Humphry Slocombe Fromage Blanc with Strawberry Ice Cream: Classic cheesecake flavor - with more cheese than strawberry (and thus, aptly named). Rich enough to make you dehydrated. Slightly icy in texture rather than smooth. If this were my first exposure to Humphrey Slocombe, I would think it was overrated and probably wouldn't return. But since I've had better there, I know there are other flavors worth seeking. 3.0/5.0
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Asha Tea Milk tea with boba: Though I've been to Asha many times, I've previously opted for their fruit teas every time since they tend to be very good. This time, I decided to give the classic black milk tea with boba a try. Personally, I find that Asha's boba, though housemade, lacks the firmness and pliancy that I prefer from a more substantial tapioca. The milk tea itself is both herbal and creamy. A solid, classic take, though it doesn't reach the same heights as their herbal fruit teas. 3.0/5.0
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Barbaras Snackimals Chocolate Chip Cookies: Flat, crunchy animal cookies whose cartoon shapes are more defined than the typically abstract characters of alternative brands. Classic chocolate chip cookie that's more satisfying than Teddy Grahams (though it's more expensive). Convenient resealable bag. A safe bet. 3.0/5.0
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Fugetsu-Do Peanut Butter Mochi: Long-standing Japanese confectionary shop Fugetsu-Do, located in Japantown in downtown Los Angeles, sells its mochi at various stores around California (I recently found their products at Berkeley Bowl). This set of Peanut Butter Mochi was purchased from Marukai in Glendale, LA and contained 6 sizable pieces of soft, chewy mochi filled literally with chunky peanut butter (maybe Jiff). It feels almost sacrilegious but simultaneously like a sort of twisted American dream where peanut butter c... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Kimura Yuzu cider: I think I could live in the soft drinks section of Marukai Market in Gardena, LA, with its seemingly endless array of bottles in every color of the rainbow. It was hard to pick just one, but the beautiful vintage-style label of the Kimura brand sodas stood out to me, and yuzu-flavor just felt appropriate. The fizzy drink is pretty sweet, like a tangier Sprite. Paired with the rich burger I had for lunch, it worked well, but on its own, it's a bit too sweet for my taste. Still, as an alternat... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Blockheads Black sesame shaved ice with red bean, rice cakes, almond jelly, and condensed milk: Finally got to try this LA-based Taiwanese shaved ice chain. The black sesame ice cream had decent flavor but the texture was not as fluffy as I knew it could be given my recent experience at Powder in San Francisco. At Blockheads, they make their rice cakes in house, which are essentially tang yuan (the mochi-like glutinous rice dumplings that often accompany red bean soup). I expected their almond jelly to be almond jello, but it was more like the harder gelatin cubes often used in Asia... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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