Midnight Foodstore Episode 6- 8 review

[Episodes 6- 8] Mark's daughter

Featured food: Vegetable infused patty burger

Mark is a deaf and mute guy who is also illiterate. He works as a sailor and he goes where ever the ship sails. While he is on land, he will visit the diner for a quick bite. Whenever he is there, he will never fail to attract females because of his good looks. Unfortunately, once they find out his disability most will drop him like a hot potato although some still become friends with him. 

One night after dinner, Mark was chilling at the docks enjoying the night breeze when he noticed two suspicious men loading boxes onto a speedboat near the lighthouse. He went nearer to investigate and the two men jumped into the speedboat and sped off. He walked around the lighthouse and found a baby girl left in a small crate. 

Shocked, Mark took the baby and rushed into the diner. The diner boss was also shocked and it seemed from there that Mark decided to raise the baby as his own. Mark asks the diner boss and the locals there to help him name the baby... and she was named Lele. 

Fast forward now Lele is already five years old. She lives with Mark in a shipping container store by the docks. Mark has also stopped being a sailor and now works as a ship repairman so he can be on land to take care of Lele. Lele is the darling of the harbour, everyone there loves her as their own daughter and she is very happy living her life. 

As Mark is busy fixing the ships, Lele is very independent... She helps Mark around the house and even buys the groceries! Really cute, I quite like this little girl although her shrill high voice is a little sharp on my ears! ;D 

One day while Lele was helping Mark clean the house, she spots a teddy bear placed high on a cupboard. In her attempts to reach the teddy bear she falls down and injures herself. She calls out to Mark for help but as he is deaf, he couldn't hear her. By the time he realised it, Lele had to be rushed to the hospital. 

Now this is where all the nightmare begins for Mark. As it is a child injury, the hospital staff were looking into the matter if it may be child abuse. Matters became worse when they discovered Lele's blood type is AB whereas Mark's blood type is O. The investigation went on and it turns out that Lele was a missing kidnapped child reported many years ago. 

Lele was taken into the social welfare care and Mark was not allowed to take her home. Police ran DNA matching tests on their database and found Lele's real mother. Lele's mother is a rich powerful businesswoman residing overseas. She rushed back when she heard that her long lost daughter had been found. 

Meanwhile, in his desperation to keep Lele... Mark decides to run off with her. The diner boss spots Mark and Lele speeding off in a speedboat at the harbour and yells to them to come back. Alas, Mark was caught by the harbour police patrol and thrown in jail. 

Lawsuits began to ensue. Mark was charged for kidnapping Lele when she was a baby and he had no rights to fight for custody of Lele because of his disability of being deaf, mute and illiterate. (A lot of onions here!) Mark tries his best to read and speak in the courtroom but the decision was final. He lost the custody of Lele and no visitation rights as well. But one good thing was that the kidnapping charges were dropped. 

Time to say goodbye.... Omo! I was crying this whole part... T_T The heartbreaking moment for Mark to let go of Lele... 

Don't worry, there is a happy ending! ;D Lele's mother saw that Mark was really not the bad guy who kidnapped her daughter... and that Lele has grown up with nice people despite their environment... A few days after the goodbye, Mark received a plane ticket from Lele's mother. It seems that Mark is able to visit Lele after all! The story ends with Mark leaving to board the plane with the teddy bear for Lele!

Okay, for the featured food... Lele doesn't like vegetables (as with her mom as well!) So Mark was worried that she wasn't getting a balanced diet. He asks the diner boss to come up with a recipe and he did... The diner boss managed to infused vegetables into a burger patty. Every Friday night, Mark and Lele will dine there to eat this special burger. Mmm! It looks yummy!

Midnight Foodstore Episode 4- 5 review

[Episodes 4- 5] F4- Meteor Garden

Featured food: Breakfast burrito crepe (Jian Bing)

This story features four best friends who have gone on their separate ways after graduating high school. They reunite when one of their female ex-schoolmate is getting married. She meets up with two of them at first because they have lost contact with the other two. She passes them the wedding invite and tells them her wish was that for all four of them to attend her wedding together. With the help of the local police officer/ detective, the first two guys manage to track down the other two guys. 

It is a heart warming story, as all four guys are just your everyday average person. None of them became really successful... One married and has a daughter, one is stuck in his job being bullied to stay overtime everyday, one is a gym machine technician and one became a teacher at their former high school. 

