Yamayoshi Wasa Bee Wasabi Potato Chips

Chips with a kick?

The Attraction:

As I walk the aisles of my favorite Asian grocery every week, I make it a point to browse the snack area for any new snacks that pique my interest. This week, I came across this pack of wasabi flavored potato chips. I've seen wasabi flavored peas, but never potato chips. Let's see what the deal is.

The Review
I'm not necessarily a huge fan of wasabi, I mean, I do put a good chunk of it in my soy sauce when I'm about to have some sushi, but other than that, I don't think about it too much. I've never walked around thinking to myself how I wish I could have more wasabi flavor in my everyday life, but when I do have it, I enjoy it. It never occurred to me that it could be a "headlining" flavor. Apparently, other people have and now we get to see what happens when it plays the leading role in this potato chip movie.

First thing I notice when I open the wasabi-flavored chips is how there aren't any whole chips; they all appear to be broken in various places. Were they manufactured this way or were they all damaged in transport from Asia? I'm thinking the former, but I don't let that slow me down too much. I quickly grab a chip and put it i my mouth.

There is a great wasabi flavor there, but it doesn't overstay it's welcome. You won't mistake it's flavor. As I was eating a few chips, I get a hint of that horseradish affect as if you were eating sushi with wasabi in it and it seems to go up into your sinuses, sometimes to the point where you have to close your eyes and your nose stings. I wonder if you can get that burning sensation in your nose the same way you can with regular wasabi on sushi with these chips? I immediately grab several chips and shove them into my mouth and start to suck them hoping to generate that signature wasabi sinus burn. To my disappointment as much as I tried, I couldn't quite get there, although I was close on several occasions. That was fun, but do I like them?

I look like a Pringle, but with a secret.

The Sweet:

You get your great wasabi flavor fix delivered to you in a nice crisp chip minus the oily feel.

The Bitter:
The chips all seems to be in pieces. I can't confirm if my pack was just crunched or they are all manufactured that way.

Can't find a whole chip!

Conclusion:
The folks at Yamayoshi sure know how to make a chip that delivers the wasabi flavor that fans are looking for. They are not shy about it or make it ambiguous. You know it's wasabi flavored the minute you have a chip. Although I didn't wake up this morning hoping to find a wasabi flavored chip, I don't think I will soon forget it the next time I'm in the snack aisle with a wasabi craving.

Video of the Week
As we are all "excited" (umm, excited is a strong word) for the new Fantastic Four movie to come out in a few weeks, I thought I would share the trailer for the original Fantastic Four movie. (no, not this one with Jessica Alba), the one before it. Good thing this never hit the theaters. It would make Masters of the Universe look respectable...sorta. Read the backstory here.

"It's buffet clobberin' time!"

Triscuit Rye with Caraway Seeds

 "Just what I wanted! A snack made with Rye
and Caraway seeds!", said no one ever

The Attraction:

The little lady tries her best to look out for me, despite my fondness for snacks. Her idea of a win-win is me getting a snack, but one on the healthier side. That's where this week's snack comes into play.

The Review
There are plenty of snacks out there that are on the healthier side that taste great; various yogurts, pretzels, popcorn or if you want to go old school, just simple fruits and vegetables. Even with those available, it's nice to have some options. Will this variation of the Triscuit fall into that category?

I've never had a Triscuit before, but as friends would describe them to me, they are like a healthier version of a Wheat Thin, which is oddly enough like a healthy version of a potato chip. It's like having a healthier snack to the second power. Maybe if I eat these, I'll have abs in no time! (I can dream, can't I?)

As I crack the box open, the smell of rye fills the air. It's funny how distinct that smell is. You can figure it out pretty quickly when its in bread or in a bagel and it is no different here. I bite in and the Triscuit has a nice baked crunch to it and the salty rye flavor is rather pronounced, but as you continue to chew, the licorice flavor of the caraway seeds come through on the second wave concluding your Triscuit journey. That was interesting, but did I enjoy that?

It looks like a giant Chex!

Although I would rather have a giant pay Chex,!
(ba doom boom)

The Sweet:

Nice baked crunch with a salty flair to hit that savory spot on your taste buds

The Bitter:
Although they aren't bad, you are not mistaking these for a conventional "not good for you" snack anytime soon. They are also a bit on the dry side.

