tasty snacking

Maruesun dried squid: I grew up eating shredded dried squid, but this is one of the first kind of I've had that is flat. To be honest, the main reason I purchased this product is because it was the least expensive at $3 a bag (about half the price of the alternatives at Hmart). Inside is bite-sized strips of squid, almost like eating beef jerky, and each strip is coated in what seems to be sugar. Overall, the coating makes the snack overly sweet, though the chewy texture and seafood flavor come through. Not bad b... (read more) 3.0/5.0

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Chin Chin grass jelly drink: I'm a big fan of gelatin in drinks, from boba to grass jelly. For those who haven't had grass jelly before, it's not chewy like boba but soft (it's less firm than jello). Unfortunately, the drink overall is too sweet, though the grass jelly adds a slightly medicinal flavor that cuts through. Because the jelly settles to the bottom of the can, much goes to waste after the liquid runs out. A good companion, though, to spiced Asian food. 3.0/5.0

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Kong Kee unsweetened Soyadrink: Recently, I wrote about how American soy milk is far too sweet. On a recent trip to Hmart, I purchased Soyadrink, the one soy milk you will find at any Asian grocery store. Soyadrink is the drink to get to understand the sharp contrast between an Asian and American palate. First, the drink is thinner in viscosity and actually has a soybean-like aftertaste (think plain tofu). This light flavor nonetheless lingers on your palate long after drinking. Additionally, no one bothers to fortify thes... (read more) 3.0/5.0

soyadrink kongkee hmart asian drinks soy 3.0 unsweetened

Kung Fu Tea brown sugar ginger tea with boba: This hot beverage evolved over time, but for the worse. I really liked how the ginger flavor was prominent and unforgiving-perfect for cold winter nights. But as I progressed to the bottom of the cup, the drink became overly sweet. And the boba was terrible (far too mushy). For the tea alone, it was a 3.5, but with the boba, it comes down to a 3.0. 3.0/5.0

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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

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Yoshimi Yakitokibi: Several months ago, I wrote a review of Trader Joe's mochi rice nuggets, a fried savory glutinous rice snack unlike any other mochi I had eaten up to that point. Irregularly shaped, almost like golden nuggets, they were crunchy and dense - the polar opposite of the chewy texture I associate with mochi. Recently, I was gifted a bag of corn-flavored fried mochi crackers, brought back all the way from Japan, where this particular flavor can only be purchased in Hokkaido. The texture and shap... (read more) 3.0/5.0

japanese corn hokkaido mochi crackers friend asian yoshimi yakitokibi 3.0