Good afternoon buddies,
I know it's been a long time since I made a review. Part of that is me being busy with soccer, work, and grad school. Part of that is me being cheap and not seeing any new movies. And part of that is me being lazy. But fear no more, for I have a new review this week. So...that being said, here's the hot joints of the week. Enjoy!!!
Music:
Will.I.Am feat. Nicki Minaj --- Check It Out
One phrase describes it all: This song samples "Video killed the radio star". Aside from the awesome sample, this track from the Black Eyed Peas frontman features arguably the hottest rapper right now...Ms. Minaj. It seems like anything Young Money (the group of rappers which Nicki belongs to) touches is gold. And this song is no different. While I'm not a huge fan of Will.I.AM nor the black eyed peas' new stuff, I do have to admit this song is catchy and great. You should literally..."check it out." 4.5/5 Stars
Movies:
The Social Network
In case you've lived in a bubble for the last 5-7 years...there's this thing on the internet called Facebook. It's kind of a big thing. Anyway, this movie follows Mark Zuckerberg, a young intelligent college student who comes up with (or rather improves upon) an idea at Harvard university to create a new social networking tool. The movie depicts the events and drama that surrounds Zuckerberg and friends/crew as they begin to create arguably the most influential web application in the last decade. The movie is hilarious at times while dramatic at others. Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland) is brilliant as the lead character Zuckerberg. Justin Timberlake is mehhh...average as Sean Parker (the creator of Napster and partial stockholder of Facebook). If you didn't see it opening weekend last weekend like I did, you MUST go see why this movie is the #1 movie in the country right now. 4.5/5 Stars
Restaurants
Sakura
No doubt most of you have at one point in your life tried a Japanese teppanyaki style restaurant. You know what I'm talking about, the Japanese restaurants that cook the food in front of you on a flat hibachi grill and the chefs dazzle you by juggling their knives and stuff. For the most part, they're all average at best, while above average in cost...which is why I don't usually eat at them very often. However, I've recently discovered a chain of Japanese teppanyaki restaurants called Sakura. The one I visited was in the Tyson's Corner area off of Route 7 across from McCormick's and Schmidt's. Anyway, this restaurant is amazing. It's actually two parts, the teppanyaki grill and the sushi bar up front. If you sit in the sushi dining area, you have your choice of all the regular sushi dishes while also ordering things such as bento boxes, terriyaki beef/chicken specials, and my personal favorite: the pork katsu (aka tonkatsu). Now, I've had my fair share of tonkatsu at multiple Japanese restaurants, but I honestly have to say Sakura has had my favorite version of the dish. We were treated to large portions of rice, pork, and veggies while enjoying the most delicious katsu sauce I've ever tried. Furthermore, having eaten at lunch time, the katsu was a lunch special for only like $8. All in all, I recommend everyone who's shy about teppanyaki style Japanese restaurants to give Sakura a try next time you're in the Tyson's Corner area. 4/5 Stars
Monday, October 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
9/1/10
Buenos Dias Amigos!
