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
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Mount Takao Mitarashi Dango: A couple weekends ago, I went hiking at Mount Takao, a scenic destination about an hour from Tokyo with views of Mount Fuji from the 600m tip. It's especially famous for its colorful autumn leaves, which I was very thankful to get to experience firsthand. Probably because I've been especially inactive since the start of the pandemic, it was more difficult than I expected to scale the mountain with its steep inclines and the added challenge of wearing a mask while exercising. The 22k steps... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Shake Shack Black sesame milkshake: I hadn't been to a Shake Shack in Japan and stumbled upon one near Meiji Jingu, where I went to see the yellow autumn ginko trees. I stopped in to see if they had any exclusives, and their menu features a Japan-only black sesame shake. It was super satisfying on multiple levels: thicker than anything I've found in Japan, with a nutty and savory black sesame flavor that didn't taste at all artificial. Black sesame is one of my favorite flavors; I've had a lot of black sesame snacks over the ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Hula's Sour Cream Maui Chips: These potato chips are marketed as being made using "American Potato Chip Methods" but are fully Japanese, first developed by a Japanese man who spent time in Hawaii during WWII. By "American Method," I think it's referring to a kettle style potato chip that's thicker and crunchier than most potato chips you can find in Japan, which tend to be almost translucent in thinness. To me, the sour cream flavor tasted even more tangy and creamy than the sour cream and onion chips I've had in the U... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Hula's Shrimp and Garlic Maui Chips: Another flavor of Hula's potato chips, Japanese kettle-style potato chips that stand out for their Western-looking packaging and portion sizes (typically in Japan, the potato chips come in smaller 1-2 serving packs). Shrimp and Garlic is not a normal potato chip flavor I'd see stateside, so it was exciting to give this Asian take a try. The garlic flavor is very prominent and is the main flavor you taste, though the seafood does come through as well. It reminds me a bit of shrimp scampi, ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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Frito Lay Takoyaki Balls: I was both surprised and not surprised to find that Frito Lay has a presence in the snack aisles of Japan; I've seen Lay's potato chips and Cheetos corn snacks, but these Japan-specific takoyaki corn puffs were an exciting find. The corn puff balls are about the same size as cheese puffs in the US, and they're flavored with Otafuku Takoyaki sauce, which is a staple brand here for various condiments. Traditionally, takoyaki are battered octopus balls that are topped with a thick brown sauce... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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