The Bronx Zoo

The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the U.S. stretching over 265 acres of land. The zoo first opened its doors on November 8, 1899 featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits. Today the zoo has grown to house over 4,000 animals and 600 different species, many of which are endangered or threatened. But, perhaps the most well known aspect of the zoo is the fact that it was the inspiration for one of today's most lovable animation film series, Madagascar, produced by DreamWorks Animation, even though the actual film was based in the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan. While walking through the zoo I had an overwhelming urge to break into song and dance: "I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it. You like to MOVE it." That's probably due to the incredibly catchy song featured in the films and the lovable characters who sing and dance to it. Featured in these photographs above are the inspirations to my favorite characters in the movie: Alex, the lion; Marty, the zebra; and my favorite of all, King Julien XIII, the fun-loving ring-tailed lemur. Now, as for all those who are against keeping animals in captivity and consistently fight to free animals from zoos, the Madagascar movies portray quite the dispute. Co-director Tom Mcgrath talked about the intention of the films saying, "the basic irony to the story is that, you think animals belong in the wild, but if they're so accustomed to captivity, they wouldn't even know where food came from." And that the animals were meant to "love the zoo and to love where they are because they've got 5,000 square feet right off Fifth Avenue." Sounds pretty good to me!

Kyochon Chicken

Chairman and founder of Kyochon Chicken, Mr. Won-Kang Kwon, has pleased thousands of American's by bringing Korea's favorite chicken brand to the U.S. and creating a global poultry dynasty. Kyochon Chicken has more than 1,000 restaurants in Korea and China and now 10 in the U.S., just here in NYC and LA. The flagship restaurant is right here in Manhattan, located on 5th Avenue and 32nd Street. And not only is it a treat for your mouth but it's also a technological dream of a restaurant, displaying countless televisions, a big screen with the latest and newest remixes of the best club-pumping music around, and the most unique light fixtures and displays including a red staircase that lights your way up every step. But this is just part of what Kwon has dedicated to his company to make it the most unique and sought after place in the city. He embodies the company with values of integrity, top quality, innovation and 100% dedication to the best customer service. In fact, he spent countless hours inventing the double-frying and hand-brushing techniques that make this chicken the best in town. He also created the signature Soy Garlic and Hot & Sweet sauces that glaze his chicken with flawless perfection. To this day only he and his wife know the exact recipes to these taste-bud dazzling sauces, which they mix themselves in a secret room in the production facility in Seoul, where they reside. And, as for customer satisfaction, I've never met so many nice people in one place in this crazy city before. The staff is beyond friendly and you never have to ask for a thing--they're definitely on top of things from the moment you walk in to the second you leave. But, of all this, my favorite aspect is the food, hands-down! They use only fresh, never frozen chicken and only seasonal fruits and vegetables for exceptional quality. Each piece of chicken is hand cut and individually hand brushed. There are no short-cuts to this chicken perfection and Kwon wouldn't have it any other way. My recommendation: the honey wings with a side of croquettes (they're like mashed potatoes and sour cream wrapped into a bundle of deliciousness and fried) and the green tea Bul-Gogi rice ball (a ball of white rice seasoned with green tea extract and stuffed with finely diced Bul-Gogi Chicken and vegetables and seasoned with their homemade soy sauce). It's a feast you don't want to miss!