Back in high school, the four of them were dubbed "F4"...after a famous Taiwanese boy band back in the 2000s... (Yes, they were during my time! Hahah!!) Although none of them actually look like the original F4... ;D Three out of four of the guys actually had a crush on the female schoolmate back then. When their female schoolmate finally met all four of them, they had a great time reminiscing the past and singing the famous F4 Meteor Garden song. 

The female schoolmate went on to say that it would be awesome if they could perform at her wedding. The gym technician agreed to her request on the spot while the rest were hesitant, especially the chubby guy....(Aww!) He was embarrassed that he wasn't as good looking when he was back in high school. 

After some persuasion, the rest finally agreed to do it. Yeah! They realised that they have nothing to lose and it was their only chance left to do something crazy together once again. They set out to make themselves fit again by hitting the gym... it was difficult at first but they managed in the end. It was truly inspiring! 

They meet up again at the diner and had an impromptu performance! Hahah!! It was so funny... 

The story ends with the big day, all four of them stepping out from the lift just like the F4 band! They looked so handsome! Hahahh! 

I really liked this story, it was enjoyable and relatable... When you meet up with your old friends the feeling is exactly like how these guys were in this story. I do feel old now! ;P 

The featured food in this story is a traditional Chinese breakfast crepe (Jian Bing)... that looks something like a burrito. The inside is actually yau char kwai (Fried dough food) wrapped with the crepe. It looks delicious, wish I can try it someday! There is a cute drawing of the recipe at the end of the episode where you can make it if you want! 

Midnight Foodstore Episode 3- 4 review

Drama name: Midnight Foodstore/ Late night canteen
Country: China
Year: Jun- July 2017

My local cable TV was advertising this show heavily because it is available to watch on-the-go, meaning that you can watch it on your TV, on your laptop or mobile. (via their cable network of course haha!) By the time I discovered the channel it was aired on, I missed Episodes 1- 2 already. :( In total, I think there are about 40 episodes. :O !! 

So, what's this drama about?

Midnight Foodstore is a remake of a famous Japanese drama entitled, Midnight Diner back in 2009. The original was based of a manga named Shinya Shokudō... It's a story of a diner boss whose restaurant only opens from 12am - 7am and all the weird kind of guests that he will encounter. The menu consists of only 5 items, but the customers can order items off the menu only provided if he knows how to cook it. 

This is a Chinese remake, prior to this there is a Korean version with the same name as the Japanese drama. One of the neat things of this drama is that the yummy food that the diner boss serves up to his customers! Let's jump on in, shall we?! ;D 

[Episodes 3 - 4] Fulfilling life's mission

Featured food: Fried fish flakes rice 

Diner boss finds a young girl at the back of his store one morning, cold and hungry. He offers her a bowl of fried fish flakes on plain white rice which the girl loved. It turns out that she is from the country side coming to the city to have a look around. 

To be honest, I found this story to be quite unrealistic. A young girl coming to the city seems so dangerous, especially in this current times. But this is a drama so nothing bad happens to her, only good things. The diner boss takes her in, allows her to stay at his place for free. He discovers that she has a sweet singing voice that will melt your heart. Not long after that, she is singing at the diner, the local nightclub and eventually she got a recording contract with a famous young music producer. (I know right?! Stuff of dreams...) 

She becomes famous almost instantaneously, but alas her fame is short lived. Apparently she has terminal cancer even before she came to the city. She decided to leave the countryside in order to fulfil her life's mission, that is to sing for people. She passed away not long after her debut single and the story ends with the music producer releasing her last song, a song which he could not find anyone suitable enough to sing it... but she sang it so beautifully. 

The featured food was fried fish flakes on plain white rice. It looks pretty yummy! I thought I saw the recipe shown right before the ending of these episodes but I couldn't find it online. To be honest, it hard trying to track down the online version of this drama series. Those on Youtube are blocked for my country's viewing... grr! Luckily I managed to find some and hopefully it will continue to be available for me so I can do this ongoing review! 

Tomorrow With You review

Drama name: Tomorrow With You
Country: South Korea
Year: Feb- Mar 2017

I came to know about this drama right after I finished watching Signal. I liked Lee Je Hoon there and was happy to be able to see him in another drama so soon. A romantic one at that, so I did look forward to it. 

So, what's this drama about?

Yoo So Joon is the Chairman of a huge property developer company named MyReits. Nobody knows anything about his background, or  how he became so rich so fast at such a young age. Apparently, Yoo So Joon has a special ability... that is to be able to time travel. 

He travels to the future and buys all the newspapers, magazines regarding business and politics. With that information he is able to know which land is worth investing in the present time. Only So Joon's best friend knows about this and So Joon seems to be enjoying his life.

