The idea of dressing up and walking into a club seems far away. No one knows what can happen in the next minute amid the pandemic. But there’s good news for peeps who miss the club vibes. You can now step back onto the dance floor at Zouk. But this time around, with a slightly different twist.
Zouk has decided to evolve with the times and turn their empty dance floor into a revenue opportunity. If you’ve been a die-hard clubber over the years, Capital lounge would ring a bell. The lounge space has been transformed into a pop-up restaurant named Capital Kitchen. You can find it on the second floor of the Zouk complex. It is open on Wednesdays to Saturdays, from 5pm to 11pm.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU
Eager to place a reservation and dine in with your fellow clubbers? First up, you need to know what’s on the menu at Capital Kitchen. You can expect both Asian and Western cuisines. As you’ve probably clicked in to read from the title, we will start off by introducing the cocktails.
Cocktails
Apart from teh peng cocktails, Zouk has also come up with other locally-inspired flavours like milo gao and assam guava. Honestly, we’re really curious about the taste. If you’re heading there before we do, please let us know your verdict.
Image Credits: Zouk
Highlights of the menu
Some of the highlights from Capital Kitchen include – the Signature Battered Fish & Chips (25 SGD), the Signature Royal Broth Congee (15 SGD), and the Australian Ribeye Strips (48 SGD). Here’s how the fish & chips and congee look like to whet your appetite:
Image Credits: Zouk
Image Credits: Zouk
Sharing platters
Other than ala carte items, there’re also sharing platters. If you’re dining in a group of five, the Feasting Platter (108 SGD) would be an excellent choice. The platter consists of yummy Ebi Chilli Flatbread, Mala Chicken Skin, Chicken Wings, Truffle Fries, Squid Pong, and Australian Ribeye Strips.
And of course, if you do not like everything from the platter, you may place individual orders and snack on the ones you like. There’s the Ebi Chilli Flatbread, Mala Chicken Skin, and Truffle Fries each at 20 SGD. Chicken Wings are also available at 18 SGD.
FOOD COLLABORATIONS
Diners can also look forward to limited-edition food menu items Zouk has with other local food providers.
For a start, they have partnered home-bakery, Paparch. If it sounds familiar, that’s because it has recently gained popularity for its Burnt Cheesecake (15 SGD). With its burnt caramelised exterior and molten centre, it’s simply irresistible. However, it’s only available in limited quantities daily so act fast if you want a taste.
Image Credits: Zouk
If you weren’t able to get your hands on the cheesecake, that’s fine. There are other desserts like Churros and Chocolate and Caramel Tarts. It’s an equally sweet deal!
For reservations, you may email them at [email protected] or call/WhatsApp the team at 9006 8793.
Eating is a way of life. Or rather, should I say eating well is a way of life? Either way, I think it is safe to say that many Singaporeans live to eat. I’m part of the gang. Well, blaming no one here with the range of food options in Singapore. From local to international delights, a glutton like me is truly satisfied with this sunny island. What about you?
But to be honest, I sometimes fall into the guilt cycle of wanting to eat my favourite hawker foods but yet worried about the weight I’m putting on.
That’s why we went on a search for ways to lower some calories so we can all continue eating our favourite hawker dishes guilt-free. Or at least, attempt to lessen the times we feel bad about it. Ready to go on this learning journey with us? Let’s roll with some of the popular foods and tips!
#1: WONTON MEE (434 CALORIES)
Image Credits: straitstimes.com
Wonton mee is love. Who can say no to flavourful roasted char siew and silky smooth wantons? We know we can’t. That’s why we will continue to slurp our noodles but along with some tips to note.
As you walk through the stalls, see if you can spot one with a Healthier Oil decal. When you’ve decided to order, get the soup version, politely ask for more vegetables, and request for steamed wontons instead of fried ones.