Keeping it short and sweet this week. Here's your hot jams of the week:
Music:
Flo Rida feat. David Guetta --- Club Can't Handle Me
If you know me at all, you know I love to dance. As a result, I love dance shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew. In addition, I also love those cheesy dance movies others hate like Step Up, You Got Served, and Stomp the Yard. Flo Rida's new joint...featuring one of my fave DJ's David Guetta, is from the new Step Up 3D movie, and it's hot fire like the dance moves featured in the movie/music video. Like many of the hot club bangers this year, it's a hip hoppish song with a catchy hook over an energetic electronic beat. I literally have not stopped listening to this song since I heard it in the movie. 4/5 Stars
Movies:
The Expendables
Considering the hot music joint of the week was from Step Up 3D, you woulda thought I woulda rated the movie this week as well, but I've also seen The Expendables since my last blog, and it's a better movie so I figured I'd review it first. SU3D can wait till next week. So the Expendables is awesome. It's exactly what you watch it for....big name action stars doing big action scenes throughout the whole movie. The only criticism I have, which isn't really a criticism, is that not all of the stars you see in the trailer are actually main characters in the movie. In a movie like The Italian Job, or Ocean's 11, you see all the characters play a relatively vital role. In The Expendables, it's basically Stallone + Jason Statham + possibly Jet Li...and then the other guys are just there for bonus action, but not really main parts of the movie (Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren are all relatively side characters...and Steve Austin isn't even on the same team as the rest of the guys so he's even less important). Overall though, great movie, great action. 4/5 Stars
Restaurants:
The Crab Hut (San Diego)
So last time, I blogged about a seafood buffet I went to while on vacation in North Carolina. This time, I rate a seafood restaurant I visited while in San Diego for work. The Crab Hut is DELICIOUS. It's the kinda place that East Coasters like myself are used...especially having grown up a stone's throw from Maryland. You can get blue crabs, crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, oysters, etc. at this great place in San Diego. What sets this place apart from everywhere else is the way you get the food. You order your sauce (I chose the Full House which is a combination of everthing: butter, old bay, salt, pepper, and other cajun flavors), then you pick your spice level (I chose medium) and they throw everything into a plastic bag for you. On the paper-wrapped tables, you receive your hot steamy food in the bag later, and you take it out and peel it tabletop style. So delicious. If I'm ever in SD again, I'm definitely stopping by the hut again. Since it's seafood, it's pricy, but worth it. 5/5 Stars
Keeping it short and sweet this week. Here's your hot jams of the week:
Music:
Flo Rida feat. David Guetta --- Club Can't Handle Me
If you know me at all, you know I love to dance. As a result, I love dance shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew. In addition, I also love those cheesy dance movies others hate like Step Up, You Got Served, and Stomp the Yard. Flo Rida's new joint...featuring one of my fave DJ's David Guetta, is from the new Step Up 3D movie, and it's hot fire like the dance moves featured in the movie/music video. Like many of the hot club bangers this year, it's a hip hoppish song with a catchy hook over an energetic electronic beat. I literally have not stopped listening to this song since I heard it in the movie. 4/5 Stars
Movies:
The Expendables
Considering the hot music joint of the week was from Step Up 3D, you woulda thought I woulda rated the movie this week as well, but I've also seen The Expendables since my last blog, and it's a better movie so I figured I'd review it first. SU3D can wait till next week. So the Expendables is awesome. It's exactly what you watch it for....big name action stars doing big action scenes throughout the whole movie. The only criticism I have, which isn't really a criticism, is that not all of the stars you see in the trailer are actually main characters in the movie. In a movie like The Italian Job, or Ocean's 11, you see all the characters play a relatively vital role. In The Expendables, it's basically Stallone + Jason Statham + possibly Jet Li...and then the other guys are just there for bonus action, but not really main parts of the movie (Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren are all relatively side characters...and Steve Austin isn't even on the same team as the rest of the guys so he's even less important). Overall though, great movie, great action. 4/5 Stars
Restaurants:
The Crab Hut (San Diego)
So last time, I blogged about a seafood buffet I went to while on vacation in North Carolina. This time, I rate a seafood restaurant I visited while in San Diego for work. The Crab Hut is DELICIOUS. It's the kinda place that East Coasters like myself are used...especially having grown up a stone's throw from Maryland. You can get blue crabs, crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, oysters, etc. at this great place in San Diego. What sets this place apart from everywhere else is the way you get the food. You order your sauce (I chose the Full House which is a combination of everthing: butter, old bay, salt, pepper, and other cajun flavors), then you pick your spice level (I chose medium) and they throw everything into a plastic bag for you. On the paper-wrapped tables, you receive your hot steamy food in the bag later, and you take it out and peel it tabletop style. So delicious. If I'm ever in SD again, I'm definitely stopping by the hut again. Since it's seafood, it's pricy, but worth it. 5/5 Stars
Monday, August 23, 2010
8/23/10
Waddup Peoples. I know it's been a long hiatus. I just returned from a summer vacation to the beach, followed by a work business trip to the West Coast. So, my apologies for the abrupt hiatus. Nonetheless, I'm back...so here's the hot joints of the week. Enjoy!
