Sun Fruits Apple Juice: In the basement of the swanky Tokyo Midtown department store is a speciality fruit shop called Sun Fruits, the type of shop where sumo oranges (dekopan) are individually wrapped in a form-fitting web of styrofoam and boxes of pale white strawberries go for 8,000¥ ($73 USD). The one item I felt I could afford, and also I was most interested in trying, was a bottle of what I presumed to be a barely-pink fruit soda, which cost $3.50. It turns out that it was a bottle of apple juice, with frui... (read more) 4.0/5.0
exceptional drinks applejuice tokyo japan sunfruits apple juice 4.0 japanese
Naniwaya Taiyaki: Wandering aimlessly around the Roppongi Hill neighborhood of Japan, I stumbled upon a small sweets shop with a sizable line and a pleasantly sweet aroma. The man in the front asked if I had a reservation – I replied that I did not and he asked me to kindly sit in a designated waiting area while their speciality taiyaki, a fish-shaped Japanese pastry filled with red bean, was made to order. After just a few minutes, and passing over 180¥ in coin (about $1.65 in USD), I was handed a taiyaki ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended tokyo redbean naniwaya taiyaki 4.0
Eat Me Golden Chai Ice Cream: Another solid pint of coconut-milk-based dairy-free ice cream from Rochester-based Eat Me Ice Cream. This one has a swirl of orange and yellow ice cream flavored with turmeric, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon. As far as chai ice creams go, this is definitely one of the better ones I've had. I'm a little worried about the nutrition facts, since it's coconut-based, but the label is conveniently missing the label, so I could just enjoy it for the flavor! Purchased at the Park Slope Food Coop. 3.5/5.0
recommended icecream parkslopefoodcoop coconut dessert eatme golden chai ice cream 3.5
Heaven & Earth Taro Chips: Kind of like Terra blue chips, these taro chips eat like they're one-level up from normal potato chips but really are just appealing to those who love potato chips but feel too guilty to eat Lay's. They consist of jus a few ingredients: taro, palm oil, and salt, and taste mostly of oil and salt; the chips are sliced impressively thin and have a crispy texture. Overall, tasty but a bit expected. 3.0/5.0
chips parkslopefoodcoop heavenearth taro 3.0
Summerdown Mint Chocolate Peppermint Creams: I bought these chocolates from the English-focused Chelsea Market shop Chelsea Market Baskets as a holiday present. They're kind of like peppermint patties on steroids, with a very satisfying, thick dark chocolate shell and potent mint filling, slightly chewy and somewhat viscous. It's made using English Black Mitcham peppermint, and you can taste the quality. It cost a little over $10 for a box of 16 pieces, easily enough to share. 4.0/5.0
chocolates chelseamarketbaskets british darkchocolate mint summerdownmint chocolate peppermint creams 4.0
That Indian Drink Blueberry cardamom lassi: Got this mini 8oz lassi from the Park Slope Food Coop, which has a very creamy yet sharp flavor combining blueberry and cardamom. It reminded me of Siggi's skyr but spiced. Really liked it! 4.0/5.0
recommended drinks parkslopefoodcoop thatindiandrink blueberry cardamom lassi 4.0