Hula's Sour Cream Maui Chips: These potato chips are marketed as being made using "American Potato Chip Methods" but are fully Japanese, first developed by a Japanese man who spent time in Hawaii during WWII. By "American Method," I think it's referring to a kettle style potato chip that's thicker and crunchier than most potato chips you can find in Japan, which tend to be almost translucent in thinness. To me, the sour cream flavor tasted even more tangy and creamy than the sour cream and onion chips I've had in the U... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Hula's Shrimp and Garlic Maui Chips: Another flavor of Hula's potato chips, Japanese kettle-style potato chips that stand out for their Western-looking packaging and portion sizes (typically in Japan, the potato chips come in smaller 1-2 serving packs). Shrimp and Garlic is not a normal potato chip flavor I'd see stateside, so it was exciting to give this Asian take a try. The garlic flavor is very prominent and is the main flavor you taste, though the seafood does come through as well. It reminds me a bit of shrimp scampi, ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Frito Lay Takoyaki Balls: I was both surprised and not surprised to find that Frito Lay has a presence in the snack aisles of Japan; I've seen Lay's potato chips and Cheetos corn snacks, but these Japan-specific takoyaki corn puffs were an exciting find. The corn puff balls are about the same size as cheese puffs in the US, and they're flavored with Otafuku Takoyaki sauce, which is a staple brand here for various condiments. Traditionally, takoyaki are battered octopus balls that are topped with a thick brown sauce... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Maruka Setouchi Lemon Flavored Ika-Ten: I found this bag in the dried squid / bar snack section of my local supermarket and was drawn to the colorful packaging. It contains ika-ten, dried squid that's battered and fried; in this case, it's coated with a strong lemon powder that's extremely addicting. I haven't come across a snack that is this tangy and acidic before, even though I've had a good number of citrus snacks by now. It balances the deep savory and salty flavor of the fried squid, which is very crispy rather than the u... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Koikeya Mozzarella and lemon potato chips: In theory, this unexpected mozzarella and lemon combination seems like it would be a bit odd, but it's actually surprisingly good, like a more creamy and mild sour cream and onion flavor with a lemon kick. The acidic lemon seasoning is the first taste you get, but the chips have a milky and tangy finish, almost like a sour yogurt. I'm generally not a big fan of the cheese flavored snacks I've had here in Japan, but this is definitely an exception. Purchased at Lawson 100. 4.0/5.0
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Le Cafe de Joel Robuchon Mediterranean Fougasse: Purchased at the Joel Robuchon cafe in Shinjuku, this twisted fougasse bread was deliciously savory, combining many flavors that I don't run into often here, including sundried tomatoes, olives, lemon, and anchovies. Those flavors could easily come off as salty but wasn't in this instance: it was impressively well balanced and made me really miss mediterranean food I could easily get in the states like hummus or falafel. The bread itself had a satisfying crust that was just chewy enough. 4.0/5.0
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