Koikeya Mozzarella and lemon potato chips: In theory, this unexpected mozzarella and lemon combination seems like it would be a bit odd, but it's actually surprisingly good, like a more creamy and mild sour cream and onion flavor with a lemon kick. The acidic lemon seasoning is the first taste you get, but the chips have a milky and tangy finish, almost like a sour yogurt. I'm generally not a big fan of the cheese flavored snacks I've had here in Japan, but this is definitely an exception. Purchased at Lawson 100. 4.0/5.0
lawson japanese recommended cheese potatochips koikeya mozzarella lemon potato chips 4.0
Koikeya 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 3.5
Koikeya Polinky Corn Soup Flavored Corn Chips: These (crunchy) triangle (!!) snacks have a corn-based flavor similar to Bugles but are covered in a powdered corn potage-like seasoning blend. They mostly taste like MSG. Texturally a cross between Chex Mix and Bugles. Not my favorite corn soup flavored snack but decent. 3.0/5.0
hmart japanese koikeya polinky corn soup flavored chips 3.0
Koikeya Pride Potato Hidennoko Norishio: Nori-flavored potato chips from Japan. Texture is less crispy than American potato chips, so you don't get the same satisfying crunch. Light on seasoning. Not bad, but not particularly good either. 2.5/5.0
chips japanese nori potatochips koikeyapridepotato hidennoko norishio 2.5
Koreana Plaza Market Mochi: Inside the Koreana Plaza Market in Oakland is a small cash-only bakery with a variety of asian sweets, including lotus-paste-filled pastries (review forthcoming), pineapple buns, and almond cookies. I purchased a pack of two red-bean mochi (despite the oven-fresh sticker on the packaging, I'm pretty sure they were steamed). The mochi are about 125% the size of packaged mochi. Biting into a piece, I could instantly tell that it was very fresh. The glutinous rice flour had a bit more resis... (read more) 3.0/5.0
oakland sweets dessert japanese koreanaplazamarket mochi 3.0
Kubota Strawberry Milk Popsicle: This frozen treat is flavored with milk but has a consistency more like a fruit popsicle than ice cream (it doesn't have the smooth texture of ice cream when you bite into it, but has more water content than cream). Slices of strawberry are embedded in the ice cream so you get both the fruit and the bar in each bite. The strawberry was nice and tart, but I wasn't fully convinced about the milk bar, which had a fairly neutral flavor overall. Purchased from Queens Isetan. 3.0/5.0
popsicle queensisetan japanese icecream kubota strawberry milk 3.0