and the crispiness of the crust was really good and won the thumbs up of everyone. Pizzas tend to be on the cheesy or savoury side most of the time but this can certainly pass off as a dessert as well. Do give it a try if you can!

Generally, the food quality at Skinny Pizza is OK with some misses here and there. Service was a bit patchy probably due to the lunchtime crowd and the seats were so close to other tables that it can be rather uncomfortable. Prices will also tend to be on the high side especially for the mains but pizzas are generally OK if you are sharing across the table.

The lingering memories of Lee Seunggi's beer can chicken... Joo Won's impending departure from 1n2d

Happened to come across this picture of the "famous" beer can chicken which I had never heard of until Seunggi tried to replicate it on 1n2d. I've never tasted it before too. Can't believe that it's already been almost 4 years since that episode. Those were the good old days where I would laugh throughout the whole episode and my face muscles would literally feel sore at the end of each broadcast due to the excessive laughing. I'm not saying that the new episodes with the new cast are bad. It's just that there is a lack of consistency in the quality. Some episodes are more memorable than the rest, some are plain boring while I've actually resorted to fast-forwarding through some episodes so that I don't fall asleep in front of the TV. That's why it makes me nostalgic to see this picture. Even after so many years, the "horrors" of seeing Seunggi cook still remains in my mind. ^__^

Another change is going to take place for 1n2d because Joo Won's going to take part in his last filming this weekend. Just when 1n2d is finally getting back on its feet after the last round of PD and cast changes and the chemistry between the existing cast is getting better, this has come at a bad timing. Then again, for Joo Won's sake, I think he had no choice. While juggling the weekend shots for 1n2d, he had done at least three dramas during this period i.e. Gaksital, Level 7 Civil Servant and the ongoing Good Doctor. During those periods, he always seemed so tired and would drift off to deep sleep whenever they had a break in between the filming. If given a choice, Joo Won might not have wanted to quit. It was very evident that he enjoyed the time with his brothers and became the little brother everyone doted on. Initially, he usually stuck to Tae Woong because they worked together before and are from the same agency but has moved on to being close to everyone else. Given that he's a young and promising star, the weekend filming will no doubt restrict his ability to take on jobs that require him to go overseas for an extended period of time. I guess Joo Won's story is similar to Seunggi's in this sense. It's gonna be a teary farewell for our maknae this weekend...

Wait a minute, does this mean that Jongmin is going to be the new maknae since there won't be anyone new joining 1n2d???? I can't imagine him doing aegyo like Joo Won but I'm sure he's gonna get on the nerves of the other hyungs more so than ever if the emphasis is put on Jongmin's new status as maknae. :-p

And for old times' sake and in case you don't know what Seunggi did then, here's an edited video of his "heroic deed" then. All credits due to the TV station and the person who uploaded the video:

Review of Shin-Sapporo Ramen (Century Square)

To be honest, I didn't have a very good experience with Shin-Sapporo Ramen when it first opened. It put me off so much that I swore not to step in there again. I think what happened then had a lot to do with teething problems which most new restaurants would encounter e.g. slow serving speeds, getting orders wrong or a less-than-efficient workflow but what I didn't like was the taste rather than these "non-food" issues. It had been more than a year since that fateful encounter and this second visit happened rather unexpectedly because I needed a very late lunch on a weekend afternoon and had to look for a place which wasn't crowded and was not on afternoon break at 4 plus in the afternoon. Coincidentally, I had a craving for ramen but couldn't think of any nice choices in Tampines so I decided to give this place a second chance.

Although the name of the shop says "Shin-Sapporo Ramen", there are different types of ramen from various locations in Japan on offer here. There's the Hokkaido style, the Tokyo-style, the Hakata (Fukuoka) style and Wakayama style (just to name a few) so if you are dining with a group which has different preferences, this place should have something for everyone. One unique point here is that they use different types of ramen noodles for each locality's version so it's not a one-size-fits-all style of ramen that you get here. Depending on the soup base, different types of noodles are used and the rationale for the choice is clearly explained on the menu.

Personally, I like the Hakata-style tonkotsu soup and the Hokkaido-style noodles but I don't think you can mix the two here so I decided on the tonkotsu ramen. In terms of the soup, it has a nice aroma which is not too overpowering and definitely not as rich as Keisuke's and Santouka's version. However, it doesn't mean that it's not tasty and should suit people who usually find tonkotsu soup a bit too meaty or salty and would prefer a lighter version. As for the noodles, it was OK save for the fact that the noodles got entangled halfway through the meal (which is the first time for me). I wonder if I stirred the noodles too much till they got entangled or the way they were placed into the bowl wasn't the usual style in most ramen joints. I found the noodles a bit too thin and couldn't taste the soup's flavour in them so a slightly thicker type of noodle would have been better. Surprisingly, Ikkousha's noodles were also thin but I thought their version was able to blend better with their tonkotsu soup. As for the char siew, it was a bit of the fatty side but taste-wise, I liked the fact that it was well-seasoned and the texture of the meat wasn't tough at all.

