Ho Ho Mei Pineapple Bun

The logo says it all, I think

Yes, I am back! More on where I've been later. Let's just get to the reviews, shall we?

The Attraction

Several years back, I was visiting the in-laws in Taiwan when we happened upon a stall in a Taipei night market with a long line for it. I had no idea what the people were on the queue for, but I was intrigued. With so many stalls in so many night markets, for Taiwanese people to line up and wait for something, it had to be something special, so without even knowing what it was, we jump into the line. (Spoiler alert!) Little did I know that decision would result in me discovering one of my favorite night market items.

The Review:
Taiwan is really well known for it's night markets. With so much variety and at such inexpensive pricing, it's really tough not to love it. From sweet to savory treats to a variety of fruits, soups and sometimes even clothing, night markets have something for everyone. Personally, they had me once I knew they had a variety of food vendors, many of which serve Taiwanese comfort foods that you cannot get anywhere else.

Now, I can't say for sure that the Pineapple bun originated in Taiwan, but I will say that Ho Ho Mei has just about perfected it.

I have loved pineapple buns or bolo baos from since when my Mom would get me some from Chinatown here in New York. Their sweet crunchy topping on a soft fluffy bun proved to be a simple, yet tasty combo to me. Since then, I've had many pineapple buns (not actually pineapple flavored, just named that based on the pineapple-like texture of the sweet topping) in my day, but what is it about Ho Ho Mei's version of bolo baos that made people line up and convert me to a lifelong fan?

I look like a regular pineapple bun...

To start, the bun itself is fresh. Seemingly made the same day. In most cases, bakeries in NY are also fresh and made the same day, but somehow Ho Ho Mei's bun seem softer and fluffier. That was a distinct difference when I took my first bite. It felt like it was melting in my mouth. How often have you had a pastry do that?

The crunchy sweet topping is standard faire, good, but indistinguishable from other pineapple buns I've had, but when it's placed on top of such a stellar bun, it seems to enhance the overall experience. Speaking of enhancements...

...until you look under my pineapple hood

Although Ho Ho Mei offers the plain bolo bao, their real bread and butter (bad pun) is when they place a cold, big pat of butter into the warm pineapple bun. The contrast between the warm, soft bun against the cold, hard butter creates a strangely satisfying eating experience. The butter adds both a flavor as well as a textural dimension to this already enjoyable snack. It works and it works big.


The Sweet:
What isn't great about this bun? Soft, not too sweet, the contrast between warm bun and cold butter works unexpectedly well.

The Bitter:
Only available in Taiwan!

Conclusion:
I know what you might be thinking; what stops me from just buying a pineapple bun and placing a big pat of cold butter in between it on my own? Well, it just so happens that there is a place here locally in NY that offer a warm pineapple bun with a cold pat of butter in between. After coming back from Taiwan, I was really missing this snack, so I tracked down a place that seemingly had a similar product. I was excited to try it and had high hopes, but it was very ordinary. So ordinary that I had to face the truth; there are magic in those Ho Ho Mei pineapple buns.

Video of the Week

I thought I would get bored, but I watched the whole thing

People have been asking me what I've been doing since I've been gone so long. (No one has asked me that.) Well, some of that time was spent watching videos like these that you don't learn much from, yet are still entertaining. Who knew something so simply could be so fun? Leave it to the Japanese to find strange and interesting ideas.

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.

Kiwano Melon

 
 Not to be confused with the equally delicious guano

The Attraction

I was strolling in an American supermarket last week when I came across a small exotic fruit section in the produce aisle. As I was scoping out the fruits in there, (among them persimmons and quenepas) I come across a fruit that I have never laid eyes on before. It was orange and had horns on it. (I was tempted to write "horny", but I was giggling too much). I didn't even know what it was called, but one thing was for sure; I was going to be taking one of these home to try!

The Review:
The label on this bizarre looking fruit said, Kiwano. I was really curious as to what this thing would taste like. It vaguely resembles a dragon fruit or pitaya, but probably mostly because of the shape.

