SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - Many are convinced that steamboat is a healthy alternative, but there are calories lurking in the stock and the dips.

Steam pot seems to be a good alternative. There is no soup involved - you simply place the food in the steamer and let the heat do the work.And if you skip the rice and sauces, and stick to seafood and vegetables, it should be a guilt-free meal.

Those in Woodlands have the option (it may well be their only option) for a steam pot meal.

Run by the Kopitiam Group, Sedap Dan Sihat, which means tasty and healthy in Malay, is a new resident at Vista Point.

It offers inexpensive sets for steam pot and you can use your Kopitiam Card for a further 10 per cent discount.

The steam pot comes in various configurations with varying ingredients. One value-for-money pot is Set B at $50. You get items such as flower crab, crayfish, prawns (surprisingly fresh, for the price) and smoked duck.

Make sure you have the shiitake mushrooms with quail eggs too. And there should be enough ingredients to feed two.

If you cannot go without carbs, there are some options.

Pay $17 for a porridge add-on, made with jasmine rice, dried scallop and clams. The porridge is cooked with the juices of whatever you are steaming.Be prepared for it to be delicately sweet.

The ayam penyet set ($7) also comes with rice. The chicken is beautifully fried - crispy and aromatic on the outside, juicy on the inside. And although the tempeh may not be the best around, it is still good.

Some people may doubt the health benefits of chicken rice, but since it makes me happy, it is good for my well-being.

The chicken rice set ($6.50) has impressive heritage - it is the one from Sergeant Hainanese Chicken Rice. The chicken is tender and juicy, the rice is fragrant and, while I am not a fan of the chilli sauce, others swear by it.

While the seafood hor fun ($35 for four) looks impressive, I was not wowed. The ingredients are plentiful, but the noodles - chee cheong fun skin - just did not have the smokiness that makes a plate of hor fun great.

Sedap Dan Sihat

01-20 Vista Point, 548 Woodlands Drive 44; open: 10am to 11pm daily; tel: 6891-2663