BINTAN ISLAND, INDONESIA — Since no one gets crucified for heading straight to the kitchen upon arriving home, we always try to go straight there, scot-free.
We paid another visit to Bintan Lagoon Resort earlier this year — our go-to next stop whenever we’re in Singapore, since it’s just an hour’s ferry ride away. After putting our luggage down, we went straight to the kitchen they call ‘Chop Chop.’
Adjacent to (if not part of) ‘Fiesta’ restaurant, this kitchen works wonders of its own. Festive and colorful, stepping into ‘Chop Chop’ feels like getting a taste of Chinese culture, if not fully understanding it. It’s BLR’s own version of Chinatown — yet another reason to enjoy weekends and holidays at this 470-room resort.
‘Chop Chop’ sits just below the lobby level, ready to welcome guests with a dramatic sense of fun. From the loud, cheeky, funky graphic walls with oriental motifs to the hanging dim sum baskets and red lanterns around the central column, the atmosphere pulses with the kind of energy you’d find in Chinatowns around the world.
Opened in November 2016, Chop Chop echoes the resort’s revitalized branding as a hip, fun, and vibrant destination for all ages. Styled as Bintan’s own Chinatown, it serves popular North Asian street food in a decor evoking Chinatowns around the world — every detail, from signage to lighting to fixtures, meticulously built around the concept of North Asian street dining.
For authenticity, the fixtures mix rustic wooden tabletops with vividly colored metallic chairs on tiled floors, alongside cushioned benches set against wall etchings of quirky shophouse details.
Chop Chop’s menu covers the street food that’s a quintessential part of the Asian experience — a mouthwatering range from steamed and fried dumplings, noodles, and rice to stir-fries and double-boiled soups.
“The opening of Chop Chop brings back fond childhood reminiscences and memorable travel experiences in Asia. It is the perfect spot to test one’s chopstick skills and enjoy familiar tastes in a fun, casual environment. Its inviting, cheery décor is a popular selfie spot for guests,” remarks Gerald Hendrick, General Manager of Bintan Lagoon Resort.
Designed by IWA Design of Singapore, the 260 sq metre Chop Chop accommodates 165 persons.
FIESTA. Our every dine at ‘Chop Chop’ serves as a feast or ‘Fiesta’ as what we call the same back home in the Philippines. Here at this restaurant, you can simply feast on the tastiest Chinese cuisines all you want like we @elysplanet and @travelmoreph do all the time.