Latest news with #Westies
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
J.K. Simmons lands major role in new MGM+ crime series
J.K. Simmons is to star in new MGM+ series 'The Westies'. The 70-year-old actor will lead the crime drama - co-created by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes - which is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies' home turf in Hell's Kitchen provides the Irish-American organised crime gang with a financial windfall. Despite being outnumbered 50-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian Mafia. Announcing Simmons' casting, Head of MGM+, Michael Wright said: "J.K. Simmons is one of the finest actors working today. "His authenticity and intensity bring an invaluable quality to this complex and exhilarating story, and we can't wait to see him bring this unforgettable character to life." Simmons previously won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of merciless jazz instructor Fletcher in Whiplash.' Hi filmography contains multiple acclaimed movies and TV shows, including HBO prison drama 'Oz', 'Spider-Man' and 'La La Land'. 'The Westies' is Brancato's third series with MGM+ following the success of his critically acclaimed show 'Godfather of Harlem', starring Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, and the crime thriller 'Hotel Cocaine'. 'The Westies' will go into production in Toronto, Canada, in July and will premiere exclusively on MGM+ in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. Amazon MGM Studios Distribution will distribute in all other international territories.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
J.K. Simmons lands major role in new MGM+ crime series
J.K. Simmons is to star in new MGM+ series 'The Westies'. The 70-year-old actor will lead the crime drama - co-created by Chris Brancato and Michael Panes - which is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies' home turf in Hell's Kitchen provides the Irish-American organised crime gang with a financial windfall. Despite being outnumbered 50-to-one by the Five Families of the Italian Mafia, the Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian Mafia. Announcing Simmons' casting, Head of MGM+, Michael Wright said: "J.K. Simmons is one of the finest actors working today. "His authenticity and intensity bring an invaluable quality to this complex and exhilarating story, and we can't wait to see him bring this unforgettable character to life." Simmons previously won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of merciless jazz instructor Fletcher in Whiplash.' Hi filmography contains multiple acclaimed movies and TV shows, including HBO prison drama 'Oz', 'Spider-Man' and 'La La Land'. 'The Westies' is Brancato's third series with MGM+ following the success of his critically acclaimed show 'Godfather of Harlem', starring Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, and the crime thriller 'Hotel Cocaine'. 'The Westies' will go into production in Toronto, Canada, in July and will premiere exclusively on MGM+ in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. Amazon MGM Studios Distribution will distribute in all other international territories.
Sunday World
24-05-2025
- Sunday World
Former ‘Westies' gang member arrested after garda car is rammed by stolen van
The 50-year-old, from Blanchardstown, Dublin, is suspected of ramming a garda car and attempting to ram others during the chase, which started at around 4am yesterday and ended less than an hour later. A criminal who was once a leading member of the Westies gang is in custody after leading gardaí on a high-speed chase. The 50-year-old, from Blanchardstown, Dublin, is suspected of ramming a garda car and attempting to ram others during the chase, which started at around 4am yesterday and ended less than an hour later. The red Ford Transit van the man was driving was reported stolen after an aggravated burglary in Maynooth, Co Kildare, at 4am on Wednesday, along with a car from the same property. Read more Dublin recruiter harassed uncle and sister with more than 130 emails, court told In that incident, a woman whose two young children were asleep in the house at the time was confronted by three masked men, one of whom assaulted her, before they escaped with the two vehicles. Nearly 48 hours later, uniformed gardaí who were on patrol in Blanchardstown noticed the van. When they tried to stop it, the driver rammed their car, causing minor damage. No officers were injured. The van was then driven off and sped along back roads in the Blanchardstown, Lucan and Dunboyne areas. The arrested man is a suspect for a number of burglary, theft and similar dangerous driving incidents At one stage, it was driven the wrong way on the N4 near Lucan before the chase ended in Blanchardstown, where the criminal was arrested. 'This was a great example of fine police work in which the gardaí put their lives on the line when one considers how dangerous the suspect was driving in that van,' a source said. 'Thankfully, no one was injured.' The arrested man is a suspect for a number of burglary, theft and similar dangerous driving incidents in Dublin and other Leinster counties, including in Meath, in recent months. The Westies were one of the biggest drug-dealing gangs in Ireland over 20 years ago The arrested man has multiple previous convictions. He previously served a prison sentence for his role in a high-profile crime in a north Dublin pub in January, 2008, in which the victim received life-changing injuries. He also received a suspended sentence for possession of stolen goods in Co Roscommon. The Westies were one of the biggest drug-dealing gangs in Ireland over 20 years ago and were known for their violence.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Skip these markets & hawker centres scheduled for spring cleaning in May 2025