Music:
Janelle Monáe --- Tightrope
I don't even know how to even begin to describe Janelle Monáe's style of music. You might have recognized her as the fantastically awesome house band for the 2010 Espy awards. She brings a hip hop groove to funky sounds that remind me of class Big Band type music. On top of that, the girl can sing! And if you happen to see the music video of this song, or any live performance by Janelle, you'll notice her zoot suit type fashion sense which for me, is quite refreshing. All in all, I can't say enough good things about Ms. Monáe. Watch for her to have her big break this year after collaborating with artists like Big Boi in the past, and making appearances in the film Idlewild. 5/5 Stars
Movies:
Step Up 3D
Ok, before I review, let's get the jokes out now. Step Up...really Nicky? Yes my friends, really. If you're at all relatively close friend with me, you should not be surprised. Everyone knows I love to dance, and everyone knows I LOVE dance movies. That being said, did I have high expectations for the movie? Nope. Was I excited to see it? Hells yes. Verdict? Fantastic. Perhaps the best of the three Step Up movies, this movie had everything you hoped for. Phenomenal dancing from beginning to end. Tons of dance scenes, minimal acting (which is a good thing considering none of the actors/actresses are winning any oscars any time soon). Music was great in the movie. Additionally, I'm generally not a big fan of 3D, but for this movie, I thought it was ok. Still not worth the extra charge on the movie ticket, but it had its cool moments within the movie. If you enjoy watching great dancing, plan on watching the third installment of this series. Fellow fans of the series, you guys will be glad to hear that Adam Sevani is one of the main characters of this film. 3.5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Jimmy's Seafood Buffet (in the Outer Banks, NC)
I recently took a vacation with some friends to the OBX. It was the first time I had been to OBX in nearly 10 years, which was odd considering I went there nearly every summer as a child. As we made the commute down to NC, my friends could not stop raving about this seafood buffet that we MUST eat at while we're down there. Having been to my fair share of buffets, especially those of the crab leg variety, I had my doubts, but I trusted my friends' opinion so we went. And I was blown away. Hands down, the best crab leg buffet I've ever been to in my life. 9 different varieties of crab legs, all steamed to perfection with melted butter on the side. It didn't even matter that the buffet has 3 other hot bars of food including crab cakes, blue crabs, oysters, mussels, clams, shrimp, steak, macaroni, etc. because my friends and I spent our entire time at the legs bar. After eating enough crab legs to support all of the Deadliest Catch fisherman, our group indulged in the desserts as well...and they were phenomenal. Best soft serve ice cream I've ever had...no joke. The banana pudding was good too. If you're ever on vacation in the OBX, make sure you stop by Jimmy's...it's well worth the cost ($29). 6/5 Stars
Music:
Janelle Monáe --- Tightrope
I don't even know how to even begin to describe Janelle Monáe's style of music. You might have recognized her as the fantastically awesome house band for the 2010 Espy awards. She brings a hip hop groove to funky sounds that remind me of class Big Band type music. On top of that, the girl can sing! And if you happen to see the music video of this song, or any live performance by Janelle, you'll notice her zoot suit type fashion sense which for me, is quite refreshing. All in all, I can't say enough good things about Ms. Monáe. Watch for her to have her big break this year after collaborating with artists like Big Boi in the past, and making appearances in the film Idlewild. 5/5 Stars
Movies:
Step Up 3D
Ok, before I review, let's get the jokes out now. Step Up...really Nicky? Yes my friends, really. If you're at all relatively close friend with me, you should not be surprised. Everyone knows I love to dance, and everyone knows I LOVE dance movies. That being said, did I have high expectations for the movie? Nope. Was I excited to see it? Hells yes. Verdict? Fantastic. Perhaps the best of the three Step Up movies, this movie had everything you hoped for. Phenomenal dancing from beginning to end. Tons of dance scenes, minimal acting (which is a good thing considering none of the actors/actresses are winning any oscars any time soon). Music was great in the movie. Additionally, I'm generally not a big fan of 3D, but for this movie, I thought it was ok. Still not worth the extra charge on the movie ticket, but it had its cool moments within the movie. If you enjoy watching great dancing, plan on watching the third installment of this series. Fellow fans of the series, you guys will be glad to hear that Adam Sevani is one of the main characters of this film. 3.5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Jimmy's Seafood Buffet (in the Outer Banks, NC)
