This is the second part of my Popin' Cookin' review :) If you missed it, here is the
link to part one.
The 4th set I'm going to review is the
Pizza Set!
The grape soda actually fizzes! But only for awhile though. Same goes for the cola in the Hamburger Meal Set but it was flat by the time I could take a picture :(
Presentation: ★★★
A pizza box was provided in the form of a cut-out in which you had to fold and tape down. I didn't use the box for my presentation because for some reason, it kept curling and yowarping. Maybe it would've been better if the box was made out of paper or card?
Difficulty: ★
This was easier to make than the Hamburger Meal Set but just as fun. I did panic a little with the cheese though: it seemed gooey and impossible to cut after mixing, but apparently it just takes some time for it to solidify.
Fun: ★★★★
The potato squares are made the same way the fries were in the Hamburger Set but it was alot of fun making the pizzas. The steps are almost similar to making a real pizza (making the base, spreading the sauce, adding the toppings). The cheese topping actually melted after being put in the microwave!
Taste: ★★★★★
This set is my favorite in terms of taste! The pizza didn't exactly taste like real pizza but it did taste really yummy! The pizza sauce does taste like pizza sauce and the cheese did taste like actual melted cheese. The pepperoni bits tasted like barbecue flavored chips and the peas were basically salted rice krispees. The base of the pizza tastes like the real thing too! The grape soda tasted like grape candy or grape syrup flavoring. Nothing about this set tasted weird. I would consider buying this set again just to eat it :P
Next is the Sushi Set! I was really excited about this one because of the fish roe sushi.
No microwaving needed for this set. Everything is made by adding water. The tamago and salmon solidifies and becomes konaku jelly-like after leaving it for awhile.
Making the fish roe was like magic! Again like the ramen noodles, how does liquid dropped in liquid turn it into a solid?!
And look at the rice! It looks so real! I'm just so amazed with the texture.
Omg they look so real and appetizing!
Presentation: ★★★★
This set also came with a cut out which I accidentally tore -_-" So be careful with the packaging if you want to use them for your presentation. The cut out had mini plates on them for you to put your sushi on, which I thought was pretty cute. This set also included some 'soya sauce' but I didn't have a mini saucer to put it in.
Difficulty: ★
Easy to make but getting the fish roe to stay on top of the sushi might be abit tricky because the rice is not sticky at all. The fish roes actually glide off the rice because it's smooth.
Fun: ★★★★★
In my opinion, this set was the most fun to make! It feels like I'm literally playing with my food making the sushi :P
Taste: ★★★
All the ingredients tasted like grape candy, but not the same kind. Wouldn't it be interesting if this set did taste like rice and fish? But then again, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea..
Although the ingredients themselves didn't taste bad, the texture made everything feel and taste weird in my mouth. The only sushi that tasted nice was the fish roe one because the seaweed is made of that Hi-Chew type of candy. The fish roe actually pops when you bite down! The rice was a no for me. It didn't taste bad but it was pretty weird because of the texture. The texture was nothing like real rice. Funnily, the so-called "soya sauce" actually does make everything taste better!
And lastly the Donut Set! I was really drawn by the sample donuts on the box and thinking that these would actually taste like real donuts.
One thing I dislike about these Popin' Cookin' sets is how ridiculously small the containers to mix the powders in are. I spilled quite abit of powder each time I had to stir / mix something. Not a very good idea if a kid who wishes to make these because if you spill too much powder, you might not have enough mix to make certain parts of your food.
Mini donuts! Looks pretty real too don't they?
Presentation: ★★★
Like the Pizza Set, this set came with a cut out to be folded into a box. Again, I wish the box was made of paper or card because the foil packaging curled again with these :(
Difficulty: ★
Really easy! I would recommend this set if you're afraid you'll end up with #popincookinfail
Fun: ★★★★
Despite the steps being really simple and repetitive (add water, mix and press into the mold for the donuts and just water plus powder for the different icing flavors), the donuts were still alot of fun to make because you can create any kind of donut you want! I'm not a very creative person so my donuts look typical, but here are some other designs you can make:
Taste: ★★★
So did these taste like actual donuts? Sadly, no. The lighter colored donut base smelt like vanilla but tasted nothing like vanilla. I can't really put my finger on what it tastes like. It definitely didn't taste like grape soda or Ramune candy though. The darker one smelt like chocolate but I couldn't really taste the chocolate in it. The bases themselves taste weird without any icing, but it's not an unpleasant taste. They felt pretty funny to chew though - much like the sushi rice.
The chocolate icing is my favourite, followed by the strawberry. The vanilla icing didn't taste at all like vanilla (I don't know how to describe it, but it did taste a little weird). And who doesn't love sprinkles and rice krispees :D
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In my opinion, you can skip the smaller sets like the Ramen and Takoyaki ones. After buying so many, I realised that most of the process includes the same few steps so it isn't as thrilling or exciting once you've done the slighty more complicated sets like the Hamburger Meal.
If you're on a budget and would like to try making these just for the experience, I highly recommend that you try either the Hamburger Meal or the Pizza Set along with the Sushi Set because I found these three sets to be the most fun and interesting. I am not sure where is the best place to buy these Popin Cookin sets online but you can always try Amazon.com :)
So which of the sets I've reviewed would you like to try out?
