Tag: Chope Tries

Chope Tries: 5 types of Japanese Instant Ramen for National Noodle Month!

Post author By Michelle Tan
Post date March 20, 2018
No Comments on Chope Tries: 5 types of Japanese Instant Ramen for National Noodle Month!

There’s just something about a good bowl of noodles that hits all the right spots. When we’re too busy to whip one up ourselves, the next best thing is everyone’s trusty instant noodles.

National Noodle Month isn’t over yet: check out these top spots to celebrate! Whether you feel like slurping up a bowl of Cha Soba, tucking into a hearty Spaghetti Bolognese, or relishing in a simple bowl of wanton mee, we’ve got you covered.

In conjunction with National Noodle Month, the Chope team tucked into 5 different types of instant ramen flown back from Japan, the Motherland of instant noodles.

Watch on to find out which instant ramen reigns supreme…

Tags Chope Tries, Instant Noodle, Japanese, National Noodle Month, Noodles, Ramen, Singapore

Lifestyle Save/Splurge Singapore

Chope Tries: $2.50, $15, and $30 Nasi Lemak

Post author By Chope
Post date February 15, 2018
No Comments on Chope Tries: $2.50, $15, and $30 Nasi Lemak

Nasi lemak is one of those foods that has seen plenty of iterations in recent years. With more and more places around the island offering the delicious dish at various price points, we decided to find out if it’s actually worth shelling out extra cash for a “better” quality dish.

Wan Xing Nasi Lemak and Economic Bee Hoon ($2.50)

Wan Xing is known for their cheap food – they have a couple of outlets, if we recall correctly – so it’s no wonder their stall frequently sees snaking queues. The nasi lemak incorporates all the ingredients you would expect – from the spicy sambal to sunny side up – but you can add various dishes from their selection. The rice is supposed to have a green tinge but ours was quite faint. Taste-wise, it had a mild pandan flavour and wasn’t particularly fragrant, but blended perfectly with the sambal, which, to be honest, tasted like most other sambals from the hawker centre. The peanut and ikan bilis mix was crunchy and salty, but relatively sparse. However, for the low price point, this dish was filling and rather delicious, something we would buy again if we were in the neighbourhood and craving nasi lemak.

Find it at 270 Queen Street, Albert Centre #01-62, Singapore 180270

The Coconut Club ($15)

The Coconut Club has been popular among the lunchtime crowd in the city for a while now, so we were curious to see how it held up against the low, low price of $2.50. This spot pays careful attention to the quality of their dishes – think using old crop Thai Jasmine Rice and coconuts from one specific plantation in Sabak Bernam to create fluffy, fragrant rice.

When the dish arrived at the table, it certainly looked impressive, from the colours to the amount of each component. We tried the rice and that was good, fluffy and not drenched in oil. We tried the homemade sambal and that was good too, a balance of sweet and spicy. But then we tried the chicken and forgot everything else; it was definitely the highlight of the dish. Unlike the generic fried chicken of the other two, the chicken here had a spicy, uniquely Asian flavour and featured a delightfully crunchy skin. Would we come back? Yes (after payday), if only to eat that crisp chicken skin again.

Find it at 6 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069787
Click here for more information on The Coconut Club.

Chatterbox (Mandarin Orchard Singapore) ($30)

Given the price tag, this must have been the best of the lot, right? We hoped it was, we wanted it to be! The excitement was real, but dampened a bit when the dish was laid before us. The sambal looked legitimately crafted and there was the addition of prawns, but the rest of the components looked like any nasi lemak joint out there. Nevermind, we thought, it’s all in the taste. But while the tangy, spicy prawns did leave us satisfied and the otah was undeniably flavourful, neither the sambal nor the rice left us in gastronomic heaven. That’s not to say it wasn’t good, however, the dish as a whole was fragrant and recognisably ‘nasi lemak’, but lacked a real punch that would elevate it to legendary status. On the whole, it’s a great place to bring someone you’re looking to impress with classy local faves, or for people who prefer less spice and more subtle flavours.

Find it at 333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867
Book a table at Chatterbox and earn 2X Chope-Dollars with code TASTYBLOG.

Ultimately, we’re happy to keep our nasi lemak expenditure below $7 on the regular (why the odd number? Because we admit to having a soft spot for Qiji), but willing to fork out that extra bit of cash for The Coconut Club’s hearty offering.

