Far East Meets New Jersey

Kyushu and Okinawa Fair

 

For months, the lil lady and I have been discussing about taking a drive over to Edgewater, NJ to the Mitsuwa Mall to check out all the delicious Japanese treats we might find over there. It just so happens 2 weeks ago, we jump in the car and decide to go on the spur of the moment. To our pleasant surprise, there happened to be an Kyushu and Okinawa Fair going on that weekend (http://www.mitsuwa.com/event/eevent.php?e=45). What does that mean? More snack reviews of course!

 

As you can see there were plenty of things to try there, but as to conform to the namesake of this blog, I will focus only on snacks (although for the record, the Tonkotsu Ramen from “Ramen Tatsuno-ya”was crazy good. The soup was so thick and porkish, that it was almost like they boiled down a whole pig just to make the soup. I digress). I'll focus on two items this go around; the Strawberry Pudding Cream Puff and Japanese Donuts.

 

The Attraction - Strawberry Pudding Cream Puff

 

Upon walking into the food court area of the Mitsuwa Mall, you saw people lining up for everything! From ramen to crepes and mochi balls to bubble tea. There were lines for everything! One of the lines that seem to never get shorter, were for these Strawberry Pudding Cream Puff  pastries. As a matter of fact, people would line up waiting for more to be ready for purchase as the chef continued to grind these out for the snack-hungry public.

 

Let me ask you, if you walked into a place that had a reasonable line, yet was generating a good amount of buzz and banners around you were constantly reminding you that these items would only be here for the weekend, what would you do? Now that I think about it, it was rather unfair; I never stood a chance. It would be like throwing Snoop Dog (now Lion) into a room full of exotic weeds he's never smoked before and asking him to "watch it" while I went to the other room to complete my viewing of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended version). We all know there's only one way it would end... 

The "goods" are in there..

 

The Review

Now, I need to fully disclose I brought these cream puffs back home to sample as I was too full to eat anymore after devouring some ramen, fish cakes and doriyaki. As I gently took these tasty looking treats out, I was happy to see that the cream held up fine and the puffs themselves didn't get soggy from the cream potentially melting.

 

First bite in; I noticed as with most Japanese sweets, it wasn't overwhelmingly so. The cream was subtle and the strawberry flavor from the pudding was laid back. As the first bite was almost down, the bitterness of the burnt caramel came back around to remind you he was still at the party and wouldn't leave until he said "Hello"

 

Open sesame!

 

The Sweet

The incorporation of the strawberry pudding in a cream puff (which is essentially all this is) is actually a welcomed addition. It adds a needed texture and flavor component to an overall too airy of a pastry. The strawberry pudding gives you something to really "sink" your teeth into. All the components are not overpoweringly sweet.

The Bitter

I get why bitter caramel was added to the strawberry pudding; to help "cleanse" the sweet flavor in your mouth after each bite, however it came across a bit too strong at the end and with pastries in particular, it was a bit reminiscent of an "accident" or something that was left in the oven too long.

That's not ham in there!

I was a bit skeptical about this snack item at first; it reeked of taking a proven formula (Japanese Cream Puffs, a la Beard Papa) and throwing something in and saying it's something else. It's not anything new, but I guess this one struck me as almost too obvious. Then again, of all the things I would have thought about pairing with a cream puff, a strawberry pudding with burnt caramel wouldn't have even been in the top 1000. At about $3 a piece and having to buy them in a pair, (total $6 for 2) it was worth trying, but should I someday find myself on the other side of the world in Kikuya, I won't be searching the phonebooks for a reunion. I'd rather let this one pass like an old acquaintance I once vaguely knew.

 

The Attraction - Japanese Doughnuts

Donuts.....is there really anything more that needs to be said?

The Review

These guys were offered up in two varieties; original and brown sugar. I opted to be greedy and asked if I could mix them and the vendors gladly obliged. "What must these taste like?", I thought to myself as I waited on line to pay for them. "Some exotic sweet flavor from the brown sugar? Some Japanese flavor from the original flavored one?" (I too, have no idea what "Japanese" flavor taste like, but this was running through my mind).

 

Original first; damn these things are hard! They are also not very sweet, but on the oily side, as if it was in the fryer too long. Maybe it was just that one donut, so I grab another..

 

Brown sugar; damn, this one is hard too! And just as oily! It's not a coincidence. 

