Calbee Yuzu and black pepper shrimp chips: I grew up eating MSG-laden Calbee shrimp crackers, so it was neat to see they are celebrating 50 years. This is the first time I tried anything outside their original flavor. The crispy crackers had a tangy slightly sour seasoning that was more interesting than tasty. Still, adding a yuzu flavor to their line seems appropriate and on trend; maybe this will help them reach 50 more years. 3.0/5.0
japanese calbee yuzu black pepper shrimp chips 3.0
Calbee Takumi Sendai Beef & Black Pepper Chips: I'm pretty fascinated by meat-flavored snacks, which are very popular in Asia. These are chips you can purchase at 7-11 in Japan that are flavored like peppered steak. They have a smoky flavor that do taste of black pepper, but they also have a meaty sweetness as if the beef were marinated in a sweet glaze. The chips are thin and crispy - similar to Lay's and a bit better than the other potato chips I've had here, many of which are translucent with oil. Overall, though, the pepper flavor... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chips 711 japanese calbee takumi sendai beef black pepper 3.0
Calbee Black Pepper Potato Crisps: There are two Japanese versions of Pringles that I've seen on the shelves from major brands Calbee and YBC. Both come in familiar tennis-tube packaging and feature a hyperbolic paraboloid-shaped stackable chip. The differences are minor: the Japanese chips are a bit thicker and tend to taste more of fried potato than of their powdered flavoring. These black pepper flavored chips have a decent spiciness to them and are otherwise fairly expected – neither good nor bad. I recently learned t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese inegaya calbee black pepper potato crisps 3.0
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory Ginger and Black Sesame Ice Cream: I finally made it to Chinatown Ice Cream factory, a shoebox-sized shop that specializes in Asian flavored ice cream like durian and Thai iced tea. It reminds me of Garden Creamery in SF in terms of selection. The ginger ice cream was impressively smooth and had a pleasant ginger flavor, though I personally would prefer it to be spicier and less sweet. The flavor of the black sesame ice cream was very special - quite savory, and sprinkled with real black sesame seeds, it was nutty and not t... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended icecream nyc blacksesame dessert chinatownicecreamfactory ginger black sesame ice cream 3.5
Churro Cone Charcoal black sesame churro ice cream: Like a pop-up version of Chikalicious's Dessert Club (now closed), this standing-room-only shop has a variety of ice cream flavors served in churro cones. The charcoal black sesame (legally referring only to the color rather than the additive, as that is no longer legal in NYC) contains shards of savory black sesame which pairs nicely with the creamy and sweet black sesame soft serve. The churro cone, purchased at the end of the day, was a bit dry and verging on stale, but I appreciated that... (read more) 3.5/5.0
dessert nyc ice cream blacksesame churrocone charcoal black sesame churro ice cream 3.5
Clover black cherry Greek yogurt: This Greek yogurt had a more distinct flavor than the peach one I previously reviewed. The texture was about the same: thicker than non-Greek yogurt, but not as thick as Fage. Purchased from Safeway. 3.0/5.0
clover organic yogurt greekyogurt cherry blackcherry 3.0 safeway black greek