Naia Citrus Collection Fruit Pops (Blood Orange, Tangelo, and Meyer Lemon Sorbetto): Naia is a California-based gelato and sorbetto brand which was originally a shop in Berkeley (one that I unfortunately didn't get a chance to try firsthand as it closed back in 2012). I came across their fruit bars at Ballard Market and was immediately drawn into the unique variety, with each pack featuring a trio of popsicle flavors. This is perfect for me, as I could try three different flavors with a single purchase. The citrus pack features blood orange, tangelo, and Meyer lemon (listed ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional fruit frozen naia citrus collection pops tangelo meyer 4.5 bloodorange lemon sorbetto ballardmarket
Bottega Italiana Pear and Grapefruit Mint Sorbet: Bottega Italiana is a little ice cream shop about a five minute walk from Pike Place. After a filling dinner of fried fish and chips from Ivar's, I wanted a sharp fruit sorbet and opted for one scoop with two flavors: a white pear sorbet, sweet and concentrated, and a grapefruit mint, which had a terrific acidity and refreshing, balanced amount of mint. They both tasted extremely fresh, and the texture was impressively smooth. By far the best ice cream I've had in Seattle – would not hesi... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional sorbet seattle icecream fruit bottegaitaliana pear grapefruit mint 4.5
Happy Lemon Dragonfruit slush with salted cheese cream: A seasonal drink from Happy Lemon featuring a caffeine-free fruit slush topped with salted cheese foam. The dragon fruit has a refreshingly tart flavor, like berries and kiwi combined, and the slight savor ones of the cream gives it a great balance, like salted whipped cream. One of my favorite fruit slush drinks of recent memory. 4.5/5.0
exceptional drinks happylemon dragonfruit slush salted cheese cream 4.5
Nezu No Pan Lemon Poppy Seed Bread: The other flavored bread that I received from the bakery Nezu No Pan, located close to Nezu Station in Tokyo, is a lemon poppy seed loaf. It's pleasantly acidic, with a lemon flavor that's both sweet and sharp but not overly so, as the flavor is mellowed out by the pillowy, chewy bread. The texture somehow combines the best of mochi-like chewiness with the moist, soft consistency of freshly baked bread. A standout combination – the flavor alone is definitely one of the best lemon breads I... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional tokyo nezu bread bakery baked nezunopan lemon poppy seed 4.5
Nezu No Pan Mugwort Bread with Red Beans: My friend purchased two different mini loafs from Nezu bakery Nezu No Pan, whose bread has a texture unlike any I've had before. The outside of the loaf is a normal thin crust, but the inside is stretch and chewy, a bit like mochi but definitely lighter (for example, you can easily break off a piece). This bread has a vivid green color and slightly bitter herbal flavor from mugwort, a plant used to flavor some Asian desserts (the only other time I had it was also in Japan, and it was used ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional japanese nezu tokyo bakery nezunopan megwort bread red beans 4.5
Sogetsu Kuromatsu Doriyaki: This doriyaki was an unexpected special gift from someone I met who knew about my snack blog. Because it was given to me, I didn't get to visit the shop directly, but the red bean pancake comes from Sogetsu, an almost 100-year-old brand whose shop in Kita-Ku attracts very long lines. The doriyaki has a marbled color, which is where its name Kuromatsu (black pine) comes from, as it resembles the bark of a tree. This coloring comes from a combination of brown sugar and honey used in the bat... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional japanese tokyo redbean sogetsu kuromatsu doriyaki 4.5