I recently took a vacation with some friends to the OBX. It was the first time I had been to OBX in nearly 10 years, which was odd considering I went there nearly every summer as a child. As we made the commute down to NC, my friends could not stop raving about this seafood buffet that we MUST eat at while we're down there. Having been to my fair share of buffets, especially those of the crab leg variety, I had my doubts, but I trusted my friends' opinion so we went. And I was blown away. Hands down, the best crab leg buffet I've ever been to in my life. 9 different varieties of crab legs, all steamed to perfection with melted butter on the side. It didn't even matter that the buffet has 3 other hot bars of food including crab cakes, blue crabs, oysters, mussels, clams, shrimp, steak, macaroni, etc. because my friends and I spent our entire time at the legs bar. After eating enough crab legs to support all of the Deadliest Catch fisherman, our group indulged in the desserts as well...and they were phenomenal. Best soft serve ice cream I've ever had...no joke. The banana pudding was good too. If you're ever on vacation in the OBX, make sure you stop by Jimmy's...it's well worth the cost ($29). 6/5 Stars
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
7/21/10
Waddup Friends,
Gonna keep it short and sweet this week cuz I'm swamped at work. Here's the hot joints of the week....might be the strongest lineup I've ever put up in a single week, so check it out:
Music:
Usher feat. Pitbull --- DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again
All of Usher's new music is awesome. I could listen to pretty much any of his new music all day every day. He blends good dance beats with his typical soulful groove. His newest track, which doesn't appear on his album, is an immediate hit single. I could do without Pitbull's part in the song, but it's a minor flaw in the song considering how awesome the rest of it is. I heard it randomly at the club the other day, but I recommend if you haven't heard it yet to jump on youtube and have yourself a mini dance party in your office, home, car, wherever. 4.5/5 Stars (would be perfect if it didn't have Pitbull)
Movies:
Inception
So, I got off to a slow start this year, by not watching many movies. But since I've gotten back on the summer blockbuster horse, it's been one great movie after another. Last week, I had my doubts that anything would be as good as Toy Story 3, but this past weekend, I went to see Inception with some friends in IMAX. Granted, IMAX makes everything a little cooler, but even if I hadn't seen this movie in IMAX, I can honestly say it's got my vote easily as the best movie of 2010. In fact, I like it better than all of the movies from 2009 as well (including Avatar). So let's just go ahead and say Inception was the best movie I've seen in 2 years. The movie had everything. Incredible story. Amazing special effects (which shocked and amazed me similarly to how I felt the first time I ever saw The Matrix). Outstanding plot twists and deviations. The movie is a bit long at 2.5 hours, but it was sooooo amazing, I didn't even notice until we left the theater. Whether you watch a lot of movies or not, you MUST go see this movie as soon as possible. 5.5/5 Stars. (yup, it's better than perfect)
Restaurants:
Celadon Thai
For years, my cousins and I have longed for a Thai restaurant in the West Springfield area...something average that would appease our cravings for Thai whenever we were hanging out at my cousin's house. Last week Celadon Thai opened up in the Whole Foods shopping center on the corner of Rolling Road and Old Keene Mill, and not only was it decent, but it's an incredibly good Thai restaurant. The decor was modern, the food was delicious. I had the massamun curry (a personal favorite dish of mine) and it was good. The thing that I liked about Celadon was they allowed you to choose the protein or veggies that went into each dish. So for someone like me who is used to massamun curry with beef, I had the option to try it with chicken...or tofu. My cousin order the Eggplant Kra Pow (ka pow). I can say hands down, this was the best kra pow I've ever had at any Thai restaurant. The sauce was so delicious and had just enough spicy kick to appease my palate. The eggplant was cooked to perfection as well. Next time I eat here, I definitely plan to order kra pow (although I may try chicken or beef or tofu, or something). On top of all that, my cousin and I both got Thai Iced teas, and what I liked best was that they gave us giant cups of the tea...not at all stingy and small like most Thai restaurants where you wonder if the $3 tea was actually worth it. All in all, this restaurant definitely gets my seal of approval and I can't wait until the next time I'm hanging out at my cousin's place and we get the craving for Thai again. 5/5 Stars.