After googling it extensively, I find out that the kiwano is actually a kind of melon that is popular in Africa. Not sure when the next time I'll be in Africa, so I was sure glad I grabbed this kiwano before some other adventurous soul beat me to it.

Once I take it home and cut it in half, it becomes very clear kiwano is very different from dragon fruit.

Whoa....that's freaky!

The kiwano melon has all these seeds inside that are surrounded by these gel like pods. Think like a pomegranate. It's a little freaky looking, but that just made it all the more intriguing.

I picked up a half and grabbed a spoon. It was time to dig in. I scoop out several "pods" and go to town on it.

The seeds are edible!

The first thing I notice is that unlike pomegranate seeds, these seeds are far easier to eat. You can barely feel the texture difference between biting into the gel sack portion and when your teeth hit the seed within the pod. Think passion fruit in texture.

Flavor-wise, it was reminiscent of eating a not sweet green grape. Some green grapes have a slightly tart flavor along with the sweetness. In the case of this kiwano melon, the lip smacking tartness is there, but none of the sweetness. The texture is also similiar to an inside of a grape. I also get a slight cucumber vibe off it as well, but not a lot, otherwise I would really not like it.

I can't help but feel like a bit of a fruit pioneer as I eat this melon (except people in Africa have been eating this for many years)

The Sweet:
A nice change of pace from the "regular" fruits. Refreshing!

The Bitter:
Not chocked full of flavor. Very subtle flavor compared to many other fruits.

Conclusion:
No, I won't be running back to the supermarket to buy out the remaining stock of these exotic melons, but I am glad I tried it. I can see chilling one of these in the fridge, then cutting them in half and eating them as a chilled dessert with a spoon because, well, lets face it, how many fruits can you eat with a spoon with no preparation?

I would, however, recommend that should the next time you are at the market and see one of these or another fruit you've never had before, you jump in with both feet. How often does one get to sample these types of fruit in your home town? It's one of the best parts of traveling to new and exotic places; sampling the local cuisine. Now you can do it from the comfort of your own zip code.

Video of the Week

This video makes me think of this song

At first, I wasn't too amused, until the remix kicked in. It seemed like it started out intentional and then he lost control. I hate showoffs, but love it when karma kicks in....even with little kids. That shows him what happens when you try to showboat.

Luppo Cake Bite

 Oh no, not again!

The Attraction

I didn't pay this any mind really, but the little lady was interested for some reason. She normally doesn't pickup any Choco Pies, so I was surprised when she brought this snack to my attention. Who am I to turn down a new chocolate snack? I have a feeling this might be a disaster. How exciting!

The Review:
This whole thing dates back to one of my early reviews of Moon Pies. I really loved it, but then as I would go through the Asian markets, I would come across seemingly the Asian knockoffs called Choco Pies. If you read through the Wiki on it, then there was some drama between two large snack producing companies over the name "Choco Pie".

These look familiar

Well, to sum up that chapter, I think Moon Pies are tastier than Choco Pies, however in NYC, Choco Pies seem vastly easier to come across than Moon Pies. If you can't have the real thing, Choco Pies aren't a bad substitute.

Fast forward to this Luppo Cake Bite (cough, another Moon Pie clone, cough) and you are all caught up. What's different already about this snack is unlike the original and it predecessor, these treats are not individually wrapped. They sit in a plastic tray neatly separated, a la Mallomars. 

Doesn't look too exciting

I didn't expect much as I've had several variations of Choco Pies before and the lack of individual wrapping made me think it was all in the name of a cheapo product. Not much put in, not much comes out....or so I thought.

I pluck a lucky "bite" out and take a casual nibble. "Hmm...this seems familiar, but something is a little different.", I thought to myself. I take another bite to see if I can hone in on the different twist.

"Coconut?"

Despite no mention on the packaging, these "cake bites" have a slight coconut flavor to them. It's not in your face or coated with coconut shavings or anything, but there's a definite coconut flavor in there. Aside from that little twist, it's what you have come to expect from a Choco Pie; a nice layer of chocolate coating on the outside, with a marshmallow cream filling on the inside. A bit of a bounce when you bite in from the filling. All wonderful, yet hardly earth-shattering things.

