Tou Lan Tea Strawberry Latte with Boba: I had some bad experiences with several bubble tea shops when I first came to Japan (ones I didn't bother to review), but there was a highly rated spot not too far from the university that I decided to check out. They feature a handful of classic herbal teas along with a wider menu of fruit teas, smoothies, as well as a whole section of banana lattes (I'm not sure why!). The strawberry latte was excellent, like a milder and less sweet version of strawberry ice cream (I had it at their "les... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks tokyo toulantea strawberry latte boba 4.0
Otsuka Match Jelly: Match Jelly is a popular citrus soda that's the color of electric yellow Gatorade and is similarly fortified with "nutrition" like Vitamin B6, Niacin, and Vitamin C. I haven't actually had Match soda before, but it's a standard vending machine staple. While vending machines have full-sized bottles, they also usually have a small selection of half-size containers, which I like to buy when I'm thirsty but not wanting more than a single serving. I purchased this "jelly" version of Match f... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks japanese vendingmachine otsuka match jelly 4.0
Suntory Grape Gokuri Juice: I expected this drink to be carbonated, but it's more like a grape juice that contains pulpy bits of grape. It comes in a thin aluminum bottle with a screw top, which is pretty convenient because the drink is too sweet to want to drink in a single serving. Overall, it was a largely average drink, not something I would purchase again. 2.5/5.0
drinks japanese suntory grape gokuri juice 2.5
Seijo Ishii Extra Spicy Ginger Ale: Ginger ale is my favorite soda, and I love ginger drinks that are particularly spicy, so I was excited to try this version claiming to be extra spicy. The bottle was a bit thicker than normal, which made me hopeful that it would contain especially carbonated soda. Overall, I found the ginger flavor to definitely be above average, probably in the top 40% of ginger ales I've had, but comparatively, it was just a bit spicier than Reed's Ginger Beer, which isn't as spicy as I would hope. On t... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks gingerale japanese seijoishii extra spicy ginger ale 3.5
McDonald's McShake x Doraemon Yogurt Shake: Doraemon is a much beloved Japanese cartoon character, a fixture of children's television and merchandising that is pretty impossible to escape in Japan. This year marks the cartoon's 50th anniversary, which has led to many partnerships and exclusive products. McDonald's in Japan currently has a line of celebratory Happy Meal Doraemon toys, but I opted for their special Doraemon yogurt milkshake; a small drink cost 120¥ or about $1 USD. I can't say I've actually had a shake from McDonald'... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks fastfood japanese mcdonalds mcshake x doraemon yogurt shake 3.5
Calpis Taste Calpis Melon Drink: Melon is a very popular flavor in Japan not just for candies but also for drinks like fruit sodas. This drink is the melon-version of the popular beverage calpis, a milky yogurt-flavored drink common enough to find in most Asian supermarkets in the US. This line of products is part of their low-calorie offerings, and it contains the artificial sweetener aspartame. It tastes like a slightly milder version of liquid candy, definitely with an aftertaste I'm familiar with from drinking diet so... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks japanese maretsu calpis taste melon drink 3.0