Ishi Mura (Japanese Themed Food Court) at New Northpoint Extension

I went to Northpoint Yishun with my mum today and she has been looking forward to the completion of the extension so that there are places for her to shop. The extension at the Shopping Centre has finally been completed and alot of new shops and restaurants are opening or have already opened. Shoppers will see the current 144,000 square feet area expanded into 224,000 square feet of sheer shopping pleasure. It will be fully integrated into the existing mall and will boast a broader shop mix with greater retail variety.

New Yishun Library

However what Yishun residents including my whole family have been looking forward to, is having the Yishun Community Library relocated to the new Northpoint extension and its opening. The new library would occupy the whole of level 4 and will be opening on 14 November 2008, 11 am! I can't wait to check out the new selection of books as it is much bigger than my nearby Sembawang library!


However what has made the new shopping extension exciting and attractive to me are the new restaurants like Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe and Ishi Mura which is a Japanese themed food court concept and opened today. I had Dim Sum with my mum at Xin Wang and dinner with hubby at Ishi Mura as i was really curious about the concept of a Japanese themed food court with stalls selling only Japanese food located at level 3 of the new shopping extension. I would write more about Ishi Mura in this post as it is a new dinning concept and i'm sure alot of Japanese food lovers like me would be interested to find out more about it. I found out online that Ishi Mura is started by the firm behind the Suki Sushi and Sakura buffet restaurants and it is opening another branch at City Square Mall in the Little India area. What attracted me to Ishi Mura was its nice and cosy decor which does not even look like a food court from the outside.






There was quite alot of people who was also as curious about the new food court and its offering of a large selections of Japanese food on its first day of opening as hubby and me and we were lucky to have found seats. There are alot of Japanese food to choose from like yakitori bento, omelette rice, rice burger, curry rice bento, sushi stalls etc. I tried the salmon omelette rice with cream sauce which cost $5.90 and it was quite delicious and i like the cream sauce although it would have been perfect if it was not too salty. I had to wait a long time for my order as the cashier had mixed up all the orders but since it was the first day, i'm hoping that there would be improvement of service during my next visit and hopefully there is a more proper system of taking orders to prevent long queues and waiting time.


Hubby tried the salmon tofu rice which cost $7.90 and he was real satisfied with his food. There was a generous serving of salmon and the tofu was yummy. I'm gonna tried it out on my next visit. I really like Ishi Mura's nice Japanese decor and its almost like having restaurant food for food court prices which is real worth it! The ramen also looks yummy with the pretty bowls and i'm also looking forward to trying the dish next time.

Salmon tofu rice $7.90

Salmon omelette rice $5.90

I could not resist taking more pictures of this new dinning concept to share with fellow food lovers and you can look at the pictures below. Do support this new dinning place if you happens to be at Northpoint :>

Pizza and pasta stall


Japanese can drinks and tibits for sale

Ramen stall

Look at the crowd!

Nice and calming decor

Various types of Omelette rice

Fruits after dinner :>

Sushi stall

Fruits and drink stall

(Source: http://www.fraserscentrepointmalls.com/cp_promo/new_np/index.asp)

(Source: http://www.timesbusinessdirectory.com/ttd_bizenterprise/Singlenews.aspx?DirID=80&rec_code=245999)

The Bride Hunter - Amy Appleton

I chanced upon the book review for this novel "The Bride Hunter" while reading the September 2008 issue of Vanilla a local magazine and is tempted to reserve the book from the library as the reviewer had written that any romantic comedy lover will enjoy this book and i'm sure i would too since i love reading a good romance novel ;> The reviewer had wrote that the writer's take on love and "happy ever after" is humorous and refreshingly realistic. The main character of the book is Becca Orchard who is a headhunter-turned-matchmaker whose clients include busy rich men seeking help to find life partners. Armed with detailed lists of what they look for in a bride, they turn to Becca to sort out their love lives.

In turn, she never lets them down, even going as far as writing wedding proposals for them. But Becca's heartbreak over a failed relationship inadvertently haunts her. While she appears in control on the job, she is hurt and lonely. It is only when she takes on a job to find a groom for an ambitious female client that she finally faces up. She is utterly determined to save others from a lonely fate while at the same time keeping her own heart safe from further harm. Complications ensue when she realizes that she might be in danger of falling once more to the siren call of love despite all her efforts. This is a fun book, good for light reading when commuting to work on the train. It's filled with funny and heartwarming moments; a definite page-turner. For those who enjoys reading romance comedy novels, you might wish to consider borrowing the book from the library or buying it at the bookstores.

