We’re celebrating Chope’s birthday and all our wonderful foodies who, just like us, are in love with good food! A gastronomic adventurer with a soft spot for cheese and an insatiable sweet tooth, today’s guest star has loads of drool-worthy photos and equally delicious meals under her belt.

Say hello to our second Chope star foodie: Clancie (@clancie)!

Tell us a little bit about yourself: when did your love for food begin?

I have been a fussy eater since I was young. If I didn’t like it, I didn’t touch it and if I did like the food, I could eat the same thing every single day till I got bored! I can’t remember exactly when my love for food began but my first memory of really going out there to hunt for good food was while I was studying in university in Canberra, Australia. One of my friends was a huge foodie who studied hospitality and was big on food and wine. We would do part-time jobs and splurge all our pay on food or go to another state just for a foodie day trip.

I have a very slow metabolic rate so I am more particular about the food that I eat. That way, I won’t waste my precious, limited stomach space. Most people just think I am hard to please so they will always ask me to suggest or recommend places to eat instead of making the suggestions themselves.

What’s your favourite restaurant in Singapore and/or overseas?

To be honest, I don’t have a favourite restaurant as I always want to try new places. I love to explore and sample different cuisines. The older I get, the more open I am to eating things that I would have rejected before (such as innards, pigs’ blood, etc). No insects or creepy crawlies or animal’s genitals for me though!

Having said that, I do have a couple of trusty restaurants/cafes that I fall back on and would recommend to friends.

Da Luca at Goldhill Plaza is a must-try if you love Italian food. The prices are not cheap but also not too extravagant. Most importantly, their service is awesome, and the food is just amazing. In recent years, they’re known for their over-the-top Truffled Angel Hair Pasta with Caviar and Uni which is only, mind you, a starter. It costs $80-ish for the basic works and up to $120 for every additional topping. It’ll definitely blow your mind (and money) away. The good news is, you can have this to share for at least 2-3 pax as the portion is huge.

For Japanese, I go to Hakumai Sushi & Omakase at International Plaza. The slices of sashimi Chef Gary Ng places on the rice are double or triple the size of the rice. Really good value for money, especially if you like your fish Aburi-ed. I wouldn’t say he’s a purist in the cuisine but I do enjoy sitting at the counter, watching him and his staff prepare my meal and making small talk with them. Everything feels really homey when you know the staff! I always walk away too full blaming myself for being so greedy, since I could have stopped them from over-feeding me.

Another restaurant I love is Nobu-Ya at Fortune Centre. I feel like I am in Japan whenever I go there, with most of their customers being Japanese, feasting on authentic Japanese Oden and other small bites. A warning though – it’s mandatory to order alcohol, or the boss may get angry and chase you off. If you like sake, ask them about their seasonal sake and you can get very good recommendations from the staff.

So many new hipster cafes open every other week and it’s really difficult to keep up with them (I don’t even want to try). My faves would be P.S. Cafe, Riders Cafe, Maison Ikkoku, Symmetry and Kith Cafe. There must a good reason why these have withstood the test of time in the F&B industry and still serve up satisfying meals to “oldies” like myself, right?

If you could be an ingredient, what would it be and why?

Blue Cheese – because you either like it or you don’t, which is very similar to my character. I’m the type of person you either want to get close to because I can make a really good friend or you might be put off because I “bite” and am sometimes brutally honest. Hard on the outside, a big softie on the inside. I’ve gotten better with age though!

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Fried Chicken!

What’s one dish that represents you?

Cheesy Fries – this same answer was given by two friends who don’t know each other but are equally close to me. One said because I am “long and thin” and even though I can be hard (crunchy) like good ol’ fries, I can also be a big softie and melt like the gooey cheese. The other friend simply said I love cheese and fried food (that’s more a description of what I like but I can’t say it represents me). HAH!

Tell me: what’s your flava? (a.k.a. what’s your preferred flavour; i.e. Sweet, Salty, Savoury, Spicy, Sour, Bitter, etc)

I have an insanely high tolerance level for sweets. I can finish a whole jar of Nutella (the 1kg jar) in a single seating and not feel like dying of diabetes the next day. Everyone knows my love for chocolate, and it’s amazing how much I can eat without falling sick.

