Cheetos Ketchup short review

I saw these at Costco, and there were only a few remaining, I was very fortunate to even get a bag, the moment I got a bag, 3 other people came and snatched a few bags. There were none left after that. People were snatching these up like hotcakes!

This combines two of my favourite snacks, ketchup chips and Cheetos. I misunderstood the packaging and thought there was a cheesy underlay to these Cheetos, so I was surprised on the first bite, that these are purely ketchup-flavoured. I can't say I'm disappointed though, the ketchup flavour is very delicious, even better than Lay's. It has the right amount of tanginess but is not too tangy to the point it can be sour.

thoughts and impressions:

• no cheesy taste at all
• mild and perfect ketchup taste
• no sour vinegar taste (like Lay's Ketchup chips)
• very crunchy
• addictive

I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and I couldn't stop munching on them. I highly recommend them! However, if you are looking for a sharp tanginess, than these are not for you.

Score: 9.5/10
Website: no website (product couldn't be found on any of the Cheetos official websites! 🤔 )

Raw Chocolate ice bars short review

Indulging in the Pure Delights of Raw Chocolate Ice Bars

Introduction: 

Raw chocolate is a familiar concept to chocolate enthusiasts. Unlike its roasted counterpart, raw chocolate is made from unroasted cocoa and does not contain additives like sugars during the manufacturing process. Most chocolatiers add sugar afterwards to achieve the desired sweetness. This results in a pure and creamy chocolate experience, making it a favourite among connoisseurs.

Discovery of Raw Chocolate Ice Bars: 

A few days ago, I stumbled upon an exciting find at my local grocery store: Raw Chocolate Ice Bars. For those who love chocolate, you know how elusive raw chocolate can be. Whenever I come across anything labelled "raw chocolate," I can't resist purchasing it immediately.

one of the raw chocolate ice bars

These particular raw chocolate ice bars were made in Mongolia.

impressions:

• it has a very strong, rich and full chocolate taste
• it has a slight mochi (chewy) texture
• it melts very quickly
• the tin foil/aluminum packaging made it difficult to unwrap the bar

The chocolate flavour is undeniably intense, rich, and full-bodied. The ice bars possess a delightful mochi-like texture, adding a chewy element to each bite. They melt quickly, ensuring an effortless indulgence.

Given recent experiences with unmeltable popsicles/ice cream from China, I appreciate the fact that these raw chocolate ice bars melt as they should. 

the aluminum wrapper made it difficult to unwrap the ice bar

Conclusion:

Discovering these raw chocolate ice bars was a treat. Their strong and rich chocolate taste, coupled with the slight mochi-like texture and quick meltability, made an exceptional experience. If you are a chocolate enthusiast like me, I highly recommend these raw chocolate ice bars. They will allow you to experience the pure allure of raw chocolate.

Score: 10/10

Website: no website

Kirkland's Cinnamon Danish Rolls short review

Cinnamon Danish Rolls

It has been a while since I saw a YouTube video raving about Kirkland's Cinnamon Danish Rolls (found at Costco). After eagerly waiting for them to arrive at my local Costco, I was finally able to get my hands on them!

Appearance:

When I first saw them, I must admit, I was a bit skeptical. The rolls didn't look as appetizing as I had imagined—they appeared slightly dry and looked unappetizing. Nevertheless, I decided to give them a try.

The pictures you see here don't do these cinnamon rolls any justice... they look small and regular-sized in the pictures... but in reality, they are bigger than the size of my palm. 

Taste:

The Cream Cheese (or frosting or icing) is quite sweet, so I found it best to heat them up before enjoying them. Trust me, it makes a HUGE difference. Heating the rolls not only melts the cream cheese/frosting/icing, allowing it to coat the cinnamon rolls better but it also reduces the concentrated sugary taste, but it also makes the outer shell crispy and gives it a creamy, buttery, and aromatic flavourful interior.

Impressions:

• must be heated (in an oven... or if you don't have one, in a microwave)
• Cream Cheese/frosting/icing is very sweet (make sure it is melted before you eat it)
• (after you warm it in an oven) the outside is super crispy and the inside is very creamy
• it has the exact amount of cinnamon sugar inside

To truly savour these rolls, I highly recommend heating them, either in an oven or a microwave. This way, the cream cheese/frosting/icing is melted. Once warmed, you'll experience a delightful contrast between the super crispy exterior and the creamy interior. The cinnamon sugar is perfectly balanced, creating a delightful taste.

Cinnamon Danish Rolls

Comparison:

I hate to make comparisons, but these cinnamon rolls actually taste better than the ones I've had at Tokyo's Starbucks, which is renowned for its cinnamon rolls in Asia. Firstly, these rolls are larger than the ones offered at Starbucks. Secondly, they possess a stronger cinnamon sugar taste. And lastly, they have a wonderful texture with a crispy exterior and a warm, creamy interior, unlike Starbucks' cinnamon rolls which maintain the same texture throughout.