Still looks damn big

Conclusion:
They taste just like what you would expect a baked whole wheat snack made of rye and caraway seeds would taste like. Actually, about as good as you could image a snack like that would taste like; but even at that, snacking has never been less fun.

If I had to spend the rest of my days in snack jail and had to eat these Triscuits, I could really do a lot worse, but being that I am not, there are many other snacks waiting for me around the corner and these babies will have to wait for me to trip up before I have a return engagement with them in the "big house" of snacks.

Video of the Week
I have a dream of one day being a professional matchmaker. I would then retire from work and just go to weddings for the rest of my life. Essentially, like Hitch, but shorter and less African American. Until I get that off the ground, feel free to follow these tips to improve your online dating profile.

Is it me or was the guy in this video sort of a jerk?

Haitai Sindangdong Tteokbokki (Dukbokki)

I first thought they might taste like
baked ziti...umm..no

The Attraction:

Recently I've been slightly obsessed with a Korean dish called Tteokbokki. I would walk by some Korean restaurants that would posts photos of the rice cake based dish and I would wonder what the heck this thing would taste like. It looks like Italian ziti with marinara sauce, but it can't possibly taste like that, right? Then finally earlier this year I ordered some and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it. The chewy rice cake bathed in a sweet-spicy sauce immediately became a favorite of mine. So much so that when I came across this "precious" snack in the local Korean grocery store, I had to try it....it's mine...all mine!

The Review
First things first, this bag is heavy for a snack bag...and a price tag to match. The bag weights almost half a pound (or 7.58 ounces) and cost $4.99. In comparison, a 1 pound bag of Doritos cost about $4. Well, these things are imported, so what can you do? Plus this product promises to deliver tteookbokki flavor at anytime...and can one really put a price tag on that?

I take my first bite into the "chip" and the flavor that is most pronounced is the sweetness of it. It's a bit reminiscent of this snack I reviewed, but sweeter. Almost like the popular American breakfast cereal Cap'n Crunch. Towards the tail-end of the bite, the slight spice comes through, but it's a sweet spice, not the traditional salty spice I've grown accustomed to. Hmm, not bad, let's try another...then another...etc.

It looks like a spicy, mini-churro, now that I look at it

The Sweet:

A great sweet, spicy flavored snack textured nicely to provide a good crunch.

The Bitter:
Can we make these closer to the States so they don't costs so much?

Many of these were "tested" for this review

Conclusion:
In the end, they ultimately don't really taste like Tteokbokki that much to me, both in texture (crunchy instead of chewy) and in flavor, although the sweet and spicy components are there. With that said, I really enjoyed this snack. So much so that I polished off about half the bag as I wrote this review. In lieu of not having the ability to have tteokbokki on hand at a given moment, this will make a pleasant substitute to distract me until I can get the real thing.

Video of the Week
A short video lesson this week from Bryan Cranston teaching us all how to respond to people asking if we enjoyed visiting their home town.

Was Bryan Cranston Walter White or was
Walter White Bryan Cranston?

Pop Chips Crazy Hot

 "Come on baby, light my fire"

The Attraction:

"Here...it was free!", my pal Steph said to me as she hands me a bag of these in the office. She proceeds to hand out about 6-8 more of these bags. Where did she get these from? How did she get so many? How many more did she have? Is she moonlighting as a Pop Chips salesperson? I had so many question at first, mostly not even related to this product, but after the initial shock wore off, I was ready to get down to business.

The Review
I've not had Pop Chips before. Nothing about it really grabbed me. I'm not into a super healthy lifestyle, so I figured what's the point of having a Pop Chip? Essentially all the same flavors you can get with the conventionally deliciously fried potato chip, but healthier? (cough, Baked Lays suck, how could this be better? cough) Never really had a reason to try one up to this point, but now that it's free and spicy...well, lets see what the hub bub is all about with these Pop Chips.

I take a chip and the first thing I notice is the crunch to it. It's a different type of crunch. It's not the same you wouldn't normally get from a fried chip. It's a lighter, airier chip overall. Not bad, but just a bit different. Immediate after that initial thought is the the flavor of the chip itself. It's spicy, but not as "crazy hot" as the package would suggest, at least not to me. It's a nice spicy. Just enough to get your attention, but not enough to overwhelm the flavor the chip itself. They actually remind me of spicy pork rinds or "chicharrones", as my people would say (if my people spoke Spanish) with it's airy crunch and salty / spicy flavor. This could be dangerous...good thing these are "healthier"...