On the other hand, I can also take really sour foods. In fact, if you asked me to taste an orange, I might say it’s tasteless. I can’t differentiate between sweet and sour well unless the flavours are really distinctive. I also love spicy foods and have a great penchant for authentic Indian cuisine. The only problem is that it has onions in everything, and my tummy can’t take onions or it’ll start churning like a washing machine.

What’s your idea of a perfect food pairing?

Eggs or Cheese with anything. Seriously.

You just won a million dollars. What meal would you splurge it on?

I would probably throw a pool party at someone’s condominium and buy the best foods from all over Singapore so everyone gets to enjoy something they like. It could be hawker fare, pizzas or burgers, Chinese Tze Char, Korean cuisine, etc. It doesn’t really matter what and from where, as long as everyone is enjoying themselves. If there’s still money left, I would probably splurge on myself and a few besties at a fine-dining restaurant.

If you could have one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Japanese. Definitely Japanese. Japanese anything and everything. Just give me Japanese.

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Clancie is an avid runner and a (HUGE) bunny lover. She has been using Chope since day one (thank you, Clancie!) and loves the ease and convenience Chope provides in terms of making reservations, discovering new restaurants, and more. 

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In celebration of Chope’s 7th birthday, we’re shining the limelight on our star foodies on Chope who have dedicated themselves (and their tummies) to a life of food. With countless hours scouring through thousands of lip-smacking food photos, we’ve gathered some of our most outstanding and dedicated foodies to date.

Introducing our first Chope star foodie: Daniel (@duaguthecow)!

Tell us a little bit about yourself: when did your love for food begin?

I have always loved food since I was a kid, especially when I was raised on my grandmother’s homecooked food! That’s why I’ve always been known to be on the heavier side since I was a kid (I weighed 100kg in high school). However, I also love to exercise (so that I can make space for more food) and I love cooking (inspired by Chef’s Table) during my free time.

What’s your favourite restaurant in Singapore and/or overseas?

In Singapore, my go-to for Thai food is definitely Nakhon; The Populus has really great soft-serve desserts which they make in-house; One Man Coffee does an amazing Australian breakie; for chilli crab, it’s Jumbo Seafood hands down!

In Macau, Miramar is the perfect place for Portuguese cuisine; Xing Yi Mei Shi (新益美食) is a must if you’re looking for Cantonese food; lastly, I would highly recommend KAFKA Sweets and Gourmandises (卡夫卡) for traditional and authentic desserts!

Dim sum is a staple in Hong Kong – Lin Heung Tea House (莲香楼) is my favourite spot.

If I could cover Malaysia, Australia, Philippines, Thailand, Korea and other countries, I would, but there’s just too many to account for!

If you could be an ingredient, what would it be and why?

I would say salt. A pinch of salt adds flavour to food – even tequila!

What’s your go-to comfort food?

I’m Chinese so any Chinese dish will do the trick.

What’s one dish that represents you? 

The first thing that comes to mind is Mee Kolo. It’s one of the most traditional and simple dishes that every Sarawakian knows and loves, and my friends and colleagues in Singapore love it too!

Tell me: what’s your flava?

Sweet Sour Chilli Sauce (the kind you have with chicken rice) – it’s really amazing!

What’s your idea of a perfect food pairing?

Maggi Mee a.k.a. instant noodle with egg (this is a must)! If you want a more atas version, I’d recommend a medium rare steak with Malbec!

You just won a million dollars. What meal would you splurge it on?

I’d travel the globe to try every cuisine I can get my hands on (isn’t that every foodie’s dream?).

If you could have one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Obviously, Chinese cuisine! It’s impressive how different cooking techniques are used in Chinese cuisine that brings out different flavours.

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Daniel considers himself an avid foodie. Born in Sarawak (East Malaysia) and raised in Brunei, he developed a love for global cuisines through his travels. He moved to Singapore in January 2018 for work and began using Chope to discover restaurants and score offers on buffets.

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