Doritos Spicy Garlic

Same name, different color and flavor!

The Attraction

Umm, Doritos, hello? It also doesn't hurt that it's a flavor you can't get here in the US. I quickly plunked down my converted Taiwanese dollars and brought this baby home for a sampling.

The Review:
One of the more exciting parts of traveling aboard is hitting all the markets and hording all the interesting snacks that you just don't see when you are back home. Every trip I take outside of the US, I make it a point to scope out every snack aisle I come across to locate treats that light up my face the same way snacks did when I was a chubby teenager. That's the true litmus test as to if I should review it. If I'm that exciting to buy it, it's going to get reviewed. One such snack that I was excited to come across while in Asia was these Doritos Spicy Garlic flavor chips.

You may know my cousin, Cool Ranch

Being a true snack enthusiast, Doritos easily makes my snack Top 10. Hell, it might even make my top 5.  I am also not alone in my love for Doritos. The crispy corn chip crunch with a generous dusting of nacho cheese flavoring has been providing years of empty calories for happy Americans for decades. In more recent times, they've expanded the product line to include flavors like Cool Ranch, Spicy Sweet Chili and Spicy Nacho, but for me, Nacho will always be king.

With that said, I occasionally dabble in the other flavors like Cool Ranch and Spicy Sweet Chili, to break it up sometimes, so when I saw this new offering of Spicy Garlic, I knew I couldn't pass it up.

..or my other cousin, Sweet Chili?

When I finally got back home from Asia, I cracked open the bag and noticed a slight garlicky scent.

"As promised", I thought to myself

I grab a lucky chip out of the sea of Doritos in the bag and crunch down on one.

I'm happy to see that the Doritos signature crunch extends to products overseas as well. Flavor-wise, the people over at Doritos were smart to not make the garlic flavor too intense. It's a bit more subtle than I was expecting. It wasn't like garlic powder on a chip. The flavor was more of a kiss of garlic-ness that wasn't very salty. I think if it was saltier, it would have made the garlic flavor more pronounced, but by downplaying the salt factor, you can get the essence of garlic without it overpowering your taste buds.

It was only after the garlic flavor began to fade away when the spicy part of the flavor namesake came into play. It's something I've noticed with many "spicy" snacks. They layer the heat on the latter part of the flavor profile and it works well because it doesn't distract you from the other flavors. It acts like a spicy cleansing of the palate. The trade off is that if you are accustomed to that more forward, aggressive spiciness, the heat this snack punches may feel more like a love tap.

The Sweet:
Consistent Doritos crunch no matter the flavor. Exicting flavor deviation

The Bitter:
However interesting the flavor is, it's not enough to really distinguish itself

Conclusion:
It's tough being a Doritos product. I suppose to a degree, it's similar to being the offspring or relative of someone very famous; you are measured against this really high bar because of the name you carry when all you want to be is yourself.

That's the curse of this product; because the Doritos brand is so beloved, it takes something really special to stand along side the enduring Doritos flavors. I'm glad that they continue to experiment in all parts of the world and perhaps the Spicy Garlic flavor will resonate to other snack lovers in other regions, but for me, it didn't make enough of an impression to occasionally give up the space in my shopping cart that I would normally reserve for the Doritos flavor that will always have my heart, Nacho Cheese.

Video of the Week

Which Philly Cheese steak is really the best?

I've seen so many food shows on TV blowing smoke up some Philly Cheesesteak's owners butt about how good their specific cheesesteak is, but I never really get a straight answer about which ones are really good. Finally, the good people over at Bon Appetit sent someone out to taste 16 cheesesteaks in Philadelphia in 12 hours. I don't know if I will ever eat that many cheesesteaks in one visit, but I won't need to now that I know which they liked the most. For those not familiar with what a Philly Cheesesteak is, you can learn more about this iconic sandwich here.

YBC Vanilla Sandwich

 

 If it weren't for the letters YBC, I would have
never known what these are called

The Attraction

These cookies / crackers remind me very much or these Japanese Ritz flavored cookies, I've had before, but there's no sign of "Ritz" or "Nabisco" on the packaging, so when these became a new resident on the shelves of the grocery store I frequent, I wondered if they were as good. You know what I must do. "Must" be the operable word. 