The Sweet

Umm...I'm struggling to think of something good to say. Not too sweet? (But in this case it's sort of like going out on a blind date and later describing them as "not too ugly". Is that really a compliment?

The Bitter

Oh boy, where to begin? It was hard, like a stale scone more than a donut. It was oily. Most donuts suspend belief at least for a little bit that it derives it's awesome taste partially from being fried, but not these suckers. There's never a doubt that these were fried..and too dang long as well.



If you look close enough, you can see the ring of oil!
 

There critters were $4 for 5....and that's about $4 too much. I can't think of any redeeming quality about these donuts. (They can double for candles from all the oil in a pinch? Missing a bocce ball? Get one of these!) I'll help save you the trouble and money of trying to find these by describing how to make one of these of your own; buy an old fashion munchkin from Dunkin Donuts, pour a teaspoon of oil over them, leave them out for about a 2 weeks and then take a bite. Congratulations, you just had one of these donuts!

Banana Mini Moon Pies

Banana Mini Moon Pies

Over a year a ago, I hit a Cracker Barrel and picked up a pack of Mint Mini Moon Pies. Although I was less than excited at the results (Feb 2012 blog entry), when I saw the banana flavored version of the "Mini Pie" series this year at another Cracker Barrel, it didn't discourage me from wanting to give that a try since banana was one of the core flavors of the original Moon Pie line.

The Attraction

 I do have to fully disclose that I have had the full size version of the Moon Pie before and was quite surprised at how much I liked it. I'm not a huge fan of banana-flavored anything generally, but I enjoyed how the banana flavor wasn't too overwhelming and the overall pie wasn't too sweet.

Why bother trying the mini-version then?

The question begged to be asked; after being greeted with the surprisingly unpleasant crunchy shell of the mint flavored version, do all mini-pies have hard shells or was the mint version the exception? (Gosh, I sure hope so) 



The Review

It didn't hurt that I was already of the fan of the large size version.When I opened the package, the mini version of the moon pie looked just like that; a smaller version of the large pie. Only one way to know if it taste the same!

First bite in....and it's confirmed. The shell is like the original! Back was the familiar soft shell I had come to associate with Moon Pies and the fluffy marshmallow filling. What was surprising as I rejoiced in that knowledge was how much I enjoyed it. Dare I say even more than the original Moon Pie.

The smaller moon pie just isn't as dense as the original. It seemed easier to manage in my mouth and just somehow the ratios seem to work better. I think there's less of the marshmallow filling, but it works nicely in the smaller package. The banana flavor was consistent with the minis bigger brother; just the right balance. With 2 pies to a package, I doubt the second pie will stick around for very long.

The Sweet

This version of the moon pie is what it really it should have been all along; a smaller version of the original Moon Pie! With less marshmallow filling, it just seems to be a better product, IMHO. Do I still love the original? Yes, of course, but given the option, I think I would rather go the mini-pie route. (gasp!)

The Bitter

In the New York City area, it's sometimes hard enough to find Moon Pies, forget about minis. I've only seen minis at one place and one place only, Cracker Barrel. The idea of driving 2 hours to get a pack of Mini Moon Pies isn't very appealing.

For about $1 a pack ( I got them for half that), the price is right. It's hard to find and that might be the most annoying part of Mini Moon Pies. They got it right this time. If you like Moon Pies, you're going to like the minis. How much you like them will vary depending on how much marshmallow you like in your Moon Pie; like more, you might like the minis less; like less of the fluffy filling such as me, you might be pleasantly surprised how it's possible to improve upon an already proven formula.

Bob Evans Strawberry Bread with Icing

Bob Evans Strawberry Bread with Icing

What I saw...

On a recent road trip to Virginia, I happened upon a Bob Evans. OK, truthfully, the roads were littered with them, but due to hunger and convenience, we decided to venture in to see how the "Southern" half lives.

It was upon entering, that I saw that Bob Evans offered an assortment of baked breads for purchase. They came in assorted flavors like Banana Nut, Blueberry and the well advertised Strawberry Bread with Icing (there was a  2 x 3 banner up displaying a blown up image of a delicious looking slice of the aforementioned pastry). A man can only be so strong...

The Attraction

Aside from the "subtle" advertisement touting the heights of ecstasy you may reach when you consume a slice, I am a huge fan of freshly baked goods..even more so if the baked goods contain strawberries (or the essence of).


