Samboy Atomic Tomato potato chips: This proudly Australian brand of ridged potato chips is a vending machine staple. I purchased them to use up a few coins before leaving the country. The atomic tomato flavor turns out to be ketchup with a prominent vinegar taste. The ridges are not as dense as American ridged chips like Ruffles. Overall, I found the chips to be surprisingly addicting though certainly not good for you. 3.0/5.0
samboy potatochips australian tomato 3.0 ketchup recommended atomic potato chips
Kirks pasito passion fruit soda: Continuing my sampling of Australian carbonated beverages, I purchased this tropical soda to pair with some fish and chips. The soda is sickening sweet but does have a passion fruit flavor, even if it's artificial. On closer inspection, I found that Kirk's is owned by Coca-Cola, though it is from Queensland, Australia. 2.0/5.0
kirks soda drinks passionfruit 2.0 kirkspasito passion fruit
Breadtop pork floss and honey bread: This sweet and savory (but mostly sweet) bread has a flaky, croissant-like crust and is topped with nori and corn. Inside is a scattering of pork floss. The combination of ingredients is surprising and would be worth purchasing again if the glaze were not so sweet 3.0/5.0
breadtop bakery bread australia porkfloss 3.0 pork floss honey
Bundaberg blood orange sparkling drink: I'm attending a conference in Brisbane, and most meals are provided except breakfast. This has made me unable to try as much outside food as I would like, and it also means I've found myself purchasing non-breakfast items at 7am (I'm still jet lagged). I'm a fan of Bundaberg's ginger beer, so I was excited to see a blood orange offering in its native country. Overall, though, I found the drink to be too sweet and the blood orange flavor to be slightly generic. It reminds me of a less fizzy, ... (read more) 2.5/5.0
bundaberg bloodorange drinks 2.5 australian citrus soda blood orange sparkling drink
Breadtop matcha red bean bun: Breadtop is an Asian bakery chain in Australia. There is one close to the hotel I'm staying at in Brisbane, and it offers staples like sausage buns and sesame balls but also modern takes, like this matcha red bean bun. Unfortunately, the bun was unsuccessfully; the dough had very little matcha flavor, and the red bean filling was overly sweet and uninspired. The dusting of icing sugar made it messy to eat, without much added flavor. 2.0/5.0
breadtop bakery bread matcha redbean asian australian 2.0 red bean bun
Strangelove ginger beer: Organic ginger soda from Australia that reminds me of Reeds in terms of potency but is more well rounded with notes of cinnamon and lemon. Potent ginger flavor is refreshing, with good level of carbonation. The packaging is blatantly honest: "Just like homemade only mass produced." 4.0/5.0
soda ginger gingerbeer organic strangelove drinks australia 4.0 recommended beer