Mystic Muffin Banana Bread: Upon entering Mystic Muffin, I was greeted by the friendly owner Elias, who quickly handed me a warm loaf of banana bread. His salesmanship worked, and I ordered a slice which cost about $2 CAD. The banana bread is not a banana nut bread, with no trace of nuts as far as I could tell. It had chocolate chips mixed into the batter. The cake was extremely moist and delicious, and the banana chocolate mix was wholly satisfying without being heavy or overly sweet. You could eat it with anythi... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional baked desserts mysticmuffin banana bread 5.0
Lava Cookies Chocolate Chip Lava Cookie: These massive cookies (about 4" in diameter and 3/4" thick) are available at pastrami shop Harry and Ida's in the East Village. Each cookie costs a little under $6 each and are large enough to be easily shared. I'm not one to purchase a cookie in a bake shop, as I generally prefer other pastries and breads, but I can easily say this is one of the top cookies I've had in my life. On the interior is a molten chocolate filling whose consistency just holds together, while the cookie itself is... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional baked nyc harryandidas lavacookies chocolate chip lava cookie 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
Yaokin Cabbage Taro Baked Cookies: This bag of puffed corn snacks was purchased solely based on packaging, with its friendly green police frog and lack of English labeling. They are more airy than your typical cheese ball, with a flavor that is almost like a junk food mirepoix, with tomato, onion, and carrots. It's unmistakably Japanese, with added sprinklings of nori and MSG. And, like many Asian snacks, they come in small packages, with only 3 servings in a bag. Brought out during a party, these were quickly devoured an... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese vegetables yaokin cabbage taro baked cookies 4.0
Cheeseboard Bialy: I’m tying to reduce my carb intake (which has drastically reduced snacking). But one morning, I woke up to find I didn’t have running water in my apartment and, giving up on low-carb life for a bit, I went to Cheeseboard for breakfast. I always find the savory breads at this Berkeley institution are better than their sweet baked goods. This bialy was especially satisfying after not having any bread for a while. Tasting strongly of garlic and sprinkled with poppy seeds, the round bread has a ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
bread berkeley onion bakery baked cheeseboard bialy 4.0 recommended
365 tikka masala baked naan chips: A spiced twist on the classic pita chip. Texture is about the same (crunchy, dense) but the flavor is unique-it begins savory and ends sweet (with a touch of cinnamon and perhaps cardamom?). Small serving size of 8 chips. 3.5/5.0
chips naan indian tikkamasala wholefoods 365 recommended tikka masala baked 3.5