The Legend of Blue Sea 푸른 바다의 전설 drama kicks off strong.

Last week SBS has released its new drama Legend of Blue Sea 푸른 바다의 전설starring Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Hyun in the fantasy-modern romantic-comedy storyline. Famed scriptwriter Park Ji Eun who has written The Producers and My Love from the Star is collaborating once again with Jeon.

Legend of the Blue Sea opens up with the new mayor Dam Ryung during the Joseon dynasty and he is shown a 'new gift' by the corrupted and evil nobleman Ma Dae Young. The new gift turns out to be an extraordinary beautiful mermaid Shim Chung who was caught stranded at the beach net. 

Dam Ryung's eyes didn't flick much upon seeing Shim Chung instead he talked about the corruption plans instigated by Ma and his cronies. In order to cover his guilt, Ma released Shim Chung back to the sea after Dam Ryung asked for the favor. A village man said that a mermaid has the power to erase the memory of the human when she touches the hand. However she can choose not to do so. Fate has bonded the two together as Dam Ryung meets up with Shim Chung again whenever he lights up the lanterns nearby the sea.

We fast forward to the future where the doppelganger Heo Joon Jae is a professional swindler. He works alongside with another swindler Jo Nam Doo and IT geek Tae Oh. They swindled rich men to rich women from different areas. Joon Jae stumbles across Shim Chung who barges into his villa. He thinks she is a screw loose so he sends her to the police station. The mermaid doesn't speak a word but her actions cracked everyone up. Her supernatural power sends police and people all over the place. Joon Jae pities her and takes her in to stay with him. In fact he was only eyeing on the 400-year old jade bracelet worn on Shim Chung's wrist that belongs to Dam Ryung. 

There were cameo appearances from f(X)'s Krystal Jung, Kim Sung Ryung and soon Cha Tae Hyun and Hong Jin Kyung will be making their way to the screen as well! 

I'd say some of the graphics especially on Jeon Ji Hyun's mermaid tail doesn't seem so real but I can bear with it. Jeon's usual antics and expression were priceless and made everyone laughed. However when she smiles sweetly at the camera, it has certainly melt many hearts.

The overseas filming area is fantastic and scenic. Minoz fans would be thrilled to see Lee Min Ho back in action as the fuzzy hilarious role. For I know I'd be looking forward to tune into SBS channel on every Wed-Thu for this drama prime time.

List of Asia Artist Award 2016 winners.

For this year's Asia Artist Awards (AAA) winners, here is the main list.
The event was hosted by emcees Lee Shi Young, Super Junior's Lee Teuk and Jo Woo Jung.

Daesang for Drama: Jo Jin Woong 
Daesang for Music: EXO
Best Female Drama Award: Park Shin Hye
Best Male Drama Award: Park Hae Jin
Best Artist Award: BTS, TWICE
Rising Star: Boys and Men, Cosmic Girls, Han Dong Geun
Asia Star Award: Park Bo Gum, Im YoonA, EXO
OST Award: Gummy for Descendants of the Sun drama- You're My Everything
Hallyu Award: Kwak Shi Yang, CN Blue Jung Shin
Popularity Award: EXO, Im YoonA, Baekhyun 
Best Rookie Award (Male): Ryu Jun Yool
Best Rookie Award (Female) : After School's Nana
Best Newbie Group: Black Pink, NCT 127
Entertainer Drama Award: Seo Kang Jun, Nam Ji Hyun
ICON Award: BTS, Kim Yoo Jung
Celebrity Drama Award (Male): Jin Goo, Nam Goong Min
Celebrity Drama Award (Female): Kim Ji Won
Celebrity Artist Award: AOA, VIXX
Star Award: Park Bo Gum, Miss A's Suzy

The smiley proud faces of YoonA and Park Bo Gum when Kim Yoo Jung receives her award

The girl groups and boy bands who are the winners.

                                     

Kim Yoo Jung guests in 1 Night 2 Days.

Teen actress Kim Yoo Jung makes her guest appearance in the recent episode of KBS variety program 1 Night 2 Days.  The entire casts were told to dress in the 80s black colored high school uniforms...the one and only standout is Shi Yoon as he is the youngest in the group.

PD Yu tells them the guest they are waiting will be communicating with them via text message. Each of them were to create their own ID name and post a photo in the group chat. Jun Ho snapped a photo of a little buddha boy closing its eyes and his nick name was Shy Boy. Defconn came up with a measly name called Cutie Pie and immediately Yoo Jung text them from a nearby building stating Cutie Pie is out of her list! Muahahah! 

