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
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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
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Gelati Celesti salted caramel gelato: I received a single-serving container of this gelato on my flight on Virgin Australia, though the brand is based in Richmond, VA. The ice cream itself had a great smooth texture and while it was sweet, the sea salt was prominent and helped balance the dessert. 3.5/5.0
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The Juice Bar black milk tea with boba: Even with less sweetness, this cup of milk tea is a tad too sweet, but the boba is some of the best I've had in Boston. A good amount of bite without being too dense. The milk tea itself is not bad beyond the sweetness. Easily the best bubble tea I've had in Chinatown in Boston. 3.0/5.0
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Kutoa chocolate banana bar: This do-good company feeds a child in need for every bar sold. The bars have a dense texture and contain a substantial amount of protein (5g) and fiber (3g). It contains ingredients as varied as pea crisps, date paste, and brown rice, on top of the expected oats, chocolates, and bananas. To be honest, I was pretty revolted after my first bite, as it had a strange health-food flavor, but I quickly got used to it. Beyond that, though, I can't say much about the desirability of this imbalanced ... (read more) 2.0/5.0
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Meiji Kyo-matcha chocolates: These thin square chocolates have a light green color and ornate embossed floral design. While it has a concentrated matcha flavor, the chocolate itself has a waxy and dense mouthfeel similar to white chocolate. The ingredient list has sugar followed by cocoa butter, which seems about right. 2.5/5.0
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