That was a little different

As I took a few more bites, I had to ask myself; "Coconut good, coconut bad, or coconut weird?"

It's not bad and it's not really weird tasting either. I guess that could only mean one thing.

The Sweet:
Slight coconut flavor brings a unique twist on a familiar tasting and looking snack.

The Bitter:
Not the most original idea

Conclusion:
I thought I had seen the last of these Moon Pie / Choco Pie clones. Realistically, how many similiar products can you have of snack that doesn't involve flavor variations? Yet Luppo Cake Bites boldly steps into the already crowded chocolate "pie" arena and differentiate itself with a subtle and tasty twist.

As for me, I think I'm done with these chocolate pies. How many more can a person eat? Well, then again, maybe I should learn by now that one should never say never.

Video of the Week

Not to be confused with this parkour

Yes, parkour was (is) still a thing. It's still impressive no matter how much time has passed. Even more so when you hit the longest and scariest looking parkour course in China. I got winded pressing the play button on the video, so I can appreciate this guy's athleticism.

Water Coconut

Water coconuts! (No, not giant canepas!)

The Attraction

I watch a lot of survival / outdoor shows like Dual Survival, Survivorman, and Alaskan Bush People, so while on a recent trip to the supermarket when I saw a water coconut, I was hypnotized and knew what I had to do; try to imagine myself as a survivalist and extract coconut water from it.....from the comfort of my very home.

The Review:
I was excited to bring this baby home, although I had no idea how I was going to crack this thing open. On the many shows I watch, two methods come to mind; 1. find a fallen branch and sharpen the end of one and impale the coconut on it and use that to peel away at the shell of it or 2. take a machete and hack off the top of it and drink it like you are Indiana Jones.

Be it that I didn't have an branches in my house and /or didn't feel like breaking one off of a tree and then having to sharpen it, I opted to try plan B. Granted I don't own a machete, but being Asian, I did own a Chinese butcher knife. I know, not exactly the same, but it could be equally effective. Now to figure out how to do this without lopping off any parts I might need. (More mine than the coconut's)

Gilligan!!!

For my safety, I opted to place the coconut on my kitchen counter. I said a quick prayer and went to it. I swung my knife into the coconut and it dug right in, but what next? You can't just hack it in half because all of coconut water will just pour out. How would I survive on a dessert island if that was my technique? I've trying to get the water into my mouth, not onto the counter top.

Next I decided that my second hack into the coconut would be about 4-5 inches apart from the first one. I was going to try to get a "V" shape cut in there.

Doesn't look too exciting

After hacking away and pulling some of the husk off for about 5 minutes, I began to see some moisture trickle through. I knew I was close! I swung my knife one more time and I could feel the shell of the coconut crack and give way. I grab a glass and begin to pull where I could feel the crack. Coconut water starts to gush out and into my glass. Take that survivalist! (Don't ask me where I would have found a glass in the wilderness)

After getting all the water out, I hack into it a few more times to the point of where I could "open" the coconut shell to see what was going on it there. Sure enough there was some coconut jelly on the interior of the coconut. I went ahead and scraped it off the sides and scooped it into my glass.

Finally, the time had come to taste the spoils after such a herculean effort.

I bring the glass and take a sip. If you have never had coconut water before, it's remarkable how much water is in it. It's really light in comparison to many other fruit "juices" It more comparable to fruit infused water, where there is an essence of fruit flavor in the water. The flavor is more subtle and the density of the drink itself is much lighter than juice. I can see why many people would enjoy it, as did I.

For those that have had coconut water before (as many have in recent years with all it's supposed health benefits), the fresh coconut water taste identical to me to the bottles of coconut water you can purchase at the store. I guess that's good news for people buying the commercial products, but bad news for people that were hoping the fresh variety would taste much better. I can't vouch for if it's better for you having it straight from the source like I did.

The Sweet:
Fun experience.

The Bitter:
Not easy to find. Takes some time and energy to get to.

Just like store bought!

Conclusion:
Is it worth the trouble to hack into your own personal coconut to get to the water? Well, that depends on what you are looking to get out of it.