(Source: Vanilla Magazine Singapore, September 2008 edition)

Korean Drama - The Kingdom Of The Winds / Land Of Wind

I have started watching this drama as 18 episodes have been loaded online (total 36 episodes) at (http://www.mysoju.com/kingdom-of-the-winds/) and only 4 episodes of "Worlds Within" have been uploaded and i would wait for more episodes to be uploaded before watching "Worlds Within". I have been hoping to wait for the DVD set to be released but still can't resist watching it hehe... As mentioned in my previous article about "The Kingdom of The Winds" (http://ladyjansneverland.blogspot.com/2008/08/upcoming-korean-drama-kingdoms-of.html), Song Il Gook will be portraying Jumong’s grandson in this drama which started airing in Korea on 10 September 2008. He also portrayed Jumong in "Jumong-Prince of The Legend" in 2006. Kim Jae Wook who acted in the popular drama, "Coffee Prince" also stars in this drama.

The drama has been earning praise for its grand-scale battle scenes and acting since its airing. I enjoyed watching the first episode which featured King Yuri in an exciting and touching battle scene. I also found alot of nice pictures of the drama to share with fellow fans of the drama. Choi Jung Won looks really beautiful portraying Princess Yeon and i can't help including more of her pictures :>

“The Kingdom of the Winds” depicts the life of King Daemusin (Song Il Gook) (who was known as Moo Hyul before he became king, also known as “the god of war”, of the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) who conquered the largest land mass in the history of Korea. His love interest will be a Buyeo princess played by Choi Jung Won. The drama starts with King Yuri abandoning his son Moo Hyul (King Daemusin), when he was born as the oracle predicts that he is born with a destiny that will destroy Goguryeo and kill his parents and future son.

Unable to kill his son, the king sends him away, only to find him return as an ambitious soldier. King Yuri had instructed his elder son who was the crown prince of Goguryeo, Prince Haemyeong (Lee Jong Won) to bring the baby away and to break off all ties with Moo Hyul. However unknown to King Yuri, Prince Haemyeong could not bear to abandon his baby brother and asked Hye Ap (Oh Yoon Ah),a woman he loves and the chief decorator of King Jumong's grave to raise Moo Hyul. Prince Haemyeong went back to look for Moo Hyul when he grows up and gave him a chance to be a soldier of Goguryeo and the brothers aim to kill King Daeso of Buyeo...

This profile drawing of Princess Yeon is drawn personally by Song Il-gook!!

The story takes a twist as Moo Hyul falls in love with Princess Yeon (Choi Jung Won), the niece of Goguryeo's adversary. The drama is not just about fighting and killing, but about family. It's about a father and a son and their emotional relationship. War is just a tool and family is what the drama tries to portray. The story continues with the third king of Kogooryeo, "Daemooshin," who intended to expand his country beyond the Booyeo, Nakrang and Chinese Han Empire, and for his son Hodong.

(Source: http://www.koreanmovie.com/The_Kingdom_of_The_Winds_kd279/)
(Source: http://www.hanfever.com/2008/09/05/the-kingdom-of-the-winds-press-conference/_)
(Source: http://www.koreandrama.org/?p=659)

(Source: http://joonsfamily.com/index.php?s=456132f9792c75bfefeb35cd72da7aae&showtopic=20905&st=40)
(Source: http://www.dramabeans.com/2008/09/kingdom-of-wind-aims-young-with-some-idol-faces/)

(Source: http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/baram/media/photo/index.html)

(Source: http://co2r.wordpress.com/category/kingdom-of-the-winds/)

The Straits Time Article of Josh Bernstein

I found the article of Josh's Straits Time interview, dated 7 November 2008 online at http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_299170.html but it is not the full article and i have added the rest of the article extracted from The Straits Time, Friday November 2008, Life Section, Page C21 below to share with fellow fans:

Don't call me Indy

Jocelyn Lee Jocelee@sph.com.sg

AMERICAN television host Josh Bernstein is often called the real- life Indiana Jones.
That is because the double- major graduate in anthropology and psychology from Cornell University is the host of the highly rated archaeology series Digging For The Truth on the History Channel.

As flattering as his Hollywood nickname sounds, Bernstein says he is not at all comfortable with the comparison.

'Indiana Jones is a Hollywood creation and he is a fictitious character, while I am not. I am a real person - I explore, travel and I make mistakes sometimes,' the 37-year-old tells Life! over the phone from London.

'I think it is not a fair comparison and I do hope it will fade away.'