Gonna keep it short and sweet this week cuz I'm swamped at work. Here's the hot joints of the week....might be the strongest lineup I've ever put up in a single week, so check it out:
Music:
Usher feat. Pitbull --- DJ Got Us Falling In Love Again
All of Usher's new music is awesome. I could listen to pretty much any of his new music all day every day. He blends good dance beats with his typical soulful groove. His newest track, which doesn't appear on his album, is an immediate hit single. I could do without Pitbull's part in the song, but it's a minor flaw in the song considering how awesome the rest of it is. I heard it randomly at the club the other day, but I recommend if you haven't heard it yet to jump on youtube and have yourself a mini dance party in your office, home, car, wherever. 4.5/5 Stars (would be perfect if it didn't have Pitbull)
Movies:
Inception
So, I got off to a slow start this year, by not watching many movies. But since I've gotten back on the summer blockbuster horse, it's been one great movie after another. Last week, I had my doubts that anything would be as good as Toy Story 3, but this past weekend, I went to see Inception with some friends in IMAX. Granted, IMAX makes everything a little cooler, but even if I hadn't seen this movie in IMAX, I can honestly say it's got my vote easily as the best movie of 2010. In fact, I like it better than all of the movies from 2009 as well (including Avatar). So let's just go ahead and say Inception was the best movie I've seen in 2 years. The movie had everything. Incredible story. Amazing special effects (which shocked and amazed me similarly to how I felt the first time I ever saw The Matrix). Outstanding plot twists and deviations. The movie is a bit long at 2.5 hours, but it was sooooo amazing, I didn't even notice until we left the theater. Whether you watch a lot of movies or not, you MUST go see this movie as soon as possible. 5.5/5 Stars. (yup, it's better than perfect)
Restaurants:
Celadon Thai
For years, my cousins and I have longed for a Thai restaurant in the West Springfield area...something average that would appease our cravings for Thai whenever we were hanging out at my cousin's house. Last week Celadon Thai opened up in the Whole Foods shopping center on the corner of Rolling Road and Old Keene Mill, and not only was it decent, but it's an incredibly good Thai restaurant. The decor was modern, the food was delicious. I had the massamun curry (a personal favorite dish of mine) and it was good. The thing that I liked about Celadon was they allowed you to choose the protein or veggies that went into each dish. So for someone like me who is used to massamun curry with beef, I had the option to try it with chicken...or tofu. My cousin order the Eggplant Kra Pow (ka pow). I can say hands down, this was the best kra pow I've ever had at any Thai restaurant. The sauce was so delicious and had just enough spicy kick to appease my palate. The eggplant was cooked to perfection as well. Next time I eat here, I definitely plan to order kra pow (although I may try chicken or beef or tofu, or something). On top of all that, my cousin and I both got Thai Iced teas, and what I liked best was that they gave us giant cups of the tea...not at all stingy and small like most Thai restaurants where you wonder if the $3 tea was actually worth it. All in all, this restaurant definitely gets my seal of approval and I can't wait until the next time I'm hanging out at my cousin's place and we get the craving for Thai again. 5/5 Stars.
Monday, July 12, 2010
7/12/10
Good morning peoples!
The World Cup has ended, and with that, I have a new blog for you all this week. I managed to go see a movie this week, and it was a good one, so without further ado, here's all the hot joints of the week. Enjoy!!!
Music:
Ne Yo --- Beautiful Monster
Ne Yo is one of my favorite R&B artists of all time. His new single is dabomb. It's got his typical groovy soulful voice over a hot dance beat. Makes me wanna dance everytime I hear the song. Easily one of my favorite tracks right now in this genre, which says a lot considering how many hip hop and r&b artists have singles or albums out right now that feature the mix of typical hip hop/r&b with electronic/pop/dance. 4.5/5 Stars
Movies:
Toy Story 3
So, I'm one of the last people I know to go watch Pixar's newest movie. And having now watched it, I am kicking myself for not going earlier. I should've known when I got to the mall this past weekend at 2 in the afternoon...several weeks after the movie debuted...and it was still sold out...that the movie must be good. I just didn't know it was going to be GREAT! The movie was hilarious from beginning to end. The story was moving and sad, and nearly made me cry at the end. Pixar took its animation to a new level, and if this is the conclusion of the "Toy Story", then it was a beautiful one. This may be the best movie I've seen this year. 5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Bangkok Golden
So apparently, Fort Washington Maryland has this famous Thai restaurant with a great lunch/dinner buffet. I had never heard of it until I recently visited the Falls Church area of Northern Virginia and found the 3rd restaurant owned by this same owner. So I walked in and gave the restaurant a shot. It was delicious! The drunken noodles were flavorful, the panang curry was among the best I've ever had, and the basil chicken was sweet and tangy at the same time. I would definitely go eat here again, and having now tasted the lunch buffet, I'm interested as to whether there's even more dishes available during the dinner buffet. My only complaint would be that the restaurant is a bit small, not conducive to a large group. 4/5 Stars
The World Cup has ended, and with that, I have a new blog for you all this week. I managed to go see a movie this week, and it was a good one, so without further ado, here's all the hot joints of the week. Enjoy!!!