The Review:
This is a mystery. I started seeing these YBC crackers everywhere where I used to see the Ritz Custard Crackers I reviewed previously. What was odd was that it wasn't like they were competing for customers because seemingly one week the Ritz versions of the crackers were there and the next week, these YBC versions of the same type of cookies seem to take it's place. I've never seen a store have both and as of recent, I've only seen these. No more of the Ritz versions.Are these knockoffs? Did Nabisco yank their name off the product? Maybe I will never know unless I'm in Japan...and as much as I want to know the dillyo, that's a long way to go to get to the bottom of this snacking situation.

Don't call me the "R" word

As you may have already noticed, the packaging is very similar, but will it taste the same? I've had the custard-flavored version before of these (or the original Ritz version) and was rather fond of it, but this product just produced more questions; would it taste as good? Is custard and vanilla flavors that different? If this was a competitor trying to create a similar product, would it taste inferior? Worst yet, if these were the new "Ritz" sandwich, did they lose the recipe as well as the name? All of this could be solved with a bite.

Sweet and salty goodness

Like the Nabisco version, each package comes with two individually wrapped rolls of cookies / crackers. I pull out a "sandwich" and dig in.

Then all of a sudden, it's like a movie. The savory cracker flavor of a Ritz hits my tough first and as I pull away, the crisp, slightly dull snap of the cracker screams out, "Hey, I'm a Ritz, remember me!?"

As the familiar Ritz cracker movie plays out, there is a surprise twist to this snack I've eaten dozens of times; there is a sweet cream component that cuts-in between the tango my taste buds are having with this savory cracker.

"How rude?!", instinctively I first think, almost like a reflex, however like a smooth foreign spy, it woos me and convinces me it means no harm and rather......it's better this way.....and you know what...he wouldn't be totally wrong.

The savory flavor of the crackers sandwiching the sweet vanilla cream in between compliments each other rather than competing for flavor real estate. A flavor tango indeed.

The Sweet:
These things are amazingly tasty. Scratch both the savory and sweet itch at the same time.

The Bitter:
Umm...so do these replace the Ritz version or are these a knockoff?

Conclusion:
I really enjoy these crackers, but it bugs me that I can't tell if these have replaced the Ritz version I've seen before or are these an impostor, albeit a tasty one at that.

Either way, should I come across these, I will have to proceed with caution as I've become all to aware of how quickly a package of these can disappear when within my possession.

Video of the Week

I'm not even this cool now.

I really hate when in the movies they do that cliche thing where older white people pretend to be into hip hop like here and here. In the case of this week's video, I don't think he's pretending. He looks to be living the lifestyle.

T-Pops Nori Toasted Seaweed Popcorn

  Seaweed you say? We will "sea" about that?
(See what I did there?)

The Attraction

I've seen this bag of popcorn on the shelves for awhile down where I usually shop for Asian groceries, but I was reluctant to plunk down my hard earned $3 for it. Maybe it seemed too gimmicky to me initially, but as I saw it week in and week out and it wore me down. "What on earth must this taste like? Can it possibly be good?"

The Review:
I actually have had this bag in my snack cupboard for awhile. Even after buying weeks ago, it just didn't draw enough interest from me to be excited to try it.

"T-Pops Popcorn and seaweed or Cheez-Its? I guess Cheez-Its it will be!"

Then finally the little lady asked me if she should chuck the bag of popcorn out.

Admitted, I was thinking hard about it. I eventually relented and decided to sample it for even if it was a hellish flavor disaster (like I very well knew it could be), I would have a good snack review out of it. So, yes, I was very excited to try this product. (no, I wasn't. That was sarcasm.)

Interesting combo, no?

I picked up a few popped kernels and dig in. The flavor of the nori quickly reminded me as to why I do enjoy it. It's not just a seafood like taste or only salty, but there are multiple dimensions to it. It also brings some of that roasted seaweed flavor, a slight sweetness and that good old Asian umami flavor.

Throw in any respectable popcorn makers crispy popcorn like T-Pops did and you have yourself a multi-layer snacking experiencing. Good flavor + right texture = potential snack overload.

No, it's not pesto. It's really seaweed!

I pick up a few more pieces to confirm the flavor I'm experiencing and before I know it, the bag is almost gone. Damn you, nori. You reeled me in again

The Sweet:
Surprisingly addictive. Not as odd of a combination as you might think

The Bitter:
Not the easiest snack to find in town. Have to enjoy nori (seaweed) a little to enjoy this.

Conclusion:
Yes, seaweed and popcorn go together like Martha Stewart and Snoop Dog. Not the most obvious or even initially appealing combination, but somehow T-Pops make it work. The nori adds a complexity to the popcorn far more than one might expect. The seaweed doesn't simply just make the popcorn savory, it also adds some toasted notes in addition to some sweet little bits of something along the way.