PP was Tae Hyun's ID name and as usual he was slow in everything including group chatting that he couldn't catch up with the rest. They called him 'grandpa Tae Hyun' as he is not very versatile in SNS and technology. Each member is told to sit somewhere to wait for the guest to pick whoever she wants to go to. Yoo Jung picked Shi Yoon and he was rather surprised seeing her. Shi Yoon's ID name was Happy Sheep so she knew the person is also not talkative and very quiet. The rest were looking glum as nobody came to them! LOL!

Tae Hyun made a video call to Park Bo Gum who was on the way for some event. He was quite surprised that Yoo Jung is the guest for the episode. He wondered if that a doll? and praised that she looked pretty. He even emphasized stating since she is the guest, he will look forward to watch that episode on TV. As usual Bo Gum is very polite in his video calls towards the receiver- remember he even mentioned Girls' Day Hyeri was also pretty in the award festival? 

Yoo Jung smiled prettily and waved at him since they haven't seen each other after the filming of the drama Moonlight drawn by Clouds ended last month ago. Both were busy with their own schedule especially Bo Gum has been going to many events and overseas.

Look forward for more laughter's in the coming episode since the last one with actor Yoo Ji Tae was hilarious as well. 

Kim So Hyun joins Ruler: Owner of the Mask drama with Yoo Seung Ho.

Actress Kim So Hyun (17) will be appearing in the upcoming drama 'Ruler: Owner of the -Mask'- 군주-가면의 주인 with actor Yoo Seung Ho. The film is written by scriptwriter Park Hye Jin.

Kim So Hyun will be playing the role as Lee Ga Eun who falls in love with the Crown Prince while on a mission to revenge for her father who was beheaded. Yoo plays the lead role of Crown Prince Lee Sun.

Ruler: Owner of the Mask will be aired first half of next year.

Kim Jun Su, IU, Shinhwa's year end concert tickets sold out.

Singers with high ticket selling power such as Kim Jun Su, IU and group Shinhwa have marked their names for being able to sell so many tickets at one go. According to the agency, CJS Entertainment, Kim Jun Su has successfully performed three shows - 2016 Xiah Ballad & Musical Concert with Orchestra Vol. 5 in Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium from December 9th to 11th. 

It was originally planned to be held for two days on December 10 and 11, but these two dates tickets were sold out in two minutes after it was was opened online and additional performance was added on 9th December as well. 

Kim's ballad and musical concert, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, has been a successful sold out every year.

Female singer IU has also sold out two concert dates: Twenty Four Steps- 1, 2, 3, 4 from

3rd to 4th December at the Olympic Park SK Handball Stadium. This year SBS TV station screened its pre-production drama Moon Lovers: Bu Bu Gyeong Shim- Ryeo where IU starred as the female lead Hae Soo somehow received some favorable response from the audience. 

Longest running boy band idol- Shinhwa had the same response for their concert tickets.

Shinhwa will be performing at Kintex, Ilsan on December 17th and 18th, where it will be held for 10 minutes after the fan club pre-sale held on the 11th specially for members of the official fan club, Shinhwa Changjo. On 10th December, general concert tickets were sold out within three minutes!

Shinhwa will unveil their first stage- 'UNCHANGING'- Part 1, which will be released on the December 29th, at this concert.

Kim Hee Chul, Lee Soo Geun, Kang Sung Yeon to host new program 'Singderella'.

Another music variety program comes to the small screen with Channel A introducing its latest addition. 싱데렐라 or 'Sing-derella' as we speak is a music talk show whereby the cast members listen to the troubles of viewers, pick out the best songs to solve these troubles, and sing those songs.

Super Junior's Kim Hee Chul, comedian MC Lee Soo Geun, actress Kang Sung Yeon, ex H.O.T member Moon Hee Jun, G.O.D's Kim Tae Woo, Choi Sung Gook and Han Seok Jun are the main casts for the new program. 

Sing-derella's unique feature is that it can be enjoyed more comfortably than any musical entertainment. Though it is not so serious, the main goal is to attract viewers naturally by creating a mood that the facilitators are playing with their close friends.

Kim Hee Chul joins the panel of Sing-derella is also co-hosting another program 'Phantom Singer' with MC Jeon Hyun Moo. Sing-derella is leaning more towards karaoke program.
He mentioned that after recording the episode, they felt they have released all the stress and the energy of the scene will be fully transmitted. The show is somehow like a comprehensive gift set mixed with seriousness and happiness. 

The PD have mentioned that Kim Hee Chul and Lee Soo Geun are the ones who do not miss any singing while Kang Sung Yeon said there will be lots of excitement in the show.

Sing-derella will be broadcast on 10th December and the first guest singer will be Cha Yeon Gwa and actress Seon Woo Sun. 

Park Ha Sun, Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul in Youth Cop movie.