Music:
Ne Yo --- Beautiful Monster
Ne Yo is one of my favorite R&B artists of all time. His new single is dabomb. It's got his typical groovy soulful voice over a hot dance beat. Makes me wanna dance everytime I hear the song. Easily one of my favorite tracks right now in this genre, which says a lot considering how many hip hop and r&b artists have singles or albums out right now that feature the mix of typical hip hop/r&b with electronic/pop/dance. 4.5/5 Stars
Movies:
Toy Story 3
So, I'm one of the last people I know to go watch Pixar's newest movie. And having now watched it, I am kicking myself for not going earlier. I should've known when I got to the mall this past weekend at 2 in the afternoon...several weeks after the movie debuted...and it was still sold out...that the movie must be good. I just didn't know it was going to be GREAT! The movie was hilarious from beginning to end. The story was moving and sad, and nearly made me cry at the end. Pixar took its animation to a new level, and if this is the conclusion of the "Toy Story", then it was a beautiful one. This may be the best movie I've seen this year. 5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Bangkok Golden
So apparently, Fort Washington Maryland has this famous Thai restaurant with a great lunch/dinner buffet. I had never heard of it until I recently visited the Falls Church area of Northern Virginia and found the 3rd restaurant owned by this same owner. So I walked in and gave the restaurant a shot. It was delicious! The drunken noodles were flavorful, the panang curry was among the best I've ever had, and the basil chicken was sweet and tangy at the same time. I would definitely go eat here again, and having now tasted the lunch buffet, I'm interested as to whether there's even more dishes available during the dinner buffet. My only complaint would be that the restaurant is a bit small, not conducive to a large group. 4/5 Stars
Monday, June 28, 2010
6/28/10
Wassup Everybody! Before you say anything, yes I know, I have been slacking. As I've mentioned in the past, I don't go out to see movies very often anymore, and this has been the reason for the slow reviews. However, this week I'm back having watched a new movie over the weekend...so you can all rejoice!
On a side note, I've started reviewing restaurants on yelp. So look for me next time you're inquiring about a new restaurant in the DMV on the site.
Music:
Gyptian feat. Nicki Minaj --- Hold Yuh (remix)
Gyptian is a Carribean artist who's been around for a while but no one had really heard of him mainstream until this year. If you're an avid hip hop fan and listen to 95.5 of 93.9, you've no doubt heard this song playing this summer. And if not, well you need to youtube it immediately because it is my official summerjam of 2010. I can't get enough of this track from its catchy beat to Gyptain's accent and flow...and even believe it or not...to Minaj's verse. There's nothing to not like about this song. Granted, the lyrics are hard to decipher like many carribean songs, but you can't help but feel good listening to this song, and it's such a chill song when you're in the car. Not only that, but the beat makes you almost want to get up and dance. Anywhoo, check this jam out and pon the river next time you're at the club and you hear it blast from the dj booth. 4.5/5 Stars
Movies:
Grown Ups
As I said, I hardly ever go to see movies anymore. They just cost too damn much, and usually I'd rather just do something else with friends/family. But every once in a while I make an effort to go catch up on movies, especially during the summer blockbuster season. With all the great movies out, you may be wondering why I chose this film, but it had just come out last weekend, and I was in the mood to laugh. Plus, I'm a fan of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Chris Rock. David Spade and Rob Schneider, not so much, but the other three were enough to draw me in. Add to that equation to often overlooked, but in my opinion still hot, Salma Hayek, and you've got a pretty packed cast. The movie surpassed my expectations. I was expecting typical Sandler/Schneider type humor, but overall I thought the film was really good. All 5 of the main guys put in their moments of comedic brilliance, and the story/acting was actually halfway decent. If you're a movie junkie who's seen all the major blockbuster hits of this summer, this is a diamond in the rough that might be worth watching. 3.5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Sakura