Here’s the explanation. Firstly, the soup version means you will do away with the sauce that comes with the dry wanton mee. Seasonings add to the calories you’re consuming so it’s better to avoid them. Secondly, adding vegetables should be self-explanatory. Greens are good for health! Thirdly, we all know that compared to the steamed method of cooking, deep-fried foods (though extremely tasty) are high in calories and fats.
TL;DR
Spot a stall with a Healthier Oil decal
Get the soup wanton mee instead of the dry version
Politely ask for more vegetables
Request for steamed wontons rather than fried ones
#2: YONG TAU FOO WITH RICE (517 CALORIES)
Image Credits: singhealth.com.sg
Do you like your yong tau foo dry or with soup? I’m a soup lover so I would opt for the soup version over dry and I’m glad I’m on the right track.
Using what we’ve learned for wanton mee, for the dry version, your beloved hawker will usually drizzle generous portions of sauce. Remember what we mentioned earlier? Sauces are generally high in calories and salt content so make the right choice. Next up, opt for clear soup over laksa or curry gravy and say no to deep-frying your items.
And if you need an explanation, here it is. We’ve already made our point previously on the sauces and deep-fried foods so we shall skip that. For laksa or curry gravy, just think of what goes in during the cooking process – ingredients like coconut milk. Don’t get me wrong. I adore the taste of coconut milk in my laksa or curry gravy. But do you know that 100g of coconut milk has about 230 calories? Eliminate unwanted calories if you want to eat healthier.
TL;DR
Go for the yong tau foo soup
Opt for clear soup over laksa or curry gravy
Say no to deep-frying your items
#3: ROJAK (518 CALORIES)
Image Credits: visitsingapore.com
When was the last time you had rojak? My mum used to tell me not to eat too much rojak because of the amount of palm sugar and sweet dressings this ‘mixed salad’ has. Guess what? She’s right, but only to a certain extent.
That’s because you can make certain tweaks to lower the calorie count. Can you guess one of the most sinful ingredients used to make our favourite rojak? Apart from sugar and sauce, it’s you tiao. Some of you might know this as fried dough fritters. In replacement of that, ask for more fruits and vegetables. Also, ask for less sweet sauce, please.
Feeling unjustified? Listen to us. Firstly, you need to bid goodbye to that stick of shiny-looking deep-fried you tiao because one stick of you tiao has 285 calories. Secondly, everyone needs to eat at least two servings of fruits and vegetables so adding more is a given. Thirdly, sweet sauce is high in sugar content. To put it into context, 100g of sugar is equivalent to 387 calories.
TL;DR
Give up your you tiao (fried dough fritters)
Replace that with more fruits and vegetables
Ask for less sweet sauce
#4: CHICKEN RICE (572 CALORIES)
Image Credits: Time Out
Craving for a fragrant plate of warm chicken rice right now. Coupled with some black sauce, minced ginger, and spicy garlic red chilli sauce… it’s heaven in the form of food. But hold up, go easy on the sauce. Almost got carried away, my bad.
To lower the calories, remove the chicken skin before digging in. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) encourages us to opt for plain or brown rice. Honestly, that’s a little too much for me to sacrifice. So instead of swapping the entire plate, you can opt for less rice. As for the cucumber slices, you should know what to do! Request for more greens.
One chicken wing with skin (about 34g) has 99 calories. When compared to the same without skin, it’s only about 42 calories. Eating it without the skin will allow you to cut your calories intake by more than half! Just imagine the amount you can lessen if you remove them from your plate completely.
TL;DR
Remove chicken skin
Opt for plain / brown rice or ask for less rice
Request for more cucumber slices
#5: NASI LEMAK (575 CALORIES)
Image Credits: tasteasianfood.com
To round up this article, we have our all-time favourite nasi lemak. This dish rich in coconut milk is usually served with fried anchovies, toasted peanuts, and cucumber slices. Oh yes, and accompanied with addictive sambal chilli.
If you’ve faithfully read this article from start to end, you should know where this paragraph is heading towards. First up, ask for less coconut rice. We hope you’ve not forgotten what we shared before – how 100g of coconut milk has about 230 calories. Secondly, if you’re serious about your health, choose vegetables over fried items. Lastly, go easy on that gravy.