..what I got

The Review

The first thing I noticed was that the strawberry loaf was the only flavor that had icing on it. I immediately began to wonder to myself, "Is that because the bread isn't sweet enough on it's own? What if the bread is too dang sweet because of the icing and will cause me to instantly fall into a diabetic coma after shotgunning one of their sweet teas with the bread?"

Like every snack review pioneer before me, I knew what I had to do. This bread was bigger than me, bigger than any one man's glycemic index. I threw caution to the wind and moved onward...

I wisely opted to wait until I got back home to try a slice of the bread....and it was worth it. Just opening the bag that the bread was wrapped in revealed the smell of strawberries. I had to quickly cut a slice to see if this baby was as advertised.

Soft, but striking the careful balance of not being too airy like a cake, nor too dense like a scone, the texture was just right. The essence of the strawberry came through even without an assist from the cream cheese icing.

The Sweet

The consistency was perfect. It was able to convey a bit of a "home made" vibe, without bringing some of the common pitfalls of home made baked items (slightly overdone crust, cracking, uneven consistency). The strawberry flavor was present without overwhelming you with sweetness or having the flavor punch you in the mouth.

The Bitter

The icing isn't really necessary. I could have done without it. The sweetness of the bread can hold up on it's own, although I can see how the addition of icing could attract more interest and may please some more stubborn palates. To my understanding, the strawberry version of the bread is also only available seasonally.

Individually, each loaf sells for between $4.99-$5.99 a piece or $10 for 3 loaves. That pricing is fair, but works out much better if you opt to go the multiple loaves route.

Even with the addition of the "unneeded" icing, I would still gladly seek out this product. Making it a seasonal item may only add to it's allure.

I don't know if my travels will lead me to another Bob Evans, but should I begin to see those yellow and red signs along the highway again, I will look back at my experience not unlike that of a lost love or an old flame...a love in which perhaps the final chapter has not yet been written...

Arnott's Caramel Tim Tams

Arnott's Caramel Tim Tams

Several months back, I had a friend ask me if I've ever heard of Tim Tams. I had not, but sure enough within several weeks she was able to locate a place that sold them out of DC and had a "courier" purchase and bring them back to us in New York.

Tim Tams come in primarily in two flavors here in the States; Chocolate Creme (original) and Caramel. Although I had both flavors in hand, I was eager to try the caramel variety.

The Attraction

Chocolate and caramel along with the thrill of trying to locate these obscure (at least in the US), treats them made a must-try. It didn't hurt that the lucky folks in Australian (where these cookies are originally manufactured), rave about these little buggers.

The Review

Manufactured in a well-spaced plastic packaging, these chocolate treats come 9 to a case. Upon first inspection, the Tim Tams visually reminded me of a thicker version of a childhood favorite snack of mine, Keebler's Deluxe Grahams Cookies. The flavor itself wasn't all that different either initially, until I got a taste of the caramel. It instantly brought to mind another often snacked on treat with chocolate, caramel and wafer; a Twix bar! It's almost identical in flavor, however consistency-wise, the Tim Tams are a bit crunchier and drier, probably cause there's not as much caramel in them compared to a Twix. However, instead of the caramel covering the whole wafter, the caramel is filled within a channel in the center of the cookie. In the "original" flavor of the cookie, that channel is hollow. I'm a big fan of Twix, so even with less caramel, I instantly dug the this chocolate covered treat.

The Sweet

Chocolate, caramel and throw in some crunch; it's a tried and true recipe for a tasty outcome. Fans of Twix will instantly connect with the familiar flavor combination. Even more so if you have always wanted a "crunchier" or a less caramel-filled version of a Twix bar.

The Bitter

These treats are hard to find! Initally, that made the sampling of this snack all the more rewarding, however after realizing I can readily get a similar snack with a fraction of the effort, I would rather just go down to the local CVS and Duane Reade to pickup a Twix.

For about $4 a package with 9 wafers, that breaks down to about 44 cents a cookie. That's pretty close to about the cost of a Twix, so cost-wise, you are in line with similar-like snacks. On it's own, it's a great snack. With that said, I'm actually a fan of the softer wafer that Twix offers. Other than wanting to try this tasty chocolate biscuit for yourself, the effort and additional time to locate these treats may not be worth it when there's a comparable product readily available at your local grocer. Being that I still have some left, you also won't have the problem of this snack occupying a space in your pantry for very long either.