Next up was the kushiyaki. I had wanted to order other types of kushiyaki (chicken with leek and chicken balls) but many of the options were not available so I settled on the pork and chicken wing versions. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the Saturday lunch crowd had finished all the stock for the day? Anyway, there are quite a number of choices for kushiyaki on the menu so I suppose you should be able to find what you fancy. The pork kushiyaki was very well-seasoned and had a nice blend of meat with fats which didn't feel too oily or overpowering. It was well-grilled too so you don't get the feeling that one part is nicely done and another may be so dry that you can't taste anything. However, the chicken wing version was a bit disappointing, considering that you could taste the flavour from the skin but when you get to the meat, it was a tad dry and bland so I think more efforts need to be put in for this version. Maybe marinating the meat a little longer may help?

Last but not least, here's the gyoza which I would always try to order when I am having ramen.. The version here is not bad but I think the quality is fairly inconsistent even in the same place of just 5 pieces of gyoza. As you can see from the photo, the first one looked a bit burnt and that resulted in the meat filling becoming rather dry and tasteless. I gather it must have been due to the fact that the meat juices must have dried up during the cooking process. However, when I got to the third one onwards, it didn't taste as bad so my conclusion is that if the gyoza's skin wasn't burnt but rather lightly pan-fried to have a light golden brown on one side, your gyoza should turn out to be alright. There is also a shrimp version which I haven't tried so for people who don't like too much meat, that should be something you can try.

On the whole, I would say that this 2nd visit has successfully changed my opinion of  Shin-Sapporo Ramen to a certain extent but there are still some areas which it needs improving e.g. the kushiyaki and gyoza taking ages to be served even though I was the only customer at that time. Nonetheless, it has proved to be a pretty decent place for some ramen so I will know where to go the next time I'm craving for ramen but am too lazy to travel to town for my all-time favourites.

Review of Jobs (movie)

I was actually deliberating between watching "Jobs" and "Elysium" (since they both came out in the cinemas the same week) when I decided to watch the former first. I am neither a fan of Apple products nor Steve Jobs himself but I thought that his life as the founder of Apple and the man who brought the company back to life with products like the iMac, iPod and of course, the most famous of all, the iPhone, would be quite interesting to see. However, I think this film does not do him justice at all and is a huge disappointment.

I can't say that I am very familiar with the key events of Steve Jobs' life but I know certain highlights like Apple Computer started in the garage of his foster parents' house and how he was kicked out of his company. However, the film began with an introduction of the iPod at an Apple Town Hall meeting and was then rewound to his days in college. That's when I think the film started to look more like a compilation of teasers rather than a biopic movie about Jobs. First of all, Jobs' fascination with calligraphy class and why he wanted to go to India and how it inspired him was never talked about in detail. All of a sudden, you see him thinking about his birth parents and he started crying in front of his buddy and girlfriend. The next scene would then jump to when he starts building Apple Computer. It feels as if the movie throws a couple of knots to the viewers, expects them to untie it with what they already know about Jobs or can infer from the "clues" given so far and hope that people will get what they are driving at. For someone like me who has never read Jobs' book nor know much about him, I was left bewildered most of the time.

The rest of the film continues in similar fashion with so many questions going on in my mind:
- Why did Jobs react so strongly to the news of his girlfriend's pregnancy? Why was he so convinced that her baby wasn't his? Did he react like this because he didn't want the pregnancy and family life to derail his career? And why did his daughter Lisa come back to live with him after he refused to acknowledge her? What happened to Lisa's mother?
- Why did Jobs start to be aloof towards his colleagues and friends? Was it success that got to his head? Was it his difficulty to interact with people that caused the situation?
- Why was Jobs so hung up about the fonts in the word processing program? Was it to do with the influence from the calligraphy class in college?
- And what happened after Jobs got rid of those who chased him out of Apple? What about the iPod? What about the iPhone?

And so, this led to me effectively switching off mentally at a couple of times throughout this movie. The choppy editing and jumping of scenes helped in shipping me off to slumberland too. The film gave me too many teasers but there was no way for me to find answers. And I can't help but feel that this movie is just a superficial look at Jobs only. I don't even know which is the image that the production crew wants to project. Is it the strictly-business only Jobs who may be a man with great ideas but extremely difficult to work with? Is it the heartless jerk who refused to acknowledge his daughter? I thought that the movie didn't actually paint Jobs in a good light but rather tried to show all his flaws with little for him to redeem himself. I'm sure that there could be more than what we saw in this movie but unfortunately, you won't be able to know Jobs better through this movie. You might as well get his book which should be clearer and gives you more information.