TL;DR
Ask for less coconut rice
Choose vegetables over fried items
Go easy on the gravy
We’re sure it won’t taste 100% the same if you heed our recommendations. But, your body will thank you in the long run. On a positive note, you don’t have to give up on your favourite local hawker foods and survive just on salads. Isn’t that something worth rejoicing for?
In the last few years, the quest towards women attaining perfection has reached bizarre levels. Beauty and fashion companies have been guilty of projecting women according to a certain standard. In other words, a global benchmark of beauty has been imposed on the entire women population of the world.
All this has taken the attention to be healthy in one’s own body type. All human beings have been made different when it comes to our bodies. What works for one body type, might not work for the other one. In this article, we look at the top five mistakes women are making when it comes to health and fitness issues.
Why Women are confusing Health and Fitness with something else?
Women are going to extreme lengths to adhere to the global norms of beauty, style and fashion. Women are crash dieting to lose twenty pounds in a week. Going to the gym twice a day to gain muscle mass, or even going under the knife to get that flawless body types and sizes.
Health and fitness is being confused with beauty and fashion. Being size zero might be something, which a fashion magazine is promoting, but it can lead to serious health issues and loss of productivity. Our internal organs need to be healthy to perform day-to-day tasks efficiently. Going for a crash diet and fainting at work is not being healthy.
A serious problem in today’s society is that beauty and fashion magazines have substituted the advice of doctors, nutritionists and other certified medical practitioners. Women are learning what it means to be healthy from sources who do not have any expertise in the same.
5 Mistakes women make when it comes to health and fitness: The List
1. Getting influenced by Social Media and Peer Pressure-
The rise of social media has brought in the trend of making unhealthy comparisons. This has been more pronounced when it comes to issues like women’s health and fitness. It is best that women avoid getting influenced by what is happening on social media. This will prevent them from engaging in unrealistic expectations and focus on their own individuality. This will also allow them to take help from experts rather than influencers.
2. Not taking help from Medical Experts-
With the advent of digital and social media platforms, women have stopped paying attention to critical health and medical issues. For example, it is advisable that women do regular checks for breast cancer. However, the quest towards superficial and surface-level beauty makes them ignore this. Women should definitely check out treatments for breast cancer by Thomson Medical to look after themselves
3. Following a Food or Diet Plan blindly-
It is not necessary that a Keto diet or a Paleo diet might be good for you. It is advisable that before you start a diet plan, you should discuss it with your doctor or nutritionist. What might suit someone on social media, might not suit you. Even though you want to experience the same results, following a diet plan from the internet is not advisable under any circumstances. It is best to leave this to experts.
4. Too much Gym Time and Burnouts-
Everybody is made different and reacts differently to different kinds of activities and exercises. During the pandemic, so many health and fitness influencers have come on social media and started discussing home gym tips. This is wrong, as they are not taking into consideration the individuality or the health issues of their users. Always remember, if you want to change your body, 80% of it has to do with your diet, and 20% to do with your exercises
5. Not being Regular or Consistent in your Health Plans-
When it comes to health and fitness issues, it is important that we follow a steady and consistent regime. This helps our body become familiar with something, over a period. Following the familiarization, the body starts reacting to the same in a favorable manner. If you start a trend, a fad and keep abandoning it when the next one comes about, you will do your health a grave injustice. Being consistent always reaps rich dividends when it comes to health and fitness.
Conclusion
By avoiding the above-mentioned five mistakes in their lives, women can improve their health and fitness issues. Women should always remember that every one of us has been made special in our own way, and hence we should treat our bodies accordingly. Can you think of some other mistakes we can add to the list?
Are you still staying home for the most part of the weekend? Running out of things to do? Up your stay-home experience with activity kits from madebyyou.sg! The platform is an extension of Style Theory, a clothes rental subscription platform.
