福丸饅頭 Kusa Daifuku : This mochi is from a small confectionary shop in Yanaka, Tokyo that serves a variety of fresh, seasonal mochi. I purchased this green mochi thinking it was matcha-flavored, but it’s actually made of mugwort, a type of medicinal plant of Chinese origin. It has a slightly bitter flavor that’s not at all sweet, like a mix of spinach and peppery parsley. It reminds me of a green smoothie in that people would enjoy it as a dessert, but it’s mostly savory. The texture of the mochi was perfect ... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional japanese mochi kusa daifuku 5.0
Megmilk Snow Matcha Pudding: This is a delicious green tea pudding with a panna cotta-like texture (that is, much softer and looser than most store-bought pudding). It comes with a brown sugar packet so you can add as much sweetness as you'd like, but I preferred it without any additional flavoring. The matcha flavor is very distinctive, with its characteristic bitterness rounded out by the dessert's creaminess. Will definitely be purchasing again! 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese Daiei matcha megmilksnow pudding 4.0
Morinaga Moonlight Cakes: This case comes with 6 individually wrapped Moonlight cakes which resemble American whoopie pies with two cake-like layers sandwiching a creme filling. The cake-base is crumbly and slightly dry, but overall it's pretty enjoyable and not too heavy or sweet. It has more of an eggy flavor than a vanilla one, which makes it a pretty neutral sweet snack. 3.0/5.0
japanese Daiei morinaga moonlight cakes 3.0
Hokunyu Fruit Yogurt: Combining peach and pineapple with nata de coco (coconut pieces), this is sort of like a fruit cup combined with yogurt. It has a sort of tropical, Continental breakfast fruit cocktail flavor which is not really great but not bad either. Not a yogurt I would go for again, though it's not bad per se. 3.0/5.0
japanese Daiei hokunyu fruit yogurt 3.0
Hokunyu Mandarin Orange Yogurt: This is one of my favorite yogurts that I've tried in Japan. Available in normal grocery stores, it is a tart and creamy yogurt containing whole mandarin orange slices. A very interesting combination of soft yogurt with juicy fruit that I hadn't had before. Highly recommend! 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese Daiei hokunyu mandarin orange yogurt 4.0
Lotte Coolish Vanilla Ice Cream: I bought this ice cream out of the novelty of the packaging, a foil pouch where you squeeze soft service ice cream through a small nozzle. It makes it very easy to eat ice cream on the go and eat just as much as you want, though to be honest I ate it at home and in a single serving. The ice cream flavor is really familiar and nostalgic, like soft serve you might get at McDonald's. It's so sweet that you can feel the texture of the ice crystals as you consume it. You have to wait a few mi... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese Daiei lotte coolish vanilla ice cream 3.0