When it comes to Japanese cuisine, obviously I'm a fan of sushi. But most Japanese restaurants, especially the steakhouses that are catered to larger groups, feature the teppanyaki flat grill cuisine. And while some of these restaurants are good, on the whole I'm not a huge fan of the genre of food. So for that reason, I had never tried the Sakura restaurant in Mclean despite working for 3 years at MITRE across the street from the restaurant. Then a few weeks back, a friend of mine said I had to go and try the restaurant for one dish, and one dish only....the Pork Katsu (also known as tonkatsu). So I went to the restaurant with her. When you walk in, you're asked whether you want the grill or sushi as the restaurant is divided into halves. We said sushi and sat down. We both ordered the pork katsu and waited for it to come. Once it came, I don't think we said a word to each other for the rest of the meal because we were buried face deep into our bowls, shoveling the tasty morsels of pork and heavily sauced rice into our mouths. I've had my fair share of katsu over the years, but this place easily took the spotlight as my favorite. While it's tough to advise people to go to a restaurant when I haven't tried 95% of the menu, I can tell you that the one dish I did try...was amazing...and so I highly recommend the next time you're in Mclean looking for food, to go to Sakura and get the pork katsu. 4/5 Stars
On a side note, I've started reviewing restaurants on yelp. So look for me next time you're inquiring about a new restaurant in the DMV on the site.
Music:
Gyptian feat. Nicki Minaj --- Hold Yuh (remix)
Gyptian is a Carribean artist who's been around for a while but no one had really heard of him mainstream until this year. If you're an avid hip hop fan and listen to 95.5 of 93.9, you've no doubt heard this song playing this summer. And if not, well you need to youtube it immediately because it is my official summerjam of 2010. I can't get enough of this track from its catchy beat to Gyptain's accent and flow...and even believe it or not...to Minaj's verse. There's nothing to not like about this song. Granted, the lyrics are hard to decipher like many carribean songs, but you can't help but feel good listening to this song, and it's such a chill song when you're in the car. Not only that, but the beat makes you almost want to get up and dance. Anywhoo, check this jam out and pon the river next time you're at the club and you hear it blast from the dj booth. 4.5/5 Stars
Movies:
Grown Ups
As I said, I hardly ever go to see movies anymore. They just cost too damn much, and usually I'd rather just do something else with friends/family. But every once in a while I make an effort to go catch up on movies, especially during the summer blockbuster season. With all the great movies out, you may be wondering why I chose this film, but it had just come out last weekend, and I was in the mood to laugh. Plus, I'm a fan of Adam Sandler, Kevin James, and Chris Rock. David Spade and Rob Schneider, not so much, but the other three were enough to draw me in. Add to that equation to often overlooked, but in my opinion still hot, Salma Hayek, and you've got a pretty packed cast. The movie surpassed my expectations. I was expecting typical Sandler/Schneider type humor, but overall I thought the film was really good. All 5 of the main guys put in their moments of comedic brilliance, and the story/acting was actually halfway decent. If you're a movie junkie who's seen all the major blockbuster hits of this summer, this is a diamond in the rough that might be worth watching. 3.5/5 Stars
Restaurants:
Sakura
When it comes to Japanese cuisine, obviously I'm a fan of sushi. But most Japanese restaurants, especially the steakhouses that are catered to larger groups, feature the teppanyaki flat grill cuisine. And while some of these restaurants are good, on the whole I'm not a huge fan of the genre of food. So for that reason, I had never tried the Sakura restaurant in Mclean despite working for 3 years at MITRE across the street from the restaurant. Then a few weeks back, a friend of mine said I had to go and try the restaurant for one dish, and one dish only....the Pork Katsu (also known as tonkatsu). So I went to the restaurant with her. When you walk in, you're asked whether you want the grill or sushi as the restaurant is divided into halves. We said sushi and sat down. We both ordered the pork katsu and waited for it to come. Once it came, I don't think we said a word to each other for the rest of the meal because we were buried face deep into our bowls, shoveling the tasty morsels of pork and heavily sauced rice into our mouths. I've had my fair share of katsu over the years, but this place easily took the spotlight as my favorite. While it's tough to advise people to go to a restaurant when I haven't tried 95% of the menu, I can tell you that the one dish I did try...was amazing...and so I highly recommend the next time you're in Mclean looking for food, to go to Sakura and get the pork katsu. 4/5 Stars