Actress Park Ha Sun (29) is confirmed by her agent that she will be starring in the new movie 'Youth Cop- 청년경찰' to be directed by PD Kim Joo Hwan.
Youth Cop is about two police academic students were involved with a full kidnap case.

Park Ha Sun will be playing the role of Joo Hee as a police trainer.
Meanwhile Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul will both play as the police students- Hwang Ki Jun and Kang Hee Yeol. 

The movie is set to be released in cinemas next year.

Special cameo by Cha Tae Hyun in Legend of the Sea.

Actor Cha Tae Hyun is reported to be in discussion to make a special cameo appearance for Jeon Ji Hyun's latest SBS drama Legend of the Sea.

Cha Tae Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyun have both starred in the big hit 2001 film My Sassy Girl that shot both of them to stardom. It has been almost 15 years since they acted together and this time Cha has been offered to make his cameo appearance in the SBS drama.

Legend of the Sea stars Lee Min Ho and Jeon Ji Hyun. The drama will begin its first broadcast on 16th November.

A step closer at Closer Espresso Bar in KL.

Closer Kitchen & Espresso Bar has been opened 2 years ago in KL at Mutiara Damansara. My friend has invested part of it in this cafe and I've decided to visit it for the very first time. We arrived rather late in the evening because we were going for a cupping session whereby their barista is entering the world barista competition in December. So we are all there to review the various coffee beans brewed and evaluate its flavor.

The cafe is located at the very ground floor of the business building. Its internal decor is rather simple and straight forward. They served various types of coffee, tea, cakes, pastries but most people would come on weekends to have brunch or lighter lunch.

Lately their pasta has become a hit where it's easy and comfort food. Previously the grilled chicken chop was a fame. Somehow dishes tend to vary all the time according to people's taste buds.

The menus were creatively named such as Beauty & The Beef, When Duck meets Lychee, Jealous Mr. Pesto, I Love Carbonara...etc.
For coffee lovers, you can try the Hand-Brewed Pour Over at RM 13- RM 15.
There is also chai latte where it's sourced from Melbourne, Australia.

I have only tried the Cheese on Rosti since I loved the rosti from IKEA restaurant.
It was crispy, thin and light. Taste is spot on where the potatoes are carefully grated thinly to make into a nice pancake. It wasn't too oily and served with sour cream. I also had a chance to try its Espresso Panna Cotta which costs RM 6 for small little glass shot. 

Weekdays is swarmed by working professionals from the building the cafe is located. The weekend crowd consist of families, couples and friends hanging out.

Address: 12, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
You can book for events and parties. For reservations, please contact (+603) 7732 4896.
Operating hours: 8 am-8 pm (Mon-Fri), 9 am- 9 pm (Sat,Sun) 
Parking is free on weekends. 

Review on Robata Monkey restaurant at Jaya One.

Last weekend my friend Mei Inn and her husband Matthew brought me to a Japanese restaurant Robata Monkey at Jaya One area. It is a long time frequented restaurant by my friends in KL. Prices are steep if you are ordering special air flown fresh seafood from Japan. Standard udon and small entrees are ranging between RM 18 to RM 25+.

Matthew decided to order a Mejina fish (Rudder fish) which the main chef will cook in 3 different ways- grilled, fresh sashimi and soup. The fish is sliced and presented beautifully on a platter along with fresh shell fishes. The scallop is then grilled on a small little brick clay portable stove. The gravy of the scallop will be cooked together with a spoonful of rice and quail egg. Taste was excellent since the scallop juice is sweet and flavorful.
Our entree was a two small little spring chicken grilled in charcoal. The little birds were small but tasty. It costs RM 25 for two small little pieces of spring chicken.

After polishing up the platter, the Mejina fish head and frames were brewed into a pot of flavorful soup of Udon noodles. The soup is clear and aromatic. Chef Raymond also gave us some miso soup topped with some Shitake mushrooms, tofu and tuna collar which brings us tongue tingling for more. For some, you might think the miso soup is a bit fishy in taste but it's delectable. Note, the white flesh of fish is definitely good and nutritious for health.

We had non stop flow of Genmaicha tea. Matthew asked if we wanted any dessert when chef Raymond asked if we wanted to try the sweet Hokkaido green grapes but they costs like RM 150 for a bunch! 

That was a bit ridiculous even with a half price, I said no. It's not necessary to waste RM 70 for a bunch of grapes when we can easily buy a bunch of Californian grapes at the local grocery store at RM 12. 

Now let's get back to the price- the Mejina fish costs RM 160 and the scallops, shellfishes costs RM 60 each.

Price: 3/5 stars
Food: 4/5 stars
Ambiance: 4/5 stars