Binggrae Samanco Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Sandwich: A Korean brand's take on frozen Japanese taiyaki featuring Taiwanese bubble tea, this trinity of representation incorporates milk tea ice cream alongside brown sugar "boba." Unlike the packaging would indicate, the split between ice cream and boba is not 50/50 but more like 90/10, with a thin layer of brown syrup containing popping-type boba that's neither chewy nor bursting, a texture all its own. Having experienced the Monaka Jumbo ice cream sandwiches in Japan, with its iconic crispy wa... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream 99ranch milktea binggrae samanco brown sugar boba ice cream sandwich 3.0
Food Should Taste Good roasted red pepper brown rice crackers: This snack had done the impossible--make brown rice taste good! A rare case where a snack cracker holds its own without any dip. In fact, to pair it with a dip would mask two characteristics that make it essentially perfect. First, the red pepper and sesame flavor is pronounced, and the cracker is already perfectly seasoned. Second, the texture of the cracker is ideal: super crispy, yet just thick enough to still be substantial. This hardly ever happens, but I am at a loss at what could make... (read more) 5.0/5.0
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Food Should Taste Good peppercorn blend brown rice crackers: After I gave the last box of brown rice crackers from FSTG a perfect 5.0, I was eager to try another flavor from the line. These peppercorn crackers are well balanced, a challenge with an ingredient as potent as peppercorns. Similar to the last I tried, the texture of the crackers was light and crunchy. However, overall I found this flavor to be less special and memorable than the red pepper chips. That isn't to say that these are bad by any means, but it's not a flavor that I see myself eve... (read more) 3.5/5.0
fstg foodshouldtastegood crackets brownrice pepper peppercorn 3.5 blend brown rice crackers
Häagen-Dazs Soybean Flour Brown Sugar Mochi Ice Cream (Hanamochi): The ice cream aisle in Japan consists largely of individual single-serving sized portions (kiddie-sized), whether for popsicles or regular ice cream. The most ubiquitous ice cream brand seems to be Häagen-Dazs, which has many exclusive Japanese flavors. Their Hanamochi series, originally introduced in 2015, features mochi-topped ice cream. The brown sugar soybean flour flavor I purchased has a peanut-colored powder that often coats traditional mochi treats. You ideally wait about 5 minut... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended icecream japanese coop hagendazs soybean flour brown sugar mochi ice cream (hanamochi) 4.0
Happy Ice Brown Sugar Boba Ice Cream Bar: This is the famed, verging notorious, Taiwanese brown sugar boba iced tea bar, containing tapioca balls, that have been sold out everywhere. The person who was able to purchase it did not reveal its source but did say that there were multiple boxes available at this unnamed shop in the city of Los Angeles. The bar is a true work of science, with the tapioca balls retaining its iconic stretchy and chewy consistency despite being embedded in a frozen ice cream bar that tastes exactly like br... (read more) 4.5/5.0
recommended icecream taiwanese boba milktea happyice brown sugar ice cream bar 4.5
i-Tea Honey Brown Rice Milk Tea with Basil Seeds and Agar Boba: From Taiwan, this bubble tea chain has all the signs of an authentic Taiwanese tea shop: its menu is ridiculously long; you can customize sweetness, ice, and toppings; it's cash only; there's absolutely no place to sit and chat (you purchase your drink and enjoy it elsewhere); and while there are lines out the door, service is fast. Drinks only come in one (large) size but are very reasonably priced. I ordered their honey brown rice milk tea at 30% sweetness, and the drink was one of the b... (read more) 4.5/5.0
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