Tasty Snacking @tastysnacking - Tumblr Blog

Our Little Rebellion Cha-Cha Chili Bean Crisps: I love potato chips, but I also enjoy finding healthier substitutes. This new bean crisp snack fills that void, with a satisfying crispy baked texture and distinct chili flavor that's just spicy enough for snacking by the handful. They are from the makers of Popcorners, and while I generally like the Popcorner product, I actually think these Bean Crisps are even better, since the bean flavor is more distinct, and the chips are crunchier and generally more satisfying texturally. I hope they come out with more flavors soon because right now, the cha-cha chili seems to be the most interesting option. 4.0/5.0 #recommended

#recommended

Mr Bartley's Black and White Malted Milkshake: For my last official snack in Cambridge, I had to get one of Bartley's famous malted "frappes" (milkshakes). Over the 9 years I've lived in Cambridge, I've had their milkshake a few times, spaced several years apart. One of my earliest memories is going on a trip with a few members of my undergraduate dorm, walking from MIT to Harvard Square just to get milkshakes to go. Their legendary shakes are thick (and stay that way, due to the incorporation of soft serve instead of ice cream), and the malt is well worth the additional fee – it does a good job offsetting the sweetness of the shake, though it is still astoundingly sweet. Nonetheless, given its richness along with the infrequency in which I treat myself to this drink, I don't feel guilty for indulging. Their malted black and white malted milkshake is just the best. 4.5/5.0 #exceptional (at Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage)

#exceptional

Bom pao de queijo: This Brazilian speciality is essentially a baked cheese ball, with a thin crispy coating and mochi-like chewy, cheesy filling. Sized slightly larger than a donut hole, they are snackable and addicting. It's the perfect cross between bread, mochi, and a cheese puff. Recommended! Purchased from Bom cafe in Inman Square, Cambridge, MA. 4.0/5.0 (at Bom Café)

Happy Lemon Light Oolong Tea with Salted Cheese: As a frequent patron of Happy Lemon, I've always been curious about their salted cheese drinks (who wouldn't be), but I've been too afraid to try them. On my last trip, though, I decided to give in and ordered the most neutral flavor, a light oolong tea. I expected the cheese to come in solid form as a topping for the drink, but it was actually more like a thick milk that could be stirred to flavor the entire drink. The salted cheese had a slightly savory aftertaste but wasn't highly seasoned. The closest comparison I can come up with is that it tasted like dairy products in Asia, which tend to be creamier yet looser than milk purchased in the states. There's a slight resemblance to cream cheese, yet it is definitely more savory than cream cheese desserts. I think it would be an acquired taste, and it isn't as offensive as I feared it might be, but it isn't a flavor that I can see myself purchasing again. That being said, many of my non-Asian friends seemed to enjoy it, so I have reason to believe it may appeal to a pretty diverse set of adventurous palates. 2.5/5.0 (at Happy Lemon Boston)

Meisum Bakery Asian Pastries: I previously reviewed this bakery's mochi peanut dessert, which remains my favorite product. During my last visit to this small Chinatown bakery, I tried the egg tart and pineapple bun, both of which were fairly standard as far as Asian bakeries go. The egg tart was firm and cold, a sign that it had been sitting out for some time. Still, the flavor was not bad but ordinary. The pineapple bun was a bit better, with a nice crispy crumble that was just the right level of sweetness. Overall, this bakeries offerings seem to be quite solid. 3.0/5.0

Gracenote Rooibos: Clean, light, and refreshing, this iced tea from the Boston-based coffee shop was a nice palate cleanser and thirst quencher. 3.5/5.0 #recommended (at Gracenote Boston)

#recommended

Beatnik Chia seed pudding with homemade raspberry jam: A cup of chia seed pudding sets you back a little over $6 post-tax at Will Gilson's juice bar, located in the Kendall Square food court outside of the Google offices. The pudding comes in two options: one with jam and one without. I opted for the vividly colored raspberry jam, which had a fantastic texture and nice flavor in small quantities, but mixed with the pudding, it was overwhelmingly sweet and masked any of the lightly sweetened but creamy chia seed pudding. While the pudding is expensive, a whole cup is far too much for a reasonable person to eat in a single sitting and ended up being two servings for me. If I were to purchase again, I would purchase without the jam. 3.0/5.0

Trader Joe's Blueberry Poppy Seed Cookies: Finger-length shortbread cookies embedded with dried blueberry pieces. Crumbly and buttery biscuit. Poppy seeds are more decorative than flavorful. Still, the cookies are a solid treat. 3.0/5.0 #recommended

#recommended

Kung Fu Tea Mango Slush: Purchased at 25% sugar, this icy drink is a thirst quencher but has a bit of an artificial mango flavor, like the type you might expect from mango-flavored gelatin snacks. While I was told that the drink contained mango pulp, it wasn't discernible. Not bad, but also not great. 3.0/5.0

