Update (4 December 2015):
HopHop Chef is actually offering 4 pizzas of 12 inch at a price of $80, instead of the previously stated $80 for one pizza. Since yesterday, they have also split the pizza packages and now are selling pizzas in the quantity of one. The price remains the same – 1 pizza for $20.
We love to eat, there’s no questioning that. The food and beverage industry in Singapore is an ever growing one — more restaurants are opening each year, more people are trying out new cuisines, and more people are dining out. Yep, more people are dining out, which is why the lack of seats in our favourite eating spots, and also parking lots at said establishments can sometimes be the cause of pain and frustration.
But there’s an alternative — private dining — which is not a new concept in town. It’s intimate, personalised, and you’re gonna get a table for sure. The only catch is that it can be quite expensive to bring home a chef to cook your dinner. And this is what new mobile app HopHop Chef wants to offer Singaporeans.
Where Do I Start?
The recently launched app allows you to book a chef for yourself and three others (four, if you guys eat very little). All you have to do is choose a couple of dishes that you fancy (minimum order of $120), select a timing, and the app will match you to an available chef who will come to your place with ingredients, cook the meal, clean, and leave — all within two hours. It’s fuss-free and very convenient, and all you really have to do is be a charming host.
While most of the nitty-gritty details are undertaken by the chefs, there are some things that are required of you. This shouldn’t be a problem, though, as they’re really just some basic kitchen utensils and crockery.
What’s Cooking, Chef?
The selection of food on HopHop is pretty extensive, and we won’t be surprised if the menu expands in the near future. For now, we can peruse local dishes like fried rice, noodles, Ma Po tofu, chilli crab, curry chicken, and more. There’s also a pizza menu, but we’re pretty skeptical about paying $80 for a pizza…
If you’re going to pooh-pooh the food as ‘the usual stuff you see in zi char restaurants’, well, consider this: all the chefs on HopHop are professional chefs who have been vetted by the team. Chef Aneel Sharma, one of the first chefs to join the HopHop team, has fine dining experience at restaurants including The Ritz-Carlton and even had the honour of serving former Singapore President S. R. Nathan.
It’s a really handy option for those who prefer dining in the great indoors with a small group, since you have a professional handling your dinner situation for you. The local selection looks great, albeit a little on the pricey end (especially the pizza) but hey, you really have to do nothing.
Here’s hoping for a menu expansion and maybe more categories for private diners to select from. And if you’re a chef — professionals only, please — you might want to hit them up as they’re hiring.
Download: Google Play or App Store