If you just want the freshest coconut water possible, yeah, you can say you can't do much better than this, but truthfully, it's indecipherable from the stuff you get from a good quality coconut water manufacturer. For me, the extracting and opening of the coconut was the fun journey I had getting to the destination.

Have you every done some work around your house or apartment? Paint it, lay some tile down, hang the kitchen cabinets? By doing it yourself, you gain a different level of appreciation for the said task.

That's the way this water coconut extraction was for me. Even though I think it's the same thing as what you can find in bottles, the water I got from that coconut I hand opened that day never tasted quite so good.

Video of the Week

Take thee to a water park!

When I'm not working, watching my kid, or extracting water from large cumbersome objects, I like to go on vacations. Maybe the next time I'm at a tropical location with a water slide, I'll try this trick. (note to self: check if health insurance is current before going away) 

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. 

Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate

 PB and C? Even if it's bad, it's never that bad

Yes, I know. I've been away for awhile. There's been some changes going on in my non-snack life that's been taking up much of my time, but alas, like two star-crossed lovers, snacks and I will always find a way to make it work, but enough about me. On to the snacks....

The Attraction

The company I work for is still generous enough to offer it's employee snacks throughout the week. The catch being that the snacks they offer are of the healthier variety. A small price to pay for comped snacks, I say. Well, it also depends what kind of snacks we are talking about. One can only consume so many dried apricots before finding a small queue forming at the restroom stalls.

In this case, they try to find something "healthier", but not mind-numbingly bland. In this week's case, thy name be Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate. (That sounds about as healthy as a reduced fat pork rinds)

The Review:
I've had a few Kind snack bars in my day. Almost always because that's what my office offers, but I'm happy to say that they have almost all have been great. I have nothing but high hopes between my past experience with their products and with the headliners on listed on marque in bright orange letters, "Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate". In a perfect world, I would have opted to not have the "dark" kind of chocolate in there, but one does have to try to make these products sound somewhat healthy.

It's like Richard Simmons came in and threw a bunch of healthy
stuff over Paula Dean's Rice Krispy Treats

I undress this sexy sounding bar to reveal a darker looking Rice Krispy Treat with bits of oats, seeds and dark chocolate mixed in. To me it's like watching Margo Robbie in The Legend of Tarzan. You can put all these things and try to ugly up Margot Robbie, but its still Margo Robbie. The core will always shine through, but will the taste follow the appearance?

I think they are on to something

I take a nibble of the bar, (so the photo I take of the bar after doesn't look like a bear attacked it) and find that the oats, seeds and miscellaneous healthy items in the bar doesn't distract from the delicious peanut better and chocolate flavor. I swear, if you were to change the wrapping on this thing, you would have no idea that this product was geared for a more health conscious crowd.

The bar isn't too sweet or too much anything. It doesn't overpower you with the pb flavor and the dark chocolate actually helps keep the sweetness reigned in. I also enjoy that the bar isn't to dry or crunchy because overall I just prefer chewy bars like these.

Then all of sudden in dawns on me.....this doesn't taste delicious in spite of all those healthier ingredients....it takes good because of it! (mind blown)

The Sweet:
Taste good and better for you than the status quo.

The Bitter:
Costlier than your typical Rice Krispy Treat

Conclusion:
Frankly, I might have to stop reviewing Kind products. I have yet to encounter one of their items that I haven't enjoyed. Even if the initial offering and listing of ingredients don't turn me on, I give it a try and always end up liking it. Now, I can't vouch for how "healthy" they are cause they just taste too good to me to be totally convinced that it's all good for you, but it's got to be better for you than the conventional commercial candy bars and sugary snacks on the market.

Maybe that says all in the end; Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate is so delicious that you begin to even doubt how healthy it is because it's so tasty.

Video of the Week

I wonder if I can retrofit the robot that
does my floors to do my windows?

What have I been up to you may ask? Well, I'll get into that on my next post, but as of late, when I have to time to surf, I've been obsessing with these "Cool Stuff you can get on Amazon" videos. Some are ridiculous, but some are actually cool. Now, will I ever buy them? Probably not, but maybe I just have a weird thing for watching infomercials.