Hershey Whoppers: There are only a handful of mass-manufactured candies I enjoy but never actually purchase; instead, I wait for Halloween to find them for free. One of my favorites is the malted milk balls known as Whoppers, which provided my first experience with malted foods. I couldn't care less about the subpar milk chocolate coating, which I see only as a protector for the malted interior, which easily dissolves on the tongue and has a satisfying barley flavor. I credit Whoppers to opening the doors ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
candy malted recommended chocolate hershey whoppers 4.0
Master Wang's Bakery Mochi: Brought back from Taipei, this brand of mochi treats comes in a variety box with individually-wrapped peanut, sesame, and red bean mochi. Since mochi is my favorite dessert, I can be an especially tough critic when it comes to this Japanese specialty, and it's not often I'm introduced to a new take. But after trying this brand, I've learned about a completely different texture of mochi that's slick rather than firm. While it's coated with a layer of starch like most packaged mochi is, biting... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended taiwanese redbean sesame peanut masterwangsbakery mochi 4.0
I-Tea 3G milk tea with boba, grass jelly, and pudding: I made a dangerous discovery that my new favorite bubble tea shop has a location in San Francisco, much closer to work than the Downtown Oakland spot. I ordered their third most popular drink, the 3G, named because of its three toppings: boba, grass jelly, and pudding. It comes with classic milk tea, and, by default, is served in a "chubby" container that's short and squat. I opted for the more portable standard cup (all drinks come in a single size). The black milk tea was done just right -... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional drinks tea sanfrancisco itea 3g milk boba grass jelly pudding 4.5 bubbletea
New Silverstar Deli Limeade: At my new favorite lunch spot near work, a small banh-mi shop called New Silverstar Deli, they make their own limeade, a traditional offering from Vietnamese shops. Generally, I try to order fresh-made drinks without ice so I can more accurate assess the flavor without any dilution. When I requested the drink iceless, I was asked whether I wanted any additional water added as the limeade is "very concentrated." I said no, and they retrieved a pre-poured cup from their fridge, filled slight... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks sanfrancisco newsilverstardeli vietnamese lime limeade 3.0
Ito En Milk Tea: A "Hawaiian Exclusive," I was able to purchase this canned milk tea from Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley. It is definitely sweet, like at 100% sweetness from a bubble tea shop that lets you adjust, but it does have black tea undertones and an herbal aftertaste. Now that I've had this drink, it will now be a baseline for how decent black milk tea is from a boba tea shop. As far as I'm concerned, if I can buy it for half the price at the local grocery store, it's not worth getting it "fresh." 3.0/5.0
drinks tokyofishmarket itoen milk tea 3.0
Smari New Orleans Coffee Organic Icelandic Yogurt: I finally purchased this brand of icelandic-style yogurt, and since I now wake up earlier and tend to eat yogurt for breakfast, I thought I would combine a bit of caffeine into my morning routine (without having to actually brew coffee). The rich whole milk yogurt is not as thick as Siggi's or Fage but also creamier and smoother, with specks of coffee bean throughout. The coffee flavor itself is excellent – slightly bitter and not too sweet. Definitely one of the most memorable yogurts I'... (read more) 4.0/5.0
berkeleybowl recommended smari new orleans coffee organic icelandic yogurt 4.0