味自慢 木于卜饅頭: I treated myself to this unusual snack from the Japanese supermarket Tokyo Fish Market without knowing anything about what it was. Guided by just a few words of English, I understand that it's a wheat cake filled with a red bean paste dyed white and yellow and topped with black sesame seeds. Each cookie is generously sized, but at 235 calories each, you would hope so. The snack overall eats a tad dry and is best accompanied by milk (I imagine it would pair well with tea too). It's intere... (read more) 3.0/5.0
tokyofishmarket japanese redbean cake 木于卜饅頭 3.0New Silverstar Deli Limeade: At my new favorite lunch spot near work, a small banh-mi shop called New Silverstar Deli, they make their own limeade, a traditional offering from Vietnamese shops. Generally, I try to order fresh-made drinks without ice so I can more accurate assess the flavor without any dilution. When I requested the drink iceless, I was asked whether I wanted any additional water added as the limeade is "very concentrated." I said no, and they retrieved a pre-poured cup from their fridge, filled slight... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks sanfrancisco newsilverstardeli vietnamese lime limeade 3.0Ito En Milk Tea: A "Hawaiian Exclusive," I was able to purchase this canned milk tea from Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley. It is definitely sweet, like at 100% sweetness from a bubble tea shop that lets you adjust, but it does have black tea undertones and an herbal aftertaste. Now that I've had this drink, it will now be a baseline for how decent black milk tea is from a boba tea shop. As far as I'm concerned, if I can buy it for half the price at the local grocery store, it's not worth getting it "fresh." 3.0/5.0
drinks tokyofishmarket itoen milk tea 3.0Ici Coconut passion fruit sorbet: Ici is an ice cream shop in Berkeley started by a former Chez Panisse pasty chef. Its menu consists of elevated classics made with quality ingredients. The coconut passion fruit sorbet I ordered had a vibrant orange hue and was more tart than sweet, with an acidic passion fruit flavor and smooth coconut finish. The balance was slightly off, as it was more sharp than I personally prefer, but the most disappointing part was the texture, which was varied and mostly too icy. The homemade cone, t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
berkeley icecream ici coconut passion fruit sorbet 3.0Tilamook Oregon Strawberry Strained Yogurt: This brand of yogurt strikes me as the training wheels of Greek yogurt. If you prefer less thick Greek yogurt and yogurt that isn't as tart but still has the familiarity of fruit-on-the-bottom, this yogurt checks all of the boxes. It's high in protein and has a satisfying by familiar blend of strawberry flavoring. Personally, I prefer the tartness and thickness of other brands of Greek yogurt, but this one certainly isn't bad. 3.0/5.0
berkeleybowl tilamook oregon strawberry strained yogurt 3.0Berkeley Bowl Cheddar Whales: From the bulk section, these cheddar crackers are larger than most (about 2x the size of a goldfish and 1.5x Annie's cheddar bunnies). Its cheddar flavor is less tangy than some (for example, Horizon cheddar crackers) but has a distinct taste all its own, I think from the different spices added, including paprika and turmeric. While I didn't find it overseasoned, reassessing the label made me realized that a portion has about 1/4 of your daily serving of sodium. I'm not convinced this is ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
crackers berkeleybowl cheddar whales 3.0