Tags Chope Tries, nasi lemak, Save, Splurge

Lifestyle Singapore

Chope Tries: Banana Bread Recipes By Celebrities

Post author By Veena Vinod
Post date February 1, 2018
1 Comment on Chope Tries: Banana Bread Recipes By Celebrities

Ah, banana bread – everyone’s favourite tea time snack. It’s much tastier than an actual banana (and bread!), easy to make, and lasts ages. All in all, it’s the perfect thing to grab when you’re running out the door.

But which banana bread recipe – of the hundreds on the internet – is the best? We put the recipes of two celebrity chefs – Martha Stewart and Chrissy Teigen – to the test.

Chrissy Teigen

Cr: CookingLight.com

You might remember Chrissy Teigen AKA Mrs John Legend’s banana crowdsourcing from last September when she took to Twitter to barter her husband’s underwear, a signed copy of her cookbook, and a Becca palette for six brown bananas. One lucky Los Angeles resident made the trade, and Teigen later shared her recipe for banana bread on Instagram.

Ingredients

2 Cups Mashed Brown Bananas
4 Eggs
⅔ Cup Canola Oil
2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
1 Box of Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1 Bar of Dark Chocolate, chopped

Method

Combine mashed bananas, eggs, and oil in a large bowl. Separately, combine the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine.
Fold in coconut and chocolate chunks. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Martha Stewart

Cr: TrinityNewsDaily.com

Cooking show host, and baking handbook author Martha Stewart has been dabbling with food since the 80s and is no stranger to banana bread – she says it’s “perfect for any occasion”. Stewart has a recipe for the tasty treat on her official website, alongside several variations, like adding a cream cheese frosting, chopped pecans, and even a vegan-friendly version.

Ingredients

½ Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 ½ Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Cup Mashed Bananas
½ Cup Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Chopped Walnuts

Method

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts and pour into prepared pan.
Bake in a preheated oven until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

Martha vs Chrissy

The recipes themselves are pretty similar – they both have the same basic ingredients – bananas, eggs, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Teigen’s formula involves the addition of vanilla pudding mix, desiccated coconut and chocolate chips, while Stewart chooses to incorporate chopped walnuts and sour cream for a “tangy” flavour.

The initial steps were similar for both recipes and simple enough – combine dry and wet ingredients separately and then mix them together to form the batter. While Teigen’s recipe created a sticky, dense batter, Stewart’s was slightly more moist and runny. Here are some gifs to give you an idea of their consistencies.

Chrissy Teigen’s batter is thick, lumpy and viscous.

Martha Stewart’s recipe created a smoother, more even batter due to the use of lesser mashed bananas.

Afterwards, the recipes began to differ. Kind of. Both recipes called for the addition of unique ingredients. Walnuts, in the case of Martha Stewart, grated coconut and chocolate for Chrissy Teigen. While the base mixture was the same, the batter itself looked different. See below for more comparisons.

Adding coconut for Chrissy’s recipe

Adding walnuts for Martha’s recipe

The baking times for both recipes was pretty similar, with Martha Stewart’s batter needing more time in the oven. The temperature also differed by only 10 degrees Celsius. After an hour or so, both cakes looked like this.

Chrissy Teigen’s Recipe

Martha Stewart’s Recipe

Yum. Notice the brown spots on Teigen’s cake from the chocolate chips, as well as the darker colouring from the extra sugar.

Our own preliminary tastings found that Stewart’s recipe was denser and less sweet than Teigen’s. While we didn’t find Teigen’s cake cloying, we still preferred Stewart’s version itsit’s subtle sweetness and nutty flavour. But our taste tests alone weren’t enough, so we decided to use our colleagues as guinea pigs.

We set up two trays in the office with samples and baited hungry pantry raiders into sampling both recipes.

The general consensus was that Chrissy’s recipe was a fun take on the classic banana bread recipe, while Martha’s was closer to home, and less sweet.

So whose recipe won overall?

With an overwhelming majority of votes, Martha Stewart’s recipe had the most fans in the Chope office!

Tags baking, banana bread, Chope Tries, chrissy teigen, martha stewart, recipe

Lifestyle Others Save/Splurge Singapore Singapore

Chope Tries: $2 vs $85 coffee, plus how to become a Coffee Connoisseur

Post author By Veena Vinod
Post date January 21, 2018
5 Comments on Chope Tries: $2 vs $85 coffee, plus how to become a Coffee Connoisseur

Think you’re a coffee expert? Could you tell the difference between a cheap and expensive blend by just taking a whiff? We took three of our coffee-loving colleagues and put them to the test.

Ok, while this may be an extreme case of coffee-tasting, plenty of people island-wide are picking up, or have picked up, a serious coffee addiction. If you’re a cup of joe novice and looking to attain the title of coffee snob, here’s how you can be on your way to roasting your own beans!

