Reem’s Hibiscus Rose Cooler: Finally made it to Reem’s, the middle eastern cafe in Fruitvale (Oakland) specializing in housemade flatbread. To accompany the robust za’atar-spiced flatbread, I got a cup of refreshing and sharp hibiscus rose cooler, a purple-maroon colored drink that tasted of an amped-up floral pomegranate juice. Well balanced and perfectly complementary, it rounded out a complete, delicious meal at Reem’s. 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks oakland reems hibiscus rose cooler 4.0
Garden of Eatin’ Nacho Cheese Corn Tortilla Chips: Garden of Eatin’ is a rare snack brand: tastefully seasoned and consistently unique in its interpretations of classic flavors. This nacho cheese chip is tangier than most, opting for a milder, creamier flavor than the bold edge of Doritos. It’s also much more lightly seasoned. Favorable for those who are satisfied with a serving size of 9 chips (I know of none). 4.0/5.0
recommended berkeleybowl gardenofeatin nacho cheese corn tortilla chips 4.0
Shrimp peanut snack: Despite my best effort at detective work with Google Translate and Reverse Image Search, I wasn’t able to track down the exact brand of this senbei snack. Too bad, because it’s one of the best ones I’ve had before. Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley, the snack consists of baked hollow balls filled with peanuts. Unlike the traditional crunchy glazed rice crackers I’ve had before, this one had a crumbly, buttery exterior that melt-in-your-mouths. The shell is well seasoned with a rob... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended tokyofishmarket japanese shrimp peanut snack 4.0
Noosa Pear and cardamom yogurt: This uniquely spiced pear and cardamom yogurt combines the comforting flavor of baked spiced fruit (like apple pie) with creamy and sharp yogurt, similar in effect to having a dollop of creme fraiche on a rich, sweet dessert. High quality whole milk yogurt with a distinct flavor combination. Would buy again. 4.0/5.0
recommended pear cardamom yogurt 4.0 noosa
Sconehenge Crystallized ginger and lemon English tea scones: At the checkout at Monterey Market in Berkeley is a variety of locally-baked good positioned as impulse buys. Cookies, chocolates, and small cakes are neatly arranged, mostly near the register closest to the exit. For a tea party, I purchased these Sconehenge crystallized ginger and lemon scones, which were of surprisingly excellent quality. These packaged scones were more flavorful, moist, and light than any scone I’ve purchased directly from a bakery. One of its most distinct qualities was... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended montereymarket sconehenge crystallized ginger lemon english tea scones 4.0
Annie’s Organic white cheddar bunny tail puffs: I haven’t purchased boxed mac and cheese since I graduated from school, but I’m not ashamed to admit that this cheap and quick staple was a regular in my pantry all throughout college and grad school. I generally preferred the white cheddar kind, like the white cheddar shells from Trader Joe’s and the Yummy Cheese flavor from Annie’s. Recently, I found that Annie’s is actually owned by General Mills, which gave me some pause when considering whether to purchased this snack. But given how muc... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended cheese cheesepuffs annies orange white cheddar bunny tail puffs 4.0