In this world, there are exceptional individuals, and then there’s everyone else. As for Michael Hasler – otherwise known as Hot Chip Guy – it’s clear which category he falls under.
Hasler, for the uninitiated, is a man carrying out the Lord’s work. In search of the very best hot chips around Sydney, he recently gained mainstream attention by documenting this epic journey on Instagram.
Hot chips have, of course, been something of a longstanding passion for Hasler. Consuming the sculpted potatoes approximately five times a week (“not to exaggerate”), he soon decided to be of service to us – the people.
“People kept asking me ‘Where should I get my chips?’” Hassler tells Broadsheet.
“And I’m like ‘Oh ok, I guess I’m your guy.’”
Hasler’s approach to hot chip critique is where science meets art. Under the Hot Chip Guy persona, he reviews entire bowls or containers of chips for the sake of a fair evaluation. The logic? Even a mediocre batch can yield a single decent chip.
From there, the review format is as follows:
- Location
- Price
- Crispy/Soggy % score (70/30 is ideal)
- Value Score
- Salt Levels (“If you’ve got the option… it’s chicken salt every time.”)
- Overall Score (which apparently involves “a dash of gut feeling”)
So what makes a perfect bowl of chips? According to Hasler, it needs to be moreish. You’ll instinctively know based on the conversation it generates amongst the people you’re sharing it with, not to mention how it keep provoking you to look for the bowl’s best pick. An average bowl, on the other hand, is purely functional. You’re “shoving them in your mouth” and not even thinking about it.
Read the original interview over at broadsheet.com.au. And if you have a potential candidate for the best hot chips in Sydney, get in contact with the big fella himself here – @hotchipguy.