I would go another round with a bag of T-Pops Nori Toasted Seaweed Popcorn. Probably more so than watching another episode of Snoop and Martha.

Video of the Week

Sign O' the Times

It wasn't that long ago that China and North Korea were pals, but with the leader of N. Korea showing off his military wares as of late, it has put a strain on the relationship. So much so that a new bridge tying the two countries together was put on hold indefinitely. I could have used some of that 350 million. 

Wheat Thins Popped Sour Cream and Onion

Why mess with perfection?

The Attraction

Another month and it's another batch of new snacks from the office.One of these are these, Wheat Thins Popped Sour Cream and Onion. Did some say Wheat Thins? I know a little something about Wheat Thins.

The Review:
It's a badly kept secret about my fondness for Wheat Thins snacks, (see here and here), so when I saw these babies sprawled out on the kitchen counter at the office, I was excited yet surprised that I never saw these previously. I was a bit skeptical as many of the "popped" items I've sampled in my day didn't win me over. Can they possibly improve upon the already proven Wheat Thin formula?

I open the bag and go in for the sniff test. There is a hint of the flavor advertised, but subtly so. I then take a peek inside and see what I already imagined; what looks very much like a traditional Wheat Thin, puffed up almost like a pork rind.

Looks like perfectly cut chicharrones!

I stick my hand in the bag and pull out a popped chip. I take a bite and it has that popped characteristic that I was expecting. It's puffed up, but not in that guilty fried-in-oil kind of a way. On the taste-front, it's well, not there, sort of. I have a chips or two and it didn't seem to convey any specific flavor, some were saltier than others, but that happens from time to time with any savory snack, but in this case, some "thins" didn't have any sour cream and onion flavor at all.

The times it did have some, it wasn't all that clear that was the flavor they were going for. That only left me wanting a snack that could provide a more potent flavor. Besides, lovers of sour cream and onion don't enjoy that flavor for all the subtleties it brings; they love it because of the bold and powerful taste it imparts onto your taste buds. That was rather frustrating.

Pleasantly, there was a still a touch of that Wheat Thins sweetness, although I don't now if that is also what dilutes or confuses the taste of the intended savory flavor.

Better, worse or the same?

The Sweet:
Airy crispy crunch with some of that Wheat Thin taste.

The Bitter:
The flavor was not consistent with each chip and when it was, it wasn't convincingly sour cream and onion enough.

Conclusion:
Some things are better off left undone. I usually don't feel that way about well-known snack variations, but this product missed on several levels; the flavor profile of sour cream and onion wasn't obvious or was very faint with many of the chips. In addition, the "popped" variation didn't necessarily add a lot to the snack party. Yes, it was airy and crisp, but I also enjoy the traditional denser version, so on that front, it's a wash.

In the end, Wheat Thins Popped Sour Cream and Onion was better off left on the drawing board. It's one variation that didn't need to see the light of day.

Video of the Week

Is it a prosthetic or an enhancement?

As the evolution of prosthetic limbs continues with technological advances, there is an interesting question that has arisen; just how close can they get these limbs to the real thing and even more interestingly, given the chance, should we make these limbs not just replacements, but enhancements for people. (Queue The Terminator theme)

Doritos Hot Honey

 Yellow Doritos bag?
Could it be cheddar flavor?

The Attraction

As part of my plunder on my last trip to H-Mart, I scored these "exotic" flavored Doritos. I wasn't quite sure what flavor they were when I bought them, but I just knew it said Doritos on it and it was different....that was good enough for me.

The Review:
After doing some digging on the interwebs, I discovered that this yellow bag of Doritos is actually "Hot Honey" flavored. I can't be certain, but I'm willing to bet this may have something to do with the recent influx of honey-flavored snack items into the market following the honey-butter craze in Korea. (See here and here). I'm just thankful these chips aren't honey-butter flavored as well.

I also do observe that in the upper-left hand corner, it's noted that Lotte, the fine makers of classic Asian snacks like Choco-Pie and Toppo Coffee and Vanilla Ice Cream Flavor produced this Doritos product. This will be interesting.

I tear open the bag of chips and take a deep inhale. There isn't an obvious scent, maybe one of fried corn chips, if you inhaled deep enough. That could be a good sign as it wasn't too sweet or too spicy to the point where it was obvious even without taking a bite.