One day, So Joon travelled into the future and saw himself die in a car accident. Shocked and confused, he also noticed that a woman died on the same day and time as him. Determined to find out who and why, he starts to investigate the woman's identity. 

It turns out that woman's name is Song Ma Rin. She used to be a child actress but that was in the past. Now as a grown up, she is barely earning any money being a freelance photographer. Plagued with her former fame she always seem to end up in the news for being drunk and acting out. 

As So Joon can time travel, he knows what will happen in Ma Rin's life. He decides to save her one day from an accident that will leave her paralysed. Things start to change from there as So Joon begin to get involved in Ma Rin's life. 

The rest of the story goes on with So Joon travelling back and forth to the future and present trying to figure out why he married Ma Rin, then later why their relationship went bad, why there was a time where he seemed to have disappeared and finally to the day where he and Ma Rin was supposed to die. 

Overall thoughts?

I was pretty excited when the drama started, there was a mystery about why So Joon and Ma Rin will die on that day and it made you want to find out more. But as the drama went on, I found it really boring. I actually stopped watching for awhile before picking up the drama again. There isn't much on the time travelling part, the drama focuses more on the relationship struggles of a newlywed couple, living together, overcoming each other's insecurities and falling deeper in love with one another each day.

Best parts of the drama?

It has to be Lee Je Hoon! He dresses really well in this drama with the latest fashion...(Um, fashion from the future) ;D

But I seriously don't get this beggar like cloak... It's like pieces of torn fabric sewn all together! ;P

So Joon has a nice house in an expensive neighbourhood... 

Let's not forget his car... 

Cool gadgets from the future which includes Back to the future shoes, a wedding ring eating floor cleaner and transparent mobile phones! Wowww!! :O 

For those food lovers, there is a future ramyeon that you want to try! I guess we can get to eat it pretty soon!

I quite like this fancy restaurant, it looks like an art gallery or some sort.. You can get lost wandering around the place and still end up where you started! 

Notable scenes

When So Joon and Ma Rin just gotten married, after dinner at the restaurant... Ma Rin sees a fruit seller and suggests to buy some fruits. So Joon replied her just like any husband would that they still have some at home. I thought that was a pretty sweet moment... 

So Joon and Ma Rin dating even after marriage was really nice. It's true in many ways... 

Couple pyjamas! I know many girls would love this cutesy part!

Funny drama moment where everyone would think the hero will be able to kick open a locked door! 

Conclusion

Yoo So Joon finally found out why whenever he travelled to the future, he was being told that his marriage to Ma Rin wasn't working out... It was all Ma Rin's smartass idea to reset the present so that So Joon will not get stabbed by the evil Executive Director on the subway and disappear into the future....What?... I know right.... -_-

Yes, for the whole drama all the mystery surrounding their relationship and marriage all boils down to that. I was so furious I wanted to flip the table, strangle Ma Rin and slap some sense into that stupid head of hers. Arrrgghh!!

Despite all her efforts, So Joon did get stabbed by the evil guy and So Joon disappears into the future for about two years.

Don't worry, there is a happy ending after all... ;D So Joon managed to wake up from his coma and travels back to the present just in time. A day before March 25th, 2019, the day where he and Ma Rin was supposed to die.

Come March 25th, 2019... So Joon and Ma Rin was at the exact place at the exact time... but as you know by now, the circumstances have changed... Both of them were about to be hit by an oncoming vehicle when Ma Rin's dad suddenly drives a car to block them... Yes, Ma Rin's dad sacrificed himself to save Ma Rin....

Yoo So Joon and Song Ma Rin lived past March 25th, 2019.... The story ends with them three years later, still bickering over small stuff like credit card bills (Haha!) and not being pregnant... but still very much in love with each other. Aww....

I read some of the comments on this drama, they said it felt a bit like Final Destination, Grim reaper... that you can escape death once but death will eventually come to get you. :O Yoo So Joon, Song Ma Rin and Ma Rin's dad were supposed to die at the Namyeong train station accident back in March 25th, 2009. So it was another ten years later that they will eventually die again... March 25th, 2019 at 9.15pm.

It's a bit creepy but I think there were some news reports that has similar stories like this... The person escapes once but the next one he/ she will eventually die.

I guess the main point of this drama is to remind us to always live in the present... To love the ones that are with us now.... and not worry about the future... But hey, if I have the ability to time travel I would definitely live like how So Joon did! Who doesn't want to live a good life with a nice house, car, clothes...and win the lottery??!! :DD

That's all for now. Thanks for reading, I'll leave you with So Joon and Ma Rin's happy marriage!

