Firecakes Pistachio Donut: I was hopeful about this highly regarded donut chain in Chicago. The offerings looked enticing, and fresh donuts were taken from the racks rather than those left sitting on display. But this pistachio cake donut was barely better than Dunkin, with a slightly dry, crumbly texture and too-sweet shamrock-green glaze, all compounded by an unnecessary brown sugar crumble. At least it was reasonably priced, at under $3. 2.5/5.0
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Fukusaya Cube Castella: From Nagasaki, this traditional Japanese cake comes in a thoughtfully crafted package that's a joy to open. The laminated paper box has perforations for bisecting the cube before pulling down its sides to reveal a cake further wrapped in textured waxed paper. The paper that encases the cake is precisely folded like origami. Finally, there is a small plastic "fork" that you bend to snap together to eat the cake. The cake I had was about a week past its due date, and according to the site, no ... (read more)
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Furano Melon caramel: These melon-flavored chewy candies are from Hokkaido, purchased by way of Jmart in Flushing. I love the packaging, which somehow managed to combine the rainbow lavender fields of Hokkaido with wine, a ball of yarn, and a stormcloud. Inside the box is individually wrapped Starburst-sized candies the pastel-orange color of cantaloupe. They have a concentrated melon flavor that I really enjoyed. I also like that the candy is not so sticky that it gets stuck in your teeth. Would purchase other f... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Garden strawberry wafers: My favorite mass produced wafers. Not too sweet, flaky layers, light. 3.5/5.0
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Garden coconut cream wafers: A great, inexpensive snack with a light coconut flavor. isn't too sweet. only negative is the serving size of 2. 4.0/5.0
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Gjusta Miso date cookie: Gjusta, the sister bakery of Gjelina in Venice, LA, is apparently popular enough to not need any signage. It’s unlabeled storefront conceals a narrow counter and dining area, where patrons wait for a variety of pastries (cakes, cookies, croissants) and hot and cold prepared items (pizza, salads, pâtés). Luckily, their express line was relatively short, which meant purchasing this miso date cookie took just a few minutes. The sizable cookie contains a single date at its center. Its texture is... (read more) 4.0/5.0
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