Given the limited time for the movie, I do appreciate that it is unlikely to include everything that may be of interest to viewers. However, I think that the production crew was probably too ambitious in trying to give a complete picture of Jobs but ended up upsetting the balance. If they had chosen to  focus on Jobs' professional life and how it was closely linked to Apple's fortune, this could have been a more inspiring piece of work. The obvious omission of an important part of Apple's history in the past 10 years or so was a glaring mistake. Apple became sought-after again after Steve Jobs returned so what exactly did he do to rejuvenate this company? I would have thought that most people will be interested in this part of Apple's history. Showing us a glimpse of iPod at the beginning of the film is simply not enough. If the intention had been to showcase more of Jobs rather than his baby Apple, there needs to be more insights into his interpersonal relationships. Otherwise, looking at this movie alone, you get the impression that Jobs is nothing but a jerk and yet his family and friends stick to him, somehow in one way or another. Then this leaves us with the question "why" because we don't know what is it that they saw in him which we as outsiders and viewers of this movie can't.

Despite my criticism for this movie, Ashton Kutcher surprised me with his portrayal of Jobs. At the beginning of the movie, I thought it was the real Steve Jobs at the Apple town hall. As the film progressed, his mannerisms including the way he walks and talks and how he looked like simply was like a carbon copy of Jobs. As such, I have to give Kutcher credit for being able to bring Jobs to life with his effort and dedication. Then again, if the script wasn't such a let-down, I think this would have been an opportunity for Kutcher to show off Jobs' inspirational leader side (although it looks obvious that he's a tough person to work with and under) . Too bad the movie just didn't match up and correspondingly, Kutcher's performance was somewhat restricted or dragged down by these limitations. If there is ever going to be a part 2 of Jobs or another crew gets together to produce something related to Steve Jobs, I think the most important thing to consider is, what angle of Jobs are you going to be looking at? For any famous person, there has got to be various angles you can look at so it will be best to choose appropriately rather than be overly ambitious and try to cover everything within 2 hours. I think "Jobs" was a victim of its own ambition and should have tried to make sure it could handle whatever it placed onto its plate. Unless you are a big fan of Jobs or Apple, I seriously think that this movie will probably leave you dissatisfied at the end.

Translation of Matsuyama Kenichi's first book "Haisha" - Part 2 (1 April 2011, Friday)

1 April 2011, Friday

We registered our marriage.

Why did I decide to appear in the Taiga drama "Taira no Kiyomori"?

It wasn't because that the production crew made the offer to me. I was the one who asked to be allowed to act in the drama. This was the first time.

I remember when I first saw news about NHK's announcement of the drama, the phrase "The Godfather of the Heian era" caught my attention. During that era when family backgrounds and connections mattered the most, this story was about how a samurai changed the society ruled by corrupt royalty to one of a warrior's era.

At that time (referring to 2011), there was this problem of elderly people dying without people noticing. As there are many old folks who live on their own, it suddenly dawned on me that my own parents could die in a lonely manner without me knowing.

Why is it that the connections between people have become so fragile now?

Actually, this issue may have been present since a long time ago. On the other hand, there are families and places where relationships and connections are still strong. At a time like this (right after the earthquake and tsunami crisis), I was simply attracted to this drama which focused on the connections between people.

Another reason was that, I just wanted to appear in a drama about men being passionate about something.

Review of Ramen Kagetsu Arashi (Tampines 1)

Ramen Kagetsu Arashi, a famous ramen restaurant chain in Japan, comes to Singapore with its tonkotsu-based ramen amid the competitive ramen landscape here. The Tampines 1 branch was opened fairly recently (I think there's another branch at Star Vista but I'm not sure which came first) so I headed there to try it out as I needed to find something quickly to satisfy my hunger. It was a weekday afternoon when we headed there and the place was about 40% full despite it being past 3pm. There were a number of people who were checking out the food display but luckily, there wasn't a need to queue for seats. However, what happened next left us bewildered and slightly annoyed because the staff who came to attend to us insisted that we join the "queue" which was actually a line they created at the other side of the corridor. If there was a logical reason for us to do that, we wouldn't have been so affected by this request but the staff didn't explain things to us and simply made us stand in the queue with more than ample seats in the restaurant and other staff members standing around inside. I think they really need to do something about this practice of making people stand in a non-existent queue or at least tell the customer why they don't want people hanging around at the entrance while waiting to be shown to the table.

After a couple of minutes, we finally got directed to a table where we could look at the menu in detail. The soup base on offer here is tonkotsu-based but there are some variations here to suit different taste buds. Whenever I visit a new ramen place, I tend to get the standard offering which I think should best reflect the quality of the food without any frills such as chilli or other strong flavourings to overpower the original taste. As such, we ordered the Genkotsu ramen along with sides such as corn, gyoza and tonkatsu. As with most "authentic" ramen specialty restaurants, the side dishes tend to be the usual few e.g. gyoza, karaage, ebi-fry but there are a few unusual ones like buta moyashi, potato fry and butameshi. I wouldn't say that Ramen Kagetsu Arashi has a wide selection but it certainly isn't of the other extreme like Keisuke which focuses solely on its ramen. Not that I mind Keisuke's approach though because being too ambitious with many items on the menu can backfire at times. Being a Jack of all trades and a Master at none is certainly not good for the business anyway.

