Popin' Cookin' Review (Part 1)

Hey guys! I apologize for the lack of updates. Today I'm going to be reviewing some Popin' Cookin' sets! These aren't really toys but edible candy. If you haven't already heard of konapun - this is the edible version of it!

Check out the insanely cute packaging! Initially I had only planned to try just one, but ended up buying so many because the packaging looked so exciting (￣Д￣;;)

These cost about 6 - 12 SGD (approx. 4 - 8 USD). If you want to buy them in Singapore, Bugis Street level 3 sells them the cheapest. They also have the most variety of Popin' Cookin' and DIY candy.

I started with the Hamburger Meal Set! Will my DIY burgers turn out the same?

There are instructions on the back of the box. I don't understand Japanese so I searched on YouTube for videos on how to make them. Don't follow the colors of the headers! They don't match the content of the packets even though they're the same color. I ended up mistaking my cola packet for ketchup :\

Everything is just powder mixed with water but it amazes me how each packet gives a different texture!

Tadah! Miniature fries! By the way these actually really smelt and tasted like potato!

Ran into some problem making my burger buns. They were pretty sticky and hard to even out on the surface. The mixture kept sticking to the spoon so I didn't end up with smooth round burger buns :(

I really liked how the ketchup tasted. They taste the same as tomato flavored Twisties :)

My crumpled burger buns lol! But overall super cute!

Presentation: ★★★★

I was expecting the set to come with the little mini tray and burger wrappers as shown on the box but instead they provided this cut-out you can use to present your finished product on. Though I must admit the cut-out looks pretty neat. I'm glad they included the drink cup, the french fries packet as well as the flags for the top of the burger. However, there wasn't any toothpicks so I had to use my own.

Difficulty: ★★

Fairly easy to make except the part with the burger buns. I saw some people on Instagram having the same problem as me but there are also people who's burgers turned out nice and round so I'm not really sure what I did wrong there :(

Fun: ★★★★

I had alot of fun making this set! There was so much to do! The process also included cutting, using molds and having to microwave. I especially love how they have a variety of different textures for this (from the buns to the fries to the ketchup as well as the mini cola).

Taste: ★★★★

Before I started making these, I actually read the comments on Youtube that these tasted horrible! I was prepared for the worst; but to my surprise, I loved how they tasted! They don't taste like real burgers but rather like potato chip seasoning? The buns tasted like bread crackers, the cheese tasted like cheese crackers and the patty tasted like barbecue flavored chips. I wolfed down the whole burger and it tasted really good mixed together. People were also saying that the cola tasted disgusting but it tasted like regular cola candy to me.

Next is the Ramen and Gyoza Set! Unlike the Hamburger Meal Set which came in a box, this came in a smaller packet. I kind of like how it resembles that of instant noodles.

The gyoza "skin" is actually made of candy! It feels and tastes exactly like a Ramune flavored Hi-Chew. I thought it would be easy to make the skins but apparently the white candy turns to mush very quickly, causing it to tear apart when handling.

Sprinkles for the gyoza fillings! I love how they added some green ones to look like vegetable bits. The sprinkles tasted like Ramune too but they are a little more sour?

Final product!

I love the mini tamago! I'm very amazed at how the noodles actually look and feel like real noodles! Before it become like this, it wasn't a solid texture. I had to pipe it into the soup and it just magically became noodle like!

Presentation: ★★

Rather boring. This set only came with a plastic ramen bowl which I had to cut out myself. I like how they added some details to the rim of the bowl but that was it. I think they could have added some red like the bowls shown on the packaging and have the bowls and plates be pre-made without having to cut.

Difficulty: ★★

Making the noodles was easy but handling the white candy was rather frustrating. I had to re-make my gyoza many times because the white candy kept tearing apart. I eventually gave up in the end (hence you can see that the gyoza at the back looks deformed lol)

Fun: ★★

This set is smaller and has less stuff to do compared to the hamburger one. However, no microwaving is needed for this set so you can do it anywhere!

Taste: ★★★

I was a little disappointed that this set tasted purely like candy. I read in the comments that the older version actually tasted savory – like the soup tasted just like soup! It would have been more interesting if it did. However, this set doesn't taste bad. Everything tasted like Ramune candy but with slightly different levels of tanginess.

Next is the Takoyaki Set!

Making the shrimp / octopus! This was actually very fuss free. Just mix the powder with water and press them into the mold – no mess!

Place them in the microwave, flip them over and..

Add the sauces and it's done! Looks pretty legit. Yum!

Presentation: ★★

The black plastic tray they provided looks simple but does fit the theme. I suppose they do look like the tako grill. I thought they were going to include the brown paper tray like the one shown on the packaging.

Difficulty: ★

By far the most easiest and fuss free to make up until the point whereby I had to squeeze on the mayonnaise. It was very hard to get the mayo to flow from the piping bag like how it would using a squeeze bottle.

Fun: ★★

Like the Ramen and Gyoza set, this set has less things to do compared to the hamburger one. Though I did enjoy the process of flipping my tako balls over like they do in real life.

Taste: ★★★

The sauce and mayonnaise tasted like the real thing but the Takoyaki balls and shrimp itself didn't. The shrimp tasted like chicken flavored potato chips and the tako balls tasted similar to the buns from the hamburger set. I liked how each ingredient tasted individually but it tasted really weird put altogether.

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I'll be reviewing the Pizza, Sushi and Donut sets in my next post! Have you tried any of these Popin' Cookin' sets?