Befco Kuriyama Bakauke Sesame rice crackers: Shaped vaguely like miniature banana or oblong boomerangs, these soy flavored rice crackers were purchased for under $3 from Sunrise Market in Manhattan. Each piece is individually wrapped and is just on the verge of being overseasoned, yet also has a sweet aftertaste. Pretty good overall, but probably not good enough to purchase again. 3.0/5.0
Sunrisemart japanese soy nyc befco kuriyama bakauke sesame rice crackers 3.0
Morgenstern’s Fourth of July special with strawberry and buttered popcorn softserve : Two summer treats, swirled into an unlikely softserve combination, topped with a smattering of patriotic sprinkles and a blueberry syrup. Individually, the two flavors were pretty compelling - the strawberry was sweet and refreshing, and the buttered popcorn was creamy and had a distinct salted savory flavor. Together, though, they didn’t quite work - and it was expensive, at $7. I don’t think we’ll see strawberry-flavored buttered popcorn on the shelves anytime soon. 3.0/5.0
nyc softserve icecream dessert morgensterns fourth of july special strawberry buttered popcorn 3.0
Berkeley Bowl Bar snack mix: The Berkeley Bowl bulk snack mixes are generally good, but this standard bar mix with cheddar crackers, pretzels, peanuts, and almonds is not really better than the sum of its ingredients. None of the flavors compete, but it’s not particularly interesting, and there are much better alternatives. 3.0/5.0
crackers berkeleybowl bar snack mix 3.0
House Kombucha Rose black Kombucha: Strikes a decent balance - not overly floral yet still clearly tastes of rose. Rose mixed with a vinegar-y fermented flavor is hard to pair with food, though, so this is more of a drink to have on its own. 3.0/5.0
drinks housekombucha rose black kombucha 3.0
Lu Raspberry Paille d’Or biscuits: It’s rare for me to come across a snack that bears little resemblance to anything I’ve eaten before, but this raspberry flavored “cookies” fall into that category. Literally translated as “golden straws” the cookies come from Lu, a popular French biscuit brand. The cookies come stacked in individually wrapped package, laid out in a row of three you can break off similar to a 3-prong Kit Kat. The exterior is flaky and somewhat reminiscent of a wafer, but more styrofoam-like in texture and non... (read more) 3.0/5.0
montereymarket sweets lu raspberry paille d’or biscuits 3.0 French
Bubble Tea Share Time Thai iced tea slushie: I went to the dentist yesterday and didn’t have any new cavities, which is quite a feat given the existence of this blog. Also, it’s getting hot in Berkeley. To celebrate, I got a Thai Iced Tea “slushie” with boba from Share Tea, a bubble tea shop on Shattuck in Berkeley a few blocks away from downtown. While I asked for it to be less sweet, I should have asked for it to have 0 added sweetness as it was still overly sugary. But the Thai iced tea flavor, though classic, was refreshing, and th... (read more) 3.0/5.0
berkeley bubbletea drinks sharetea thai iced tea slushie 3.0