I LOVE East Village

The caffebene, giant Korean coffee chain opened the flagship location in Times Square, NYC, with the Misugaru Latte and its localized menu.

SB — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:35:02 PST

In the great war of coffee in New York City, there’s a new kid on the block. caffebene, renown for the mellow and nutty flavoring of its coffee brand, is setting up shop in Times Square.

caffebene, which originated in Seoul, Korea, is already a booming chain and a favorite hotspot for locals in Seoul. Since its founding in 2008 by entrepreneur Kim Sun-Kwon, the chain boasts over 750 outlets compared to the 381 of the veteran Starbucks. The success of caffebene is largely to due to the stellar taste of its coffees, which is a medium roast blend that is rich in flavor but without the bitterness often associated with other brands. Also popular are the signature beverages like the Misugaru latte, which is a Korean tea-based drink that combines five grains of black rice, brown rice, white bean, black bean and barley. Besides its sweet and salty flavor, the latte is also a famed for its health benefit, which is high in fiber and low in calories. This will be especially attractive to New Yorkers who are typically one of the most health conscious demographics in the US. Each store employs its own pastry chef and baker who prepare crafted menu favorites like the Belgian waffle, caffebene’s signature dish, served in two types of waffles: sweet waffles with sweet pearl sugar and savory waffles with bacon and Parmesan cheese.

Coffee_latte_caffebene

More importantly, caffebene takes the sit and sip atmosphere of its rivals and brings it to a whole new level. All of its stores’ interiors styled like old European coffee houses with subway-tiled walls that boasts flat-screen TVs. There is even separate reading and WIFI-enabled rooms and thus the atmosphere of caffébene is a retrofitted hangout for people who like to relax, drink and be merry. According to founder and CEO Kim this is his favorite part about being a business owner. “I’ve never see people arguing in my coffee shop,” he says. “I just enjoy seeing people having a good time.”

About caffébene;

The Seoul-based coffee franchiser, caffebene, started in April 2008 in Seoul, Korea and has since open 750 stores in the surrounding cities. Each store employs its own chef and baker who prepare fresh menu items each day. Kim Sun-Kwon, the founder and CEO of caffebene believes “trust’ and ‘faith’ are the most important keys to his success of business. He is already planning a second location on the West Coast and planning to open 100 outlets including 50 in Manhattan alone in the States in two years.

caffebene 1611 Broadway New York, NY 10019

www.thecaffebene.com

“It’s A Wonderful Life,” act-along at Metropolitan Playhouse in East Village on December 18, 2011

SB — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:06:33 PST

It’s A Wonderful Life
~ ActAlong ~

Every year, Metropolitan invites its friends and supporters to a reading of Frank Capra’s sentimental favorite,
“It’s A Wonderful Life.”

With sound and costume and holiday fare, it is our favorite way to ring in the season.

Better yet, you do the reading! Everyone who comes is welcome to draw lots for a part, and away we go. Feel free to watch the play as well.

George! Mary! Burt! Ernie! Mr. Potter! Clarence! YOU!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

3:30pm Holiday Cheer

4:00pm Parts Chosen and Reading Begins

Metropolitan Playhouse 220A East 4th Street, NYC 10003

$5 donation suggested.

Voice 4 Vision Puppet Festival at Theater for the New City presents “Little Red Riding Hood” in East Village from December 10-18, 2011

SB — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:19:40 PST

Theater for the New City Presents “Little Red Riding Hood”
1pm on Saturdays and Sundays between December 10, 2011 through December 18, 2011

Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. (at E. 10th St.) NYC 10003

Part of the Voice 4 Vision Puppet Festival

Length: 1 hr 00 mins
Admission: Adult for $10 and Children for $7
Intermission: None
Seating: General Admission
You choose your seats when you get to the theater.

Little Red is sent into the big woods to deliver a basket of goodies to her sick Grandmother, but is hounded by a hungry wolf who wants the basket for himself. Will Little Red be able to outsmart the wolf and save her Grandmother?

Great for ages 5-9 years!

Add A Puppet Making Workshop to your Theater Outing!

For an Additional charge of $3.00 per child you can make your own puppet before the show. Add the workshop to your show ticket. Space is limited to 15 children with a parent or guardian.

Available only on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00 PM-12:45 PM

DJ Rekha presents “Bollywood Disco Xmas” with Rajstar and DJ Rekha at Le Poisson Rouge on Christmas Day at 10pm

SB — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:51:19 PST

DJ Rekha presents Bollywood Disco Xmas!

Doors Open: 10:00 PM (Happy Hour from 10pm-11pm)

Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleeker Street NYC Tel)212-505-FISH

DJ Rekha presents the return of…

Bollywood Disco – retro filmi classics, eclectic disco grooves. DJ Rekha digs through her digital and actual crates, spinning a range of filmi songs from retro tunes to the latest dance floor hits and everything in between.

Bol•ly•wood, n. [Humorous blend of the names of Bombay and Hollywood.]