Frankly speaking, I'm not too sure how I should describe Kagetsu Arashi's ramen. Not because it's good to the extent of beyond words but rather, I find that it's rather disappointing. This was the first time I couldn't smell the aroma of the ramen soup when it was presented to me. I tried to sniff at the bowl at a close distance but still couldn't pick up any scent. Seeing the oil floating on the surface of the soup coupled with no aroma to stimulate my sense of smell, I was naturally apprehensive about actually tasting the soup. Although it's said that the soup is tonkotsu-based, I couldn't taste anything which suggests so. It could be that the garlic taste and smell were too overpowering that it completely blocked out the original taste. I'm not sure if the version in Japan is like what I had but if this had been a deliberate modification of the original formula just to suit "local tastes", I have to say that it didn't go down well with me.

As for the chashu, I think it was a bit too oily for me and because it was too thinly sliced, I thought I tasted more oil than meat with each bite. In addition, the meat was slightly bland which seemed to indicate that it either wasn't marinated properly or didn't absorb the soup's flavour readily. If it had been marinated well, I think the chashu could have been tasty on its own even if it was a mismatch with the soup.

Last but not least, the noodles' texture tasted a bit uneven because each mouthful gave me different opinions on whether the noodles could be considered good. Sometimes, it felt just right but sometime it felt a bit overdone. It took a fair bit of time before the ramen was served to me (weird that this had been the case, considering that it wasn't crowded during my visit) so I wonder if there had been any delay in the serving time that resulted in this inconsistency in taste.

Considering that this is a ramen place, I didn't really have high expectations of the tonkatsu but still, this was quite disappointing. I wouldn't say that this is really bad but somehow, the meat tasted overcooked and rather dry to me which was a real shame. The sauce didn't do much to enhance the taste of this dish too. And this is why I say that ramen places actually don't need to be too ambitious in serving a variety of items and should focus on getting their signature items correct. Although I complain about the lack of side dishes in places like Keisuke, I'm still content with what they dish out to me because they focus on perfecting their bowl of ramen than get sidetracked by other things. Perhaps this is what Kagetsu Arashi should try to do before introducing new items to the menu?

Surprisingly, despite my grouses about various aspects of Kagetsu Arashi, the gyoza turned out to be OK. At the very least, it didn't put me off as much as the other dishes but still, this had a very distinct garlic taste just like the ramen. I usually order gyoza when I have ramen but there are not that many places which does gyoza well. I find this version acceptable but there is definitely more room for improvement.

On the whole, my experience with Kagetsu Arashi wasn't exactly that satisfying due to various reasons but I do realise that it is a relatively new shop and of course, has its teething problems especially with regard to service or food quality. It can also be that its distinct taste doesn't go down well with me but for people who like it, they may become passionate fans of this place. Going by the fact that I see queues outside here every now and then when I walk past, I think there are people who like what Kagetsu Arashi is dishing out. Don't let my views stop you from trying this place and no matter which camp you are in (like or dislike), please do share your comments with me. Who knows, you may just convince me to give this a second try anytime soon! ^__^

Translation of Matsuyama Kenichi's first book "Haisha" - Part 1 (March 11 Earthquake & Tsunami Crisis)

This is the first part of a series of translations of Matsuyama Kenichi's first book "Haisha". Of course, it will be impossible for me to translate the whole book due to time constraints so I'll be sharing selected pieces of his essays which I find interesting. To begin with, this is how Matsuyama described what he was doing on the day when the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crisis struck two years ago. He also made a brief reference to his wife Koyuki and where she was at that time. Note that all his essays were written from his viewpoint so "I" refers to him.

Please do not reproduce this translation without my permission but you may share the link to this post on your own blog or other social media avenues. Thank you very much for your cooperation in this. 

Hope that you enjoy reading this! :-)

11 March 2011 Friday
At that time, I was watching a movie at home. The movie was titled "Seppuku" (*This is a 1962 movie starring Nakadai Tatsuya.)

The lead character had a son-in-law who was a poor samurai who had to go to the extent of selling his sword which was regarded as very important to samurais, in order to get money to buy medicine for his sickly wife. However, there came a day when the medicine ran out. The samurai then heard a rumour from someone that there was this feudal lord who gave out money to samurais who asked to commit suicide at his garden because he didn't want them to dirty his place. Viewing this as a means to get money for his wife's medicine, the samurai then headed to the feudal lord's mansion.

However, the feudal lord's minister saw through the samurai's intention of obtaining money through the scam even though he had no intention of killing himself. As such, the minister agreed to this request. This made the samurai flustered as he tried to get out of this fix by asking for the money first before returning to commit suicide. The minister refused the request and demanded that the samurai must honour his request. Due to the fact that the samurai had already sold his real sword, he had no choice but to use the bamboo sword he was carrying to cut his stomach. However, there was no way he would have been able to kill himself with that. In the end, the samurai's request for a beheading by the minister was rejected and he resorted to biting his tongue to end his life. (*samurais could ask for someone to behead them from the back in order to reduce their suffering during a suicide.)

