Trader Joe's Cheesy Trees Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crackers: I like some of Trader Joe's other cheese crackers, such as their Cheddar Rockets and their Gorgonzola crackers, so I decided to give these Cheesy Trees a try. They come in a smaller box and contain two individually wrapped trays of crackers stacked one of top of one another. The crackers have a crumbly texture and have this kind of greasy cheese taste to them, kind of like melted low-quality cheddar cheese you put in the microwave to eat over tortilla chips. I really don't like them becau... (read more) 2.0/5.0
avoid cheese traderjoes cheesy trees sharp cheddar crackers 2.0
Trader Joe's Oven-Baked Cheese Bites: This small 2-serving packet of imported Italian cheese bites consists of baked rounds of "aged cheese" (not specifically identified in the ingredients list) as well as grana padano cheese. That's pretty much it - the ingredient list is literally two items. The bites are crispy, but because of the high fat content, they dissolve in your mouth quickly, leaving a bit of an oily aftertaste. The cheese is tangy and a little funky, definitely not your typical cheddar snack. I didn't really car... (read more) 2.0/5.0
traderjoes oven-baked cheese bites 2.0
Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoned Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips: I like potato chips, and I like everything seasoning. But these chips were far too garlicky, and it misses a lot of the nuance of good everything seasoning. The poppy seeds, for example, have a hard time sticking to the potato chips, so they mostly end up at the bottom of the bag, and there isn't any discernible sesame flavor. Texture-wise, the kettle chips are totally solid. But I wouldn't get them again because of how alarmingly strong the garlic is. 2.0/5.0
chips traderjoes everything but bagel seasoned kettle-cooked potato 2.0
Trader Joe's Many Things Snack Mix: Trader Joe's version of Chex Mix, this medley combines fairly lackluster standards like pretzels, wheat squares, and bread crisps along with a welcome addition of honey roasted peanuts. I found myself fishing for the honey roasted peanuts, even though I don't especially like peanuts, as I found the other components to be completely average. The seasoning oddly veered towards overly garlicky. Would not recommend. 2.0/5.0
traderjoes snackmix pretzels peanuts many things snack mix 2.0
U Cha Barley milk tea with boba: Continuing my bubble tea taste test across Berkeley, I found myself at a popular tea shop named U Cha on Bancroft. Their expansive menu has the fruit and milk tea flavors you expect from a Taiwanese-style chain. I ordered their barley tea with boba at 20% sweetness with little ice. The flavor was familiar but watered down and over-sweetened; the boba was too chewy. With better options, this one is a pass. 2.0/5.0
drinks berkeley bubbletea ucha barley milk tea boba 2.0
U-Cha Bomber Man milk tea with boba: After having a surprisingly good ginger milk tea last time I visited U-Cha in Berkeley, I decided to try one of their signature drinks, the Bomber Man milk tea. Unfortunately, the drink has nothing to do with our favorite Hudson Soft video game hero. Instead, the drink is essentially milk without tea. But even at 25% sweetness, the drink was overwhelmingly sweet as the honey boba has a caramel-like gooey outer layer. I wouldn't be surprised if even at 0% sugar, the drink would still be t... (read more) 2.0/5.0
avoid drinks milktea bubbletea ucha bomber man milk tea boba 2.0