Gen Korean BBQ and Yakitori Bar is an all you can eat restaurant in Tustin. They have about 20 different cuts and types of high quality meat that are both juicy and flavorful. They have a modern and futuristic décor that livens up the already busy atmosphere of the restaurant. The servers are extremely helpful and cater to your every need. It was rumored that Gen is usually always crowded, but the restaurant’s service is so excellent that the wait isn’t very long at all.

You are first greeted with an array of six different banchan, small side dishes that are served with the main dishes in Korean cuisine. They serve all kinds of authentic Korean side dishes and all equally delicious: kimchi, pickled cucumbers, potato salad, rice cake, bean sprouts, and radish. The flavors of each banchan serve as a type of cleanser from eating the different dishes.

Several of their variety meats are Kobe Chadol, Kobe Woosul, So Bulgogi, and the Gen Signature Prime Steak. The Kobe Chadol is a Kobe brisket that is extremely, thinly sliced. The Kobe Woosul is a Kobe beef tongue. It’s delicious enough to keep the mind off the fact that it is a tongue. The So Bulgogi is probably the most popular type of marinated Korean BBQ. It is very flavorful and sweet from its marinade. The Gen Signature Prime Steak was the only downside to the entire meal. It is a giant slab of Black Angus Top Sirloin, and though it may sound good, it was too large and took too long to cook and had the least amount of flavor.

The only thing I would need to warn you about would be that if you don’t finish your order you will be charged extra. So don’t over order! Or you can just use it as an excuse to eat more. Go and try out Gen Korean BBQ and Yakitori Bar. It earns 4 out of 5 stars. Pleasant eating!

13741 Newport Ave
Tustin, CA 92780

The Year of Hibernation, album cover

Youth Lagoon is the creation of American songwriter and instrumentalist Trevor Powers. The works of the artist feature songs of the indie and lo-fi genres with ambient and dream pop influences. Youth Lagoon has been rising in the charts, reaching the number one spot on last.fm’s Best of 2011 New Discoveries artists, which is rare for artists of the electronic genre.

Youth Lagoon’s debut album, The Year of Hibernation was released on September 27, 2011. It features eight tracks along with two bonus tracks, totaling in about 40 minutes of quality music. The Year of Hibernation is not one of those albums with a few decent songs. Every single song on the album, including the two bonus tracks, is worth listening to. It boasts a spot on Pitchfork’s Top 50 Albums of the 2011 list, and for good reason.

The album features a uniform style in songs. Each song opens with a soft, lo-fi voice and light instrumentals, often the synth. Halfway through, the track transitions to a hearty drum beat with syncopated kicks. Together, these elements provide movement and direction. The upbeat nature of all the tracks is echoed throughout the album. While one may think that its repetitive nature may get redundant, the case is quite the contrary. Its consistency contributes to the beauty of the music.

As an electronic, lo-fi album, The Year of Hibernation displays a wide variety of instrumentation. In particular, the bonus track “Ghost to Me” covers the full range. It opens with a soft piano and an ambient voice. Later, the electronic string pluck joins in for a short interlude. After, the kick and percussion rhythms come in along with a post-rock guitar. The pit and vibe sound reverberates throughout the piece. After 2 minutes of vocal-accompanied parts, the song enters into a slow buildup of drum, piano, and other percussion lines. “Ghost of Me” ends with only a melodic line of a music box pluck.

Youth Lagoon is an artist worth listening to. With all tracks as moving as “Ghost of Me”, the album truly deserves all the positive reviews it receives.

Banner for Coachella 2012

Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival is an annual music festival featuring a slew of renowned artists among contemporaries. Music genres range from rock to indie to hip hop to electronic with over 100 artists. The event takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, and lasts for 2 weekends, 3 days at a time. This year, Coachella takes place on the weekends of April 13-15, and 20-22. The venue presents several performance stages as well as tents for viewers and listeners from around the country who gather to enjoy music and art.

Since the release of the Coachella 2012 line-up on Monday, January 9, fans began to plan their list of artists to look out for. The complete list of artists can be found on the official site. Many of the artists recently released albums appreciated by those with respectable taste in music. With such a promising line-up, it is definitely worth it to attend if possible. Personally, I’d recommend Explosions in the Sky, WU LYF, and Manchester Orchestra, to name a few.

Tickets for Coachella are highly sought out for, usually selling for more than $300. Pre-sale began roughly a year ago. On Friday, January 13, the last of the remaining tickets were sold, and the event is currently sold out. However, a variety of deals still exist on alternative sites, notably Craiglist and Ebay, though scalping is discouraged. There is still time to purchase tickets.