Based in Manhattan, Bernstein is also the president and chief executive officer of an outdoor survival school, as well as the proud owner of two yurts in southern Utah. A yurt is a felt-covered tent-like home to many people in Mongolia and Central Asia.

Last year, he left the History Channel for Discovery Channel to host a new show, Into The Unknown With Josh Bernstein. The eight-episode series sees him travelling to 15 different countries to learn the local culture and unravel its hidden treasures and mysteries.

Of his new show, he says: "There are many television programmes now which are purely for entertainment and they can be quite frivolous. But this series is educational."

In Papau New Guinea, he witnessed and captured on tape a secret mummification technique which had not been performed in more than half a century by the natives.

"It was profound to watch an old man tell his sons, 'This is how i want you to mummify me', while he massaged a corpse that was itself going through the mummification process," he recalls.

Egypt also fascinates him.

"Egypt is a 3,000-year-old civilisation which left us endless monuments that are almost timeless in their beauty and their relevance. If anyone hasn't been there before, they should consider the trip."

He has been to 43 countries around the world. Next on his to-visit list: Nepal, India and the Artic, as these places have great stories to tell and interesting culture to explore.

He says: "I want to check off every single country on the planet. I can't do that all in one year. Give me five years."

8 Foods That Get You Going in the Morning

(Source: http://realage.typepad.com/food_bites/2008/09/8-foods-that-ge.html)

Having trouble switching from dreamland to realityville? Head for the kitchen. What you eat can help you be more alert, think more clearly, have more energy, and even be more creative, says Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of Food & Mood. Assuming you’ve clocked at least 7 hours of sleep, these foods will get you up, focused, and feeling like a morning person -- even if you're totally not.

1. A spoonful of sweetness: A tad of sugar in your coffee or honey in your smoothie stimulates the release of acetylcholine, a brain chemical that enhances memory. But don’t overdo it or you’ll soon feel drowsy. Excess sweetness can raise serotonin levels to a sleep-inducing high.

2. A whole-wheat bagel: Your primo brain fuel is glucose, the basic building block of carbs. So after a night of fasting, your brain is on red alert for a carb fix. But you don’t need a lot -- half a whole-wheat bagel will rev up your engines. So will a bowl of oatmeal. Pick your fave.

3. Lox on that bagel: Salmon contains a fat known as DHA, which makes up 97% of the omega-3 fatty acids in your brain. You need lots of it to get your mental decks cleared for action -- part of DHA’s job is to carry away cellular waste products that make your brain feel sluggish.

4. Spicy V8: Hot and spicy foods amp up blood flow, which is like warming your engines. If tomatoes are too acidic for you in the morning, toss a tablespoon of peeled fresh ginger into hot tea or a cold smoothie for a similar rush.

5. Soy: It contains compounds called isoflavones that help clear your mind (and fight memory loss, too). Drink a glass of calcium-fortified soymilk, pour it over whole-grain cereal, or toss some chopped tofu into scrambled eggs.

6. Ice water: A small glass of frosty H2O will get your blood pumping. The cold shock forces your system to defend its normal temperature, which gives your metabolism a slight boost.

7. Coffee: But of course! Caffeine helps alertness by dampening a chemical called adenosine, which otherwise blocks energy-boosting brain chemicals. As a result, you think faster, drive better, and remember more. Just know your jitter threshold -- getting too wired can undermine your efficiency.

8. If all else fails: Place a tin of ginger-flavored Altoids, a few Red Hots, or a packet of Listerine strips beside your alarm clock. When the buzzer goes off, pop one or two of them into your mouth before hitting the snooze button. It’s virtually impossible to sleep with that “curiously strong” taste waking up your mouth!


Besides facing the day -- we all have to, eventually -- the real benefit of switching your system to "on" in the morning is that your brain starts buzzing, absorbing interesting info and making sense of the news.

Todayonline.com Article of Josh Bernstein

I found this article to share with fellow fans of Josh titled "Adventurer Josh Bernstein explores ancient mysteriesin travelogue " from "Todayonline.com website, dated 6 November 2008 which talks about the upcoming program "Into The Unknown With Josh Bernstein" showing on Discovery channel on 10 November 2008, 11pm:

PAST PURSUITS
Thursday November 6, 2008
Adventurer Josh Bernstein explores ancient mysteriesin travelogue
by: Jennifer Chen jennifer@mediacorp.com.sg

It's easy to sell Josh Bernstein, the host of travelogue Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein, as a real life Indiana Jones.

Like the whip-wielding fictitious adventurer, Bernstein has travelled the world in search of relics and, in a series to be shown on Discovery Channel next Monday, he will be delving into mysteries such as the existence of Noah's Ark and Timbuktu's mythical "City of Gold".

The image is not so easy to sell, however, if the man himself adamantly rejects the label. "Indiana Jones is a Hollywood creation," says Bernstein, 37, in a telephone interview. "This is real life. I explore and I learn and I make mistakes."

His explorations have taken him to Peru to investigate the sudden disappearance of the Chachapoya tribe in the 16th century, and into the depths of Papua New Guinea to witness a secret mummification ritual.

If the themes of the travel series revolve around serious matters, it's not only because Bernstein, who majored in anthropology and psychology at Cornell University, wants to satisfy his intellectual curiosity. He also hopes the show will be an antidote to some of the shows offered on television today.

"I think there's a lot of television today that is not educational. It's just pure entertainment and it can be frivolous," he says. "Hopefully, at the end of this programme, people will have learned something."

And ideally, this great knowledge will lead to great wanderlust. Says Bernstein: "My hope is, after seeing the beautiful sights, people will be inspired to travel the world and see these places for themselves."

He divides his time between his flat in New York and his 6.5m yurt in Utah. That's the tent used by Mongolian nomads. He has a bigger, 9m, yurt, which he uses as a store for the Boulder Outdoor Survival School that he heads.

His best tip for fellow adventurers on how to survive in the wilderness? "The number one criterion for survival in almost every case is the will to live," Bernstein says. "Most people who die do not die from exposure. They die from giving up."

"And then it helps to have certain skills, how to provide shelter, fire or water for yourself. These are some of the stuff we teach at the school."

Into the Unknown with Josh Bernstein airs every Monday, starting next week, on Discovery Channel(StarHub Ch 12) at 11pm.

There is also another article of Josh on The Straits Time Newspaper, Singapore, Life section, 7 November 2008 edition which also promotes his new program on Discovery Channel and the content is almost similiar. I would post it on my blog later :>

(Source: http://www.todayonline.com/articles/285609.asp)

Bulb Benefit

(Source: Self Magazine, October 2008 edition)


Fresh garlic may be better at deterring disease than bottled prechopped garlic, research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reveals. Fresh cloves may maintain higher levels of allicin, a cancer-fighting compound. Cut one into a sauce or a pasta dish.

Rainie Yang - 帶我走 MV

I found Rainie Yang's latest MV from her new album "Rainie's Proclamation – Not Yet A Woman " from youtube. The song is quite nice and it has been awhile since i heard her songs. I really like her first album and always sings her songs in Karaoke. Hopefully her latest album would be nicer than her previous album which i did not really like after listening.

Food For Younger Looking Hair

(Source: http://www.realage.com/ct/tips/7160)

It’s one of the maddening ironies of aging: Hair gets thinner where we want it -- on our heads -- and starts sprouting up in places we don’t.

Good trimmers and tweezers are all you need for the latter. But for the former? Try these healthy hair foods from Drs. Roizen and Oz (see below) -- they can help make your locks look more like they did in your 20s.

Healthy-Hair Diet

Eat more salmon. Omega-3 rich foods like salmon and sardines help seal in shine. Distilled fish oils or DHA supplements will work, too. Need something new to do with salmon? Try this quick and easy Blackened Salmon Sandwich from EatingWell.

Be a bran lover. Bran is rich in vitamin B, which may slow hair loss and promote hair growth. Other B-rich victuals include beans, peas, carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, nuts, and eggs. Make bran-infused pancakes a snap with this Healthy Pancake Mix.

Say yes to avocados. Avocados and avocado oil may prevent some funky stuff that kills hair follicles -- dihydrotestosterone (DHT) -- from getting where it needs to go. Watch this video for shortcuts on cutting, peeling, and seeding an avocado.

Say no to animal fat -- and red meat -- if you’re losing hair. They can lead to more DHT production and hair-follicle damage. Make meat-free gravy for your mashers with this delicious Portobello Gravy recipe.

Stock up on green tea. Brew a strong pot, cool it, then give your head a rinse to help kill off dandruff-causing fungus. Incidentally, if you drink green tea, the caffeine in it may help slow balding, too. Try this simple Green Tea-Fruit Smoothie for breakfast -- another fabulous EatingWell recipe.

