福どら Matcha Doriyaki: I know doriyaki from Dorameon because the Japanese pancake-sandwich is a favorite of the beloved Japanese cartoon character. There's a little Japanese confectionary shop close to me that sells many different flavors of doriyaki, from traditional anko red bean to strawberry cream. I purchased their matcha creme flavor that has a whipped matcha filling and a piece of chewy mochi, all between two soft pancakes. The creme was pleasantly bitter and not too sweet, with a fluffy texture that cont... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese hongo matcha doriyaki 4.0
福丸饅頭 Kusa Daifuku : This mochi is from a small confectionary shop in Yanaka, Tokyo that serves a variety of fresh, seasonal mochi. I purchased this green mochi thinking it was matcha-flavored, but it’s actually made of mugwort, a type of medicinal plant of Chinese origin. It has a slightly bitter flavor that’s not at all sweet, like a mix of spinach and peppery parsley. It reminds me of a green smoothie in that people would enjoy it as a dessert, but it’s mostly savory. The texture of the mochi was perfect ... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional japanese mochi kusa daifuku 5.0
車えび : This snack was part of a larger gift set shared in my office's kitchen area, a place where abandoned snacks go to be consumed by unassuming coworkers. Myself being one of them, I took at random one of the sealed packages, expecting it to be sweet Japanese biscuits or cookies. I was surprised, to say the least, when I found what appeared to be dried, flattened prawns (head, legs, and all), fried to a crisp, along with what appeared to be thin wheat crackers with swirls of nori. Several attemp... (read more) 2.5/5.0
japanese seafood shrimp 2.5
酢屋亀 Amazake: While they tend to be quite sweet, I do enjoy drinking amazake, a fermented rice drink made with koji that has a milky consistency and softened grains of rice mixed in. It's a little bit tangy and sweet, sort of like a yogurt drink but less thick and a little boozy (though this one has 0% alcohol). Even in small bottles, I tend not to drink the whole thing in one go since the flavor is quite potent and definitely on the sugary side. Purchased from Santouka. 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks japanese amazake 3.5 rice
鯛 Tai Arare: I purchased this snack from Tokyo Fish Market, a Japanese grocery store in Berkeley, hoping the fish-shaped crackers would be seafood flavored, as many Asian snacks are. The Chinese character on the packaging even literally translates to "red snapper" (though I have to admit that I had to use Google Translate to determine that). Despite the name and shape, the crackers are just regular glazed rice crackers – crunchy, sweeter than you would expect, but still with a savory soy aftertaste. A... (read more) 3.0/5.0
tokyofishmarket ricecrackers soy japanese tai arare 3.0