Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Garlic Aioli Stalls serving up western cuisine at coffeeshops and food courts within the heartlands are quite commonplace these days — one brand has been slowly trying to establish their presence within different parts of Singapore with stalls sprouting up one after another. We had first came across a Chops & Sear previously whilst walking by a coffeeshop situated within Ang Mo Kio at Blk 529 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 just a couple of months ago. Since then, the brand has expanded their operations, with stalls operating in Tampines, Woodlands and the newest one being located at Bedok. We came across one of the various banners announcing Chops & Sear’s opening in our neighbourhood — the Chops & Sear outlet in Woodlands is actually situated at Blk 570A Woodlands Avenue 1 within the De Tian Coffee Shop. Chops and Sear takes over the former premises of a corner stall within the coffeeshop which was vacated by Meet Meat — a concept which was operated by the folks behind JWS Grille Factory that also operated standalone eateries such as that of 有记 by JWS Grille Factory – 好有记炭火烧腊 and moments’ 木萌. Chops and Sear is not much different from other stalls serving western cuisine in a coffeeshop / food court setting — the menu comprises of dishes split into sections such as Main Course, Mains with Rice, Crispy Fried Chicken, Burger, Pasta and Sides & Snacks.
Despite the menu being sectioned off to provide patrons with a decent variety of types of items to go for, we were still relatively spoilt for choice considering how there was a good number of items that they were serving up in each category. We eventually decided to go for the Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Garlic Aioli from the Main Courses section of the menu after much deliberation.
Whilst the illustrations on the menu does seem rather typical of modern-style western cuisine stalls often found in coffeeshops and food courts these days, it is well noted that the side dishes that accompany the items listed in the Main Course section of the menu at Chops & Sear comes with fixed sides rather than allowing patrons to pick-and-choose their preferred side dishes — the latter being true if one dines at establishments like ASTONS Specialities per se; the Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Garlic Aioli came with French Fries and Coleslaw on the side. All the Main Course items also does come with a slice of garlic toast as well — something which we were pleasantly surprised with considering how they were attempting to replicate the old-school Hainanese western offerings from the past that typically saw fried and grilled items being served with a bun together with fries and coleslaw on the side. Going straight for the Breaded Chicken Cutlet, we thought this was pretty decent — the chicken cutlet here features panko crumbs for its deep-fried batter that came in a beautiful shade of golden-brown; the batter being crisp and the slab of chicken being tender and juicy without being greasy. The accompanying garlic aioli helps to add that creaminess that complimented the fried chicken cutlet in terms of both flavour and texture; a good dip to go along with the French Fries as well. The slice of garlic toast was also on-point; we liked how the toast was also crisp whilst being sufficiently buttered with a slight hint of garlicky note that was evident to the taste buds — we also appreciated how it was not particularly greasy or soggy, especially considering how such elements would usually absorb much of the greasiness or sauce that comes puddling at the bottom of the plate usually. The French Fries were also decent; being of the shoestring type, they weren’t excessively salty, though we enjoyed how the French Fries were crispy and not particularly greasy — very addictive to have on their own. The coleslaw was also decent; adds a refreshing crunch with a milky note that cuts through all of the deep-fried elements here — liked how it was also served without too much excess sauce that would have interfered with the other elements on the plate.
Apart from the Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Garlic Aioli, we had also given their Creamy Seafood Pasta a try. Priced the same as the Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Garlic Aioli, we do think that the Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Garlic Aioli would prove to be a better choice for bigger appetites who doesn’t mind eating a little “dirty” consisting of the many deep-fried elements on the plate in the Breaded Chicken Cutlet with Garlic Aioli here. That being said, the Creamy Seafood Pasta was decent — no doubt the variety of seafood served is a little limited and isn’t quite the best; think shrimps, clams and scraps of squid which we cannot complain for its price tag of $8.80. That being said, the Creamy Seafood Pasta does come with a cream sauce that includes minced garlic bits that really appealed to us — there was a strong hint of garlic with the cream sauce that helps to make the cream sauce feels considerably less jelak. We also liked how they were also not too heavy-handed with the cream sauce in both quantity and consistency — just sufficiently creamy for flavour but not too dense or rich, nor was it puddling at the bottom of the plate. Overall, we do feel that Chops and Sear is a decent spot to hit in the neighbourhood for western fare — a good choice for residents staying in its immediate vicinity to dine at, though it is one we would probably find not quite worth making a special visit to considering that there might be better western stalls that are situated in other neighbourhoods; Chops and Sear does seem to be a brand that is positioned more towards mass market offerings than being one that comes with an artisanal touch anyway. Prices of the Main Courses and Mains with Rice ranges between $5.80 to $13.80 — the lowest priced item being the Buttered Rice with Crispy Chicken Wing, while the priciest being the dishes that feature lamb or beef; the pastas being priced within the range of $5.80 to $8.80. In fact, there should not be a problem for most to end up with a dish that is priced below $10 at Chops and Sear be it from the Main Course, Mains with Rice, Crispy Fried Chicken, Burger or Pasta section of the menu. A spot that we would not mind visiting for western cuisine again since we live within walking distance away from their outlet in Woodlands.
