Galvanina Blood orange, black carrot, and blueberry sparkling fruit beverage: Organic Italian soda that apparently is sold as Whole Foods branded Italian soda. I purchased this glass bottle from Molinari deli in North Beach, SF (which I also recommend, by the way). While I found it on the sweet side, the addition of carrot was unique and not at all overpowering. The berry, vegetable, and citrus combination is well balanced and worth a try. 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks sodas italian galvanina blood orange black carrot blueberry sparkling fruit beverage 3.5 organic
Garden Creamery Black sesame and oolong ice cream: By now, I've become wary of long lines in San Francisco, and there is nowhere else where this sense of trepidation is stronger than in the Mission, the tech-saturated, ultra-entitled west coast version of Williamsburg. Regrettably, I do find myself here once in a while, often to see a show at the neighboring Chapel, which is exactly what brought me to Garden Creamery, an ice cream shop squarely at the halfway point between the 16th and 24th street Mission BART stops. I had some extra time ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended dessert icecream frozen gardencreamery black sesame oolong ice cream 4.0 sf sanfrancisco
Powder Black sesame Taiwanese shaved ice with mochi: During my childhood, my family would visit Taiwan every few years, spending several weeks in the scorching heat of the summer months. Once in a while, we would be treated with the best cure for a heatwave: baobing, or Taiwanese shaved ice served alongside a variety of toppings like peanut and red bean, all saturated with a sweet syrup that flavored the ice crystals. In anticipation, we would watch as a machine transformed a large block of ice into a heap of snow, spinning into a sharp rotar... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional sanfrancisco powdershavedice blacksesame powder black sesame taiwanese shaved ice mochi 4.5 dessert frozen
Milwon Black Rice Steamed Bread: Frozen steamed buns are some of my favorite quick breakfast items. Back when I lived next to HMart, I would purchase them frequently. After not having had them for several months, I was happy to find some at my local Korean grocery store. These Milwon buns are made with black rice, which gives them a speckled purple color. Each fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and has a red bean filling. The only positive thing I can say about this product is that it's not too sweet. Otherwise... (read more) 1.5/5.0
korean redbean asian milwon black rice steamed bread 1.5 avoid
Urban Foods Black currant and lemon superfood bites: Dense cubes at the intersection of trail mix and granola bar seem to be on trend this year. This version from Urban Foods is more crunchy than chewy overall, with a satisfying and wholesome blend of textures, from crispy quinoa to soft oats. The berry and citrus combination (dried currants and lemon oil) is unique and delicious. Serving size is small and comes at a price (a 5 serving bag is $5). A snack you feel good about eating. 4.0/5.0
recommended berkeleybowl granola urbanfoods black currant lemon superfood bites 4.0
Uji Black sesame soft serve: The best sesame soft serve I've ever had was at a small tea shop at the Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ. Whenever I see black sesame ice cream on a menu, I will typically order it to see how it compares, and the one at Uji comes really close. Uji is a small Japanese sweets shop on Telegraph in Berkeley whose menu includes soft serve (matcha, tofu, black sesame), mochi ice cream, and taiyaki. I ordered a cone of black sesame soft serve which comes in a generous portion and can be optionally ordered ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional uji black sesame soft serve 4.5 ujitime