Suzukake sogetsu Doriyaki: This Japanese treat was a gift from a visitor to my lab. The packaging had zero English, but with the help of Google Translate, I determined that the brand is Suzukake, and the snack is called sogetsu. I expected it to be dorayaki, but the pancake wrapper was actually made of glutinous rice instead of cake. As a huge fan of mochi, I am completely in favor of this substitution. Beside the texture, it tasted just like dorayaki, with a red bean filling that was sweeter than other Japanese confe... (read more) 4.5/5.0
sogetsu dorayaki japanese redbean 4.5 exceptional dessert sweets suzukakesogetsu doriyaki
Bibgo Seaweed Crisps: I broke the first rule of purchasing snacks at an ethnic grocery store (buy products with the least amount of English). Still, Bibgo is a Seoul-based company, lending it some credibility. This snack is unique with its combination of normally soft seaweed with a crisp rice cracker backing. The chips are surprisingly sweet, and initially, I liked the snack a lot. The more I ate, though, the more the rice flavor dominated. I would have preferred better balance with more seaweed flavor. A bag ha... (read more) 3.0/5.0
bibgo seaweed korean hmart 3.0 crisps instafood
Glico vanilla ice cream snack: I've seen variants of this product before and have always been somewhat curious but not enough to purchase. This particular snack came in my latest #munchpak installment, which was a good excuse to try it. It consists of a wafer-like cone with an airy, yet oddly moist filling that resembles whipped butter in texture and texture. I really disliked the cone, which had a texture similar to cardboard (and a flavor to match). The vanilla filling had a slimy mouthfeel, which is off putting to say ... (read more) 1.5/5.0
glico japanese icecream vanilla 1.5 avoid sweets ice cream snack
Hontaka Ecorce : This Japanese line of cookies was first established in 1887 and is available in giftstores all around Japan. According to their website (translated to English via Google Translate), the cookie is made of just a few simple ingredients: flour, sugar, oil and fat, and eggs. What makes it unique is the thin and flaky layers, which are almost like a cross between a crepe and mille-feuille (though it's completely dry). Its buttery taste and precisely thin layers, along with its thoughtful packagin... (read more) 4.5/5.0
japanese ecorce hontaka cookies sweets exceptional 4.5 hontakaecorceKong Kee unsweetened Soyadrink: Recently, I wrote about how American soy milk is far too sweet. On a recent trip to Hmart, I purchased Soyadrink, the one soy milk you will find at any Asian grocery store. Soyadrink is the drink to get to understand the sharp contrast between an Asian and American palate. First, the drink is thinner in viscosity and actually has a soybean-like aftertaste (think plain tofu). This light flavor nonetheless lingers on your palate long after drinking. Additionally, no one bothers to fortify thes... (read more) 3.0/5.0
soyadrink kongkee hmart asian drinks soy 3.0 unsweetened