Verdict:

If it's not already obvious, I absolutely LOVE these cinnamon rolls! My family devoured them in just two days, which is a record considering their generous size. Even my dad, who isn't usually a fan of cinnamon, couldn't resist finishing them.

However, it's important to note that each roll contains 410 calories, which is something to consider. Despite the calorie count, if you're a fan of cinnamon rolls, I highly, highly recommend giving these a try. They strike the perfect balance with just the right amount of cinnamon sugar, and the Danish pastry provides a delightful crispy exterior and a luxuriously creamy interior.

score: 9.9/10 (deducted 0.1 for the high calorie count)

website: no website available

Win2 Garlic Bread review

I found this at my local supermarket. I love Garlic Toast, so for me to see Garlic Bread Crisps (which is quite similar) I got excited and bought it.

These are from Indonesia, and I really liked them.

contains: 100g

481 calories per bag

Ingredients: Wheat Flour, Palm Oil, Rice, Corn, Sugar, Garlic Seasoning, Corn Starch, Salt Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Seaweed, Synthetic Food Colouring (tartrazine E102)

the only concerns I have from this list are the Palm Oil and Calcium Carbonate.

image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/369928556867564764/

These remind me of Calbee's roasted corn snacks with garlic flavour (the ones you can find in HK... somehow I have never seen them in Tokyo.

impressions:

• addictive
• strong garlic taste but not overwhelming
• will give you garlic breath (beware!)
• very crispy
• the seaweed felt very unnecessary... didn't contribute to the taste at all
• seaweed flakes were caught between my nails and cuticles a few times

aren't they cute? 

score: 8.8/10

website: http://www.kobebussan.co.jp

Rosenheim Smoked Beef Tongue mini review

not the best picture >___<

For those who do not know, I am a HUGE beef tongue fan!!! and... This is hands down the BEST beef tongue I have had in Tokyo! 😋😋😋😋😋
most beef tongues I buy are either too firm, dry and always drizzled with lemon juice 😖
it's not that they aren't fresh... I don't understand how they can go so wrong.

this one, on the other hand, is delicious. It is smoked and coated in pepper and salt. Enough seasoning to enhance the original beef tongue flavour.

impressions:

• very flavourful
• beef tongue is fresh
• good amount of salt and black pepper

score: 10/10
website: no website

also... if you are interested, please check out my personal blog and follow me around Tokyo :)

Lotte Strawberry ice pop review

2 Lotte Strawberry ice pops

impression:

• real and artificial taste,
• smooth
• milky
• hard to remove wrapper

It is really interesting how they combined real fruit with artifical one. You can tell they are "real" because you case taste the seeds and pulp (is that what you call the red part of the strawberry?). But at the same time, the artificial taste is also present to "enhance" its flavour.

I like how these ice pops are in small snack size quantities, so you can enjoy this treat without feeling guilty.

I found it quite difficult to remove the wrapper though, the wrapper is made out of paper and sometimes it will stick to the popsicle making it very difficult and messy to remove.

rating: 7.5/10
no website

Yorker Crackers review

I think the name lost something in translation, they aren't exactly "crackers" more like munchies. These were made in Malaysia.

thoughts:

• savory
• a little oily (the "crackers")
• love the peanut bits (they are coated in some hard cracker mixture)
• variety of taste
• very subtle taste

a look at a handful of their bits and choices

The "cracker" or solid dough bits are very oily, I could literally see and wipe oil off my fingers just touching it.

The peanut and green peas (which are covered in a dough coating) are much better. THey are not oily, but are "hard" (texture-wise)

These are good small simple snacks, but watch out for the vast amount of oil (in the solid dough bits). They can be quite addicting since they are small, oily and have "SOME" flavour

rating: 6.5/10

these don't seem as popular... so no website

Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar review

I have always loved these Chewy Chocolate chip granola bars, whenever I am hungry in between meals and want to "munch" on something, they are able to satisfy my hunger and I won't get a guilty feeling from eating them since the nutrition facts on the box indicate they are "healthy", safe to eat and contain hardly any "chemicals'. What's most important is that they taste great!

pros:
convenient
healthy
delicious

cons:
addicting

website: http://www.quakeroats.com/products/oat-snacks/chewy-granola/chocolate-chip.aspx

Croley Foods - Sunflower Crackers review

Crackers are one of my favourite snacks because they are usually low in fat (compared to chips), tasty and can satisfy your hunger/craving.

I believe these crackers were made in the Philippines. To be honest, I have never had the opportunity to try Filipino food (other than Regent Sweet Corn). I can't remember how these ended up in my kitchen cabinet but I'm glad they did.