Fight For My Way villa

Fight For My Way villa

Currently watching the K-drama Fight for my way. Loving the villa where the female and male leads are staying.  The location is in Busan, South Korea. I marvel at how they manage to build these all over the area! 

Thanks to chw25 for the exact location, for those who would want to visit it someday! "Coordinates are 35 08'12.81" N 129 04'33.80" E. Or search this on naver 부산 남구 문현동 한성주택, first map result." 

Chief Kim Good Manager review

Drama name: Chief Kim/ Good Manager
Country: South Korea
Year: Jan- Mar 2017

I stumbled across the making of this drama on the KBS channel. I thought it looked okay so I searched for "Good Manager" on the online drama websites but found none. Later on, my brother recommended this show (Yes, my bro watches kdrama too because his wife does :P) I searched further and found out that the show is called Chief Kim. Aigoo!

So, what's this drama about?

Kim Seong Ryong is an accountant working for a mobster boss in city of Gunsan. He's like the town's hero because he is so good at balancing the books without ever being caught. ;D Yes, he helps businesses to evade tax, earn more money and pockets money for himself while on the job! 

Chief Kim's goal is to save enough money to emigrate to Denmark. However, the mobster's right hand man started to make trouble by saying that Chief Kim was more powerful than the mob boss himself. This made the mobster boss not happy and he decided to get rid of Chief Kim.

Meanwhile, Chief Kim senses that something is not right anymore and opportunity came knocking when a big corporate conglomerate in Seoul named TQ Group was hiring a new business operations chief. Chief Kim secretly applies for the job without the mobster boss's knowledge.

The time came to get rid of Chief Kim. Chief Kim was smart enough to save the books for evidence against the mobster boss. The mobster boss captures Chief Kim's assistant in exchange for the books. There was a showdown but Chief Kim survives the incident and gains approval from the mobster boss to leave Gunsan to work at TQ Group. 

The rest of the story goes on at TQ Group where Chief Kim thinks he could pocket money big time but in the end finds himself right in the middle of a huge company crisis with a cover-up for attempted murder, money syphoning and power struggle. 

Overall thoughts?

It's an entertaining drama. A lot of humour amidst the seriousness of corporate greed and struggles of ordinary working people. The cast chemistry is very electric and you'll find yourself endearing to each character individually. There are a lot of references to k-pop songs and other k-dramas too!

Best parts of the drama?

The ending for each episode is done in a manga style! You'll be looking forward to each one!

Like I've mentioned earlier, you'll be laughing a lot with the references to k-pop songs and k-dramas. I absolutely love the mobster gang singing to BTS's Fireeee! Too funny!

Chief Kim and Seo Yul's bromance... From enemies to friends... I love how Chief Kim teases Seo Yul!

And who can forget this scene from Goblin!! Chief Kim and Seo Yul's bodyguard coming to rescue!

Sang Tae and Gwang Sook's romance... You are my destiny song!! Too sweet and funny!

Notable scenes:

Food fight scene between the two departments, Accounting and Business Operations. I did look up the meaning of Pirarucu! 

Director Seo's encounter with the cleaning ahjumma... She's the same cleaning lady in Shopping King Louis too!

Morpheus and Neo.... Chief Kim's bodyguards for the day after he was nearly killed...

Special mention for the lawyers from Go and Goo! The guy is too cool with the dramatic entrance all the time!

Fashion

Chief Kim and Director Seo Yul has some nice suits in this show but the one which stole it all was Park Myung Seok, the chairman's son. He really has some snazzy outfits! And he rocked in all of them!

Conclusion

Chief Kim went to TQ Group with the intention to embezzle enough money to leave for Denmark but he ended up saving the whole company from the greedy Chairman Park Hyun Do. In the process Chief Kim had turned from a semi-bad guy to a good guy. Director Seo Yul, a power crazy ex-prosecutor also became good in the end by joining forces with Chief Kim to take down Chairman Park.

It's a happy ending, Chief Kim gets an offer from the mobster in Gunsan to help run another night club nearby Seoul. So he's back to old self again!

I really enjoyed this drama, first time the second lead actually gets the female. :D Not much of romance in this drama which is a good breather! And having worked in a finance department before I can understand and relate to most of the background story. Although I must note that certain parts are a bit unbelievable, for example usually in real life when someone like Chief Kim tries to whistle blow he would be terminated without a trace. But of course this is k-drama, so there isn't any real violence involved.

I do hope they don't make a part two or something. I would prefer to leave it there with Chief Kim being the accidental hero enjoying his carefree life!