I pickup a well formed chip and take a bite. It's every bit what you would expect from a Doritos-branded chip; nicely formed corn chip with a great crunch, but in terms of taste, it reminded me of something that I haven't had in awhile. Something that wasn't even a snack, per se. More on that in a minute.

Looks like a pale Dorito

The initial flavor of the sweetness strikes first and as slowly as that flavor begins to fade, there is a slow burn towards the back of my throat. I'm beginning to like this type of spicy. It's a much more laid back spicy. I've been so accustomed to the forward-vinegary heat of things like buffalo wings and certain kinds of beef jerky that when you have something that attacks your spicy zones in a different way, it's really interesting. Most of the spicy items I've had seems to impact the front-to-center part of your tongue. This sweeter heat seems to hit from the back and then the sides of your tongue. Don't get me wrong, you have enough of these and your mouth won't care where the heat is coming from, it just knows it's on fire..but in the most pleasant kind of way.

In terms of the sweetness, I was surprised to discover that the initial sweet hit reminds me of McDonald's Sweet and Sour sauce. Yes, that's right. The very sauce you use to dip your McNuggets into. Shocking, but true! There's even a slight hint of smokiness in there which gives it almost gives it a bbq twist. Turn up the dial a few more notches and you could possible mistake this for a sweet bbq-flavored product.

Pale does not mean no flavor

The Sweet:
Great Doritos crunch with a tasty sweet and spicy flavor dusting.

The Bitter:
If you aren't used to sweet-flavored chips, this may take some time to adjust to.

Conclusion:
I was never totally won over with the honey-butter craze from a little while back. All those products were fine, but it never got me to the point of going from store to store trying to locate my next "hit". These Doritos Hot Honey chips won't quite get me to that point either, but if anything, it made me wonder why this product couldn't be as big.

I prefer the thicker corn chip with the associated crunch that this snack offers. The heat also provides a "cleansing" affect from the first sweet flavor wave and clears the deck for another chip to follow...and believe me...another chip will follow.

Video of the Week

What could possibly go wrong? (hehe)

Ah...what can be more beautiful than a couple's wedding day? A day to celebrate all the love and joy that will culminate out of the union of two people. Sometimes when you see two people, you aren't totally sure if they belong together. In this case, I'm sure they do because the only thing better than her reaction is his equally intellectual reaction. Blessings to you both...you will need it.

Calbee Takoyaki Ball Cookies

 Mini-baked potatoes?

The Attraction

Last week I hit a H-Mart around my way after not stopping in for awhile. I was greeted with a bounty of new and interesting snacks....these Takoyaki Ball Cookies being one of them. Wait, did I just say Takoyaki-Ball Cookies? I have to try these.

The Review:
I first had Takoyaki about 7-8 years ago with a friend down in the East Village. What initially drew me to them were the octopus chunks inside the balls themselves. I really enjoy squid and octopus, so I was game to give them a shot.  I liked them, but it was the kind of dish that I could take or leave. Interesting and tasty, but not a eating absolute eating necessity. I've since had takoyaki after that on occasion, but never really ranked them high on the "must have" list. Even at that, what would a snack "chip" or ball version, in this case, taste like?

I excitedly open the bag and inhale deeply. Sure enough, somehow these balls do exude a scent that reminds me of takoyaki, but I was still skeptical. As I take the bag away from my face, I notice that Calbee makes these balls.

Well, at least they are round like a real takoyaki

You may know Calbee from some of my other snack reviews like their Honey Butter Chip and Hot and Spicy Potato Chips. Based on my experience with their products, seeing their name on the packaging brought some comfort. For the most part, I've always found Calbee snacks to be good.

I pick a lucky ball out of the pile and take a quick look. It resembles a short tater-tot or maybe even a small hush-puppy. (the food, not the shoes). I put a takoyaki ball in my mouth and it's like a flavor explosion, literally. At first I was overwhelmed with all the flavors going on; savory, smokey, seafood-ish, then sweet. "Cookies" also isn't a very accurate term in this case These are more like corn-puffed spheres. It's hard to believe these balls have so much going on in them. Something strange happened after I had one; I wanted another.

After having several, I could distinguish the fishy/smokiness of what was supposed to be the benito flakes and then the sweetness of the mayo and takoyaki sauce. It was remarkable how much they were able to capture the flavor of takoyaki in a prepackaged dry snack.

"No, I am not a tater-tot"

The Sweet:
Captures the flavor of eating takoyaki.

