Author: Denise Coley
Pho This dish needs no introduction. Pho has been the primary iconic dish that sneaks into one’s mind when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine. What kind of Vietnamese meal would it be if Pho is not mentioned? It is next to impossible to walk a block in Vietnam’s major cities without encountering a Pho stand. Pho is a simple staple, consisting of a salty broth, fresh rice noodles, and a sprinkling of herbs on top accompanying a protein of choice (most commonly chicken or beef). It is cheap, it is tasty, and it speaks to your soul. If you have…
BTS’ nomination and subsequent win of Billboard’s ‘Top Social Artist’ award definitely has made waves in media in America. It has been said that all attention is good attention but how true is that? Let’s take a look at the pros first. This is obviously a big award for BTS and their fanbase. BTS broke the streak that Justin Bieber and his Beliebers have held since the invention of the award category in 2011. Those who watched the awards show saw how excited and grateful BTS were to be attending the event and getting to rub elbows with artists they…
Rice, a simple and delicious food, is a main staple for more than half of the population in the world. There are over 40,000 varieties of rice. Every country has its own varieties because of the differences in the way of planting and many environmental conditions such as temperature, water and soil. International classification has divided rice into four major categories which includes Indica, Japonica, Aromatic and Glutinous. It is also popular to classify rice by the length of the grain, the color or the level of stickiness. As for the planting and harvesting of rice, there are three major…
If you are visiting an Asian country and you see a lot of people wearing facemasks in public, do not be surprised… do not panic either. Since early 20th century, due to several outbreaks of infectious diseases such as 1918 (the Spanish flu) and 1968 flu pandemics (the Hong Kong flu), facemask started to appear. The 2002 SARS and 2006 Bird flu have brought the facemask-wearing into a common practice. It remains very popular among East Asian countries, especially China, Japan and South Korea. However, the causes of wearing masks have changed into many directions nowadays. Causes The very basic and…
Spicy Green Papaya Salad – Tam Mak Huong The name itself may sound like it is a weird combination, but having fruits involved in a tasty salad is no new combination. In fact, numerous European cuisines also utilized fruits in the same manner. It is all about accessibility when it comes to cooking. And this is a fine example of such principle. Due to its tropical environment, papaya is one of the primary fruits that exist in Laos. Hence, it should serve as no surprise to find papaya sneaking into a couple local dishes. The papaya salad, also known as…
Warning: Some YouTube comments contain course language that may not be suitable for some readers. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, there’s a group trying to break into the K-Pop world called EXP Edition (formerly EXP). The Columbia University thesis project by Bora Kim has been generating buzz since 2015 when news broke that a non-Korean group would be trying to debut in Korea as a K-Pop idol group. In April 2017, the training, Korean language-learning, and fundraising finally paid off as EXP Edition released “Feel Like This” as their official Korean debut song. Now a four-member group, EXP Edition improved…
Like any music genre, there are some K-Pop tracks that are not original and are remade. While some songs are from other Korean artists, others may be from international artists. It’s fun to see each artist adds their own unique flavor to old tracks. Here are eleven Western songs and their Korean remakes.* Which do you prefer? En Vogue “Don’t Let Go (Love)” (1996) vs. Bella “Don’t Let Go” (2011) En Vogue sang “Don’t Let Go (Love)” for the Set it Off soundtrack in 1996. The song was En Vogue’s last number one hit and last top ten hit before member…
China, being the most populated country in the world, never runs out of talent in any field. Bboying is not an exception. With its rich gymnastic achievements and history, Chinese bboys adopted an unique style that showcases their understanding of the human physique. However, developing such style is no walk in the park. Although China was exposed to the Hip Hop culture around the same time other Asian countries were exposed, it took its time to absorb the culture and the dance. It was only until recently that Chinese bboys started to attract international attention with its homegrown bboys having…
For some reason, fans have become obsessed with the idea of their favorites winning on music shows and have begun to idealize the concept. The highly sought after win for some means a group has ‘made it’ and have lowered their risk of forced disbandment. Others have pure intentions, like wanting to give their favorite group a tangible sign of their support. Either way, there are some misconceptions about the ‘winning’ process. First off, groups are not usually eligible to win during the first week of their comeback. That means they will appear on the show, but not be up…
With so many comebacks, the music charts are becoming more competitive. Despite the large fandom, it all comes down to which music is more appealing to hear without the age gap. Due to kpop being popular among all age groups, songs with high quality and catchy rhythms seem to win the battle. The recent successful comebacks include: IU IU has recently released her 4th album ‘Palette.’ This album not only comes with great quality of songs, but it also gained some extra attention when fans heard about the collaboration between Big Bang’s G-Dragon, and Hyuk Oh. As soon as the…
