Trader Joe’s Sweet & Salty granola bars: Chewy and flavor-heavy snack option combining almond butter and yogurt, along with grains and nuts. Barely a granola bar; more likely candy. Overly sweet for my palate. Surprisingly not so filling. 3.0/5.0
almond yogurt traderjoes sweet salty granola bars 3.0
Kekou Almond tofu gelato: Tofu jelly with canned fruits is a classic Chinese banquet dessert made not with actual tofu but with gelatin, sugar, water, and almond extract. It was one of my favorite sweets to eat growing up, so I was excited to see the flavor at the menu at Kekou, an ice cream shop off Spadina in Toronto specializing in asian flavors. Kekou doesn’t use any stabilizers, which translates to gelato that’s more fresh but not quite as smooth. The tofu gelato was a little icy and a bit too sweet for my palat... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream Toronto kekou almond tofu gelato 3.0 dessert
Minamoto Kitchoan Senbei: Crispy Japanese rice crackers from confectionary store Minamoto Kitchoan. First time I've ever had a snack that has a deep umami flavor but is not at all salty (some may even say underseasoned). An interesting one, but not a snack I would purchase. 3.0/5.0
ricecrackers japanese minamotokitchoan senbei 3.0
Minamoto Kitchoan Green tea mochi: Minamoto Kitchoan is a Japanese sweets shop that is one of my favorite places to purchase gifts. This was a box gifted to me, containing a set of green tea mochi with red bean filling. Matcha is both mixed into the glutinous rice “pouch” but also dusted as a coating, giving the dessert a slightly bitter flavor that balances well with the sweet red bean paste. This is not my favorite mochi, but it’s definitely solid. 3.0/5.0
recommended matcha mochi minamotokitchoan green tea 3.0
iTea wintermelon milk tea with grass jelly: I ordered this drink out of curiosity, but the wintermelon didn’t have too much of a distinct flavor compared to regular black milk tea. The herbal grass jelly was very good as always, though Purchased at I-Tea in Kearny in SF. 3.0/5.0
milktea drinks itea wintermelon milk tea grass jelly 3.0
Calbee Yuzu and black pepper shrimp chips: I grew up eating MSG-laden Calbee shrimp crackers, so it was neat to see they are celebrating 50 years. This is the first time I tried anything outside their original flavor. The crispy crackers had a tangy slightly sour seasoning that was more interesting than tasty. Still, adding a yuzu flavor to their line seems appropriate and on trend; maybe this will help them reach 50 more years. 3.0/5.0
japanese calbee yuzu black pepper shrimp chips 3.0