This was the first time I saw scenes as painful as these which made me look away from the screen. Due to the fact that the medicine didn't get to his wife, the lead character lost two family members at the same time i.e. his daughter and son-in-law. As a result, he headed to the feudal lord's mansion alone to take revenge.

Just then, I felt some shaking which I had never felt before.
It was an earthquake.
It was huge.

I opened my window and went out to the balcony. The electrical post was shaking and the electricity lines were dancing in waves. As it was still shaking, I was worried that my house will collapse any minute and had the instant thought of jumping downstairs from my balcony but I didn't do that. Instead, I calmed down a little and ran out of my apartment building. Due to the tremors and subsequent giddiness I felt, I was unable to move for a while.

After recovering from the giddiness, I went back to my apartment and found that my cabinet had fallen to the floor and my drawers were all open. While trying to tidy things up, I found the wooden sword which I had not been able to find earlier. In order to find out more about the earthquake which just opened, I turned on the TV where there was an earthquake notification that a 5.0 earthquake had hit Tokyo even though this earthquake felt much stronger than any of those which I had experienced so far. I had not eaten anything since waking up that morning and started to feel hungry. People still feel hunger no matter what situation they are in.

I was afraid to stay at home alone and decided to go out towards the train station. At the same time, people around me were doing the same since there were still aftershocks and that probably made us worried about staying inside a building. I went to a nearby supermarket and bought 5 croquettes. I tried to use my handphone but couldn't get through. My girlfriend at that time who would later become my wife (referring to Koyuki) was in Hokkaido for the filming of her movie. When I reached home, I heated up the frozen rice and ate it with the croquettes. It was a delicious meal.

After turning on the TV again, I saw that the tsunami warning was issued. Actually, the tsunami had already hit the shores by then and was engulfing everything in its path, be it buildings, cars, electrical posts and trees. I was rooted to the ground while watching these scenes and couldn't think about anything. My eyes were fixed on the scene of people trying to drive away from the approaching tsunami which was hot on their heels.

Amazingly good and cheap dim sum @ Tim Ho Wan (IFC Mall, Hong Kong)

Amid all the hype over Tim Ho Wan opening its first overseas outlet in Singapore, I thought I should post my thoughts on the original version in Hong Kong before making a comparison with its branch here. I first heard of Tim Ho Wan when I was doing research for my Hong Kong trip during the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013. It had been listed as a must-visit place for cheap and good dim sum especially since it was given a Michelin star despite its no-frills appearance. Since there was so much praise heaped onto it, there was no reason for me to skip this place.

At the time of my visit, there was the Mongkok main outlet which was said to be the one given the Michelin star (meaning the other outlets didn't get the accreditation?) but that branch has since been closed due to high rents. Anyway, we decided on the IFC Mall branch which was really more accessible since we were staying at a hotel on Hong Kong Island so it really made no sense for us to cross over to the other side since we were going to Lantau Island straight after breakfast. It was also easier for us to queue there since it was indoors as compared to the Mongkok outlet where you have to be subjected to the weather elements. It was rather chilly at that time so it was another reason for us to go to the IFC Mall outlet instead.

Just look at the people outside the store! And mind you, this was before 10am on a weekday. From the way it seems, some people came to grab a bite of Tim Ho Wan before boarding their flights out of HK and some were probably here right after alighting from their flights. Anyway, you are not required to stand in line like what we do for the SG branch. Just take a number from the captain at the entrance where she will jot down the number of people for your table and call out the number depending on the availability of seats. If you are in a small group, chances are you'll probably get your table faster. Sometimes you may have to share tables with other people though so be prepared to be sitting with strangers by your side. It didn't really bother us too much to be sharing tables since we do that quite a lot at hawker centres here.

First up are these four items in clockwise order, left to right: har kau (prawn dumplings), siew mai (pork and prawn dumplings), fried carrot cake and steamed pork ribs in black bean sauce. These are the usual items I will order whenever I go for dim sum and whether I feel if the restaurant can serve up a decent spread usually hinges on how I find these dishes. First up, the har kau got things off to a good start with its translucent skin which was thin enough to allow a peek into its contents and yet thick enough to hold it together but not to the point of being too much to chew. The prawns in the filling had the perfect texture where I could taste each prawn distinctly and it didn't feel mushy nor overcooked. The siew mai was a bit different from the version we can get in most dim sum places in Singapore because the HK version's taste was more on the meaty side with prawns playing a secondary role to the meat filling. As for the carrot cake, it was pan-fried in such a way that brought out the aroma but I would have wanted it to be a bit more crispy at the edges and surface. Last but not least, the steamed spare ribs in black bean sauce was flavourful and succulent which is a great deviation from the local version which tends to have more fats rather than meat in the spare ribs used for this dish.

Although I did not eat this dish, it is still worth introducing this based on the feedback from those who ate it. Even though I have no prior experience of eating chicken feet, the appearance of the dish did tempt me for a brief second if I should try this for the first time. The braised chicken feet served in Singapore tend to be a bit on the scrawny side but the HK version looks as if the chicken feet were given some boosters to make them look so plump and juicy. And true to how it looked like, the chicken feet were packed with the flavour of the sauce and was very tender. If you are looking for a source of collagen which tastes good or a fan of chicken feet served in dim sum restaurants, this should probably be the right thing for you.