On April 12, 2017, B.A.P brought their Party Baby Tour to the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago. The colorful spectacular showed the fun and sensual sides to B.A.P through a medley of songs that had the fanbase pumped despite the empty seats that dotted the venue. Even though the venue wasn’t as full as it was in 2016 due to BTS performing weeks earlier and the Party Baby Tour coming through right smack in the middle of midterms season for many colleges, spirits were not dampened. With this being B.A.P’s fourth tour in the United States, expectations were high for an amazing…
Asian tourism is getting more and more popular, as it offers foreigners totally different experiences with affordable budgets. It may be useful to learn local customs before visiting a country. Reasons are various: for a more comfortable trip, to show respect to local people and avoid any kind of unnecessary conflicts. Every Asian country is different from one another as for their unique customs and culture. While at the same time, many traditions are shared in common because of a connected history and/or geographic adjacency. For example, being low profile, avoid touching children’s head, and not opening gifts in front…
Netflix is the movie lovers’ paradise because they can find the best of the best. In this article we talk about the best 15 Asian movies on Netflix. Fist of legend: The movie takes place before the outbreak of World War 2 as the Japanese troops threaten the existence of one of the masters of martial arts in Shanghai. The Beauty Inside: This Korean movie is the remake of an American film that bears the same name. The movie is a romantic comedy that talks about a man who wakes up in a different body with a different life every…
Produce 101 is back with Season 2! If Season 1 was all about forming a girl group, Season 2 is all about a male idol group. Looking back to Season 1, so many were against Mnet running another audition show (former shows: Unpretty Rapstar, Show Me the Money, The Voice of Korea, Superstar K, etc.). Although some of these shows had some successful seasons in the past, as the seasons continued they received less popularity. To the fans, Mnet is known for their editing skills, meaning they only focus on those who bring drama/interest to the show. Lack of talent…
We at Kcrush enjoy introducing you to products and services that help you to get to know Korea even better, especially in the world of music and beauty! This is why we’re excited to introduce you to Inspire Me Korea, a subscription service shipping adorable gift boxes filled with Korean goodies to people who enjoy Korean culture or just want a taste of what South Korea has to offer. Based on our experience, each box is carefully put together, from the presentation to the monthly themes and hand selected goodies! We definitely feel the love and passion that goes into…
With the social and technological progress, the demand of entertainment is growing at a rapid speed. Games, considered as a very important way of entertainment, has a large group of loyal fans. This includes many Korean celebrities, who are under a lot of pressure. It is said that South Korea has a much higher rate of suicide for celebrities than the United States, Japan or Europe. Hard training and competition during intern period, the hope for fast investment return from their companies and the pressure from public opinions are among the reasons causing some suicides. It will be very interesting…
Six Bomb’s “Becoming Prettier” a Failed Gimmick If you’re a nugu girl group, what would you do to try to gain relevance in a cutthroat K-Pop industry? Naturally, many would “train harder” or “release better music” or “come out with better concepts to get noticed.” If you’re Six Bomb, a group that debuted in 2012 with “Chiki Chiki Bomb,” you’ll do the latter. Six Bomb returned to the K-Pop scene in 2016 with the panned viral song “Wait 10 Years, Baby,” the track that only went viral thanks to their gimmicky, raw chicken-colored body suits. Internationally, the MV solidified stereotypes that…
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Lives Up to Hype On March 3, 2017, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Months prior, Nintendo hyped and teased the game in spectacular fashion, appeasing the appetite of gamers and longtime Zelda fans alike. Nintendo delivered as the game is as beautiful as promised with enhanced game play, an expansive world setting, and nice features that bring BotW to life. Pros For starters, Nintendo created a beautiful, expansive land that is absolutely breathtaking. The rich, lush landscapes are lively and teeming with activity…
The Korean-Cuban history is still nowadays, a subject which is not widely spread, although these two nations share in common, an important past. It all starts in 1905, when 1,033 Koreans left their home to Mexico to search for a better life. They set sail from Incheon in South Korea, arriving in Mexico’s Yucatan after one month, only to find that their dream land was a poor field with hard labor work. Among the demographic of this large group, there were 31% of children (below 20), 68% of adults (20-50) and 1% of old (above 50). Rising another hope, in…
Taiwan is an archipelago resides across from China. Though small, it packs quite an impact on the international bboy scene. While its Asian competitors, such as Korea and Japan, have undergone what we refer to the “phoenix” metaphor years ago, Taiwan has just begun to experience its boom. Unlike Korea, which is now known as the country that produces machines with inhuman execution of power moves, or Japan, now known as the most innovative country when it comes to originality, Taiwanese bboys do not aim to be the best at just one thing. Instead, the bboys in Taiwan observed and…