Asian Market Shopper Review

Friday, June 3, 2011

Asian Market Shopper Review

at 9:05 AM

Asian Market Shopper Review

By Jennifer Allen on June 3rd, 2011
Our Rating:

:: INTERESTING
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad

Asian Market Shopper serves as a great introduction to Asian cuisine

Developer: Chronicle Books
Price: $3.99
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 4

iPhone Integration Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
User Interface Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Re-use Value Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3.67 out of 5 stars

Asian Market Shopper offers an introduction to Asian cooking for newbies to the cuisine. While it might lack a bit of depth for those who know what they’re doing, it makes for an ideal welcome to a particularly exciting way of cooking.

The layout is mostly focused on making it easy for users to find exactly what they need. Upon loading, the app divides everything up into regions or enables users to consult their favorites quickly or look things up alphabetically. Upon picking a region, users are then given an image of the ingredient along with a brief description of what the ingredient actually is and how it is typically used. Those wanting to know how to pronounce some of the more difficult to say ingredients can also hear a brief audio clip say it correctly. Following that is a rough idea of where it can be purchased as well as how to pick out the best of the bunch. Recipes linked to the ingredient then follow.

There aren’t a huge amount of recipes on offer admittedly but they do provide a sound basis for starting out. Each recipe comes with an attractive image of the end result as well as some easy to understand instructions. In some cases, videos are also included such as one that details how to use a pestle and mortar. The ability to add ingredients en mass to a shopping list is also there and this list then separates ingredients according to type and where they would most likely be in a grocery store.

Asian Market Shopper could do with a few more recipes as, for the price, there aren’t a huge deal, clocking in at a mere 25. However it does serve as a great introduction to the cuisine and makes for an attractive interactive book. For those reasons alone, it could make for a great addition to someone’s iOS virtual bookshelf.