Next up is the chee cheong fun which can come in a variety of fillings including pig liver, prawns or char siew. I can't really remember if Tim Ho Wan had the char siew version or not but the pig liver version is considered one of their best items (nicknamed the Four Heavenly Kings). Since none of us eat pig liver and we usually eat the prawn version at dim sum places, we decided to select the prawn chee cheong fun. I would say that this has a similar texture and taste with the har kau (since the ingredients are pretty much the same) except that this is served with the light soy sauce which helps to elevate the freshness of the ingredients. However, I wouldn't say that it's absolutely mind-blowing although it's definitely above average. If we had chosen another filling such as pork liver, our feelings about this dish might have been vastly different.

Last but not least, here is the most unique item among Tim Ho Wan's offerings i.e. the baked char siew bun which is crispy on the outside and moist inside. Traditionally, the char siew buns are steamed so this was the very first time which I saw it being done in a different way. The crust felt like a softer version of a biscuit and when eaten together with the filling, seemed to be able to soak in the flavours instead of tasting dry and tasteless. The filling was also of the right amount and the sauce and the char siew matched each other well to bring out a memorable sauce. No wonder this is the signature item of Tim Ho Wan!

In conclusion, I think that Tim Ho Wan offers great value dim sum which could have left a dent in your pocket if you order the same amount of dishes in Singapore. Frankly speaking, when you see the number of people in its restaurant and the speed at which dishes are being churned out from the kitchen, it does make you worry if the items are going to be of top notch quality or risk being lacklustre due to the rush. However, when I went back there for a second visit just before leaving HK, I am glad to say that the taste didn't differ too much. Consistency is the key to make people come back again for the food. Having said that, if you are the type who doesn't like to queue or prefer to dine in a place where there's a lot of personal space, Tim Ho Wan might not be the right one for you. If you can bear with the queuing (which is bearable as long as you are not exposed to the elements) and want to have a value-for-money dim sum meal with a certain level of quality, do give this place a try!

Beer consumption ranking 2013 - Which Japanese prefectures consume the most beer?

Came across this interesting article which ranks the prefectures in Japan according to the beer consumption volume per person and attempts to explain why the results are as such. Here are the top 5 and "worst" 5 (figures in brackets represent the amount in litres consumed per person in that prefecture)

Top 5
1) Tokyo (45.2)
2) Osaka (32.4)
3) Kyoto (30.0)
4) Kochi (29.6)
5) Niigata (29.3)

Worst 5
47) Nara (17.8)
46) Kagoshima (18.2)
45) Saitama (18.8)
44) Tochigi (19.1)
43) Shiga (19.3)

According to the article, Tokyo and Osaka hogging the top spots are not surprising since they are big cities. Conversely, Nara, Kagoshima and Saitama all have their reasons for their lack in enthusiasm for beer. Nara is said to be a place where its residents tend to follow the latest trends thus they have more interest in "fashionable" drinks like fruit cocktails or super cooling wine rather than the old-fashioned beer. Kagoshima boasts of the title of No.1 consumption of shochu in Japan so apparently beer is not as popular as shochu there. As for Saitama, they actually have one of the lowest ratios of restaurants per person (No.45 among the 47 prefectures) so even if someone wants to have a drink at a restaurant, chances are they may not be able to find out easily. Moreover, the people in Saitama have the reputation of spending the most on education, learning new things and No.2 in terms of travelling expenses and people actively involved in sports thus they may prefer to spend their money on things other than beer.

No doubt it's still Japan we are looking at, each prefecture has its own unique lifestyle and preferences so such rankings provide a good sneak peak into the characteristics of each area.

Source: Straight Press

Review of "Blind Detective" 盲探 (Hong Kong movie)

I haven't been to the cinema to see Chinese movies for quite some time although I see quite a fair bit of English, Japanese and Korean ones. The last one I saw should be "Overheard 2" (竊聽風雲 2) which is about 2 years ago so you can see how "often" I watched Chinese movies in recent years. It will be a long post if I have to delve into the reason so let's just skip this for now.

Anyway, this movie wasn't really on my to-watch list but after being persuaded to check out the trailer which is in Cantonese and lured by the golden couple Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng, I decided to give this movie a chance although I have to be frank that I wasn't expecting a lot in the first place.

The premise of the story is pretty simple. Andy Lau plays a former police inspector Johnston Chong See Tun who had to quit after losing his eyesight four years ago and makes a living now by solving cold cases for police rewards. While chasing a suspect who is supposedly in charge of acid attacks in Mongkok, he meets Ho Ka Tung (Sammi Cheng) who admires his ability to solve cases and seeks Johnston's help in finding a friend who went missing during her secondary school days. Along the way, Ka Tung finds that Johnston seems more interested in investigating the cases which will bring him monetary benefits and gets frustrated at him but has no choice to go along with him in order to find her missing friend.

