Mint.Music: The Kitchen Musical Media Day, exclusive set tour images!

My first post after 2 WHOLE weeks!

Ipad apps are so utterly addictive.

I'm converting into a couch potato- Fat, short & plain lazy.

That aside.

Here's something I, as a Singaporean, am so proud of!

The Kitchen Muscial this is the FIRST international musical television drama series produced in SINGAPORE for the regional & international markets.

Its filming location?

Republic Polytechnic, Blk E5 & E6.

That's way at the back of the school.

You'll NOT be able to tell just by watching the series unless you are really familiar with the campus. Period.

Exclusively invited by FoodNews on behalf of FIJI Water & Halia Restaurant, I attended the The Kitchen Musical Media Day. So yes, I was among the FIRST to catch the first episode of The Kitchen Musical even before it airs across Asia this coming October: Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines & 12 other countries.

===== Side Track ======

Meet Gim Goh, my guest-of-honour at the Media Day.

Thanks for your company. :)

Catch him on Channel 5's new drama series, Payday, which is airing on Channel 5 every Wednesday at 10pm, starring him as Ryan Ong, a management trainee. Payday is on Xinmsn's video channel too.

Gim has acted in a number of local ads, local drama series as well as local short films. I'm sure many of you have seen him on TV. Well, you don't recognise him simply because he's a total stranger to you.

Not from now on.

Watch this video and you'll see what I mean. It's a Singapore Idol ad featuring him singing to a pug (or not a pug?)

You go, "Orhhhhh... This guy.... ..."

Randomly, this fella doesn't update his blog. =.=

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Back to The Kitchen Musical Media Day.

One of The Kitchen Musical's sponsors, FIJI water comes from the remote Yaqara Valley of Viti Levu in Fiji, drawn from an underground aquifer. Check out more from their Facebook group.

It's been awhile since I've worn a media pass.

Gim and I were there early. In no time at all, we were cam-whoring outside the studio while waiting for the screening to commence. I'll just show you ONE picture of us so I won't spam you with at least 20 similar photographs unlike some bloggers out there.

I was a student of RP; yet it's my first time in this studio; a totally new experience.

The name The Kitchen Musical suggests that this is a musical which happens in a kitchen scene. We're only half right.

Q: Is this a musical where you buy tickets and watch it in a theatre?

A: Soon there will be which will be produced in US. This is actually a television drama series which will be aired on AXN Asia on the 2nd week of October 2011 & MetroTV in Indonesia, nTV7 in Malaysia as well as Studio 23 in the Philippines on the 1st week of October 2011.

Q: Why is it call a musical then?

A: That's because the storyline is spiced up by the characters, who are specially choreographed, to sing and dance to their favourite hit songs throughout the show!

Q: Is this a cook show?

A: Delicious dishes will be presented to you in the series, with the storyline, and the recipe will be mentioned zooming in to the FOOD. Also, there will be plenty of kitchen scenes to show you how the dish is being prepared along with music, dance & dialogues. You will soon find these recipes online through their facebook page.

Q: What is this drama series about?

A: It's about a girl named Maddie, who goes to work at her father's restaurant following her graduation from a culinary school in Paris. The drama series will introduce her father's restaurant, The Avilon, and special encounters she met while working there with her colleagues & customers.

Q: How many episodes are there?

A: There are 13 episodes, 1 hour each.

Q: Who is acting in this series?

A: International cast from Philippines, New York, Britan, a Hong Kong Supermodel & actors from Singapore!

Q: Who came up with this idea?

A: Cheek, the creator & writer of The Kitchen Musical who is also the Executive Vice President & Creative Director of The Group Entertainment. BRAVO!

Q: Interesting & creative personalities who are involved?

From Left:

Cheek, writer & director of The Kitchen Musical & Singapore Film, "Chicken Rice War".

Jason Coleman, Australia's top choreographer in charged of the overall choreography. He was the choreographer & dance consultant of the feature film "Happy Feet" & is currently a judge on the hit TV series "So You Think You Can Dance" in Australia.

Chef Bertrand Cheo, who began his culinary journey at 14 years old. He is the dish creator for The Kitchen Musical.

Massimiliano Della Maggesa of the MTJ brand, an esteemed fashion designer, senior make-up artist & creative director who flew in specially from Milan to help. He has collaborated with the likes of Missoni, Gianni Versace, Albert Ferretti and the Estee Lauder Group.

Not in picture:

Gerard Salonga, internationally acclaimed conductor & musical director from the Philippines. The overall Music featured in the show was arranged by him.

This is a visual masterpiece.

The colours, the make-up, the settings, the props and all the cast are HOT with very distinctive personalities. I can't wait to meet them in real person!

Here we are at the press conference & the filming venue itself.

I am anticipating to see the cast. However, I think Gim's old school digicam thrilled me more! In fact, I spent more time fidgeting how to play with his camera instead of noticing the grand entrance of the cast. This camera; to think it's still usable, I'm totally amazed! It's well maintained. I'm impressed because if this was mine, it would have been broken by now.

Meet the cast!

The main cast: (from left)

Hong Kong Supermodel Rosemary Vandenbroucke(3rd from left),

British thespian Stephen Pahman-Hughes,

Filipino powerhouses Karylle Tatlonghari(5th from left) & Christian Bautisa,

New York based, Filipino stage actor, Arthur Acuna(in grey suit & blue tie)

& Singapore cast such as Gail from Singapore Idol(extreme right)

After that, it was their time for Q&As.

Film venue shots taken from Republic Polytechnic.

I'm going for their set tour!

The actual set looks smaller than on screen. Still, the entire 'restaurant' looks really posh! This is a temporary restaurant which they have set up within 2 weeks along the pavement between blk E5 & E6, with special restaurant walls which the crew can add special lighting effects on them! They even printed their very own restaurant menu!

No photos are allowed to be taken inside the set so I'll show you whatever I've taken on the outside.

Check out their floating platform to shoot into the restaurant. Awesome!

Mint meets some of the cast!

This gifted actress just graduated from NAFA when she was given a role in this drama series. Just want to let you know that I'm proud of you! :)

With Cheek & Nelia Sutrisno, Chied Executive Officer of The Group Entertainment.

The best has yet to come.

One of the best buffet crusine I've eaten so far, prepared by Halia Restaurant. They are located at 1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Ginger Garden. The Halia Restaurant is one of the sponsors of The Kitchen Musical.

Wait a minute, I've been there! Check out this post I did last year & take a look at the interior of the restaurant.

The food was so delicious I took 3 FULL servings and still yearning for more!

There's fresh ocean trout spread with black bean, chilli & curry leaf crumble on eggplant puree. Then there's Escargot, polenta, taleggic cheese, white truffle oil & parsley oil. Not to forget ASian ratatouille, truffled mash potato(Gim's favourite!), Chilli-Crab-style Penne (My favourite), fresh sweet ginger tea and lots of desserts!

Dessert chefs meticulously designing your dessert before it's served. Not only that, I secretly got them to design a last-minute 'birthday cake' for Gim because it's his birthday! Happy Birthday, Gim!

Take a look at their masterpiece:

Oh, we are so contented.

Buffet catering with chefs at tables to serve you by designing your desserts, cut your lamb steak, prepare a plate of piping-hot penne...

Pure indulgence.

I finished them ALL.

That missing Fiji Water bottle stands on my dressing table now.

To end the day, both Gim and I walked home with two wine glasses & a box of tasty macarons, with each colour representing one of the main cast from The Kitchen Musical.