Sul & Beans Black sesame bingsu: Different asian countries each have their unique take on shaved ice, though they all seem united by a combination of textures soft and chewy. Korea’s is bingsu, a dessert often topped with red bean, fruit, and condensed milk. I had my first experience trying bingsu today in Los Angeles’s Koreatown at a chain from Korea called Sul & Beans. My sister and I shared an enormous black sesame shaved ice (there is only one size), which was dusted with black sesame powder and topped with red bean, c... (read more) 3.5/5.0
desserts la shavedice sulbeans black sesame bingsu 3.5
Holy Gelato Peach champagne sorbet : In the heart of the Inner Sunset District in SF is an ice cream shop called Holy Gelato, an eclectic mix of vintage toy shop and ice cream parlor. The peach champagne sorbet I ordered was surprisingly good, with a distinct but not overpowering champagne flavor and fresh, concentrated peach taste. The serving size is very generous such that their mini scoop would be a single anywhere else. Good value. 3.5/5.0
recommended sf icecream holygelato peach champagne sorbet 3.5
Lesser Evil Green Elephant Salt 'n Apple Cider Vinegar Potato Chips: My one greatest snack weakness is potato chips. With their high fat content and sparse serving size, chips are kind of the worst snack you could eat, even though they tend not to be highly processed. Because of these reasons, I rarely buy a bag of potato chips. But these salt and vinegar potato chips were on sale at Berkeley Bowl, so I succumbed and found a remarkably tangy potato chip worth trying. These chips are smaller and crunchier than normal (they're kettle cooked), and they are s... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended saltandvinegar pototochips lesserevilgreenelephant salt 'n apple cider vinegar potato chips 3.5
ba-nom-a-nom Watermelon “soft serve”: Specializing in “soft serve frozen fruit,” Ba-nom-a-nom is a Denver-based ice cream truck serving dairy-free, 100% fruit soft serve that falls somewhere in between sorbet and Italian ice. The soft serve has a whipped yet smooth crystallized texture. It tasted like fresh watermelon, which is exactly what it was. No added sugar. I was surprised at the texture since I didn’t know it wasn’t traditional soft serve, but it was a refreshing treat nonetheless. Pricy ($5) but decently generous. 3.5/5.0
icecream softserve denver banomanom watermelon “soft serve” 3.5
Hu Wang Roasted Seaweed Prawn Crackers: From Taiwan, these shrimp crackers are much lighter than the multi-color prawn crackers sometimes served at American-ized restaurants. They taste much better too, with a slightly sweet shrimp flavor dusted with powdered nori, which adds salinity without being overly salty. According to the packaging, "nutrients intact!" Recommended if you can find them... 3.5/5.0
recommended seafood chinese huwang roasted seaweed prawn crackers 3.5
Pomo Tierra Farms Hot Apple Cider: When I stopped at Cheeseboard this morning to pick up some breakfast, I saw a handwritten sign for seasonal hot apple cider from Pomo Tierra farms. I purchased the drink, then saw a man pour apple cider from a bottle of Bernie’s, a local apple cider brand they sell at various East Bay shops. I asked to clarify-was it Pomo Tierra Farms or Bernie’s? They told me they were the same thing. Then I had a sinking feeling that I had become That Berkeley Person, challenging exactly which organic app... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks cheeseboard berkeley pomotierrafarms hot apple cider 3.5