1. The Indian film industry, based in Bombay; Bombay regarded as the base of this industry.

Bollywood is shorthand for the Hindi-language film industry centered in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. It is the world’s largest, yearly churning out hundreds of 3-hour musical epics that also drive South Asia’s pop music industry. To the current generation of South Asian club-goers, Bollywood is synonymous with the 1970s golden age of masala films. This decade produced blockbusters like Don and Sholay (which still holds the record for most-viewed film ever made) not to mention “some of the fattest funk tunes that ever pimp-rolled their way down Music Street, Bombay.”

Recently, Bollywood has lit up the cultural radar of the west, resulting in extensive press coverage, references in films like Moulin Rouge and Ghost World, and the nomination of Lagaan for best foreign film Oscar. Not surprisingly, classic Bollywood soundtracks from the 70s have been the focus of no less than 5 compilations in the past few years. (However, with the exception of Outcaste Records comp Bollywood Funk, these have been mostly compiled by and for outsiders to South Asian culture and often provide an uneven view of the genre.) Even the cutting edge of hiphop production has been shaped by the retro Bollywood sound, as producers like Dan the Automator, DJ Shadow, Timbaland and DJ Quik dip into Bollywood’s back-catalog to widen their production palette.

Dis•co n. pl. dis•cos 1. A discotheque.

2. Popular dance music, especially of the late 1970s, characterized by strong repetitive bass rhythms.

In NY the rise of interest in Bollywood coincides with a general resurgence in the sounds of the city’s own musical golden age: the progressive disco associated with legendary clubs like the Loft, the Paradise Garage and Studio 54. In addition to the numerous compilations & re-releases focusing on the producers and DJs of this era, the Garage ethos has inspired a new generation of happenings at clubs like Spa & APT, as well as a new generation of electronic musicians.

Rajstar

Raj “RajStar” Makhija is a freelance music producer, composer, sound engineer, writer and musician based out of New York and Mumbai with a fresh sound described as Timbaland meets AR Rahman. RajStar was always involved with music growing up in New Jersey around a musical family as his mother sang in a traditional Indian style and his father played Tabla, an Indian percussion instrument. In addition to this, playing bass guitar and guitar in and out of school bands (i.e. marching band, jazz ensemble, percussion ensemble, out of school jazz programs, etc.) gave him a unique blend of musical sensibilities. He became interested in recording and composing music in the 7th grade when he bought himself a 4-track cassette recorder and began making songs. Later, Raj worked his way into some local studios and became well versed in high end recording techniques, then pursued an audio engineering degree at SAE Institute in New York. He interned at Water Music Studios in Hoboken NJ and after some time he was able to land an internship at the world-famous New York division of Quad Studios (www.quadstudios.com). Raj and his brother formed their production company, RVM Sounds (www.rvmsounds.com), and their record label/artist management company, Soul Tap Records (www.soultaprecords.com). At Quad RajStar was able to climb the ladder quickly and after assisting some of the best engineers in the business he began freelance engineering at some of the most respected studios in New York (Sony, Right Track Recording, later known as Legacy, Hit Factory, etc.). He was fortunate to work with many of the biggest names in the American and International markets including Musiq Soulchild, Nona Hendryx, Chamillionaire, Missy Elliott, Pandit Jasraj, and Eddie Gomez, to name a few. Through Soul Tap Records Raj and his brother managed, produced, and developed artists and were able to help push the envelope of what South Asians could do in the American mainstream, namely finishing in the top of Doritos’ Crash The Superbowl contest taking with him Nivla, P. Oberoi, and DJ Sharad. This allowed his single (Produced by RajStar & Bobby Konders) “Be Easy (Koi Naa)” to be released on Interscope Records. Raj also won 1st place by popular vote and judge’s vote after competing against almost 2000 people worldwide in the official John Legend remix contest hosted by Indaba Music. RajStar has also been a guest speaker at New York University as well as SAE Institute

DJ Rekha

New York City based, DJ Rekha, is a recognized leader of the community, a renowned music producer, DJ personality, curator, educator and activist. Called the “Ambassador of Bhangra” by the New York Times and named one of the most influential South Asians by Newsweek, Rekha is among the first DJs to merge classic Bhangra and Bollywood sounds into the language of contemporary electronic dance music. Since establishing herself on the club scene with her inaugural event, Basement Bhangra at SOBs nightclub in 1997, Rekha has produced some of the longest running and most successful parties in New York including Bollywood Disco, Mutiny, and Beat Bazaar.

I LOVE East Village

The caffebene, giant Korean coffee chain opened the flagship location in Times Square, NYC, with the Misugaru Latte and its localized menu.

Related Posts of I love EV:

“It’s A Wonderful Life,” act-along at Metropolitan Playhouse in East Village on December 18, 2011

Related Posts of I love EV:

Voice 4 Vision Puppet Festival at Theater for the New City presents “Little Red Riding Hood” in East Village from December 10-18, 2011

Related Posts of I love EV:

DJ Rekha presents “Bollywood Disco Xmas” with Rajstar and DJ Rekha at Le Poisson Rouge on Christmas Day at 10pm

DJ Rekha presents Bollywood Disco Xmas!

Doors Open: 10:00 PM (Happy Hour from 10pm-11pm)

Related Posts of I love EV: