5 Creative NEW ways to diet..

Its the season to be jolly again... bring out the turkey, pour the champagne and deck out that ever sinful chocolate log cake...


but wait... what happens after all the eating and drinking? Suddenly remembering that diet you have always talked about?

Losing weight should not be that difficult.
Going from a size 8 to a size 7 should not have to mean giving up on all that good food. Or even having to hit the gym 8 days a week! (if there was 8!)

So that Fad people, came up with 5 new creative ways to diet..

Creative, easy (easier) so that you do not get stuck in a "i am going on a diet" situation forever..

Becos it will always remain... Going...

and for the poor boys, maybe it will be easier to answer the "am i fat? (there is no right answer)" question..

Creative Tip 1: Write down all that you eat.. eating.. ate...

(Go on the guilt trip...)

Many of us eat too little but snack too much.. (see the irony!) so, if you wrote down EVERYTHING (yes, everything!), you will realise when u snacked too much. In this way, when you about to start eating anything you SHOULD NOT be, you will know it!

Creative Tip 2: Drink Green Tea!!

(not the sugarfied one like pokka or Yeos.. but green tea bags...)

There has been lots of discussion over the benefits of green tea, and one being the chemicals that speed up basal metabolism (which in other words, BURN FATS!!!). Enough said!

Side effects: lack of sleep... due to caffeine, so advice is to drink it in the day!

Creative Tip 3: Get Busy...

(aka Operation Stay Away from the Fridge)

Well, this has to do with our mentality... when we have nothing to do, we sit around, we get bored, we start having this itch and finally we start to wonder what is there to put into our mouths... Thus do something, find a hobby, walk around or even sleep just try to keep those itchy fingers away from the fridge!!

Creative Tip 4: Use smaller plates.. Yes.. smaller.. smaller..

(in other words, bluff yourself!)

This might sound silly (actually we think so too..) but if you use a smaller plate, you can actually fool your brain into thinking that you are taking in more food than you actually are.

Well, a smaller plate will look fuller than a bigger plate and thus you will have less.. thinking you had more..

The Wonders of Lies!!!

Final Tip 5: Stop reading, Start doing!

(which means, you really have to do it...)

If you just talk about it but ain't doing anything about it... there is nothing we can help you as well. Take our advices and start NOW, write down what you been snacking on, brew some green tea and buy a pretty nice but small plate...

But still... Nothing beats having some exercise to keep healthy and look good!

Keep Busy.. Start Running!!!






Disclaimer: please consult your doctor before embarking on any dieting programme. We are only the Fad people, not the Fad Doctors...

Food Review - The Ship

When there is food involved, who else is there better to do the review but the fat Fadboy.

Today, I am bringing you to a place many aunties and uncles would be familiar with. A Singaporean "classic".. when western food first got popular, this was the "in" place to be...

Yes, The Ship... For the younger ones out there, ask your parents (or grandparents if u are younger den young).

And if you have never heard of it, its not because its located at some obscure place. In fact, its located in the heart of Orchard Road. Its just located on the 4th floor of Shaw Centre (the one besides Lido!)

What would be difficult is actually really finding it. It is located in a obscure corner of Shaw Centre.

Go to Isetan (in Lido! its not just a cinema!), go to the 3rd floor.. Try to locate the photo booth and walk into Shaw Centre. Ok, I narrowed your search, now try looking for that striking Neon Yellow Sign that SCREAMs!

Once you are in the restaurant, its a cruise (no pun intended!) from here...

Sit back... Relax... Let the waiter light the candle on your table... and enjoy the peace and tranquility. (You will soon forget the lights and buzz of busy Orchard Road.)

The place might appear alittle "Old - School", but I am impressed with the effort taken to decorate the place into its name worthy.

The ambience of the place is amazing. If you have a date, bring him/her here and impress them with your knowledge of this really cool and hidden spot! (remember to let them know u heard it from us!)

Ok, lets talk about the SERIOUS stuff now.

My date had the Norwegian Salmon that came with side vegs and potatoes. You can't really see it in the photo but underneath the salmon was spinach that were excellent! (we didnt notice until we were busy filling ourselves up!)

Thick, juicy and fresh... Just 3 words to describe the Salmon (yes, I stole more than just a bite!)

For myself, I could not decide between seafood and the beef. Thus I decided on a Combo! (even for combos they had quite a few to choose from!)

I chose one that had a beef (the waiter was nice enough to tell me which was the best cut of the day!) and lobster!

The meal concluded with cake (i saw others with a scope of ice cream) and coffee (or tea).. Nothing special, but just something simple you would expect after a meal from home...

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. Well worth the $60 spent. But I do have to comment that although the food was good but it was really the ambience that blew me over.

So I give it 4 out of 5 Fadpoints!

And do remember to pay, else the Captain might just ask you to walk the plank!

The Ship is located @ #04-34/36, 1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre, Singapore 228208

To reserve a place, call the following numbers:
62352235/62358189

"Eat" and Run

Food blogging seems to be the craze these days. What better place to be in and start than here in Singapore? The melting pot of gastronomical delight, east-meets-west-meets curry chicken and prata. Even if you can't cook, you can still drool over the sumptuous looking photos on blogs, no?