The Bitter:
There's a lot of flavor in these balls, maybe too much for some.

Conclusion:
Look, these things are good. I wish I could put it in a more eloquent way and stretch out my review, but Calbee just flat-out did a great job of capturing the flavor-essence of eating takoyaki. I had my doubts before trying these, but in the end, the spot on flavor was incredibly satisfying...and dare I say addicting.

Video of the Week

Don't you have enough of my money already?

In case you have been under a rock this week, Nintendo has released a new video showcasing their new gaming system, "Switch". If you are wondering what on earth could Nintendo bring to the gaming console world at this point, watch the video and begin to imagine hours of your life slip away from you even when you are away from home. Oh and don't forget about the awesome lines you'll have to stand in to get one. Yay.

Sun Chips Garden Salsa

Sun Chips, they are like the
healthier evil twin of Doritos

The Attraction

I'm a big fan of Sun Chips Harvest Cheddar. I almost exclusively only eat that flavor of Sun Chips. Recently my office bought a variety pack which contained....Garden Salsa! I've been eyeing that flavor for awhile. No time like the present to try a new flavor!

The Review:
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I opened the bag of Garden Salsa. Yes, I know what Garden Salsa means, but what does that specifically mean in chip form? Will they somehow try to capture the onion, pepper, tomato essence in a prepackaged process product? If so, how effectively will they be able to do it? Based on the packaging, they were not shying away from the tomato and pepper aspects of a garden salsa.

I carefully open the bag of chips and dip my face into the bag. There is a scent there, but I can't quite put my finger on it. It smells vaguely familiar. Perhaps it's an oniony / slightly peppery smell.

If I were to make a dollhouse out of chips,
I would use these for the shingles

I go ahead a pick up a wavy-square Sun Chip from the bag and take a bite. The crunch is familiar and the taste, surprisingly was as well. It starts off very much like a mild version of a Doritos Cool Ranch chip at first. As the bite progresses, it lightens up even more from there and dissipates. That seems very much like a "Sun Chip" signature; a light flavor in comparison to most other chips.

After a few more chips, I begin to feel the pepper or jalapeno aspect of the "Garden Salsa". It's a slow mild burn that happens at the back of your throat. It's not a "the house is on fire" burn, it's more of a "hmm...did you feel something?", kind of a subtle burn. That's not very "Sun Chips" ish...and I like it.

You can see all the salsa goodness fried in there

The Sweet:
A healthier, yet tasty version of a corn chip. It's a win-win!

The Bitter:
It doesn't feel as guilty as most snacks do.

Conclusion:
Sun Chips aren't the brand of snacks that are looking to overpower your taste buds with it's flavor. They don't try to wine and dine you and shower you with lavish gifts so you can fall in love with it. They are more like that person you meet and becomes friends with at first and as you spend more time with them, you begin to realize how great they are. I'm still at the early phase with my "relationship" with Sun Chips Garden Salsa, but if history is any indication of what's to come, there could be a long term commitment ahead of me.

Video of the Week

Save the world, discover a cure for a disease;
why would I want to do that when I can mess with this all day?

Do you feel restless? Like you can't sit still? Peer at your mobile phone endlessly just to find something to do on it just for the sake of it? Well put down your cell phone, there's a new distraction in town! I introduce to you....the Fidget Cube! This is ridiculous....and I can't wait to get my hands on one. (Did you see that switch thingy? Man, I'll be flipping that thing all day)

Lay's Szechuan Chicken

Here they go again...

The Attraction

Lay's has been doing this new flavor thang for awhile...and I've been buying it hook, line and sinker

The Review:
Part of the fun of these new flavor experiment is waiting to see what new and interesting flavors Lays releases. In this wave, one of the flavors they release is Chinese Szechuan Chicken, along with Indian Tikka Masala and Brazilian Picanha and Greek Tzaziki. Being that I've had my fair share of Chinese food in my day, I was curious as to what exactly Szechuan anything taste like in snack form.

As I tear open into the bag, I can smell some "spice" emanating from the bag. One thing I do know about Szechuan cuisine is that is it very aromatic and has many strong flavors. It is anything but bland. So far, so good.

Who knew all those spices
had so many different colors?

