Chokai Kogen Blueberry Yogurt: Given the quality of the pear yogurt I had from this Japanese brand, I bought the other flavor available at my local grocery store: the blueberry yogurt. According to the company's website, the blueberries are grown in Yamagata Prefecture on the Gassau Plateau. A layer of blueberry compote, with whole berries, sits on top of the yogurt base. The yogurt is very smooth and has a uniquely soft yet light texture. Personally, I found the blueberry compote to be more ordinary and close to othe... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese naniwaya chokaikogen blueberry yogurt 3.5Chokai Kogen La France Pear Yogurt: A local grocery store offers this unique yogurt made in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. The 400g mini tubs of yogurt (offering around 3 servings) consists of two layers: a base layer of yogurt that is smooth and acidic, and a layer of fruit compote that sits on top. The first flavor I bought was the La France flavor, which is a type of pear from Yamagata I hadn't heard about before. Looking up more information on the pear, it looks a bit like a D'Anjou pear, but here it's been cooked down to ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional japanese naniwaya chokaikogen la france pear yogurt 4.5Lotte とろ~りれん乳三昧 苺れん乳 Strawberry Kakigori Popsicle: These are unique popsicles that could only be manufactured through modern food science. They consist of a milky outer coating, made with Hokkaido milk, that encapsulates multiple layers. At the top is a viscous syrup, which has a slight tropical pineapple flavor to me though perhaps it's just a type of acidic milk – with my first popiscle, the liquid layer came as a surprise when it came pouring out. Underneath the syrup is a strawberry popsicle, somewhere between a freeze pop and fruit b... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese naniwaya dessert frozen lotte とろ~りれん乳三昧 苺れん乳 strawberry kakigori popsicle 3.0Calbee Frugra fruit granola cereal: This is a Japanese cereal that contains dried strawberries, raisins, granola, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. The strawberries give it a pretty prominent sour flavor. Fairly standard as far as granola goes otherwise. 2.5/5.0
cereal japanese naniwaya calbee frugra fruit granola 2.5Naniwaya 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