Saturday, June 12, 2010
6/12/10
Ole Ole Ole Ole! Yes friends, I know it's been a long time since I did a review, but that's mainly due to me not going to the movies in a very long time. Nonetheless, I now have a new flick to review this week, so here's the hot joints of the week...World Cup Edition:
Music:
K'Naan --- Waving Flag
Prior to the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa this year, submissions were taken by multiple artists for the Anthem for this year's cup. Ultimately, Shakira's song Waka Waka won...but I honestly think K'Naan's song was so much better. If you youtube it, you might even recognize it. But the lyrics are great, the beat is catchy, and it has a very complex but joyous dance. 4.5/5 Stars
Movies:
The Karate Kid
Ever since the first time I saw the trailer for the newest remake of The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, I couldn't wait to watch this film. Having now watched it last night, this movie was awesome! It had everything you hoped for from the original film, from the plot to the script to the outcome of the storylines. But being that the film was about Kung Fu, in China, and Jaden Smith is just such a charming little kid like his dad, this movie also had all the modern aspects necessary to keep you entertained. It is a bit of a longer movie, but it's hardly noticeable. Must see movie for anyone who's a fan of the original. 4/5 Stars
Restaurant:
Chao Phra Ya
Located in the Clocktower Shopping Center in Herndon, VA. I only recently tried this restaurant. The problem is that it's located in a shopping center in which the only time I ever go to this center is when I'm already on my way to eat at either the pho restaurant there, the Ned Devines bar there, or the Chuck E Cheese (with my friends and their kid). So I always saw, but never tried the restaurant until recently. However, now that I have, I will go back often. The food here is great. Panang Curry was delicious. Drunken Noodles were great. And they have this one appetizer called "Stuffed Chicken Wings" in which they basically take crab, shrimp, mushrooms, and other garnishes/spices and stuff the paste (crab ball style) into a battered chicken meat on the end of a chicken wing bone. This is the only place I had seen this app, but it was really very good. 4.5/5 Stars
Music:
K'Naan --- Waving Flag
Prior to the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa this year, submissions were taken by multiple artists for the Anthem for this year's cup. Ultimately, Shakira's song Waka Waka won...but I honestly think K'Naan's song was so much better. If you youtube it, you might even recognize it. But the lyrics are great, the beat is catchy, and it has a very complex but joyous dance. 4.5/5 Stars
Movies:
The Karate Kid
Ever since the first time I saw the trailer for the newest remake of The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, I couldn't wait to watch this film. Having now watched it last night, this movie was awesome! It had everything you hoped for from the original film, from the plot to the script to the outcome of the storylines. But being that the film was about Kung Fu, in China, and Jaden Smith is just such a charming little kid like his dad, this movie also had all the modern aspects necessary to keep you entertained. It is a bit of a longer movie, but it's hardly noticeable. Must see movie for anyone who's a fan of the original. 4/5 Stars
Restaurant:
Chao Phra Ya
Located in the Clocktower Shopping Center in Herndon, VA. I only recently tried this restaurant. The problem is that it's located in a shopping center in which the only time I ever go to this center is when I'm already on my way to eat at either the pho restaurant there, the Ned Devines bar there, or the Chuck E Cheese (with my friends and their kid). So I always saw, but never tried the restaurant until recently. However, now that I have, I will go back often. The food here is great. Panang Curry was delicious. Drunken Noodles were great. And they have this one appetizer called "Stuffed Chicken Wings" in which they basically take crab, shrimp, mushrooms, and other garnishes/spices and stuff the paste (crab ball style) into a battered chicken meat on the end of a chicken wing bone. This is the only place I had seen this app, but it was really very good. 4.5/5 Stars
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