Cr: Follygraph

1. Diversify your picks

If your go-to drink is a Starbucks frappe, it’s time to branch out! There are plenty of drinks you can try when starting out with coffee – you don’t have to start long blacks and flat whites. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, try out a Mocha – a mix of chocolate syrup, milk and espresso. Chye Seng Huat Hardware makes deliciously sweet, rich mocha at a reasonable price point.

If you prefer your coffee bitter, opt for a Ristretto – a variant of the Espresso with half the water. Dutch Colony Coffee makes an excellent ristretto, with a slightly nutty taste and a velvet sheen. As you grow your coffee love, you may want to check out Sarnie’s – where all their drinks are brewed with ristretto, which gives them a strong flavour.

Don’t get us started on all the variations of coffeeshop kopi.

Cr: The Ranting Panda

2. Attend a cupping session

After you’ve started trying out the variants of coffee, you can expand your knowledge and rub shoulders with coffee experts at a cupping session. A short session that allows you to taste coffee and compare tasting notes with other connoisseurs, this is one way to grow your knowledge about the many varieties of coffee available and their tastes.

Common Man Coffee Roasters offers free cupping sessions the first Friday of the month from 3-4pm. As you grow your coffee knowledge, you can try attending more advanced classes, such as Common Man’s Sensory Skills & Coffee Knowledge class, or Central Perk’s Barista Workshop to increase your expertise.

Cr: Daniel Food Diary

3. Get to know your barista

It’s not always easy to have a chat with the barista at your local Starbucks, so maybe a smaller coffee joint will work better. Try Penny University on East Coast Road, the aforementioned Highlander Coffee, and Artistry cafe (closed). Baristas at smaller cafes tend to be more willing to speak to you about their creations, especially when it’s off-peak hours.

Head over to the counter with your drink and ask them about where their coffee comes from – this is a good way of establishing your interest in the drink. Follow up with questions about how they brew their drinks – do they roast the beans in-house or buy them from suppliers? You can even ask the baristas what their personal favourite drinks are! Not only will this give you some firsthand insight into the world of coffee craft, the recommendations baristas make may well lead you to find your new favourite blend or beans.

Cr: Seth Lui

4. Buy locally-produced coffee

If you’ve been buying your coffee from the supermarket, it’s time for an upgrade. While coffee connoisseurs are divided on the actual amount of time coffee can be stored, they agree that it should be no longer than a month. If that jar of Nescafe Gold has been serving you well for more than four weeks, it’s time to throw it out. Depending on your palate, there are several places for you to get locally roasted coffee. If you like blends or are looking to sample coffees from Asia and Africa, check out Papa Palheta – their coffee is served at Chye Seng Huat Hardware. Prefer something sweeter? Check out Yahava Koffeeworks, that stocks a range of coffee blends from Sumatra, Rwanda, and Columbia.

As your coffee knowledge grows, you can begin to branch out to different varietals, like the blends of Nylon Coffee. They stock espressos and brewed coffees and have tasting notes printed on their packaging. With the roast date stamped on the packaging, you can enjoy fresh coffee – the purveyors say within 4 weeks of the given date. You can even buy coffee beans and grind them to create your own blend, but more on that later.

Cr: Eater

5. Get some coffee paraphernalia

Doesn’t matter if you get a hand grinder or a professional one. When you start purchasing coffee grounds, you’ll want to start getting from bean to cup as quickly as possible in order to preserve the freshness of the drink. Simple hand grinders can cost upwards of $50, while the fancier mechanical ones are slightly more expensive. If you want to experiment with your coffee making technique, you can try using a Moka Pot to brew your coffee. Not only does it look fancy, coffee brewed in Moka pots has a heady aroma and a more full-bodied taste, according to experts.

Tags Chope Tries, Coffee, cupping, mocha, ristretto, Singapore

Features Lifestyle Others Reviews Singapore

Chope Tries: All 18 toppings at The Magnum Pleasure Bar (on 10 ice creams)

Post author By Michelle Tan
Post date January 20, 2018

If you’re well-versed in all things ice cream, then The Magnum Pleasure Bar needs no introduction. Known for their bespoke Magnum bars, The Magnum Pleasure Bar provides a “Make My Magnum” experience for those who enjoy an extra touch of lovin’ to their usual icy delights.

With a whopping 18 classic and exotic toppings to choose from (rose petals and chilli flakes, anyone?), there are all sorts of interesting creations you can experiment with.

Being scientific people, we made space in our stomachs and marched down with a mission to try all 18 toppings available to us. 10 ice cream bars, 2 cups of coffee, and 1 serious case of diet-related regret later, here’s our definitive guide to the Magnum experience.

