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Is bar food expensive? I’m not quite sure myself since I don’t typically haunt them, but I’ve heard others say so. However, I discovered Chocobar after walking my friend to Vision Exchange for her dinner catch-up session, and I believe it might be an exception to the claim.
Chocobar in Jurong serves not just alcohol and beer towers but also a vast selection of zichar delights. A glance at the menu informed me the cheapest rice and noodle-based main dishes like mui fan (rice with gravy), hor fun and fried noodles start from S$5.50, and even the pricier ones cost under S$10.
I brought my mom because she’s totally the best person to drag along to a random KTV bar lit only by neon lights at night. Just for dinner, of course – I’m not a big drinker, especially when it comes to beer. But if you are, you might find their All Day Promotion of 3 Guinness pints for S$25+ interesting.
Why’s it called Chocobar even though there’s no chocolate? It’s a mystery – no one knows, not even the staff. It does however claim to be an “SG Drinkers Training Base” according to a brass plaque on the wall, as if the rows of glistening bottles lining the shelves weren’t obvious enough.
What I tried at Chocobar
The Standard Gravy Bee Hoon/Hor Fun/Mui Rice and Fried Rice were the cheapest options at just S$5.50 per plate. That being said, I did bring my mom along and she deserved something less basic.
It didn’t take long to settle on two dishes despite the variety; the top sellers were indicated on the menu. Following the recommendation, we selected the Big Prawns Fried Hokkien Noodles (S$8) and Big Prawns Fried Rice (S$10).
I am a sucker for beautiful food presentation, so when the Big Prawns Fried Rice arrived, I instantly whipped out my camera. On a huge plate, two giant grilled prawns were propped in the shape of an upside-down heart against the pyramid of golden egg fried rice. It was a captivating sight that I didn’t know I needed to see till that moment.
Despite this, the first thing that hit us wasn’t the plating but the fragrance. A rich and smoky scent wafted straight into our nostrils once we set our eyes on the dish, impressing even my sceptical mom. Needless to say, I was eager to dive in!
Our fried rice contained egg, chopped long beans and, for some reason, vegetarian char siew. It was unfortunate that the food looked more magnificent than it tasted because there wasn’t much smokiness in the rice itself.
Luckily, it was still appetising. Bits of fried egg accompanied the fluffy rice and provided most of the dish’s aroma alongside the sweetness from the vegetarian char siew.
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While more straightforward in presentation, the Big Prawns Fried Hokkien Noodles was just as gorgeous as the first dish. It came steaming, and I tried my best to capture the wispy tendrils swirling in the lights as they emerged from the piping hot wet Hokkien mee.
Yellow Fujian noodles and thick white bee hoon formed the foundation of this local favourite. It was nice that they were mostly al dente and bouncy, though the yellow noodles turned significantly softer after soaking up the heat and gravy.
The rich broth was wonderful and I couldn’t stop myself from dipping my spoon into the plate for more between bites. It was chock-full of the delicious sweet prawn flavour, and there was somehow a strong milky or buttery taste to it that I enjoyed.
Chocobar’s Hokkien Noodles had more ingredients than the Fried Rice. For instance, they contained fluffy eggs and chopped sotong as well as succulent and briny baby squid to go with the seafood broth.
I wasn’t the only one to find the chilli sauce exceptionally strong this time. Even my companion struggled to handle the shockingly spicy concoction of chilli and belacan that had already seeped into a small portion of our noodles.
A little more scouring between the strands led me to find small pieces of pork lard and fatty pork belly in the dish. While soggy on the surface, the lard was crisp and oily on the inside. It was a pity some pieces seemed burnt and left a faintly acrid taste when I bit into them.
My mom’s favourite component of both dishes was their big, sweet and juicy prawns. While they weren’t deshelled, they had been deveined cleanly by the chef and cooked to perfection. Their heads were filled with rich umami goodness, which I didn’t hesitate to slurp out the moment I got my chopsticks on one.
Final Thoughts
I’m not sure how my mom and I finished the dishes that night, but we were already rolling home by the time we stepped out of Chocobar. She firmly believes that they weren’t anything special and I agree; dishes like those can be enjoyed in most hawker centres for a lower price.
However, given that these were from a bar, I do think they’re of a reasonable sharing portion and price. This is especially so if split among a small group – I checked with a friend of mine and she confirmed that it’d be considered more affordable than most.
While I won’t be returning here anytime soon, I can acknowledge that the overall experience was quite enjoyable both taste-wise and aesthetically. Perhaps you’d like to give Chocobar a try for your next group drinking session?
Expected damage: S$5.50 – S$10 per pax
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