Naked Blue Machine Smoothie: This fruit smoothie contains a mix of fruit puree (banana, blueberry, and blackberry) as well as apple juice. The texture is both thick and slick - substantial and smooth. While there is no added sugar, its contains a lot of sugar, at 29g. Overall, it was what I would expect for a Naked juice – nourishing but also not nearly as good as eating fresh fruit. 3.0/5.0

Belly Good Cafe & Crepes Black Milk Tea with Boba: To accompany the crepe I purchased at Belly Good Cafe, I purchased a cup of black milk tea with boba. It was probably the single worst bubble tea I've had in my life. The tea had zero herbal flavor and tasted of watered-down sugar water with a bit of dairy. The boba was also complete mush, with no give and a slimy exterior. I hate wasting food, so I did force myself to drink the entire thing, but I will be scarred from drinking bubble tea again in the near future. 0.5/5.0 #avoid

#avoid

Belly Good Cafe & Crepes Adzuki, Srawberry, and Green Tea Crepe: On my most recent trip to San Francisco, I found myself in Japantown hungry for a mid-day snack. A quick search revealed that the highest reviewed spot was a crepe stand by the name of Belly Good, located in the food court on the upper level of the shopping complex. While I have a healthy skepticism when it comes to Yelp reviews, it is impossible not to notice a place that has 4.5 stars and over 1,000 reviews, especially given its unassuming storefront and questionable photo menu. I also recently had a very good crepe at T-Swirl Crepe in NYC (also an Asian establishment), which made me more open to the idea of trying a local favorite. At Belly Good, you can order your crepe on a plate, but everyone I saw opted for a decorative paper cone. I ordered the most Asian option on the menu: a red bean crepe filled with whipped cream, fresh-cut strawberries, and a large scoop of green tea ice cream. A small face was shaped with the help of Fruit Loops, Reese's pieces, and pretzels (these items were not part of the menu description). While it was hard not to smile at the presentation, my smile quickly faded upon tasting. The soggy crepe could not provide the structural support needed for the too-sweet filling, and the thin paper wrapping needed to be awkwardly ripped to avoid eating paper as you toil away at this snack (I still ended up digesting some of the paper – it's unavoidable). The one redeeming element was the green tea ice cream, which was not bad but was likely just store-bought anyway. I ate this dessert alone on a bench adjacent to the trash bins, watching as the other patrons took selfies with their cones and lamenting my empty calories. Over 1,000 people were utterly wrong. 0.5/5.0 #avoid (at Belly Good Cafe & Crepes)

#avoid

Gina Calamansi Juice Drink: From the Philippines, this drink contains only 10% juice but is very refreshing and pairs well with spicy foods. The citrus flavor is sharp and sweet, but not overly so. Well balanced and memorable. 3.5/5.0

Humphry Slocombe Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee ice cream: I'm not a coffee drinker myself, and I typically don't order coffee-flavored desserts. I am, however, a huge fan of the Blue Bottle Vietnamese coffee flavor at Humphry Slocombe, the San Francisco-based ice cream shop that consistently offers great quality ice cream in unusual flavors. While coffee is one of the more traditional offerings, it's still distinctive: both robust and creamy with the addition of condensed milk. Highly recommended. 4.0/5.0 (at Humphry Slocombe)

Boba Guys Coconut green tea with boba: On a Sunday afternoon, the line for the Mission Boba Guys in San Francisco was entirely too long, with about a 13 minute wait to order. I ordered their coconut green tea with organic milk and boba. At 25% sweetness, I still found the drink to be a tad too sweet, which is consistent with my experience at this Boba Guys (compared to the one in NYC, which doesn't seem to add as much sugar). The drink came out at room temperature, but the ice helped bring it down in temperature after a few minutes. It tasted much better chilled and was refreshing on a hot day. I found the boba to be softer than I personally preferred but also somewhat inconsistent across two different drinks. Overall, the drink was solid but not quite worth the wait. 3.0/5.0 (at Boba Guys)

Sprecher Root Beer: The first time I had Sprecher was at Momofuku Saam Bar in 2010, and I remember loving its layered, somewhat musty flavor, as if it had been left in a barrel for a bit too long. I purchased it after not having had it for several years, and it was far sweeter than I remembered, though it did have a pleasant spiced sweetness and notes of vanilla. Despite the sweetness, I still find the flavor to be distinctive and worth a try. 3.0/5.0

Asha Tea House Peach Black Tea: I had a great drink at Asha Tea House in San Francisco, so I was excited to try another at their Berkeley location. I ordered their peach black tea with boba – I had tried to order their boba last time, but it was sold out. I found the boba to be a bit too soft for my taste, but it had a nice neutral flavor otherwise. The drink itself was refreshing and well balanced, but it wasn't as distinctive as the strawberry black tea I previously purchased. Still, I would come back to try another. 3.0/5.0 (at Asha Tea House)

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Tasty Snacking