Just like our own homes, wet markets and eating places need to be washed periodically to keep things spick and span. So, don't be furious if you spent quite a bit on private hire surge fees, only to find the food centre you wanted to visit had closed for spring cleaning. That's because you failed to read my wet market and food centre cleaning list — tsk tsk. Do you get that mini panic attack every time this monthly list drops? Thankfully, there are only 20 places affected in May. To see whether your area is involved, check out my list of markets and hawker centres scheduled for spring cleaning in May 2025. Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre & Market (216 Bedok North Street 1) Redhill Food Centre (85 Redhill Lane) Redhill Market (79 Redhill Lane) Hawker Centre @ Our Tampines Hub (1 Tampines Central 1) You can refer to our Tampines 1 or Tampines Mall food guides for more makan options. Commonwealth Crescent Market (31 Commonwealth Crescent) Kukoh 21 Food Centre (1 Jalan Kukoh) Mayflower Market & Food Centre (162 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4) North Bridge Road Market & Food Centre (861 North Bridge Road) Why not take a stroll down and visit Shen Yang Feng Wei for some delicious native Chinese food? Toa Payoh Vista Market (74 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh) Telok Blangah Food Centre (79 Telok Blangah Drive) Telok Blangah Market (82 Telok Blangah Drive) 353 Clementi Ave 2 Food Centre (353 Clementi Avenue 2) Buangkok Hawker Centre (70 Compassvale Bow) Chong Boon Market & Food Centre (453A Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10) Chong Pang Market & Food Centre (105 Yishun Ring Road) Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre (110 Pasir Ris Central) West Coast Market Square (726 Clementi West Street 2) Why not head to the nearby Island Penang Kitchen for some delicious Penang cuisine instead? Margaret Drive Hawker Centre (38A Margaret Drive) Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre (209 Hougang Street 21) Since spring cleaning in May 2025 is done for 5 days, Pasir Panjang Food Centre (121 Pasir Panjang Road) 12 best stalls at West Coast Market Square that the Westies shouldn't gatekeep The post Skip these markets & hawker centres scheduled for spring cleaning in May 2025 appeared first on
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
El Brasa: Halal-friendly hawker Samyang pasta, charcoal burgers w juicy pulled beef & crispy mentaiko fries
The newly-opened Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre is another food win for the Westies! I covered its opening and visited it on its first day of operations a couple of weeks back. During that trip, El Brasa stood out; the interesting menu items had drawn me to it. From the lovely co-founder Syahir Osman, I learned that the other founder Mr Lim has had years of hawker experience in Chinese cuisine. They ventured into serving halal Western hawker food, hoping to provide the dishes at affordable prices to appeal to the younger generation. The stall is currently in the process of applying for a halal certification. El Brasa is said to have been popular even from its soft launch when the hawker centre opened. Customer favourites include the Signature Chicken Chop (S$7.90) and Grilled Salmon (S$13.90) but I decided to go for some of the more unique bestsellers. I had already chosen a few dishes based on my gut feeling before the arrival, so I was delighted to hear that they were the most recommended ones. We started off our feast with the Fries (S$5). El Brasa is best known for its fries, which are deep-fried in small batches for the best quality. Our fries, taken from the freshest batch, were drizzled with Japanese mayonnaise and orange-pink mentaiko sauce and sprinkled with a seaweed topping. Unable to resist temptation, we each stabbed a fork into the pile of potatoes once my camera had eaten its fill. On their own, the fries were glorious. Fried a deep golden, the thick-cut strips were soft and fluffy on the inside and lightly crisp on the outside without being too greasy. With the toppings, it was an addictive medley of potato and creamy fish roe sauce with umami from the nori flakes and salt. Even I, who doesn't like an overload of mayonnaise, found it enjoyable, though a tad indulgent in big bites. Our second dish was El Brasa's Samyang Prawn Pasta (S$8.50) inspired by the viral buldak carbonara instant noodles, studded with shiitake mushrooms and topped with 4 prawns. My first bite of the fragrant noodles with sauce was heaven in pasta form. The al dente spaghetti picked up the spicy cream sauce in its crevices as it twirled, resulting in the richest and most flavourful bite. While not instantly spicy, the heat of the chilli hit the back of my throat after each mouthful. My friend commented that the pasta sauce tasted more like a gochugaru cream sauce rather than like the original instant noodle dish, and I agreed. Nonetheless, it was delicious! Though the prawns weren't gigantic, they were still larger than the shrimps I am used to seeing in cheap hawker pasta. Furthermore, each had been meticulously deshelled without wasting even the bits at the tail. This made eating them simpler as I just had to pop each piece in my mouth to savour the bouncy and ocean-fresh flesh. The shiitake mushrooms added savoury-sweet earthy notes to the spicy pasta. It wasn't a combination I expected, but still one that worked well. I also enjoyed the chewiness of each slice, though some were slightly tougher than others. Panda Bee: XL $7.90 hawker fish & chips — so big, you'll wonder how they profit Finally, we tried the Pulled Beef Burger (S$12.90) with El Brasa's signature pulled beef and a side of fries. The black charcoal burger buns topped with sesame seeds were quite the sight. Flavour-wise, there wasn't much to comment about; the charcoal seemed to be there solely for presentation. They were soft enough but not as fluffy as I'd hoped, though still alright overall. Inside, there was a mayonnaise spread, lettuce, pulled beef and caramelised onions. The pulled beef was so amazing that I wished I could order a whole plate alone. Still dripping with gravy, the beefy shreds were perfectly soft after being slow-cooked for hours. When I say that the meat was so addictively juicy and tender that I couldn't stop eating it, I mean it wholeheartedly. It shone even without the help of the buns and additional toppings! To my surprise, the caramelized onions weren't sweet. Instead, they tasted sharp and savoury, possibly due to the type of onions they used. This, however, was a great complement to the beef. Well, colour me impressed. That was a decent meal! I daresay you could claim these dishes were from a restaurant and I'd genuinely believe it. Crispy fries, tender pulled beef, flavourful pasta with sauce – what could be better than this? My friend fell in love with the Samyang Pasta at first bite. While it might not have tasted exactly like Samyang instant noodles, she found it wonderfully spicy and creamy. This alongside the pulled beef was my favourite, though the buns were just average in my opinion. Since El Brasa is a stone's throw away from my area, I'll bring my friends and family here for lunch or dinner in the future! Expected damage: S$8.50 – S$13.50 per pax Order Delivery: Deliveroo All 'Bout Chicken: Affordable fresh fried chicken that is also finger-licking good The post El Brasa: Halal-friendly hawker Samyang pasta, charcoal burgers w juicy pulled beef & crispy mentaiko fries appeared first on