As Coachella 2012 approaches, discussions publicize the names and albums of various artists. Even if unable to attend because of expensive tickets or inconvenient dates, it’s worth it to discover good music and give it a listen. Coachella 2012 will definitely be one of the hottest events of the year, with one the best line-ups out of all the years.

Papaya Thai Bistro on 2700 Alton Pkwy Ste 141 Irvine, CA 92606

I entered on a busy Saturday night, in search of a quick, filling meal that would satisfy my taste buds. Usually there is no wait line, but the restaurant is fairly full. If you do have to wait, it’s never long. The place is clean, decorated colorfully and my family and I suited it comfortably. We shared Pad Thai, chicken fried rice, and Tom Yum Koong soup. Their food portions were more than enough to feed our whole family of four, for we left the restaurant with food comas and exhausted tummies. The Pad Thai was the best I had ever tasted, bursting with its sweet and salty flavor and delicious noodles. The chicken fried rice was good as well, enticing us with its fragrant aroma. As for the Tom Yum Koong soup, it couldn’t have represented itself better. Usually my family and I can handle the spiciness and sweet and sour flavor of the famous Thai broth, but this particular one had us beat and reminding ourselves next time to order it without the overwhelming spiciness.

In addition, their fresh Thai tea was just as I imagined it would be, sweet and refreshing. I have been a frequent customer for the past year, also trying the fish cakes, chicken satay and beef salad, which were different from other Thai restaurants, but we all know that variety is the spice of life. Their menu is filled with many different entrees, lunch combos, drinks and dessert, including ice cream. They serve pho as well, which impressed me because it was surprisingly delicious. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried any of their desserts because I never seem to have enough room left in my stomach.

I’m still puzzled as to why Papaya never has as much customers as other restaurants, like their next door neighbor BCD Tofu House, who always seems to have a long wait line. Papaya’s waiters and waitresses are always helpful give recommendations on which dishes to try, especially for newcomers. I suggest that if you have a big appetite, go for this place. Otherwise, share a plate with another person or order your own smaller combo plate. It’s a pretty satisfying and solid A experience for me every time, although I don’t enjoy the bloated feeling after finishing my meal. I can’t ask more of this restaurant!

Jeremy Irvine as Albert Narracott

Once in a while, there comes a film that tugs at the heartstrings of every audience member. War Horse, directed by the famous Steven Spielberg, is no exception. With an eye-grabbing trailer and much publicity, you can get a glimpse of its plot just about anywhere. War Horse digs deep back in time, when Europe was war-torn and World War I was about to begin. When it did, however, a “miracle” horse named Joey appeared.

Taking place in England, the plot begins when a young colt, separated from his mother, is auctioned off and unintentionally bought by a drunk and poor farmer. Once the horse comes home, he meets the farmer’s young son, Albert, who is fascinated by him and holds a soft spot for horses. Albert names him Joey, and from then on, Joey continues to pull through the most enduring tasks with his strength and perseverance, which defines his personality. At the same time, he and Albert develop an unbreakable bond, even when they are separated.

Joey continues to go from owner to owner, each of them except Albert having been killed because of war. From the British to German’s side, he fights for whoever claims him. During this process, he is physically and mentally deprived of health and love. Spielberg doesn’t hesitate to show the hardships and sufferings of horses during World War I. Hundreds of thousands are forced to fight, work, or be killed. Viewers are able to see Joey’s physical and emotional journey throughout the film, including his joy when he miraculously reunites with Albert again.

War Horse also lets audience members see how soldiers mentally struggle with the horrors of war. The emotional struggle that young men like Albert went through was very common in the past, when they fought using trench-warfare and see, hear, and feel nothing but terror and death.  The film delivers a taste of war from both a human and animal’s perspective, which both are life-changing experiences, and yet you can’t help but feel they are quite similar.

Albert and Joey, in many ways, are alike. They are afraid and fear-stricken at first, but are brave, valiant and courageous when they need to be. They were separated, went through the same physical and emotional struggle together, and still managed to reunite through it all. Endurance, hope, and friendship ultimately brought them together.

Overall, the story will have you laughing, crying, smiling, and cheering. Whether you get emotional easily or not, be sure to bring tissue boxes for yourself and the person next to you. War Horse will bring you through a journey you won’t want to forget.  War Horse was released in Christmas 2011 and is still showing in theaters!

Beauty and the Beast in 3D!

