Starring martial arts legends like Vincent Zhao (best known for playing Chinese folk hero, Wang Fei Hung), Sammo Hung (Ip Man 2) and Yasuaki Kurata (Fist of Legend), this film is ready to impress. God of War is the second movie that I have watched this week involving pirates. The first movie was the blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean. I have to say, God of War is as exciting as Pirates of the Caribbean and should stay on the ‘To Watch List’!

The story sets in Ming Dynasty during the 16^th century. For months, the Chinese army led by Commander Yu (Sammo Hung) had repeatedly failed to defeat the Japanese pirates who have taken over Cengang in Zhejiang. The attacks by the pirates were analysed and planned out by the astute samurai leader, Kumasawa (Kurata Yasuaki). The situation remains bleak for the Chinese, until a newly promoted shrewd and strong-principled general came along. General Qi Jiguang (Vincent Zhao) pushed the authority to allow him to build and train up a new army, consisting of good and righteous men. The way the story developed, from the day General Qi came across these men from Yiwu to the day he convinced, trained and led them to fight against the Japanese pirates really pulled at one’s heartstrings.

This is more than just a war between 20,000 Japanese pirates and 3000 men from General Qi’s army. The battle got more intense when the Japanese pirates divided its troops to conquer different cities. Qi’s army was caught between saving Taizhou to bring lasting peace to coastal cities or to save Xinhe where the families are.

Overall the cinematic effects are well-controlled, with realistic fights, fires and explosions. In addition, expect to be tickled by some heart-warming and sweet scenes between chivalrous General Qi and his beloved headstrong wife (Wan Qian). 

A greatly enjoyable movie!

Rating: 8/10

Post written by Magdalene Tan. Follow her on Instagram, http://instagram.com/chantalmag. 

As its name suggests – The Landmark is a gathering place that is hard to miss. Situated at level 5 of Bugis Village Hotel, it is 5-minutes’ walk from Bugis MRT and serves up the fine flavours of international cuisine with Western, Asian, Indian and Mediterranean influences. Diners may choose to dine indoors in the exquisite dining hall catered for large groups and families, alfresco by the poolside or at the cosy romantic balcony, set against the majestic Sultan Mosque.

Known as an award-winning Halal dining venue, with credits to its two celebrity chefs, Chef Amri and Chef Bob, it is no surprise that the restaurant draws a crowd and largely Muslim diners. While we thought, we were early for the 6.30pm dinner buffet, there was already a line of diners waiting to enter the restaurant. Advanced booking to reserve a table will be highly recommended.

If you prefer less crowd and a view while savouring your meal, you may like to opt for alfresco dining by the pool or facing the majestic Sultan Mosque. The overall ambience of the place is lively and joyful, uplifting our moods. Furthermore, the service is commendable, you’ll find approachable staff and chefs carrying bright smiles.

Look forward to an aromatic spread of appetisers and mains as the chefs showcase an array of textures and flavours. The snack station is topped with sweet and savoury bites.

 There is also a variety of greens for your salad. 

Pamper your taste buds with scrumptious dishes across different cuisines, such as Beef Rendang, Chicken Roll with Rosemary Sauce, Black Pepper Prawns, Fresh and juicy Prawns and Oysters, Roasted Beef, Chilli Crab, Sup Tulang and freshly grilled Satays. The selection may not be extensive but for the quality of food and the price of $30++ per pax for dinner, it is definitely worth it!

The Beef Rendang is a dish that you’ve got to taste at every Asian cuisine to appreciate the richness of spices and flavours coming altogether from the rempah (spice paste) and meat. The chefs at Landmark are generous in their use of herbs and spices, the first bite of the Beef Rendang at Landmark will delightfully awaken your senses. It is fragrant, the meat is well-seasoned and tender, readily deconstructed inside the mouth and finally the sapid rempah contains just the right amount of saltiness and spiciness. The result is mouth-watering.

The black pepper prawn was fresh and appetizing, a tad more black pepper sauce would make it perfect! The Chicken Roll with Rosemary sauce was pleasantly sweet, smooth and full; a great dish for those who love their chicken saucy. The colourful mix vegetables complement the variety of meat well, they add a good crunch to the overall taste. Lastly the Nasi Briyani was non-greasy and cooked with sweet-smelling fluffy basmati rice. 

For those who loves chilli crabs, be sure to try these from The Landmark! Unlike the Chinese-style chilli crabs, this version has a spicier punch to it. Though the crab may look smaller compared to some restaurants, it has a thin shell that can be easily broken and it is actually rather meaty. Besides the spicy gravy, what makes this crab irresistible is the freshness and sweetness of the crab meat. The texture is rather mushy compared to most crabs but the taste was simply palatable! It was difficult to stop at one piece.

With an entire poolside pavilion catered for the satay station, it says a lot about the dedication put into this delicacy. The satays at Landmark was grilled to perfection. You can literally bite into goodness as you chew on the tender Chicken and Mutton meat. It is succulent and did not taste a slight bit burnt. Dipping it into the warm and well-balanced satay sauce, the result is heavenly.

Before you leave the buffet counter for the desserts, indulge in a warm and hearty bowl of Sop Kambing. The murky gravy was thick and luscious. It is served with a generous portion of mutton, which has been simmered till it falls off the bone easily. Recommended to use a straw to seep out the meat within the marrow to taste the fullness of the dish.

The Landmark also serves an assortment of cakes, nonya kuehs, free flow cupped ice creams and beverages. You can conclude the dinner with these pleasurably delicious cakes and bouncy kuehs!

Children (3-7 years old): $10 ++

Have you reached a point in a relationship where you are pondering, “Is he/she right for me?” Here’s a refreshing and excitingly unpredictable romantic movie that makes you wonder if the 7 years’ relationship between Jimmy and Cherie can be salvaged.

The movie is filled with scenes of tears and laughter. When the show begins, you may wonder if you stepped into the correct cinema as it started off with a horror beginning. Yes, just like a horror movie, but it is quickly continued with a funny, cute and light-hearted scene. Just like many couples, Jimmy and Cherie are in a long-term committed relationship. Though they have been living with each other for some time, their relationship was encountered with strains from external factors such as Jimmy’s childhood female best friend who’s returning from Canada and asked to stay in their apartment and Cherie’s philandering father who is marrying a young girl.

Though Cherie seemed like a matured-thinking and independent lady, she came to a point where she started doubting if her boyfriend genuinely cared about her or is he going with the motion in life. Coupled with her fear of ending up alone after marriage, just as how her mother was left behind by her father. Cherie adopted this ‘escaping’ mindset – she decided to take a break from her relationship with Jimmy to find herself.

Jimmy on the other hand, went through a phase of recognising what he could have done to deepen his relationship with Cherie. This story takes a romantic spin and the ending is sure to make hearts soften and flutter. 

Rating: 7/10