Like what I said earlier, I didn't expect a lot from this movie so I think this mentality did help me in enjoying the movie better. Frankly speaking, the way Johnston solves his cases tend to border on the side of guesswork rather than logical deduction because he puts himself into the shoes and imagines what the victims or perpetrators would do in order to find clues to solving the cases. It did make sense at times but there were some parts when the argument did not really make sense and felt like wild guesses. However, I tried to overlook the discrepancies so if you are able to do so as well, I think you should be able to enjoy the story better. The sole saving grace was that the resolution to Ka Tung's friend disappearance was a bit out of the ordinary so it helped to save some points for the movie.

The highlight of the movie is truly the chemistry between Andy and Sammi. Having worked together so many times, they have developed a strong relationship with each other that it shows in their acting as well. It appears as if they didn't need to put in too much effort and could slip into the shoes of Johnston and Ka Tung so easily. The bickering between their characters felt natural and how they developed a relationship where they could trust each other was very believable. Honestly speaking, with the story being less watertight than it should have been, the leading couple's presence helped the movie to stay afloat and without them, there might have been more brickbats for the movie. The movie's theme song which is a tango tune also seemed to be a representation of the chemistry of the leads because their movements in the movie/song feel as if they are naturally in tandem with each other i.e. when one moves forward, the other moves backward and they didn't need to tell each other explicitly what they were going to do. That kind of chemistry is not easy to build and takes a lot of time to establish which I'm glad to say that Andy and Sammi do have it.

In summary, I think you might be disappointed if you are looking for an intense detective thriller because this is essentially a light-hearted entertaining film. If you are prepared to ignore the loopholes in the story and/or love the leads, this is probably the movie for you. On a final note, I think I might have enjoyed this a bit better if it was in Cantonese. Some lines just don't feel the same in Chinese but that's something I have to live with unless I go to Hong Kong to watch this movie.

Review of Buta God - Ramen Champion (Bugis+)

Ramen Champion welcomed three new contenders on 1 July namely Muso, Menban Yamagishi Kazuo and Buta God after bidding farewell to Aoyama, Menya Iroha and Taishoken which unfortunately, I've not tried before. Anyway, knowing that there are new choices on offer, I decided to go to Ramen Champion at Bugis+ to check them out. After walking to and fro between the stalls of these new contenders, I finally decided on Buta God because of these reasons:

1) Their cha shu was rather different from most ramen restaurants' in the sense that it's thinly-sliced just like what you usually get for sukiyaki. I happen to like this type of pork so I wanted to see how it tastes with ramen. Coupled with the fact that it looks well-seasoned, the cha shu should offer a very different type of taste from the cha shu I've tasted so far in various versions of ramen.

2) Sukiyaki & tonkotsu mixed together sounds like a lethal combination although I had reservations over whether it would be too high in the sodium department.

And so, this is what I ordered - the Nikumashi Ramen and the deep-fried gyoza. According to the guy at the stall, the only difference between Nikumashi and the other versions is the volume of meat so if you are craving for meat or a meat lover, this should suit you just fine. Nonetheless, I still think that I underestimated the amount of meat this version had to offer so I was rather surprised to see that the meat actually concealed the ramen and menma underneath or rather "outnumbered" the lead (ramen) in a way where I had to literally "search" for my ramen. At the first sip of the broth, it can be a bit too salty for people who prefer to have lighter ramen bases. However, as you go along, your tongue sort of gets used to the taste so it didn't feel so out of place with the meat and ramen. As for the ramen, it's of the thin variety and I think it absorbed the soup to such an extent that the ramen and soup were in harmony. Last but not least, the meat was tender and flavourful which is sometimes not the case if you are dealing with huge and thick pieces of cha shu. There was a brief moment after I finished the ramen and was eating the remaining meat slices when I had the impression I was eating sukiyaki. I guess this was due to the fact that either the meat was cooked in sukiyaki sauce or the soup contained the sauce. On a side note, regarding the onsen tamago which was placed at the centre, I didn't eat that since it was a tad too raw for me. Perhaps you may wish to tell them not to add the egg if you prefer your eggs more cooked.

With each ramen restaurant visit, I would usually want to eat gyoza along with my ramen. I can't really place my finger on why I have to do this but it's become somewhat like a habit since most ramen restaurants will have gyoza and somehow, ramen and gyoza go well together. So far, the only place which I've been to which doesn't have gyoza on its menu is Keisuke (the outlets at 100AM and Orchid Hotel). Maybe its other outlets have gyoza? Anyway, coming to Buta God's gyoza, I wasn't paying attention to the menu and thought it was pan-fried but it turned out to be deep-fried. I actually prefer the former because I like the slightly-burnt side of the gyoza with the tender side of the skin and the flavourful filling within. Deep-fried versions usually do not go down well with me. Buta God's version is OK because the filling is still moist and doesn't have a strong meaty smell. The skin did seem a bit oily at first glance because it left its trace on the dish but when you eat it, the taste doesn't seem to indicate that it's too oily.