Beauty and the Beast is the second of several classic movies Disney has planned to re-release in 3D. Disney decided to re-release some of their movies in 3D because The Lion King did so well at the box office last September. (It was only re-released to help promote the special edition BluRay of the movie.) Some of these movies include Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., and The Little Mermaid. Although some might consider this merely as a way for Disney to make more profits, but Beauty and the Beast is still a treasured Disney classic that is worth going to the theaters to see again.

The story of Beauty and the Beast is one we all know very well. But its familiarity doesn’t take away from its good story-telling. I found myself swept in by the movie and anticipating what was going to happen next after every scene. As for the 3D effects, overall, the visuals were very stunning. It was interesting to see how it wasn’t just characters and objects popping out at you; depth was added to some of the scenes, giving the movie a more lifelike quality. Also, seeing the classic in theaters, since obviously all of us as high-school-age students are too young to have been around when it was first shown in theaters, gives the movie a different feel. The scenes are more dramatic. The thundering climax and cheerful songs are more theatrical.

If you haven’t seen Beauty and the Beast in a while and want to relive your old childhood memories (or possibly if you want to relax after finals), go see Beauty and the Beast. Even if you only see it in 2D, it will still be a treat to watch.

Promo ad for Jane by Design

Jane by Design, an ABC Family original television show, caught my attention back in November. I was excited to see a debut date, Tuesday, January 3rd, over the break and I made sure to record it. In a nutshell, the story had depth and yet the characters were shallow, the plot was predictable and yet the actors were not. Over all, though, Jane and her friends did not impress me with anything out of the ordinary.

Jane, a relatively shy and unpopular high school girl, finds herself in a fashion company’s lobby applying for an internship after she finds her family experiencing financial problems. In an obvious twist, her application is mistaken for that of another Jane applying for a job as an executive assistant. And thus begins the antics of mixing high school and high fashion.

Her best friend, Billy, helps her coordinate between her two very different lives, while he has his own storyline going on. He is secretly involved with the most popular girl in school, Lulu.  Jane’s brother Ben is looking for work, and also has his own completely different story. While I appreciate various parts of the show, too many ideas can be distracting.

While ABC Family has a pretty good record with their original TV shows, Jane by Design may have disappointed me a bit. I’ve already made room for other ABC Family series like Switched at Birth and Make it or Break it, in addition to a myriad of other programs I try to keep track of over the week, so I am very pressed for time as far as TV is concerned. And, in reality, that is what it comes down to. Is this new show good enough that I would choose it over a show to which I am already dedicated? While the concept is imaginative, the execution of said concept is not. Competing with several other shows for my limited attention, Jane by Design is not a show that would beat those other ones out of my mind, and so, with a heavy heart, I denounce Jane and her shenanigans as something I simply  cannot fit into my schedule. A mediocre cast in a mediocre show with a mediocre plot is not something I would recommend, even though it managed to impress my twelve-year-old sister.

A mediocre game for a mediocre time.

Spiral Knights, the latest dungeon crawler MMORPG by Three Rings Design and SEGA, is a free-to-play, browser-based java game which has been open to the public since April 4, 2011.  Spiral Knights is a real-time, action-adventure game which plays like a modern mix of the Legend of Zelda series and Diablo, with a cutesy visual style.

Unlike most free-to-play games, Spiral Knights’ most prominent feature is that it is absolutely free to play.   Players can pump money into the game, although it will only get them a commodity called “energy,” which all players generate.  The game comes across as extremely fair, because there is no buyable premium content – players must depend on their skill rather than wallets.

Unfortunately, that is about as good as the game gets.  The game lacks any real substance.  There is no plot, and the premise is so simple that it almost doesn’t exist.  There is no real reason to defeat the bosses – there is nothing in need of saving, and the stakes are relatively low.

As a result, Spiral Knights is a hack-and-slash game in the most basic form.  The only objective in the game is really to run through levels while using swords, guns, or bombs to attack monsters.  Although a redeeming quality may be PVP modes, Spiral Knights only offers two, and they depend more on luck than actual skill.

In addition, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of content which needs to be understood in order to play the game – the selection of gear, interactions with other characters, the strengths and weakness of the monsters, and even the level-system of the game.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the game is the amount of game play.  The game’s designers tout that due to the unique shifting of levels, every trip is unique.  Unfortunately, it is true only to a certain extent – and that extends to about the first 24 hours of game play.  After that, the playing the same levels over and over again only grows more and more repetitive, dull, boring, laborious, monotonous.

The lack of plot leaves players doing the same tasks over and over again, with no real room for variation.   It is not an open game world, and even players’ movements within a level are restricted, forcing a player to move in only one general direction.