Loco for Cocoa: The Humble Chocolate vs. The Massive Attack

For a full-fledged cocoa experience, your best bet is the Dark Chocolate Coating & White Chocolate Drizzle topped with Crushed Oreos, Almonds, and Speculoos (above left). You would think that this chocolate-heavy creation would be overwhelming on the palate, but the speculoos crumbs provide just the right hit of flavours to cut through all that cocoa.

On the other hand, the Dark Chocolate Coating & White Chocolate Drizzle with Crushed Chocolate Cookies, Cocoa Pearls, and Cacao Nibs (above right) guarantees you a one-way street to achieving that chocolate high. There’s nothing about this combo that doesn’t scream “chock full of chocolate” with every bite!

Verdict
If you just need a chocolatey boost, the first combo’s definitely go-to. But if you think you’re ready, go all out with the second pairing because #yolo.

Insta-worthy Babes: Flatter-Me-Floral vs. Vanilla Romance

When comparing Rose Petals, White Chocolate Pearls, and Popping Candy with Dark Chocolate Coating & Milk Chocolate Drizzle (above left) with the Rose Petals, Crushed Pistachio, and Popping Candy with White Chocolate Coating & Dark Chocolate Drizzle (above right), we didn’t know what to expect – until we had our first mouthfuls of these two gorgeous ice creams.

With the first combination, you get dark, velvety smooth chocolate punctuated with sweet fizzing from the popping candy and a hint of floral essence from the rose petals. On the other hand, the second creation was creamy and light with the white chocolate coating that’s mellowed down by the dark chocolate drizzle. The crushed pistachios add a nice contrast in textures as well.

Verdict
Need a shot for your Instagram? These bad boys are where it’s at. Even if your friends can’t taste the ice cream through your photos, these visually stunning creations are enough to get them drooling over your Insta-feed!

The ‘Spice’ Girls: Fiery Delight vs. Pop-Rock Bonanza

The Popping Candy, Rose Petals, and Chilli Flakes with Milk Chocolate Coating & Dark Chocolate Drizzle (above left) combination opens with an innocently smooth first bite before the floral and herbal hints from rose petals makes a subtle appearance. Then, without warning, the small-but-powerful chilli flakes show their strength and leave your mouth tingling with warmth.

If you love textures, you can’t go wrong with the Gold Nuggets, Popping Candy, and Chili Flakes with Dark Chocolate Coating & White Chocolate Drizzle (above right). Not only do the gold nuggets and popping candy paint a contrast of colours against the noir-coating of the ice cream, the fiery chilli flakes once again do their thing and spice things up on the palate too.

Verdict
Take heed: these creations are not of the faint of heart! But if you’re looking to try something out-of-the-box, look no further than these two combos at the Magnum Store.

Salty is the new Sweet: The Wolfberry Beauty vs. The Nutty Novice

Combining Goji Berries, Sea Salt Flakes, and Cacao Nibs with Dark Chocolate Coating & White Chocolate Drizzle (above left), a bite out of this gives you the smoothness of the chocolate with hints of saltiness staccatoed with bittersweet wolfberries.

We compared this creation with its equally salty counterpart, comprising Salted Peanuts, Chocolate Pearls, and Sunflower Seeds with White Chocolate Coating & Dark Chocolate Drizzle (above right). Perfect for those who prefer a little more texture, and less of an Asian bent, this creation has a layer of White Chocolate coating that brings the sweetness to a whole new level.

Verdict
These beauties are meant for those who love a touch of umami to go with their desserts. Though these may be odd combinations for some, we say ‘don’t knock it till you try it’!

The Battle of Textures: Pillowy Ebony vs. Crunchy Ivory

What happens when you top Peanut Butter Chips, Marshmallows, and Crushed Oreos onto an ice cream and coat it with Dark Chocolate with a Milk Chocolate Drizzle (above left)? You get this insanely indulgent piece Reese’s’ Pieces and Marshmallows, coming together with the dark, smooth chocolate ice cream.

If you’re in need of something milder, the Crushed Speculoos, Pretzels, and Almonds with White Chocolate Coating & Dark Chocolate Drizzle (above right) transports you back into time with its vanilla-esque flavours and fun, crunchy bits to keep things interesting.

Verdict
These combinations are jam-packed with fun flavours and it’s impossible not to feel like you have a party in your mouth with every bite – perfect for people old and young.

Tags Chocolate, Chope Tries, Customised, Dessert, Ice-cream, Magnum, Magnum Pleasure Store, Singapore

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