Sunday, October 26, 2008

Royce' Potato Chip Chocolate


I didn't set out to review this but my sis brought it back so...........hahaha fresh meat. Royce' is quite a well known brand from Hokkaido, Japan. I am guessing that dairy products are one of Hokkaido's specialties since they produce so many milk related goodies. One of the brand's flag ship product is the Shiroi Koibito (白い恋人 which means "White Lover") white chocolate biscuit. A friend who went there on holiday brought some back for me but reviewing the biscuit will be out of the scope of this blog :P

I still vividly remember how I gave one of those biscuits to my ex to sample and seeing that wonderful look on her face. She dislikes raw food so Japan isn't her preferred holiday destination with all that sushi and sashimi on the menu but I wanted to bring her to Hokkaido. We can definitely enjoy 2 hot bowls of ramen together in the cold winter. It's all too late now ........ anyway back to topic, here is a picture of today's victim.


My sis opened the box before I have the chance to snap some pictures which is why the top has been "compromised". Other than the words "Royce' Potatochip Chocolate" on the front of the box, a fine line of wording about Royce' dedication to chocolate + Royce' URL, the rest of the words on the box are all in Japanese.

They say good things come in small package. I must say the price is quite high for such a small box of chips so it better be worth the money. Although small, the box states that the content weighs 190 grams. Hmmm that is rather heavy compared to a regular packet of chips. I think for the most part, the chocolate contributed to the hefty weight which is why you have "more for less"

Other than stating the weight and storage instruction, I cannot understand anything else at the bottom of the box since it's all in Japanese. Btw one interesting thing about this box of chocolate coated potato chips is that you need to keep it refrigerated.

Generally, chocolate can be kept at room temperature. I am no chocolate connoisseur but I think the reason for keeping the chocolate coated potato chips cold is to prevent the chocolate from reducing the crispiness of the chips. Chocolate at room temperature is still in solid form but it softens up quite a bit which allows it to "breathe" resulting in soggy potato chips. On the other hand, keeping it refrigerated will increase evaporation rate and keep the chips nice and crunchy.

Opening up the box, there is a separate plastic packet sealing up the chips. My first impression of the potato chips - unappealing, dull and black. I sniffed the content, all I can smell is chocolate, not so much of potato chips. It is really disappointing to see the content. I can almost count the number of potato chips in this thing! A guy like me can easily finish off 3 to 4 times the amount of potato chips while watching a movie or something.

How come they don't put in more potato chips in there? Is it really that expensive to produce? I am starting to feel ripped off........oh I forgot, my sis bought them :) I already have doubts about how wonder the chips can be.

Comparison of sizes: Box vs one chocolate coated potato chip vs A4 size paper

Time to taste the thing, I popped one in my mouth and .......... it's way better than I expect! There is a fleeting sense of saltiness that gave way quickly to the richness of the chocolate though not overly sweet, I say they got it just right. This is the first time I tasted chilled potato chips, first time I tasted chocolate coated potato chips and also the first time I tasted potato chips that are salty and sweet.

I noticed that most of the chips are only coated on one side which leaves the other side of the potato chip "naked". Maybe that is the secret to giving off that salty and sweet flavour because a fully chocolate coated potato chip will definitely not be able to retain the saltiness. Most likely the chocolate flavour will overwhelm everything else if done that way. Amazingly meticulous in their design of the product I must say.

This is really something new, Japanese foodstuffs never fail to amaze! But with so few pieces in the box, I have to "ration" the chips or I will finish it in less than 5 minutes. A great example of quality vs quantity, one piece of this fantastic potato chip is worth a whole packet of MSG laden "fake" flavour potato chips from unknown brands.

I ate the potato chip straight out of the fridge so that it is cold and hard. The chocolate coating did not melt in my mouth immediately. I chewed into the chips and managed to taste the potato before the chocolate finally melt and overwhelm all other flavours. Amazing sensation; this is truely a unique snack.

Out of curiosity, I placed a few pieces of potato chips on the table to let it warm up to room temperature. I wanted to know how it will taste if not eaten straight out of the fridge. Well, it's still pretty nice but the crispiness factor went down so I will recommend that you eat it while it's cold.

I don't know if there is MSG on this thing but it sure taste good. Maybe I just love chocolate and this combination works really well. This thing is very addictive, my verdict:

Looks: 1/5
Textual: 4/5
Smell: 1/5
Taste: 5/5

Overall: 4/5

The potato chips look real ugly and unappealing at first sight. No potato chips fragrance and the portion seems to hint that it is targeted at the women/children market. However, this unique combination of chocolate & potato chips made my day! The price is a little on the high side though and it's not something I can indulge in on a daily basis. Everyone should try this at least once in their life :D


Other info
Weight: 190 grams
Price: S$14
Country of origin: Japan
Available at: Royce

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