In conclusion, I'm quite satisfied with what I got from Buta God but I guess the fact that they are only open for a week or so means that there's a lot of initial problems to iron out. There were only two employees in their stall when I visited on a late Saturday afternoon (not that many people around) and it seemed like they were having problems sorting out the orders. They got someone else's order wrong and called me to collect my ramen even though mine was way from being done. Other than these teething problems which I think they should be able to resolve soon, Buta God is still worth a try if you like your cha shu in a different manner, like thick-bodied soups or are a meat lover.

Review of "Now You See Me"

Deciding to watch this was pretty much on a whim because I didn't know much about this film prior to checking it out on the cinema's website. I just needed to find something which seemed entertaining but not too silly or too action-packed and without a storyline. The trailer seemed rather intriguing with illusions and a tinge of suspense so I decided to go for it in the end. Here's a summary of the storyline from Wikipedia:

Four magicians—Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) and Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson)—are brought together by a mysterious benefactor and, one year later, perform in Las Vegas as "The Four Horsemen" sponsored by Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), an insurance magnate. During one of their performances, the Four Horsemen invite a member of the audience to help them in their next trick: robbing a bank. The man is apparently teleported to his bank in Paris, where he activates an airduct which vacuums up the money and showers it onto the crowd in Las Vegas.

FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) is called to investigate the theft and is partnered with Interpol Agent Alma Vargas (Mélanie Laurent). They interrogate the Four Horsemen, but release them when no explanation for the theft can be found other than magic. Rhodes then meets Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), an ex-magician who makes money by revealing the secrets behind other magicians' tricks. Bradley was in the audience and deduced that the Four Horsemen stole the money weeks before, and manipulated the audience into believing it happened in real time.

Rhodes, Vargas and Bradley attend the Four Horsemen's next performance in New Orleans. The group's finale involves their emptying Tressler's bank account and distributing it to the audience, which comprises people whose insurance claims had been denied or reduced by Tressler's company. Rhodes attempts to arrest the Four Horsemen, but they escape with help from audience members who were hypnotized to tackle whoever next yelled "Freeze". An infuriated Tressler hires Bradley to expose and humiliate the Four Horsemen in their next performance. Later, while researching the Four Horsemen's background, Vargas learns about rumors of a secret society of magicians called "The Eye" and suggests to a skeptical Rhodes the case might be connected to a magician whom Bradley once exposed, and was so humiliated that he attempted a dangerous underwater stunt and drowned.

Before the Four Horsemen's last performance in New York City, Rhodes and Vargas locate the group's hideout and confront Wilder there. Wilder attempts to escape in a stolen car, but it flips and explodes. Rhodes and Vargas learn that the Four Horsemen are targeting a particular safe, which is under the surveillance of another FBI team which has taken over the case. They intercept the safe in route to 5 Pointz, but find it empty. The ability of the Four Horseman to continually outwit the FBI leads Rhodes to suspect that there must be a fifth member of the team, potentially Vargas or Bradley...

The pacing of this movie is rather quick with a good mix of action, suspense and magic shows. In particular, I liked the execution rather sleek which fits in well with the image of high-class magic shows which the Four Horsemen were putting up. It can get boring if the movie was all about magic shows and having the truth shoved into your face directly after but the film tried to weave in these illusions and revelations as smoothly as possible thus I thought it kept me engaged throughout the film without "switching off mentally". The ending was rather unexpected in a way but I still like it.

As for the acting, the Four Horsemen all had their chances to shine and I especially liked the sharp and fast-paced dialogue which brought out their character traits quite easily. Daniel clearly thought that he had something more superior than the rest and was very confident but in front of Henley, he seemed unsure of how he should behave to get into her good books or rather to get her attention. Henley on the other hand, clearly bore a grudge against Daniel for saying something he shouldn't have but there seemed to be something ambiguous going on between them too. At the same time, Jack's sense of humour clearly got on Daniel's nerves especially when Jack was seen talking to Henley and Daniel didn't seem to be able to fit in. Merritt seemed a bit under-explored in the film but he's one resourceful kid who clearly is smart enough to warrant his place in the team.

On the other hand, the relationship between Dylan Rhodes and Alma Vargas seemed a bit hurried and unnatural though because they were clearly at each other's throats in the beginning but things started to get a bit ambiguous on the plane ride. Granted that the story took place over a short period of time, I get the reason why they had to be shipped as lovers. When it got to the last magic show, Dylan's momentary deliberation over Alma was to be trusted seemed a bit odd. It just appeared that he suddenly decided to doubt her after hearing things from Bradley so I thought that was just a bid to create an extra conflict before letting Dylan get on with his business of hunting down the Four Horsemen.

Morgan Freeman may have a pretty small role here but he takes the role of Bradley to such a level that the character's still memorable despite the little airtime. Especially in the final scene where Bradley realised what was happening but did not know the whole truth, that expression on his face was priceless.

Overall, I think this is a pretty enjoyable film to watch but I wouldn't go as far as to say that it's a classic. Think of it as a suspense film with a dash of magic and humour plus some action scenes as icing on the cake.