I dip my hand in and pull out a chip. I take a good look at a chip and I see the various colored spices in the chip. OK, it looks and smells legit, but what does it taste like? I take a big bite and immediately a wave of flavors comes flying at me; pepper, salt, some five-spice? and I swear even some MSG. At first, it almost taste like potato chips that have been sprinkled directly with the flavor packs that you get with your packages of instant noodles (ramen), but after a few seconds, the flavor deviates and never quite hits that exact level of saltiness, but rather it leaves you with a spicy finish. As for the chicken component...what chicken component? I only even mention it because it's in the flavor name, but otherwise, it's completely meaningless.

This piece looks like an upside-down taco

The Sweet:
It's a new flavor, which always means the potential for something exciting

The Bitter:
In this case it's booooorrring. It's a new flavor, but really nothing to write home about.

Conclusion:
I'll always support Lays and their great idea to release new and experimental flavors. It just so happens that this flavor, Chinese Szechuan Chicken, falls flat. I'm not even totally sure it taste like anything "Szechuan" to me. Either way, it doesn't strike enough of a cord to make me want to add this into my snack rotation.

Video of the Week

"Hey Ma, my tattoo not only says something
about who I am, but I can also play video games with it"

 

Ever see people with those temporary metallic tattoos? Well imagine one day being able to use those types of tattoos to control things like a video game or use it to show your mood or even better yet, store information on it! Well, the folks over at Duoskin are working on it.





Bonchi French Dressing Fried Rice Crackers (Tsuna Age Arare)

 
Yeah, try to figure out what this is
if you don't read Japanese

The Attraction

This package had little to no English on it. I just hope it doesn't taste like shrimp crackers.

The Review:
I'm usually not in the habit of buying random snacks with no understanding of what's inside, but somehow I just felt this might be worth a shot. Even though the "twists" look very much like shrimp crackers, there was no indication of shrimps or anything seafood-ish about it. So what flavor must this be?

A quick turn of the bag reveals an import label in English that reads, "Cracker (Tsuna Age Dressing)" If you are like me, then I know what you are thinking, "I love tsuna age dressing!". OK, maybe more like what the frig is Tsuna Age Dressing. After spending some time on "The Google" I discovered that Tsuna Age Dressing, at least in context to this snack, means French dressing. That helped, but I still couldn't quite put my finger on what french dressing chips would taste like. Easily solved.

Looks like a shrimp cracker

I open the bag and detect a smell. A smell that was hard to describe. French dressing? Not good, nor bad, just something I'm not able to determine the smell of. A slightly salty smell is about as much as I can offer. I pick up a "twist" and indulge. As if it wasn't hard enough to describe the smell, it was even harder to describe the flavor. It was savory, lightly salted, yet not as harsh or persistent as just plain salt. At first it seemed very underwhelming, but as I had more, I became intrigued as to the flavor that I couldn't quite put my finger on. Although labeled "French Dressing", I'm quite certain this was something I have never tasted the flavor of before.

Hmm..doesn't taste like a shrimp cracker

The Sweet:
A nice shrimp-cracker-like-crunch with a deceptively tasty flavor

The Bitter:
What exactly is french dressing flavor?

Conclusion:
Bonchi's French Dressing Fried Rice Crackers doesn't come at you with a bunch of flair or fanfare (at least not based on the packaging I couldn't read), but oddly enough, the relatively nondescript packaging mirrors the flavors that await for you inside. It's not super...anything, but somehow it stealthily delivers it's flavor and leaves you wanting for more.With a nice find like this, maybe I should try more mysterious snacks from now on.

Video of the Week

The audio sounds different from what you might expect

I've fallen off the hip-hop game for awhile, but occasionally I come across a track that catches my attention. Enter Rich Chigga. He throws in some lighthearted visuals in his video, but the music doesn't sound so different from anything else you might come across the radio these days.....but it's the contrast between what your eyes see and what your ears hear that makes this the video the of the week.

Bissli Pizza

Anything pizza-flavored must be good, right?

The Attraction

On the heels of my Bissli exploration, I came across this pizza flavored variation.I needed a third review for a tie breaker.

The Review:
Recently I've reviewed Bissli's Falafel and BBQ snacks. One I loved, the other not so much. I wondered if the hit was a fluke or the dud out of the norm, so when I saw a pizza flavored snack they made, I thought this would be a good chance to tip the scale one way or the other.

When I saw this package, I immediately thought of the one of the few other pizza-flavored snacks I loved growing up; Combos Pepperoni-Pizza flavored! I can't tell you much I loved Combos as a kid growing up. I could devour a bag of either those or the Cheddar Cheese flavor without much effort. I was thinking this could be a similiar product. That's setting the bar pretty high.