Despite living in a country where hawker centres and food courts are the pride of our culinary identity, I never liked mee-poks and rojaks till recently. In fact, I have always been more interested in Western food, à la Italian and French, mostly. I watch Anthony Bourdain and Nigella Lawson. I worship Jamie Oliver. That's where I learn everything I know about food. That's who I learnt cooking from.

Focaccia bread, mozzarella cheese on home made pizzas, anchovies in salads, extra virgin olive oil, zucchinis, foie gras, raviolis, smoked salmon with capers, grilled ribeye steaks.... The list goes on.

Having travelled to the Mecca of Pasta & Bread, Europe, and fulfilling my dream of eating from Tuscany to Hungary, I was grateful for an eye-opening and very satisfying food-and-cultural experience of the West. But strangely, I miss home food. I miss those simple yet delicious local fare. Whilst travelling, I find myself drooling over the thoughts of bah-coh-mee, nasi lemak and fried kway teow with hum. It was painful not having chillis bc the Europeans cannot take the spicey heat. It felt weird to keep eating pastas and nothing else.

So upon my return, there's a new-found respect and love for local cuisine. I am glad that I live in a country that embraces diversity in food. A place that celebrates eating. A place where I can have both my paella and my ice-kachang.

In today's column, we'll feature some interesting food blogs. The "Eat" place to go for your different needs: be it when you are hungry, when lunch time is nearing, when you are bored in the office/classrooms and have nothing interesting to read, or simply need new ideas as to where to hang out this coming weekend. You know where you can get new ideas and inspirations!


1. I EAT I SHOOT I POST (http://ieatishootipost.blogspot.com/)

The office favourite of those foodies who live for the moment. With lunch time being a mere one hour usually, you'd want to enjoy the best meal of the day to congratulate yourself for making it past noon and motivating yourself to hang in there till 6pm. I EAT I SHOOT I POST covers lotsa great makan places all over Singapore, with lotsa readers comments to help you decide. If you like your 5 seconds of fame, go eat and recommend!

2. YUM (http://yum.sg/)



A portal more than a blog, offering reviews with search options. Very useful for doing research on where to go. Be it for a date or birthday celebrations, or simply for a meal. If you are an avid backpacker, you'd relate this website to that of Virtual Tourist. Those interested in reviewing food and restaurants can also sign up to write for this site.

3. ONLY SLIGHTLY PRETENTIOUS FOOD (http://epicurative.blogspot.com/)



As the name suggests, slightly pretentious food blogging. Nothing pompous. Rather down to earth. With pictures and words aplenty, what the Fad girl likes about this blog is the fact that at the side bar, there are different categories, all neatly sorted, for what might interest different readers. Reviews, recipes and even a food thesaurus. Very meticulous.

4. SHE BAKES AND SHE COOKS (http://thebakerwhocooks.blogspot.com/)



Martha Stewart of the lot. With rather nice pictures and a blazing passion for cooking. The USP (Unique Selling Point) of this blog is its rustic presentation and links to local food stores and sites. Who'd have thought we can assign IPS addresses to groceries now? Awesome. For the serious foodies and chefs.

5. MAD BAKER (http://www.madbaker.net/)



Yes we've heard of Chet Baker, the famous Jazz singer. But Mad Baker? Well, this is more of an online Bakery pet hobby of some software developer here in Singapore. The Mad Baker makes and she SELLS her pretty bakes online. Looking at those piles of beautiful photos just tempt me to wanna order from this really cool Mad Baker. (Go look at those rainbow macaroons!) After all, Mad rhymes with FAD! :)

6. HUNGRY GO WHERE (http://www.hungrygowhere.com/)



The Singapore Food Guide. Search engines and ratings. A comprehensive F&B database of local restaurants. Also a portal with members incentives of vouchers and discounts. What I don't like about it is the Yellow Pages feel, but a very useful portal nonetheless!

7. THE BREAKFAST BLOG (http://thebreakfastblog.blogspot.com/)



Children, your mom is right when she says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So important that someone decides to dedicate a blog to solely breakfast! For a cosmopolitan read beyond our tiny island, complete with drools-worthy pics; for those who wonder what goes beyond scrambled eggs and brioche, check out this blog.

8. PRO BONO BAKER (http://probonobaker.typepad.com/)



Arriving at the web page, you know you're in for something chic and beautiful. A Chicago-based food blog with vibrant pictures adorning the site, any foodies' gastronomic dream will be fulfiled here.

9. La Tartine Gourmande (http://www.latartinegourmande.com/)



For those who believe art is food, art is photography, art is a form of expression as well as obsession, then this is the blog for you. With a french touch, this is the virtual form of A Year In Provence and the likes. Très lovely!

10. THE HUNGRY COW (http://thehungrycow.blogspot.com/)



Authentically Singaporean, with engaging description as well as interesting photos. The blogger also provides his own insights and injects a personal sense of humour and style. A nice finishing touch was to include the address of the place introduced at the end of the post.

Hopefully you've gained certain insights into what's going on in the food blogging-sphere both in Singapore and other countries. There are many links in the individual web pages where you can explore. So here's wishing you success in creating your own MakanSutra!