Trader Joe's Cheesy Trees Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crackers: I like some of Trader Joe's other cheese crackers, such as their Cheddar Rockets and their Gorgonzola crackers, so I decided to give these Cheesy Trees a try. They come in a smaller box and contain two individually wrapped trays of crackers stacked one of top of one another. The crackers have a crumbly texture and have this kind of greasy cheese taste to them, kind of like melted low-quality cheddar cheese you put in the microwave to eat over tortilla chips. I really don't like them becau... (read more) 2.0/5.0
avoid cheese traderjoes cheesy trees sharp cheddar crackers 2.0
Nohohon Iced Matcha: I was really excited to finally try this small matcha shop on St Marks, where matcha beverages are whisked by hand to order. To judge the quality of the matcha alone, I opted for the iced matcha instead of their lattes. While I enjoyed the experience of entering the small storefront through their traditional Japanese Noren curtain and watching my beverage made, with hot water poured into the whisked matcha with a wooden ladle, the positives end there. The matcha was bitter with no complex... (read more) 1.0/5.0
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Keki Modern Cakes Milk soft serve: When I went to Keki to try their cheesecake, they had a promotion where they were giving away free soft serve. Their only available flavor was milk, and while the texture of the softserve was good, it tasted very simply of rich whole milk. It’s not a flavor that develops in any way, and it was too rich for me, so I did something I’ve only done once before in the history of Tasty Snacking and threw it out. 1.0/5.0
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Yaya Tea Clean Clothes kiwi and mango fruit tea with boba: This Little Italy-based tea shop has mixed fruit tea flavors with bizarre names like “Blue Blood” and “My First Car.” I ordered one of the weirdest ones, a mango and kiwi fruit tea called “Clean Clothes.” Somehow the tea managed to be simultaneously super artificial tasting yet also incredibly diluted, with a sweet yet sour flavor that reminded me of those Chinese jello snacks and Jolly Rancher candies. The boba was similarly subpar - overly hard and lacking any taste. Definitely the worst... (read more) 1.0/5.0
avoid nyc drinks bubbletea yayatea clean clothes kiwi mango fruit tea boba 1.0
Matchabar Rose matcha milk tea: I really enjoyed a bottled Fuji ginger matcha drink from Matchabar a few months ago and decided to try a freshly-made beverage from their small to-go window in Soho. This rose matcha milk tea, while colorful, was actually quite bad - very sweet, and quickly diluted. Hardly any green tea flavor, and tasted like watery milk after only a few minutes. Definitely $5 wasted. 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks nyc matchabar rose matcha milk tea 1.5
Go Raw Raisin Crunch Sprouted Bar: I've been especially conscious of the amount of carbs in snacks I'm eating lately, and with 32g of carbs, this bar alone exceeds most low-carb diets. That could be ok, if the snack is excellent, but this bar fails on multiple levels. It verges on no flavor, with a bland combination of seeds (sesame, flaxseed, and sunflower). Ground together and bound with dried dates and raisins, the entire bar tastes strongly of health food with no character. The texture is strangely tough; pieces are di... (read more) 1.5/5.0
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