Indigo Cow Hokkaido Milk soft serve with shiratama kuromitsu kinako: I haven't experienced many long lines in Seattle, but Indigo Cow, a soft-serve "window" adjacent to the Japanese restaurant Yoroshiku in Wallingford, had an impressive showing for their Hokkaido milk treat. The line took about 40 minutes, even right after an afternoon shower, and unfortunately they were out of mochi for their classic Japanese topping (which normally comes with soybean powder and brown sugar syrup) by the time I got to the front of the line. The humble shop is literally one... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended wallingford japanese indigocow hokkaido milk soft serve shiratama kuromitsu kinako 3.5Mont Thabor Hokkaido Milk Bread: I found the picture I took of the Hokkaido Milk Bread from Mont Thabor, a neighborhood bakery in Azabu Juban in Tokyo. One characteristic I've noticed of most bakeries in Tokyo that aren't chains like Starbucks is that they don't normally have any seating, with the idea that customers purchase items to eat at home. Unlike America, where it is normal for people to eat or drink while walking, in Japan, this is considered rude, so even if you purchase say a soft drink at a convenience store, ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended desserts bread bakery azabujuban japanese montthabor hokkaido milk 3.5Meito Hokkaido Pumpkin Pudding: This is a pudding 3-pack from Japan, which is really more like flan or panna cotta compared to American pudding. It has a rich golden color from the pumpkin squash it's flavored from, which gives it a unique nutty flavor and takes away a bit of the guilt of eating dessert, though it's definitely sweet. It has a sweet syrupy caramel base, like traditional Japanese pudding you buy from the store. I liked it a lot, though, and would purchase it again! 3.5/5.0
recommended pudding japanese meito hokkaido pumpkin 3.5North Colors Nori Potato Chips: Bought these potato chips from a local grocery store. The brand logo is a symbol of Hokkaido, the northernmost island in Japan and what I've learned is often representative of quality, particularly when it comes to food. According to the website, these chips are made with rice bran oil, salt, and sea water from Hokkaido, along with flecks of Nori. Unfortunately, I found the ridged chips to be subpar; they're very saturated in oil, which gives them a weak crispy texture and makes them feel... (read more) 2.0/5.0
potatochips hokkaido japanese northcolors nori potato chips 2.0Furano Melon caramel: These melon-flavored chewy candies are from Hokkaido, purchased by way of Jmart in Flushing. I love the packaging, which somehow managed to combine the rainbow lavender fields of Hokkaido with wine, a ball of yarn, and a stormcloud. Inside the box is individually wrapped Starburst-sized candies the pastel-orange color of cantaloupe. They have a concentrated melon flavor that I really enjoyed. I also like that the candy is not so sticky that it gets stuck in your teeth. Would purchase other f... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended melon fruit caramel candy sweets japanese hokkaido cantalouope furano 3.5Yoshimi Yakitokibi: Several months ago, I wrote a review of Trader Joe's mochi rice nuggets, a fried savory glutinous rice snack unlike any other mochi I had eaten up to that point. Irregularly shaped, almost like golden nuggets, they were crunchy and dense - the polar opposite of the chewy texture I associate with mochi. Recently, I was gifted a bag of corn-flavored fried mochi crackers, brought back all the way from Japan, where this particular flavor can only be purchased in Hokkaido. The texture and shap... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese corn hokkaido mochi crackers friend asian yoshimi yakitokibi 3.0