Lotte Gateau Fromage Petite Choco Pies: I was amused by the "coffee & something" tagline of Morihico, the coffee chain whose "gateau fromage" (cheesecake) is the featured flavor of this limited edition Choco Pie. The petite Choco Pies are pocket-sized and good for snacking, but I typically eat two which may defeat the purpose. Each individually-wrapped pie consists of two layers of cake with a cream filling the color of egg custard, all covered with a thin layer of milk chocolate. The cheesecake filling tasted like it was seasone... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese aeon cake lotte gateau fromage petite choco pies 3.0
Fanta Premier Peach Soda: Fanta has all sorts of flavors in Japan that you can't get in the US, including melon, pineapple, and now peach. It's made with 13% actual juice (Minute Maid branded) to give you a sense of a potential gap between packaging / marketing and actual contents. The soda has a champagne gold color and tastes very much like peach-flavored candies. In particular, I used to love eating Kasugai Japanese fruit gummies that came individually wrapped and were shaped like half domes; this drink is like... (read more) 3.0/5.0
soda japanese aeon fanta premier peach 3.0 drinks
Pringles Passport Flavours London Fish and Chips Flavor: I've encountered several versions of special edition snacks featuring flavors from abroad, including Lotte Choco Pie's "Around the World" series and Fanta's "Delicious Flavors of the World." I'm not sure if it's a response to the inability to travel these days or just a regular occurrence in a country that loves limited edition takes. But this tube from Pringles is the first of their "Passport Flavours" series featuring London's Fish and Chips. The chips taste a lot like Salt and Vinegar,... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chips japanese aeon pringles passport flavours london fish flavor 3.0
Yamayoshi Ippudo Ramen Chips: These tonkotsu ramen pork-flavored chips caught my eye at my local Aeon grocery store / konbini before I even knew they were from the popular ramen chain Ippudo. The special flavor is in celebration of Ippudo's 35th birthday. I went to Ippudo about a decade ago in NYC, and a branch opened up in Berkeley right as I move away from the Bay Area. I knew that the restaurant inspired long lines in the US, but the other day, while walking through Ikebukuro in Tokyo, I stumbled upon a queue outsi... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional chips aeon japanese yamayoshi ippudo ramen 4.5
Tohato All Osatsu Sweet Potato Cookies: A classic snack in Japan is yakiimo, purple Japanese sweet potatoes roasted over hot stones and served from street carts. This beloved snack makes its way into seasonal flavors of grocery store products, including biscuits, cookies, and even ice cream (I've seen Haagan Dazs sweet potato ice cream, for example). These cookies from Tohato are almost like mini pies, with a glazed puffed crust and chewy interior containing bits of roasted sweet potato flavored with honey. The bag contains indivi... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese cookies aeon tohato all osatsu sweet potato 3.5