I look like a round Dorito...

The Sweet:

Good spicy flavor with an airy crunch that is reminiscent of pork rinds, but healthier! 

The Bitter:
This doesn't feel like a guilty pleasure, which may be a good thing, but it takes some of the fun out of it.

but I taste like a spicy pork rind!

Conclusion:
Do you miss spicy pork rinds, but don't want to eat too much because you don't want to drop dead? Have some of these Pop Chips Crazy Hot flavor! They have the same essence, (maybe not quite as crunchy as a pork rind nor as salty), but the gist is there. I can't say that I am necessarily a fan of pork rinds, but I am a fan of these Crazy Hot Pop Chips now thanks to Steph. (PS. Snack makers take note: free samples are your friends, so give out more free samples!)

Video of the Week
If you are like me, you are crazy excited to see Magic Mike: XXL (not totally true). What I was excited to see was Conan O'Brien taking in the movie with a bunch of "excitable" women.

How did Conan get a photo of me with my shirt off?

Pringles Tortillas Nacho Cheese

Nacho Cheese Doritos Lite?

The Attraction:

I'm a Pringles kind of guy. I'm a fan of the Original and Sour Cream and Onion flavors. Although I wasn't nearly as enamored with the festive flavors they offered, I saw these on sale and thought it was high time to try another flavor variation from one of my favorite savory snack brands.

The Review
I would have to say that the Sour Cream and Onion flavored Pringles is a staple in my snack vault. It's a go-to snack for me. When I saw the Nacho Cheese Tortillas offering from Pringles, I immediately thought of Doritos....and who dislikes Doritos? Not this snack blogger.

Sure enough as I pop my first Tortillas Nacho Cheese flavored Pringle into my mouth, there were two comparisons that surfaced to my mind quickly; a not as cheesy-version of a Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos or a cheese flavored version of Tostitos. Both aren't bad things and Pringles does a great job of integrating the cheese-flavor while still maintaining their core "Pringles" taste. They certainly taste good, but that's not the issue. The question is can one product that reminds you of another product be successful living in the shadow of it if the newer product to you doesn't break new ground or offer a significant twist or upgrade?

As I ate a few more chips and pondered this, I kept thinking this is what cheese-flavored Tostitos would taste like....and I think I found my answer.

The forecast calls for a light dusting of
nacho cheese flavoring

The Sweet:

All the things you love about Pringles are there; OCD-like neat can stacked with chips that have that signature "Pringles" taste. Crispy chips that deliver nacho cheese flavor in enough doses to slip between two other popular snacks without tasting exactly like them. 

The Bitter:
Somehow it doesn't taste exactly like either of the products I mentioned, but enough that at times it feels like a knock-off version of them.

Guess where the other half went...

Conclusion:
The folks at Pringles manage to create a product that differentiates itself just enough so it doesn't taste exactly like some of their competitors, but to it's disservice, it's close enough to make you realize how good those other products are. For me, Pringles Tortillas Nacho Cheese flavor doesn't differentiate itself enough to earn a permanent spot in my shopping cart.


Video of the Week
Going through a divorce is never easy for the parties involved....unless you are the lawyer. In that case, you get to have fancy cars, scantily clad women and shirts that show your watch off. It's just the big business of divorce.

Getting a divorce? They couldn't be happier for you!

Fujiya Milky

Who can resist this face?

The Attraction:

I've seen this face around so frequent in my snack travels, but I have yet to ever formally try this product. The little lady thought it was high time to finally try these so we could see what the buzz around this iconic face was all about. 

The Review
I have to admit, I'm a bit embarrassed that it's taken me so long to get around to trying this product. I've seen these packages line many a market and even cellphone cases are dedicated to this iconic face.

I was surprised when I opened the package. I always assumed it was chocolate! Instead, Milky is a white, harder than taffy-like candy. Despite the assorted colorful wrappers, they all are the same flavor...Milky!

