calbee (20)
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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
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Calbee Hot Garlic Shrimp Crackers: Another unexpected take on this classic Chinese shrimp cracker, this time "hot garlic." Ridged crisps are tossed in a tangy seasoned coating that is unmistakably garlic but not particularly spicy. Somewhat reminiscent of a sweet paprika flavor mixed with MSG. Same delicious savory shrimp flavor. I don't know if I like it more than the original, but I don't regret trying it either. 3.0/5.0

berkeleybowl seafood chinese calbee hot garlic shrimp crackers 3.0
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Calbee Grill-A-Corn Lobster in Supreme Soup Flavored Corn Chips: Purchased from Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown, these Cheetos-like corn snacks have a remarkably concentrated lobster flavor that I think most people could identify blind. The seafood flavor is immediately distinctive from other more popular seasonings you might stumble upon in Asian grocery stores, like squid or octopus. I'm not sure where the soup part comes in, and there isn't anything particularly Chinese about the overall taste; it has a creamy flavor, as if you're eating lobster... (read more) 3.0/5.0

hongkongsupermarket junkfood seafood chinese calbee grill-a-corn lobster in supreme soup flavored corn chips 3.0
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Calbee Grill-A-Corn Barbecue Flavor: Chinese corn chips that have a sweet barbecue flavor, a bit reminiscent of Shacha bbq sauce but more seasoned. The packaging suggests a grilled corn on the cob flavor, perhaps similar to that you can find, brushed with Shacha sauce, in night markets in Asia. Overall, a decent flavor, but not one I'd likely return to. Purchased from Hong Kong Supermarket. 3.0/5.0

chinese chinatown hongkongsupermarket calbee grill-a-corn barbecue flavor 3.0
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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
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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