Here are the ingredients:

Wheat flour, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated &/or hydrogenated coconut, palm, palm kernel or blends), sugar, cornstarch, milk powder, salt, baking soda, soy lecithin, yeast, natural color, artificial butter flavor.

I won't lie, I'm not too happy about the "artificial butter flavour bit. The ingredients made this cracker not sound very healthy. (biggest drawback)

After doing some research, I discovered that there are 12 different flavours. They range from normal flavours like peanut butter to not very normal flavours like: Chicken, Mango, etc

Despite it not being healthy, I think it is ok to have these once in a while. the taste is quite good, very buttery and does taste a bit artificial. If you are craving for something buttery, this might just quench it!

website: http://croleyfoods.com/products-page/sunflower/butter/

Korean ice cream waffle review

While shopping at a local Korean Grocery store, I came across this, I do not know Korean, so for anyone who is Korean or knows Korean, please kindly tell me in the comments the "literal" translation. I have had a lot of ice cream sandwiches in the past, but never an ice cream waffle. It was a hot day and the packaging was tempting, so I bought myself a pack. 

I was a bit worried I wasn't able to finish one whole "bar" since it looked so big... they made it quite convenient for you to separate it into 2 pieces.

This Ice Cream Waffle is what you would expect it to be, a waffle filled with ice cream. But there is more, it is layered, so right beneath the "waffle" layer there are "chocolate beads", and the chocolate beads over the ice cream.

I think this is a great idea, however, I think they will need to improve on the taste of this treat. The waffle layer tastes very dry and "empty", there is not much substance or flavour to it. the chocolate was a great idea, but in order to make it "taste" like chocolate, they need to 1. sweeten it 2. add more cocoa, the chocolate dots/bits they have hardly have much taste to it, the chocolate wasn't able to melt much either because the treat was so cold, so I was chewing on flavourless chewy cold chocolate. Finally, the third layer, the ice cream, like the other 2 layers, there is not much flavour either.

One positive thing is, it doesn't make you feel guilty even after you have finished the whole bar, since it is not flavourful.

I would rate this 2.4/5 because of the lack of flavouring, however, I think this is a great idea, and they were on the right track preserving the texture of the waffle.

T&T's Strawberry Dorayaki Pancakes review

Dorayaki is a red bean pancake which consists of two small sweet pancakes sandwiching a sweet red bean paste.

The image of the box attracted me to making the purchase of these Strawberry Dorayaki Pancakes. A word of caution, the image was heavily photoshopped and looks hardly like the real thing. I am quite disappointed at this purchase (it was also quite pricey).

Like the original Dorayaki Pancakes, these were filled with a red bean paste. They are called strawberry because they have a strawberry cream filling.

The filling was the only thing I was impressed with since it tasted like "real " strawberry instead of those overly artifically strawberry flavoured creams. The red beans were hard and the pancake didn't taste fresh. It also cost quite a lot for only 2. The packaging made it look like there were 4, don't be fooled by the packaging.

I think T&T needs to work harder to make the pancake stay "fresh" and they need to enhance the flavour of the red bean paste. As I said earlier, I was only impressed with the strawberry cream filling.

Korean pineapple kiwi popsicle snack review

Summer is here! Which means popsicle cravings are bound to kick in! For those who can read Korean and translate, can you do me a favour and help me translate the name and brand of this Korean Popsicle? (Thanks in advance).

While shopping at Galleria Korean Grocery Store, I came across this popsicle, I have always been a huge fan of "layered" popsicles so this was a must try.

The first layer is kiwi (and I think it is made from real kiwi juice because there are kiwi seeds embedded in the layer), the second layer is a hard layer, I think it must be ice (from water or some very light tasting source); the final layer is pineapple, and it tastes good, it has the pineapple juice, not too sour or too sweet.

This is a very refreshing popsicle! I highly recommend it as it is tasty and the taste is very natural (as in, I don't taste much artificial flavours) and there doesn't seem to be a lot, if any, artificial colouring.

Mrs. Fields semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie review

After having given up on Mrs. Field's for years because of the high amount of sugar they put into their cookie. I came across their semi-sweet chocolate chip and I decided to grab a box.

It is surely less sweet thank the original chocolate chip cookie. However don't have too much expectation if you want something much "less-sweet". And if you plan to get a box please, for the sake of your taste buds remember to follow the microwave/oven instructions. These cookies taste so SO much better (I'm not exaggerating) when they are hot. Unlike most cookies which taste weird (due to sugar substitutes) or less tasty (due to some missed sugar ingredients) I think they managed to keep tasting good... (just remember you MUST heat them up).

