Suntory Melon Pop Soda: I'm not sure what I expected from this atomic green soda, somehow even more neon green than Surge, the height of artificial soda in America. But I think I was craving some variety after not drinking any interesting beverages for some time. I purchased the bottle from a 100¥ discount vending machine. It tastes just as you would expect: super sweet, but not actually tasting that much of melon; more like liquid fruit gummy candy. I've actually just realized that I believe this is the melon ... (read more) 1.5/5.0
avoid drinks japanese suntory melon pop soda 1.5
Oreo Crispy Matcha Rollcake-flavored cookies: I like Oreo Crispy cookies more than regular Oreos - their thinness makes them more snackable and less overwhelming sweet, and I think they have a better ratio of filling to cookie. I wasn't sure what to expect from this Matcha Rollcake flavor, wondering specifically what would make them different than just matcha-flavored Oreos. Buying them did not give me that answer, but I can say that they are enjoyable; the slight bitterness of the matcha filling is a nice complement to the also-bitte... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese cookies oreo crispy matcha rollcake-flavored 3.5
Lotte Crunky Crunch Chocolate: I had been curious about what this popular milk chocolate bar tastes like. Most Japanese chocolate bars are thinner than American bars; Crunky comes in a simple cardboard packaging with the chocolate wrapped in silver foil. The milk chocolate has puffed rice inside that is less crispy than a Crunch bar but has a slightly nuttier taste to it, almost like it's flavored with almonds. It's fairly unremarkable - kind of exactly what you expect it to taste like, which is neither particularly go... (read more) 2.5/5.0
chocolate japanese lotte crunky crunch 2.5
Morinaga 俺の白くま beverage: This cute packaging caught my eye, with a familiar polar bear face I've seen on popsicles everywhere from convenience stores to supermarkets. Though I haven't tried the popsicles before, they seem to feature a variety of fruits along with red bean, all in a milky white bar. The combination of flavors always seemed like they wouldn't necessarily go well together, which is why I hadn't felt a strong desire to try them up to this point. I found this carton in between the milk and yogurt secti... (read more) 2.5/5.0
drinks japanese inegaya morinaga 俺の白くま beverage 2.5
Lipton Tea Ice Bubble Tea Ice Bars: I like seeing how American brands reinvent themselves abroad, offering products especially for foreign markets. I see Lipton tea bottled beverages sometimes in vending machines, for example, where as in the US, I only ever associate the brand with tea bags. Their black milk tea ice cream bars are miniature, about 2/3 the size of American fruit bars, and at 45 calories each, I don't feel bad having them. They have a familiar black milk tea flavor with boba pieces throughout that are actual... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese lipton tea ice bubble bars 3.5
Chichiasu 毎朝快調ヨーグルト: I wasn't expecting to write a review of this yogurt, having now tried several brands of plain yogurt in a sad attempt to counteract the inevitable effects that stay-at-home measures have had on my BMI. But amidst the blur of blue-and-white-labelled standard yogurts was this gem, literally translated to english as Good Morning Yogurt, which is definitely not just a plain yogurt. Sized like kids yogurt, which seems common in Japan, this yogurt pack tastes like a yogurt version of Yakult, the... (read more) 3.0/5.0
recommended japanese inegaya chichiasu 毎朝快調ヨーグルト 3.0