Seijo 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
Calbee Jagariko Salad Potato Sticks: These cylindrical potato sticks are a staple in convenient stores in Japan, typically packaged in small bucket-shaped containers for single serving snacking, but they are also available in multiple-servings pouches from supermarkets. The salad flavor incorporates flecks of orange and green, potentially to signal that carrots, celery, and other seemingly heathier things have been added, but the main taste is of fried potato and oil. They have a satisfying, substantial crunch yet hold their s... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese coop calbee jagariko salad potato sticks 3.5
Nichirei Cheese waffles: Probably meant for kids, I was nonetheless intrigued by the idea of cheese-filled waffle sticks and grabbed this bag from the frozen aisle as I was waiting in line at Aeon. They're a bit bigger than fish sticks but definitely portable and easy to heat up in the microwave. Surprisingly, the texture of the waffles is pretty decent, and it has a fluffier, softer consistency than the crispy waffles you might make in an iron, but the same familiar eggy flavor. The cheese is very minimal and mild,... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese frozen aeon nichirei cheese waffles 3.5
Nezu No Pan Apple Ginger Bread: A warming mix of apple and ginger that reminds me of autumn back home. The ginger is pleasantly spicy and candied, and the bread is spongy and moist. Eating these mini loaves maes me feel like a giant, as they're about the size of bread you might see in a kitchen playset for kids. I liked this flavor but I would rate it as third behind the mugwort and lemon poppy bread I had tried previously, probably because the apple and ginger flavor combination is not quite as unique. 3.5/5.0
recommended tokyo bread nezu nezunopan apple ginger 3.5
Yomayoshi Akamaru Shinmi Ippudo Ramen Potato Chips: These chips are an official collaboration with the popular Japanese ramen chain Ippudo, featuring their spicy miso and pork bone broth ramen called Akamaru Shinmi. I previous had their more traditional tonkotsu pork broth flavor, and you can definitely tell the difference with this spicy ramen version. It has a decent amount of heat but more generally a sharper flavor compared to the more mellow, rich flavor of the tonkotsu. It really does taste that ramen broth, with a meaty and complex m... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended potatochips aeon japanese ramen yomayoshi akamaru shinmi ippudo potato chips 4.0
Ginza Akebono Sakura Mochi: The first time I had sakura mochi, pink mochi wrapped in a cherry blossom leaf, it was from Fugetsu-Do in Los Angeles, I was surprised by the sweet and savory combination. The leaf is typically pickled and has a concentrated salty flavor that can catch you off guard if you're used to the mild and sweet anko-filled dessert. This version of sakura mochi was purchased from the Ginza sweets shop Ginza Akebono, where I had previously tried their strawberry-covered mochi. The chewiness of the m... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese ginza tokyo ginzaakebono sakura mochi 3.5