I unwrap a piece of candy and partake. The flavor is sweet and milky-ish, as advertised. It immediately reminds me of another candy that I had growing up, White Rabbit Candy. I used to have my fair share of those when I was a kid. These aren't much different in flavor, but maybe about a third of the size. If you've never had either, think if you were able to take condensed milk and leave it out overnight to harden. I would imagine it would taste like these candies, but perhaps not quite as sweet.

I'm so pretty! (the candy that is)

The Sweet:

The wrappers are pretty and the candy themselves capture the "Milky" essence they were named after.

The Bitter:
It's a bit sweeter than I care for. Generally speaking, I am also not a fan of "hard candies"

Milky, (cereal baby)

Conclusion:
However much I wanted to love this candy, I was so-so on it. Perhaps it was because I've already had something like that previously or it could be that I only occasionally enjoy that exaggerated sweeten milk flavor that Milky is based off of. Either way, I don't see a return trip into my grocery basket for this iconic snack.

Video of the Week
I love a good hot sauce prank as much as the next guy, but this guy takes it to another level. I'm not sure if I would be so happy if a "friend" hooked me up like this...

Looks innocent enough or so it seems...

Ping's Dried Beef

Meet the meat

The Attraction:

I can't lie; this isn't anything new to me. I've been eating this stuff for years, and I mean years. I'm not sure if this particular entry can be categorized as an actual review. Dare I say it's more of a endorsement (with no financial consideration, of course), but it's to share something I think of fondly...perhaps too fondly.

I'm usually not in the habit of reviewing something quite so regionally specific, except for this time and this time, but generally speaking, I shy away from products like that because I want to select items that can be accessible to most people in larger cities, but after a recent trip to pickup some of this dried beef, I was compelled to share this delicious treat.

The Review
I was first introduced to Ping's dried beef almost 30 years ago when my grandfather would visit us from Boston. He would make it a point to go to pickup a pound of the stuff in Manhattan's Chinatown. It wasn't until about 10 years ago I remembered about their dried beef when I would look at conventional prepackaged beef jerky in larger supermarkets. I was looking for a savory snack, but being that traditionally beef jerky was on the salty side, I wanted something that wouldn't quite be so high in sodium...."Bing"......how about Ping's dried beef!?

Locating the place in itself is no small feat. The storefront, if you can call it that, doesn't have any English signage on the outside and is rather inconspicuous. When you open the door, you can't help but feel that you "accidentally" stepped into someone's apartment if it weren't for the 4 large glass jars where the jerky, I mean dried beef is kept (although this stuff is so popular, it's rarely filled with product for long....seriously). My last trip to Ping's, I had to place an order for 2 pounds of beef and then come back in 30 minutes when it was ready.

Despite the name, Ping's actually sells dried pork as well. The only other variation offered is spicy for both beef and pork. I've been a loyalist to the spicy beef, but alas, they were sold out on my last visit, so I was only able to get the regular (let me tell you, I still wasn't really disappointed).

What makes Ping's dried beef so different is that it's not like conventional beef jerky; their dried beef is tender, not dry and is more sweet than salty. It's cut amazingly thin and gently gives with every bite. I'm drooling just typing this.

Don't call me jerky!

The Sweet:

The flavor is sweet enough without tasting "candy-ish" and isn't salty. The meat is tender and cut just the right thickness.

The Bitter:
This stuff sells at a premium. Regular beef jerky goes for about $10-12 a pound. Ping's is more than double that at $28 per pound. It's also not always in stock, so it would behoove you to place an order ahead of time to make sure your trip to Chinatown for this treat isn't in vain.

Signature bag of heavenly meat

Conclusion:
Even with the hefty price tag for these treats, I don't even bat an eye at the price because I love their dried beef so much. I know not everyone can afford to plunk down almost 30 beans for dried beef (wow, it just occurred to me that's the price is almost as much as a steak at a decent steak house), but it's something I highly suggest you try once....perhaps just half a pound, but let me warn you...you may regret that you only got half a pound very quickly after you start eating these amazing treats.

Video of the Week
This past Friday (June 5th) was National Doughnut Day here in the States. We celebrated by eating and getting (or tried to get) some free donuts, but how do doughnuts that are mass produced taste to a baker?

Wait, is butthole-esque a good or bad thing?