Booster Juice Ginger Hammer: Potent mix of ginger, apple, and carrots with no added sugar. A healthy option in a sea of otherwise fast-food joints. Helped sustain me through a long flight from Toronto back to the Bay Area. Good for ginger lovers; got others, it may be too strong. 3.5/5.0
drinks recommended juice carrots boosterjuice ginger hammer 3.5
Icha Tea Chrysanthemum pu’er tea with boba: Icha Tea in Toronto bears a strong resemblance to Asha Tea in Berkeley; it brews all its tea in house and has a special tea bar for sampling an assortment of hot teas. It takes it one step further by offering house made pastries like black sesame tofu cheesecake. I didn’t get any desserts this time around but purchased an iced chrysanthemum pu’er milk tea with boba. They brewed the tea in front of me before mixing it with chilled milk, a process which took over five minutes. Somehow, though,... (read more) 2.5/5.0
bubbletea Toronto drinks ichatea chrysanthemum pu’er tea boba 2.5
Kekou Almond tofu gelato: Tofu jelly with canned fruits is a classic Chinese banquet dessert made not with actual tofu but with gelatin, sugar, water, and almond extract. It was one of my favorite sweets to eat growing up, so I was excited to see the flavor at the menu at Kekou, an ice cream shop off Spadina in Toronto specializing in asian flavors. Kekou doesn’t use any stabilizers, which translates to gelato that’s more fresh but not quite as smooth. The tofu gelato was a little icy and a bit too sweet for my palat... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream Toronto kekou almond tofu gelato 3.0 dessert
Thirsty Buddha Sparkling coconut water with watermelon: Wa interested in trying this Canadian carbonated coconut juice brand, but the watermelon flavor tasted like liquid Jolly Rancher. Artificial taste, with none of the refreshing qualities of coconut water. 2.0/5.0
avoid drinks thirstybuddha sparkling coconut water watermelon 2.0
Boba Guys Jasmine Milk Tea: I was pleasantly surprised with how solid this bottled Boba Guy’s jasmine milk tea was. Creamy and rich milk tea with a distinct floral jasmine flavor. Sweeter than I would order on my own, but a good drink nonetheless. 3.5/5.0
recommended milktea bobaguys jasmine milk tea 3.5
Minamoto Kitchoan Senbei: Crispy Japanese rice crackers from confectionary store Minamoto Kitchoan. First time I've ever had a snack that has a deep umami flavor but is not at all salty (some may even say underseasoned). An interesting one, but not a snack I would purchase. 3.0/5.0
ricecrackers japanese minamotokitchoan senbei 3.0