Happy Lemon Bubble waffle: There are several Happy Lemon shops in Seattle and one right in the middle of Amazon’s campus. It’s central location to downtown always gives it a sizable line, mostly because of the popularity of their bubble waffles, a snack I hadn’t yet seen at other locations I’ve been to (the last one I went to was in Shinjuku Tokyo about a year ago). They come in a few flavors including original, chocolate, Oreo, and matcha and are sized for sharing, though I have to admit I ate this one by myself over... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended dessert happylemon bubble waffle 4.0
Omomo Tea Shop Matcha Cortado: Is bubble tea ever worth waiting an hour in line for? Maybe not, but when 90% of the line is made up of Asian customers in Irvine, it's probably a good sign. This popular bubble tea shop has two locations in Irvine, and this unassuming shop in the middle of a large strip mall, sandwiched between a Ralph's and CVS, unfortunately only takes in-person orders (the other location has an online ordering system). I went with my family and was able to sample four different drinks, but the one I o... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended irvine bubbletea greentea omomoteashop matcha cortado 4.0
Donut Hut Coffee donut: Donut Hut is a brightly colored red and yellow striped to-go shop that on first glance looks like a local hot dog stand. They specialize in no-fuss donuts in a variety of flavors, made old school and at friendly, old school prices (cash only, about a dollar each). This cinnamon donut, glazed with crumbles of cinnamon reminiscent of ground coffee cake, was perfectly fluffy and risen, sweet but just the right amount of sweet. Definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Burbank. 4.0/5.0
recommended losangeles la donut donuthut coffee 4.0
Bingrae Original Crab Chips: I'm pretty sure Bingrae is like the Kraft Foods of Korea, with a hand in all types of packaged food products from banana-flavored milk to ice cream bars to ready-made meals. These crab chips are especially notable because of their unique shape, which look like little puffed wheat crabs. They are baked rather than fried but still have a satisfying junk food taste, seasoned with a combination of garlic powder and crab flavoring and with a touch of heat. I would definitely buy it again. Pur... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended hmart bingrae original crab chips 4.0
Seijo Ishii Butter Chicken Curry Rice Crackers: Seijo Ishii is a 24-hour supermarket I lived closed to in my early stay in Tokyo which stocked a variety of international goods and flavors. One of the most intriguing and memorable series of snacks I had there were their curry rice crackers, featuring classic southeast asian dishes like green curry and butter chicken. The non-resealable bag contains several servings of large crispy rice crackers coated with a powdered seasoning – this happened to capture the taste of creamy butter chicken... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese seijoishii butter chicken curry rice crackers 4.0
Yomayoshi Akamaru Shinmi Ippudo Ramen Potato Chips: These chips are an official collaboration with the popular Japanese ramen chain Ippudo, featuring their spicy miso and pork bone broth ramen called Akamaru Shinmi. I previous had their more traditional tonkotsu pork broth flavor, and you can definitely tell the difference with this spicy ramen version. It has a decent amount of heat but more generally a sharper flavor compared to the more mellow, rich flavor of the tonkotsu. It really does taste that ramen broth, with a meaty and complex m... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended potatochips aeon japanese ramen yomayoshi akamaru shinmi ippudo potato chips 4.0