There are kits in the category of craft, cook, and kid-friendly activities. At the time of writing, the kits are going from 16.90 SGD. We took a browse through their website and found some interesting kits like making kueh lapis. Upon your purchase, you can immediately access the recipes or tutorials online. You will receive your physical kit in seven days!
#1: KUEH LAPIS SAGU KIT
Image Credits: madebyyou.sg
Some of us identify kueh lapis by its Chinese name, 九层糕, which literally translates to nine-layer cake. This multi-layered sweet treat actually originates from Indonesia and is a type of Peranakan food.
Instead of buying ready-made ones for snacks, how about doing it yourself? This is a kid-friendly activity so if you’re thinking of keeping the little ones occupied at home, here’s one solution.
#2: BRUSH CALLIGRAPHY KIT / MODERN CALLIGRAPHY KIT
Image Credits: madebyyou.sg
I’ve personally attended a brush calligraphy class before and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Thanks to The Letter J Supply, you can now pick-up a new skill at the comfort of home.
The Letter J Supply has two types of kits you can choose from – the brush calligraphy and modern calligraphy. Both activity kits are suitable for teenagers aged 12 and above. It really requires patience as you attempt to master the basic strokes. But once you look at the finished product, you will be oh-so-proud of yourself!
Hook Coffee will help you start your day right with its beginner’s coffee kit. If you have a slight coffee intolerance like I do (but still love coffee the same), this kit would be a life-saver. This is because it comes with a bag of Sweet Bundchen.
Sweet Bundchen is one of Hook Coffee’s best sellers and it’s not hard to understand why. With a little milk added, it might remind you of Kinder Buenos. You will get a taste combination of rich milk chocolates and nutty hazelnuts. How can we say no?
While the majority of us are out and about during phase two, it’s still important to abide by the rules. Rather than keeping to hearsay, it’s wiser to refer to authentic news sources. Here’s all you need to know as we’re a week into phase two.
And of course, that’s not the aim of today’s article. For those who are still staying home as much as you can, thank you. We appreciate you being careful towards Singapore’s reopening of the economy. Hence, we’ve searched on a couple of online courses by the People’s Association (PA) you can attend in July. Better still, you can get 2% off the course fees if you register online from now till 31 March 2021! Here are some courses below 15 SGD. All prices shown are after discount.
#1: PILOXING
Date: 11 July 2020
Time: 9am to 10am
Public fee: 4.90 SGD
Get your heart pumping with an hour session of piloxing via Zoom. As the name suggests, it is a type of exercise involving a mixture of pilates and boxing. Let the team from Nawal Haddad Fitness lead you in this cardio-heavy workout that’s bound to work up a sweat! For more details, please refer to the course page.
#2: HEALTH QIGONG
Date: Several dates throughout July to August 2020
Time: Varies across sessions
Public fee: 9.80 SGD
Health Qigong is a type of mind body exercise (MBE). It uses repeatable physical movements and is not a physically strenuous activity. Thus, Health Qigong makes a suitable exercise for the elderly to take part in. Think of it as the Chinese version of yoga, just less intense.
Image Credits: vimeo.com/belgianhealthqigong
If your parents or grandparents aren’t tech-savvy, how about signing them up for one or a few sessions? We saw a couple of dates available throughout July and August 2020. Click through these links for easy sign-ups:
Or simply search for ‘Health Qigong (Online)’ via onePA’s website for other available dates.
#3: ZUMBA
Date: Several dates throughout July to August 2020
Time: Varies across sessions
Public fee: free to 14.70 SGD
I’ve personally tried Zumba before. Not going to lie, it wasn’t easy for my very first session. The hand-leg coordination was my roadblock. If you’re a perfectionist like I am, then it will be really stressful wanting to master the dance moves. But that’s not the point! I’ve learnt how to feel the music, let go, and have fun during Zumba sessions. You can too!
There’s one free session coming right up on 1 July 2020. Registration closes on 28 June 2020 so fastest fingers first. Here are the next available dates:
