Calbee Umami Seaweed JagaRico: I used to buy the original JagaRico snack in Japan all the time – it has a solid French Fry flavor and snackable form factor that made it a dependable junk food to get from convenience stores. I hadn’t seen the umami seaweed flavor in Japan but came across it at a local Daiso. The already savory flavor of the potato sticks benefits from the flecks of seaweed and make me think that nori-dusted french fries would not be a bad idea. 3.5/5.0
recommended daiso japanese calbee umami seaweed jagarico 3.5Uchi Cafe Strawberry milk with tapioca and pulp: Japanese convenience stores had a wide variety of coffee beverages to chose from; one surprising offering is their packaged tea and milk drinks containing tapioca, often available in the same refrigerated section as the coffee. They come with an expandable bubble tea straw and contain boba-like spheres more akin to popping boba than chewy fresh boba. The snap of the popping boba, though, was more satisfying than I expected. Kind of like a cross between kefir, with a slightly tangy / sour ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
lawson drinks japanese uchicafe strawberry milk tapioca pulp 3.0Dydo Melon Shake: There were always tons of Dydo vending machines in Tokyo selling discounted drinks at most street corners or metro stops. Perhaps because drinking in public is considered a bit of a faux paus in Japan, lots of the vending machines sell very small bottles for quickly quenching your thirst. This small melon shake came in a stout aluminum can / bottle and is an uncarbonated combination of melon and sugary milk. It had an unmistakable cantaloupe flavor but tasted more like candy than a drink.... (read more) 2.0/5.0
drinks vendingmachines japanese dydo melon shake 2.0Koikeya Roasted Shrimp and Garlic Corn Snacks: Shaped like crunchy Cheetos, these corn sticks are heavily seasoned with a roasted seafood flavor that's both salty and sweet. Like an amped up version of Shrimp Chips, with the same level of saturated flavor as a Frito Lay's snack but distinctively Asian with its use of shellfish in junk food. Purchased at Inegaya. 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese koikeya roasted shrimp garlic corn snacks 3.5Hop Shu-Kuri-Mu Matcha and red bean bread: There is a small bakery in the heart of Azabu-Juban in Tokyo that has the most delicious cream puffs – they also sell a variety of other baked goods, including fresh loaves of bread with visually striking swirls of flavor baked in, similar to what you might see for flavored milk bread loaves at Asian bakeries more generally. Their loaves tend to be about half the size of what you might see in the US. I really enjoyed the spongy, stretchy texture and faint sweetness of this loaf. If you ev... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended azabujuban japanese tokyo hopshukurimu matcha red bean bread 3.5Seijo Ishii Butter Chicken Curry Rice Crackers: Seijo Ishii is a 24-hour supermarket I lived closed to in my early stay in Tokyo which stocked a variety of international goods and flavors. One of the most intriguing and memorable series of snacks I had there were their curry rice crackers, featuring classic southeast asian dishes like green curry and butter chicken. The non-resealable bag contains several servings of large crispy rice crackers coated with a powdered seasoning – this happened to capture the taste of creamy butter chicken... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese seijoishii butter chicken curry rice crackers 4.0