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
Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Brew: I was super excited to finally get a chance to try this seasonal item, which our cashier informed us was an item people protest about once it leaves the shelves. It comes in a really handy and reusable glass soda bottle and is well sized for a small gathering. Wanting to impress my Taiwanese family, who knows a thing or two about ginger, I brought this out during a dinner and poured everyone a cup. My aunt said it tasted like Spirte with a tiny bit of ginger aftertaste, but I disagree – o... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional drinks gingerbeer traderjoes triple ginger brew 4.5
Trader Joe's Turkey Stuffing and Seasoned Kettle Chips: After moving, Berkeley Bowl has become the only grocery store I go to, but when I went home, I was brought to Trader Joe's and remembered all its special seasoning items. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I purchased a bag of Thanksgiving-flavored potato chips, which are the most memorably flavored chip I've had in recent memory. The texture of the chip is solid, but the gravy-flavored seasoning is really what makes these chips stand out. It's robust and concentrated, yet still easy to... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional potatochips traderjoes turkey stuffing seasoned kettle chips 4.5
I-Tea 3G milk tea with boba, grass jelly, and pudding: I made a dangerous discovery that my new favorite bubble tea shop has a location in San Francisco, much closer to work than the Downtown Oakland spot. I ordered their third most popular drink, the 3G, named because of its three toppings: boba, grass jelly, and pudding. It comes with classic milk tea, and, by default, is served in a "chubby" container that's short and squat. I opted for the more portable standard cup (all drinks come in a single size). The black milk tea was done just right -... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional drinks tea sanfrancisco itea 3g milk boba grass jelly pudding 4.5 bubbletea
Bernie's Best Organic Autumn's Best Apple Cider: I live very close to Cheeseboard in Berkeley and hadn't had their pizza since I moved in. On a whim back from running errands, and noticing there was a shorter line than normal, I stopped by this popular spot to re-taste the pizza I found exceptional five years earlier. To accompany the pizza, I grabbed an apple cider I hadn't seen before from their drinks fridge: Bernie's Best. The drink lists no nutrition facts, only that the cider is made fresh with apples from Pomo Tierra Orchards in Yo... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional drinks berkeley berniesbest organic autumn's best apple cider 5.0
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
exceptional drink boba itea honey brown rice milk tea basil seeds agar 4.5 bubbletea