Nong Shim Banana Kick Snack: Who would have thought that banana flavored puffs, airy and porous with a slight glaze and crispy texture, would be such a delicious snack? I'll admit that I purchased this bag from the narrow, never-ending aisles of Manhattan's HMart solely based on its cute packaging. Yet there was also a driving curiosity for what a sweet fruity version of a cheese puff might be. Texturally, they are far more interesting than Cheetos largely due to its crispy yet light consistency. Its flavor taste of ... (read more) 4.0/5.0

Berkeley Bowl Bar snack mix: The Berkeley Bowl bulk snack mixes are generally good, but this standard bar mix with cheddar crackers, pretzels, peanuts, and almonds is not really better than the sum of its ingredients. None of the flavors compete, but it’s not particularly interesting, and there are much better alternatives. 3.0/5.0

Shrimp peanut snack: Despite my best effort at detective work with Google Translate and Reverse Image Search, I wasn’t able to track down the exact brand of this senbei snack. Too bad, because it’s one of the best ones I’ve had before. Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley, the snack consists of baked hollow balls filled with peanuts. Unlike the traditional crunchy glazed rice crackers I’ve had before, this one had a crumbly, buttery exterior that melt-in-your-mouths. The shell is well seasoned with a rob... (read more) 4.0/5.0

Berkeley Bowl Sweet and Cheesy Bar Snack Mix: This is a snack mix from Berkeley Bowl I will likely never purchase again because it’s *too* good and addictive. Consisting of mostly crunchy things, including glazed sweet sesame sticks, corn nuts, and cheddar crackers, the mix is far too easy to mindless eat by the handful, and I finished the bag in an embarrassingly short amount of time. If you have better self control or are buying to share, I highly recommend. 4.0/5.0

Riska Cheese Corn Snack: This flavor of umbaibo has a cheese flavor familiar to Asian snacks. It tastes a bit like the cheese powder from boxed mac and cheese but with a creamy, milky flavor that's mild rather than tangy. Very different than the bolder cheese taste of American cheese snacks like Cheetos. Like other Umaibo, the texture is crispy and light. In this particular package, they're cut into mid-sized rings. 3.0/5.0

Riska Yasai Salad Snack: I’m on a quest to try all flavors of umaibo, the Japanese puffed corn snack. This one is salad flavored, resembling veggie crackers but with an Asian twist incorporating soy and sesame oil. They have a consistent ring-shaped form factor thicker than American Funyuns. It’s not one of my favorite umaibo flavors, but it’s still tasty. 3.5/5.0