I look like some dice from 2 centuries ago.

I pull open the bag and see if I can discern a smell of any sort...nope...maybe a fried scent, but nothing that seemed to indicate the flavor within the bag. I pour out a few "cubes" into my hand. Like the falafel and bbq snacks before it, these deviated from the conventional "chip" shape. In this iteration, the folks at Bissli opted to go with a quartered cube look. If the past was any indication of what to expect, these cubes should be darn crunchy.

I look like cereal in this light

I pop two square into my mouth and bite down. As I expect, they delivered with high marks on the crunch factor. No matter the shape, all of Bissli's snacks have a great textural crunch to them. However, that's not where their shortcomings lie. Flavor-wise, there's very little there that is reminiscent of pizza at all. They taste like salted crunch cubes. I don't recall at any point getting a hint of cheese, tomato sauce or anything that remotely reminded me of pizza...well, maybe the crunchy crust that doesn't have any sauce on it. If that's the pizza flavor they were going for, they hit that right on the nose.

The Sweet:
Great crunch.

The Bitter:
What pizza taste?

Conclusion:
I tend to believe that Bissli's Falafel was their one hit wonder. Their "pizza" flavored offering just doesn't delivery any of the wonderful flavors you come to expect when you associate the word "pizza" to something.

I think pizza is so universally beloved that when you decide to put that flavor on a product, you better be sure you can delivery because anything less than is a huge disappointment. My advice? Stick to the Combos.

Video of the Week 

"I"m Kevin Hart in high school?"

If you've seen the recent video of Kevin Hart and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson doing a role reversal interview while on tour promoting their movie "Central Intelligence" you can see how much fun these guys can be. I think they are much more fun being themselves then in their movie, unfortunately. As further proof in this video where they do some further role reversal. (The fun begins at about the 2 minute mark)

Lays Wasabi Ginger

Darn you, Lays, you got me again.

The Attraction

I didn't really think much of wanting to review this new flavor offering from Lays, but my snack buddy G, swore that these were tasty. Was she just trying to josh me? Let's find out.

The Review:
After going through quite a few of Lays newer flavor chip offerings, both locally and abroad ( Mac and Cheese, Greektown Gyro and Thai Spicy Crab) I was content to take a break for awhile. I also didn't see any new products of their's that really called out to be tested. After an endorsement from a trusted snacking companion, I knew it was time to get back into those Lays waters.

Upon opening the bag, the smell of wasabi was very evident. I wasn't sure if the wasabi flavor would be sinus-clearing, but that initial smell certainly raised that possibility. In addition, would the ginger be too strong? I don't always eat the gari or pickled ginger when I have sushi, so would I enjoy the flavor of it? Will one overpower the other? Did I really just buy a bag of this?

Looks like the standard fare

No more time to stall, it was time to taste. Because these were Lays Kettle Cooked line, the crunch of the chips were great, as to be expected, however the wasabi was the first flavor that greeted me. It was obvious, but not over the top and was quickly followed by the ginger chaser. Hmm...did this chip really capture the taste of eating sushi? I have another and it confirmed by first thought; Lays does an excellent job of capturing the wasabi-ginger aspect of having sushi. I still can't quite believe how accurate it taste even after several chips. They also do a great job of balancing the two sometimes unwieldly flavors to strike just the right balance to recreate the famous Japanese staple.

Didn't see that coming

The Sweet:
Surprisingly reminiscence of actually having sushi.

The Bitter:
Doesn't sound like the most obvious flavor choice

Conclusion:
It was a bit of a tough sell for me at first, but after a few chips, I was sold. I'm still amazed how accurately Lays was able to capture the wasabi-ginger flavor. It's truly astounding. Will I go on a scavenger hunt at midnight to go find the grocery store that has a bag of it? Probably not, but it will certainly be on my list of approved and surprisingly tasty snacks of 2016

Video of the Week 

No, it's not album art for a group called "Insider"

Doesn't a 4-story roller coaster sound exciting to you thrill seekers? Yes, well what if I told you it was a pedal coaster in Japan? Oh...and there weren't any guardrails....safely, shmafety. Let's go!

Bissli BBQ

What I wouldn't do for a kosher
bbq snack right now

The Attraction

Part of that bounty of snacks my pal Grace delivery last week included another product by Bissli. In this case, it's Bissli BBQ! 