Korean chocolate cookie snack review

This is the first time I have tried these, and I think they taste very similar to the Japanese Koala Chocolate snack I have had in the past (コアラのマ－チby Lotte).

I thought this Korean chocolate would be similar, but it actually doesn't taste very good. In fact, it is next to being tasteless! Perhaps this is good for kids who have sensitive taste-buds  but for me... it hardly tastes like anything. Both the "cookie" part and the "chocolate" part are very mild in taste. I didn't really like it too much.

I liked the creative prints on these though as they are quite cute, I am not sure if there is a theme as I recall one showing an image of a hand, the mascot, a  heart and other random objects.

For those who can write/read Korean please give me the name of them in English in the comments below! Thanks!

Regent Golden Sweet Corn snack review

It is almost one of my first times trying Filipino Snacks, so I was very excited to give this a try after picking it up at a grocery store.

The appearance of these are like "Corn Pops" roughly the same size and colour, but texture wise they are a little harder and less crispier than "Corn Pops". But taste is very different. They surely gave it a right name to call them "sweet corn" as it literally tastes like CORN! Very Corny huh? (excuse the pun).

If you are a corn fan I am sure you will be addicted to these.

Hi-Chew Morinaga review

I have noticed a new product which hit the shelves recently, Hi-Chew from Morinaga in bulk form contrary to the stick form (as seen in the picture).

The bulk form includes 3 flavours: Strawberry, Green Apple and Grape. And it is a better deal. I don't remember the exact pricing for both, but when I bought it, I did the calculation and turns out the bulk one was slightly cheaper. I think that's how most products are like (you always get a better deal if you purchase more).

The Hi-Chew in original stick form is individually wrapped in a sort of foil paper, while the other ones were contained in a plastic "pocket". I personally prefer the original foil paper as it seals the moisture better (as this IS a chewy candy after all), I also like the look of original foil that makes it unique.

For taste, I think it is the same, however, I feel that the HI-Chew candy in the new packaging is slightly dry compared to t

I also find that carrying the original stick form is easier, since you can grab at it with one hand and have the whole stick with you (it's also easier to find it in your purse), however I think for events where you have to "give" candy (parties, halloween trick or treating) the bulk form serves as an advantage.

In Conclusion, if you want a better deal with Hi-Chew candy, I would suggest you purchase the bulk form, but if you want something more "original" and more chewy I would suggest you purchase the original stick.

Juicy Fruit's Apple Pie Dessert Gum review

I was very skeptical when I found these at a nearby grocery store, how can gum possibly taste like Apple Pie? The first bite proved me wrong. It tastes like Apple Pie!! :O with all the tart shell, the filling,. it is so very weird!!

I don't know how Juicy Fruit does it, but at the first chew, you start tasting the shell of the pie (the tart?) then as you chew some more, the apple and syrupy essence fills your mouth.

The claim that it is sugar-free gum is possible, since I got the weird substitute sugar after taste.

It is definitely worth to try, as you will be very surprised as to how to can taste like apple pie! However I wouldn't recommend taking this gum seriously, after an hour (or maybe two?) of chewing it, I can feel it beginning to melt away, and the taste is not long lasting as other gums (I think the pastry taste fades away in less than 15 mins of chewing).

Scottish Toffee review

I sincerely apologize for the poor quality of this photo, I think my camera was having terrible problems so the picture quality is so bad. So let me describe the container a bit: it is supposingly a cylinder shaped tin can with the words Bonnie Prince Charlie, Scottish Traditional Toffee.

I have never had Scottish Toffee before, so I can't make a comparison. The Toffee tastes really good with strong caramelized flavor and extremely chewy, I highly recommend this.

Cappola's Prosciutto review

Sorry for the blurriness of this picture, I couldn't take a better picture while I still had the packaging. But I hope the name and product name is clear for you to see if you were to purchase it.

I have always been a big fan of Prosciutto because of the saltiness, savory and rawness it contains in its taste.  This item was purchased at Costco (I think).Usually Prosciutto's (?) are quite expensive, however Costco offers the best deal (for those who go to Costco, you would know you have to buy things in bulk).

I was very satisfied with this purchase and would recommend those who like prosciutto to give this product a try.

Godiva Chocolatier - 85% Cacao review

Surprisingly this was the first time I had laid hands on Godiva's Chocolate of any kind. I must say, Godiva's Chocolate is usually quite pricey, so I contemplated when deciding to make this purchase. I like the detail they put on each chocolate to enhance the look of it.

As the description says "Extra Dark Chocolate", they were not kidding, besides Cacao, I hardly taste the other ingredients.

However, if I had to choose, I would prefer Lindt's version of 85% cacao because it feels creamier and tastes less "rough". If you are a die-hard Cacao fan, then the Godiva's 85% Cacao is for you!