Home-Based Baker Boasts His Choc Chip Cookie Is ‘Best You’ll Ever Have’, Says Customers Agree

Are these really “the best cookies you’ll ever have”?

Ben clarifies: “To be honest, this line was coined by my customers and they encouraged me to use it! I think when it comes to food, a large part of it is personal preference, and we’re thankful that most of our customers have given us good feedback and the confidence to use that slogan”. 

Has anyone refuted his “best cookie” claim so far? “Well there were a couple of occasions when people gave us [not entirely positive] feedback, and we try as much as possible to improve according to them. Sometimes though, it really boils down to personal preference and as long as there are enough folks who enjoy our cookies, we’re happy,” he asserts. 

“Our cookies aren’t the cheapest, and they’re not meant to be the cheapest, ’cos we put a lot of high quality stuff in them. For instance, the Swiss chocolate we use, very few people will use it to bake because it’s so expensive. But because of that, you also get a super gooey and satisfying texture of melted choc, which you don’t get if you use normal chocolate chips,” he reasons. He adds that his supplier told him that he’s the only person he knows using this specific Swiss choc commercially for cookies.

Chef Julien Royer likes them

The jovial millennial’s biggest boost to his best cookie claim is, of course, chef Julien Royer’s stamp of approval. Upon receiving them as a gift, the Frenchman posted on IG: “You need this urgently people” and good-naturedly says it’s “the best cookie from @cooks.sg”. 

Gave up six-figure salary to pursue passion for cooking

Before he opened Culantro Club in 2023, Ben worked in the corporate field for five years. He graduated from the Singapore Management University (SMU) with a Bachelor’s in Business Management and Economics, and most recently worked in tech sales with a “six-figure annual salary”.

However, he has always been more interested in food. He first learned how to cook by watching YouTube videos when he was an undergrad.

Last year, he decided to take the plunge and quit his comfortable job to pursue a career in F&B. “I decided to leave the corporate world ’cos I was a little too passionate about food, and I couldn’t get my mind off it,” he laughs.

He adds: “The push factor was me feeling very out of place [at my old job]. Don’t get me wrong — I think the job is great for people who are more suited for it — but I just didn’t feel like I belonged there, and there was always a calling towards food”. 

“Some months are not as good, some months are better”

While Ben admits that he was concerned about giving up his stable salary, he says the past year working in F&B was worth the sacrifice. “Some months are not as good, some months are better, so I think it depends on how hard I am willing to hustle and make it work. Long story short, it’s worth it. I think people have the misconception that you only get well paid and have stability from a nine to five job, but that’s not true,” he says.

These days, Ben spends hours baking his cookies daily, with occasional help from his family. “I’m super lucky to have very understanding parents. They’re fully supportive and glad to see that I’m much happier now!”, he says. His mum and sis sometimes help him with baking, while his dad drives him to pop-ups. 

His wife, a yoga instructor and batik biz owner, also helps him with packing his orders and accompanies him to pop-ups. “She was thankfully very supportive of my career switch,” he adds. 

Taste test 

Cook’s Chocolate Chip Cookies, $39.90 for six (8 Days Pick!)

And now, 8days.sg samples the signature Cook’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Each slim disc is roughly the size of a man’s palm. It’s baked to a sultry shade of golden-brown — some spots look almost burnt at the edges. We love the cookie’s crispy, caramelised borders. Its core is softly chewy and generously dappled with gooey pools of dark chocolate. Deep butterscotch notes of burnt butter permeate this confection. Ben says his butter is “extra brown” due to a secret ingredient and 'cos he cooks it “to be as brown as possible for maximum Maillard reaction”. This lends the cookie a fragrant sweetness that isn’t just from sugar. While we personally prefer our chocolate a little more bitter (most folks we gifted this cookie with were happy with this version), the generous scatter of flaked sea salt does a decent job of cutting its sweetness. Is it honestly the best cookie we’ve had? Well, we’re still searching for the perfect one. But it’s undeniably a very good cookie made with lots of care, especially if you love the semi-soft variety. This will make a delicious Christmas gift. 

White Chip Kaffir Lime Macadamia Cookie, $35.90 for six

Ben’s newer white chocolate chip macadamia cookie is pretty yummy, too. It’s slightly sweeter thanks to the white choc, but not cloying. The creamy nuts have a lovely crunch and richness. Meanwhile, a clever light dusting of dehydrated kaffir lime leaf powder adds some complexity to this decadent cookie, though we barely noticed it at first.   

More flavours coming soon

While Ben currently sells only two types of cookies, he says more festive flavours will be rolled out in the first week of December. He doesn’t have plans to set up a brick-and-mortar shop yet, but will be regularly hosting pop-ups at various locations over the next few months.

Cook’s Gourmet Cookies are available via their website. More info on pop-up locations on Instagram.

Additional reporting by Florence Fong

Photos: Cook’s Gourmet Cookies/Florence Fong

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