We’re having a whole heap of fun working on new burger specials and menu tweaks for 2020 that will keep Chops at the top of its game, says Richie Bardsley…
We’ve just whacked up a whopping great kitchen in Hanoi’s West Lake and we’re really making the most of it.
For us, the central kitchen means having everything in one place and keeping that Chops consistency – you know what you’re getting when you order a Chops burger, and that’s how we want to keep it.
The new kitchen also means we can get messy experimenting on the daily. For you this means lots of exciting menu tweaks and specials in 2020.
We import our lamb and wagyu beef from Australia but everything else on the Chops menu is sourced locally – once we have our hands on the goods, we run everything through Chops HQ, cook up a storm, taste it, tweak it and try again.
Once we’re happy, our new items make it into our city-wide restaurants. Here’s some new noteworthy outputs from Chops R&D that you can find at our West Lake, Old Quarter or Ngoc Khanh burger joints.
1. Getting in a pickle
Our gherkin. What a hero addition to the Chops burger!
Many a late night’s been spent at local markets asking for ‘mot tram kilo dua chuot’, or 100kg of cucumbers, for our huge jars of homemade pickles.
We’ve tweaked a few batches that are unlike any you’ll find in Hanoi – sour, satly, bitter, crunchy and ever so slightly fruity. Above all, they’re fresh, local and full of flavour.
Look out for our gherkins in the latest addition to the snack menu: homemade garlic dill pickles…
2. Raising our bread game
Same goes for our big fresh buns.
We’ve always made them in house – twice daily! – but we’ve taken our bread game up a notch with the arrival of our central kitchen.
Hopefully you’ll notice the new and improved Chops bun next time you stop by, and our crispy, flavoursome sourdough, too – try it with our silky scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Fancy a bit of crumpet in the morning? We’ve even added those to the new brunch menu!
3. The Schmooze
Something as naughty as this is a result of Chops’ vision to get you as messy as possible.
This is a classic BBQ bacon cheeseburger that you smother with indulgent cheese sauce to keep things exciting.
It’s a special for now so get your Schmooze on while it’s still available.
4. Zorba The Greek
In something none of us saw coming, we’ve turned the freshest imported meats and local ingredients into a perfectly spiced lamb and beef souvlaki with tzatziki, lettuce and tomato, all rolled into a totally tearable Chops grilled pita, which is also fresh out of Chops R&D’s bread dept.
5. Chops Hops
We love a good collaboration at Chops.
In 2019 we challenged our good friends at Pasteur Street Brewery.
We asked them to create a craft beer that would compliment our menu, which since the start in 2015 has been all about pairing proper burgers with awesome beers.
What Pasteur Street came up with doesn’t disappoint.
Chops Hops Pale Ale is light bodied and effervescent, featuring a mix of New Zealand and classic American dry hops – the perfect partner to any one of our proper burgers.
Come and cheers with us in 2020!
Stay tuned for more Chops R&D stories coming soon and don’t forget to read:
CRAFT IN HANOI: FROM BIA TO BEER
AROUND THE WORLD IN 8 BANGIN’ BURGERS
WHY CHOPS VIETNAM USES WAGYU BEEF FOR ITS PROPER BURGERS
IS IT OK TO…? THE CHOPS GUIDE TO GETTING PROPER MESSY
EXPLORE HANOI’S BEST STREET FOOD WITH CHOPS, DURTY BIRD AND THE FAT PIG