Nico Sweet potato donut: There's a pocket-sized store close to the train station that sells freshly made donuts about the size of a Montreal bagel. They're a bit pricy relatively, compared to how inexpensive most things are in Japan, but a purple Japanese sweet potato donut caught my eye, and I purchased one at about $2.50. The texture of the donut was very unique, not crumbly like cake donuts, but also not oily at all like heavily fried donuts. Almost like a very light pound cake, but barely sweetened. In fact, th... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended tokyo japanese dessert nico sweet potato donut 4.0
Muji Chai: I had to go shopping for some shoes and realized that all department stores here are extremely high-end, where Theory seems to be the most affordable recognizable brand besides Muji or Uniqlo. The Muji at the top of the Akomeya mall in Shinjuku had a vending machine and I decided to give it a try. My top choice, a lychee drink with konjac nata de coco, was sold out, so I opted for a can of chai, which comes in an aluminum bottle with a twist-off cap. I liked the minimalism of the packagin... (read more) 2.5/5.0
drinks muji japanese tokyo chai 2.5
Morinaga Milk Aloe Yogurt: Chewy juicy aloe cubes is not something I would have naturally paired with creamy tart yogurt, but the combination works surprisingly well together. Overall, the flavor of the yogurt is pretty mild, so the dominant taste comes from the aloe, which always for some reason reminds me of sprite in terms of flavor (vaguely citrus like, thirst quenching). 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese morinagamilk aloe yogurt 3.5
Tohato Callebaut Ruby Caramel Corn: This is a special flavor of curled corn puffs inspired by Callebaut Ruby, a newly discovered type of ruby-colored cocoa bean. It has a slightly fruit taste, like berries, but is followed by a unique sour quality. Texture-wise, these corn puffs are similar to any Tohato caramel corn, which is to say kind of like American Jaxx in shape and with a glazed coating. Tasty! 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese 711 tohato callebaut ruby caramel corn 3.5
Snow Brand Mango Pudding: The texture of this Japanese pudding is really something else - it's just set, so much lighter than American puddings and buckles a bit under the pressure of a normal-weight spoon. It's definitely the best store-bought pudding texture I've had, but I have a feeling as I try more things in Japan, that may change. The flavor of the pudding is very similar to Chinese mango-flavored gelatin cups, which is very sweet and kind of artificial tasting. I mostly like it because of the texture. 3.0/5.0
japanese snowbrand mango pudding 3.0
Sweet Box Co. Singapore Chilli Crab Potato Chips: These potato chips are somewhere between Pringles and Lay's in terms of thickness and texture, with a ridged surface. They have a slice kick and generally taste of a seafood-flavored snack (not necessarily identifiable as crab). Overall, I enjoyed them - I would try other flavors front this brand, but I probably wouldn't buy this exact flavor again as there are so many more snacks to try in Japan. 3.5/5.0
recommended japan japanese potatochips sweetboxco singapore chilli crab potato chips 3.5