The Review:
After the huge win last week of Bissli Falafel, I couldn't wait to dive into another Bissli snack that I had in my possession. I made pretty short work of that bag of Bissli Falafel, so I was eager to see if Bissli had another hit on it's hands with Bissli BBQ.

As was last week's Bissli item, these bbq bits also didn't conform to the conventional "chip" shape. These BBQ snacks are more along the lines of the dried pasta "rotini" shape. Interesting, but not really a deterrent to me since I love pasta. What I also did notice when I cracked open the bag was the smokiness of the BBQ flavor that came through. No it wasn't super strong, but it was noticeable.

I've had my fair share of crunchy, bbq snacks such as these Kettle Brand Potato Chips, so I was curious if a kosher spin would net any noticeable difference, aside from the shape.

How about some fried rotini?

As I finally bite into a rotini-shaped chip, the crunch was very serious. Bissli knows a thing or two about making seriously crunchy snacks. Flavor-wise, the smokiness comes through immediately, but as would expect most bbq flavored chips to begin to make a right turn towards Sweet Street, Bissli chose to keep going straight down Smoky Boulevard...to it's detriment. The smoky flavor seems to keep going and going...like that never ending family road trip. It all seems like a reasonable idea until you are stuck in the car with your father after he's had 2 chili cheese dogs. Its only then that you realize that this ride had gone on way too long as you are getting "smoked out".

Off-topic, I need a vacation

The Sweet:
Serious crunch and smoky flavor

The Bitter:
The not as sweet as most commercial brand bbq flavor really brings out the smokiness...too much so

Conclusion:
It's tough to follow an act of a product that you enjoyed so much. Although this snack matched the awesome crunch of it's sister product, where it fails to live up to expectation is in the flavor department. The smokiness comes through, perhaps so much so that without the sweetness to reign it in, at points it felt like I was licking an ash tray.

Maybe my palate has been trained to expect bbq snacks to have a sweeter finish, and if that's something you never enjoyed, you may have found a winner here, but for me, it's more smoke flavor than I care for in a bbq flavored anything.

Video of the Week 

Pretty Obvious, huh? Wait til level 5

I know my vision isn't perfect, as illustrated by my need to wear glasses. However, I thought my ability to see color was fine, if not perfect....well.......maybe not after taking this color test. I feel like I need to reevaluate my whole wardrobe now. Does my tie really match my slacks?

Bissli Falafel

Gosh, another falafel-flavored snack?

The Attraction

Over the last several weeks, my pal Grace has heard me complain about not being able to find any new and interesting snacks to review. She then took it upon herself to hook me up with some new and interesting snacks so I would shut up. Well played, bud.

The Review:
I've previously reviewed a Kosher snack, Zetov Bamba, last year, but I didn't really think about sampling more kosher snacks until this bag of falafel flavored crispy things were presented to me. Falafel flavor, really?

In case you haven't tasted a falafel before, it's a fried ball made up of ground up chick peas and fava beans. It can be served in a pita with usually some lettuce, tomato and some hummus.

I enjoy falafel quite a bit, I probably even have a falafel sandwich once a month during my lunch break, but a falafel flavored snack wasn't really on my snacking wish list. However, now that its here, I am curious as to how this sucker would taste.

I look like fried worms!

The bag opens and immediately the smell of falafel fills the air. It's amazing how similiar the smell is to the actual thing. I take a peek in and these snacks look like curly fried potato strips. I pickup a small handful and pop it into my mouth. As I bite down, the crunch is serious. It's not jaw breaking, but it's a nice, serious crunch. As the smell would have indicated, it also taste remarkably like a falafel. These snacks do a incredible job of capturing the fried flavor of a falafel along with the crispy fried exterior of one.

I pack a flavor punch

The Sweet:
Genuine falafel flavor and crunch

The Bitter:
You won't find this at the corner bodega or Walgreens

Conclusion:
It's not everyday you have a hankering for a falafel..or at least not for me, but these Bissli Falafel snacks are so tasty that even if you weren't thinking about it, it pleases that savory, crunchy snack itch. This even more so if you are a falafel fan.

Though not the most readily available snack in town, these crispy critters are highly addicting.

Video of the Week 

Party like a rock star...sorta

My friend Chris is getting hitched this week. She and her future husband decided to forgo the pomp and circumstances of a lavish wedding and kept it simple. The one thing I won't miss is the possibility of a photo booth at the wedding. Over the years, this has become a bit too cliche for me.....but alas there is a new variation....the Slow Motion Booth. (Congrats to Neil and Chris!)