Suntory Melon Pop Soda: I'm not sure what I expected from this atomic green soda, somehow even more neon green than Surge, the height of artificial soda in America. But I think I was craving some variety after not drinking any interesting beverages for some time. I purchased the bottle from a 100¥ discount vending machine. It tastes just as you would expect: super sweet, but not actually tasting that much of melon; more like liquid fruit gummy candy. I've actually just realized that I believe this is the melon ... (read more) 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks japanese suntory melon pop soda 1.5
Meiji Ujikintoki Ice Bars: I've been very slowly working through this box of popsicles for about a month now. Having previously tried a Lotte version of packaged kakigori ice bars, I decided to try this matcha version not realizing it was from a different brand (Meiji). These ice cream bars are really quite bad; the green tea ice is very hard and crunchy and lacks flavor, whole red bean throughout the ice have a very dry texture, the viscous condensed milk that sits on top of it is far too sweet, and the outer coati... (read more) 1.5/5.0
popsicles japanese dessert avoid maretsu icecream popsicle meiji ujikintoki ice bars 1.5
Outstanding Foods Pig Out Pigless Bacon Chips: Everything about the packaging of Pig Out snacks screams bacon, from the pig mascot to the photograph of bacon-looking chips (enlarged for texture) – it's only upon closer inspection that you see that these chips are completely plant-based, and only in the ingredients list is the predominant ingredient (mushrooms) listed. It's an interesting choice to go for the bacon-loving consumer, rather than the vegetarian craving meat. The chips are kind of like Terra sweet potato chips in texture; t... (read more) 1.5/5.0
avoid vegetarian mushrooms outstandingfoods pig out pigless bacon chips 1.5 parkslopefoodcoop
Polar Unicorn Kisses Seltzer: Someone decided to order these half-sized cans of seltzer at work, so of course I was going to review it. Despite being calorie-free, you can smell the intense sweetness upon opening the can. It tastes exactly like a box of Runts smells - like every artificially-flavored fruit candy, from grape to watermelon, was made into a concentrate and generously mixed with carbonated water. Hard to imagine why anyone would enjoy this. 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks seltzer polar unicorn kisses 1.5
Matchabar Rose matcha milk tea: I really enjoyed a bottled Fuji ginger matcha drink from Matchabar a few months ago and decided to try a freshly-made beverage from their small to-go window in Soho. This rose matcha milk tea, while colorful, was actually quite bad - very sweet, and quickly diluted. Hardly any green tea flavor, and tasted like watery milk after only a few minutes. Definitely $5 wasted. 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks nyc matchabar rose matcha milk tea 1.5
Go Raw Raisin Crunch Sprouted Bar: I've been especially conscious of the amount of carbs in snacks I'm eating lately, and with 32g of carbs, this bar alone exceeds most low-carb diets. That could be ok, if the snack is excellent, but this bar fails on multiple levels. It verges on no flavor, with a bland combination of seeds (sesame, flaxseed, and sunflower). Ground together and bound with dried dates and raisins, the entire bar tastes strongly of health food with no character. The texture is strangely tough; pieces are di... (read more) 1.5/5.0
avoid raisin crunch sprouted bar 1.5 goraw organic