Spiral Knights is a quaint novelty, but lasts only for about 150 hours of game play before a player is worn down enough to call it quits.  A good try by SEGA and Three Rings, but Spiral Knights is only as good as the two and a half stars out of five that it gets.

White Collar is back!

One of USA Network’s most anticipated series returns; White Collar finally began Season 3 on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012. After having been left with the major cliff-hanger of the kidnapping of FBI Agent Peter Burke’s wife, Elizabeth, White Collar fans released a long-held gasp with the opening scenes of the new episode.

Overcome with emotions, the newly impulsive Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) allows a new side of him to see the light. The usually mild-mannered Federal Agent develops into an impulsive husband filled with rage. And to top it all off, Burke’s wrath is aimed directly at Conman-turned-FBI-Consultant Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer). All the while, Caffrey must somehow convince best friend Mozzie (Willie Garson) to lend a helping hand after an eventful falling-out last season. Together, these three men set aside their conflicts and differences in order to fight the common enemy, Matthew Keller (Ross McCall).

From the very first scene, the audience is launched on an emotional rollercoaster (along with the other characters) for an entire hour: loving, hating, and loving again the charming, blue-eyed Neal Caffrey (a favorite of the ladies). We are constantly left asking, “What side is Neal Caffrey on?” Feeling betrayed by Caffrey, we still can’t help but root for him in the old-school duel with Keller, reacting to each painful punch Caffrey absorbs.

Peter Burke’s wife, the kidnapped Elizabeth Burke (Tiffani Thiessen), is finally given a chance to prove her strength as an independent woman. Putting her FBI knowledge to the test, Elizabeth must find a way to escape the captivity of her kidnapper…or die.

The iconic “good prevails over evil” idea leads to ending the episode with the typical White Collar cliff-hanger: will Neal Caffrey become a free man?

Pretty Little Liars Season 2!

To start off the new year right, ABC Family has continued season two of Pretty Little Liars after leaving viewers hanging in late October 2011 with their “Halloween Episode.”
PLL is an addictive series based on the thriller novels by Sara Shepard. Their first season premiered on June 8, 2010, and has been successfully running ever since. (Their second season premiered on June 14, 2011 and their third season has already been ordered to premier summer of 2012).

In the series, five young girls are best friends until one summer, clique leader Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) disappears with little information left behind. The remaining four – Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale), Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell), Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario), and Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) – fall out as a group, and lose contact. The show picks up when the four girls return to Rosewood High School as juniors.

Though they have all changed, the sudden discovery of the body of their missing friend reunites the girls in mourning. But is she really gone? A mysterious blackmailer named ‘A’, begins sending the girls ominous texts and notes that threaten to unveil their darkest secrets. What the girls at first believed were practical jokes begins to immerse them in murders and plots in their small town of Rosewood.

The second half of season two premiered on January 2, 2012. The show picks up when the girls are punished with community service after they were taken into custody by the police. A fight between Spencer and Emily breaks out and conflict between the girls break them apart. Family drama at home also awaits all Aria and Hanna – the private relationship between Aria and Ezra (her ex-high school teacher) is revealed to Aria’s parents, and Hanna’s dad returns to Rosewood – with her stepmom and evil stepsister. The four friends then reveal that the tension between Emily and the rest was actually a trap to reveal A’s identity. The secret rendezvous between Emily and A goes…not exactly as planned, and A unfortunately gets away, however he/she leaves a very important artifact – their phone. Judging from the first episode back from their hiatus, the Pretty Little Liars continuing season seems to be very promising.

On January 9, the second episode was released. The girls need to crack the security of the phone, and who better then Hanna’s tech-boyfriend, Caleb? Hanna refuses to drag him into their twisted game with A, but the other girls involve Caleb finding that they had no other alternative.  Meanwhile, Spencer gets back with her boyfriend, Toby, after attempting to freeze him out to spare him from danger. As Hanna plans a surprise birthday party for Caleb at Spencer’s beach house, Spencer learns that A has been to her house…at the same time, Emily who is doing community service at a crisis hotline, receives multiple calls from a person who is in a situation like A (lost phone, scared, etc.), and that person happens to be Lucas, Hanna’s best guy friend. At the birthday party, Lucas takes Hanna on a trip and both fall into the icy waters near the house, and only Hanna emerges..

Despite the fact that this show’s plot may seem like a pointless prank on four teenagers, it has the intensity and intrigue that won it the Favorite Cable TV Drama award at the People’s Choice Awards. Catch up with Pretty Little Liars, Monday nights on ABC Family at 8:00 PM and it is one show that you won’t regret watching…but if you do, who’s forcing you to keep watching besides your captivated, inner self, who just has to find out who -A is?