Tomarchio Melegrana Pomegranate Soda: I had this pomegranate-flavored soft drink at an Italian restaurant in Vancouver. From a Sicily-based brand, this soda had a vibrant, acidic flavor and contained real fruit sediments at the bottom of the bottle, pointing to its freshness. I really liked how balanced it was, with just the right amount of sweetness. It's the type of drink I imagine pairing very well with all types of foods, but was especially welcome on a hot day. 4.5/5.0
exceptional drinks tomarchio melegrana pomegranate soda 4.5
Annie's Organic Graham Sandwich S'mores: I hadn't seen these sandwich cookies from Annie's before and decided to give them a try on my last grocery run. They are an instant guilty pleasure, with all the nostalgia of roasted s'mores. It consists of chocolate and honey graham crackers sandwiching a marshmallow-flavored creme. This is definitely one of the sweeter Annie's offerings I've tried, which kind of pushes it over the edge into junk-food territory even though the ingredients are organic. Still, I couldn't help but enjoy th... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended wholefoods annies organic graham sandwich s'mores 4.0
Bingrae Flaming Hot Crab Crackers: These are delightful crab-shaped crackers seasoned with chili; the heat builds up a bit but isn't nearly as spicy as I was afraid it might be given the packaging. Overall, I would describe the flavor as being close to a hot pot stew with a little bit of seafood. The main draw is really the shape of the crackers themselves. Because they're wheat based, they have a uniform consistency (unlike corn-flavored snacks, which tend to have some more texture), but they are light while still having a ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
hmart seafood bingrae flaming hot crab crackers 3.0
Nongshim Beoljib Pizza: Purchased from HMart, these are some wheat-based snacks that have conflicting identities: they're waffle-shaped, taste like a mix of tomato sauce and worcestershire sauce, but are meant to be pizza flavored. If you ignore that they should taste like pizza, they have a decent flavor profile unlike other snacks I've had before, but I would never guess that it's pizza. The crisps themselves are thickly cut, giving them a crunchy texture that's still airy and melts on the tongue. 3.0/5.0
hmart nongshim beoljib pizza 3.0
Moshi Sparkling Yuzu Drink: This was my first Moshi beverage and I love how bright and floral the yuzu flavor is. They're able to capture the sharp, fresh flavor of yuzu but it's still a sweet, refreshing drink (containing 32g of sugar). An excellent beverage from a super solid brand. 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks moshi sparkling yuzu drink 4.0
Toad Bakery Currant Custard Pastry: I ate this pastry in November 2023 but am only just catching up and definitely wanted to make sure I wrote about this phenomenal bakery in South London. Toad Bakery is just blocks away from the University of Arts London Creative Computing Institute campus and has an assortment of breads, baked goods, and delicious lunch sandwiches. I could only imagine how lucky people are to be able to go to this bakery regularly. This custard pastry was on the sweet side, with caramelized sugar around it... (read more) 4.0/5.0
exceptional pastries toadbakery currant custard pastry 4.0