Utada Hikaru - The Flavour of Life MV

Here is another nice song i found from youtube to share with everyone from one of my favourite Japanese singer, Utada Hikaru's "The Flavour Of Life":



(Source: http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=12D6qOf5psU&feature=related)

Eva Chan 陳詩慧 - 錯在我/ In The Wrong MV

After writing hit songs like Ron Ng's "Don't Blame Her", Raymond Lam and Linda Chung's "Heart Knows", and Eason Chan's "Flash" and "Concert", Hong Kong songwriter Eva Chan makes her own singing debut in 2008. The multi-tasking singer-songwriter wrote, composed, and produced all the songs in her ten-track debut album "Merci" including the main tracks "Thanks to You" and "In the Wrong".


I really like her voice and songs after listening to her debut album "Merci".
Here is one of the MV of my favourite song from her album which i found from youtube:



(Source: http://www.yesasia.com/us/merci/1012262024-0-0-0-en/info.html)

DailyLit.com For Free Reading

I chanced upon another interesting and useful website for book lovers while reading Self Magazine, October 2008 issue. If you have no time to read an entire book, get short installments via e-mail. Log on to http://dailylit.com/ and choose from more than 950 titles (many free). I found books by Jane Austen that i have been wanting to read and can't wait to try out the service :>

Into The Unknown: Josh Berstein Showing in Southeast Asia 10 November 2008

I wrote about the program in my previous post in August 2008: http://ladyjansneverland.blogspot.com/2008/08/into-unknown-with-josh-bernstein.html "Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein" on Discovery Channel had premiered on August 18 at 10pm ET/PT and i would finally get to see the program in Singapore on 10 November 2008, 11pm! I saw the tv trailer of the show while watching "Egypt's 10 Greatest Discoveries" on Discovery Channel 12 and can't wait for the show to start soon.

The program is the first installment of “Into the Unknown With Josh Bernstein,” a new series featuring the genial fellow who made archaeology entertaining as the original host of “Digging for the Truth” on History Channel. For more information on the program, you can go to Discovery website: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/josh-bernstein/josh-bernstein.html Remember to support the show :>

Control For Candy Craving

(Source: http://www.realage.com/ct/eat-smart/food-and-nutrition/tip/7168)

The trick to avoiding a candy binge? Surprising as this sounds: Put the minipacks away, and take a small handful from a big bag instead.

Treats in small Halloween-size packages can trick even careful eaters into overindulging. In a recent study, people concerned about their waistlines ate more high-calorie snacks when given small bags instead of big ones.

Persuasive Packets

Why? In a related study, minipacks of foods like M&M’s and little cookies led people to go overboard because they viewed the smaller portions as "healthier" versions of high-calorie treats. And careful eaters were less likely to even open big bags of candy, unlike snack packs. Which means small bags may do a better job of luring you into high-calorie munching in the first place. (Tuck away the candy and satisfy your need for something sweet with this quick EatingWell recipe: "Cocoa-Nut" Bananas.)

Caveat for the Unconcerned

One alert: According to the study, minis don’t seem to make everyone overeat -- only those who are concerned about managing their weight. People who weren’t concerned about gaining weight munched more snacks from large bags than small ones. Either way, what it all boils down to is portion control. And practicing this eating trick can make you a master at it.

Video: Prevent sweets and treats from haunting your waistline. Watch this video to learn how to make a sweet-salty-and-satisfying snack.

Gathering cum Wii Sports TV Game Party

It was Halloween yesterday and some of my friends came to my place for dinner cum Wii Sport TV game party. It has been awhile since we met up and we had alot of fun playing Wii sport games and it was a good way of entertainment and also helps us to digest our dinner. I love the shooting, tennis and bowling games and it is definitely more fun and exciting playing with friends. We also discovered that one of my friend who is real ladylike and gentle is a boxing expert and she really thrashed all of us in the game heehee.. and this is the first time i have seen her "violent" side after knowing her for so many years.


I went to the Women's Fair 08 at Marina Square in the morning to renew my magazine subscriptions and had lunch there with my mum and did not have much time to cook by the time i got home. It was real crowded at the fair and but i managed to get lot of free gifts when i renewed my "Simply Her" magazine for another 3 years. I have been a loyal reader of the magazine since it started few years ago and i like the recipes and cool household tips featured in the magazine.

I decided to cook something simple, my favourite tomato mushroom sauce pasta with mushroom meatballs and honey baked ham and mushroom potato soup using instant campbell soup (you just have to add 2 slices of cheese to the soup and it tastes real yummy :>) for dinner and baked some frozen chicken nuggets. Below are some pictures i took of our dinner cum game time. Weekends are usually soccer time for me and i'm looking forward to watch the match between Man U and Hull City coming up in half an hours time. Hopefully my favourite player Ronaldo would score again!!