Meisum Bakery Asian Pastries: I previously reviewed this bakery's mochi peanut dessert, which remains my favorite product. During my last visit to this small Chinatown bakery, I tried the egg tart and pineapple bun, both of which were fairly standard as far as Asian bakeries go. The egg tart was firm and cold, a sign that it had been sitting out for some time. Still, the flavor was not bad but ordinary. The pineapple bun was a bit better, with a nice crispy crumble that was just the right level of sweetness. Overall... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chinatown boston eggtart custard pineapplebun bread meisumbakery asian pastries 3.0
Nice Choice Egg Soft Flour Cake: With a quintessentially lost-in-translation Chinese name, this brand of sachima is a great deal. The cakes are very substantial (you could share one with a friend) and have a satisfying chewy consistency. For those who have not had sachima before, it's a rectangular Chiense treat with fried dough and melted rock sugar that lends a chewy and slightly crispy texture. As one of the less expensive snacks at HMart, Nice Choice is indeed a nice choice. 3.5/5.0
hmart asian sachima nicechoice egg soft flour cake 3.5 recommended
Berkeley Bowl wasabi snack mix: An incredible value, at a little over $4 for 1 lb, this bulk rice cracker mix has all of the classics: unforgivably spicy wasabi peas, varied shaped (stars, squares, and more) crunchy glazed rice crackers, and nori-covered pieces. I do wish there was a sweet cracker thrown into the mix, but really, there is little to find fault with. 4.0/5.0
berkeleybowl wasabi ricecrackers asian exceptional 4.5 snack mix 4.0
Nissin sesame sable cookies: I grew up eating the very buttery coconut biscuits you get in a silver foil package from Asian grocery stores. These cookies have a slight resemblance, with a biscuit-like base and glazed, coconut flavored top, but it's not as sweet as the normal coconut cookies, and the black sesame balances out the sweetness. At five cookies to a serving, it's not the most filling snack, but the flavor is memorable, and it's reasonably priced. 3.5/5.0
nissin coconut sable sesame japanese asian hmart 3.5 cookies biscuit recommended
Breadtop matcha red bean bun: Breadtop is an Asian bakery chain in Australia. There is one close to the hotel I'm staying at in Brisbane, and it offers staples like sausage buns and sesame balls but also modern takes, like this matcha red bean bun. Unfortunately, the bun was unsuccessfully; the dough had very little matcha flavor, and the red bean filling was overly sweet and uninspired. The dusting of icing sugar made it messy to eat, without much added flavor. 2.0/5.0
breadtop bakery bread matcha redbean asian australian 2.0 red bean bun