Lately, between work commitments and various other reasons, I just haven’t had many chances to eat out. And when I do go, it tends to be places where eating alone works. So I seem to be hitting the konbini more often these days.
Shortcake Ice
Not great. As always, freezing a cake ruins the texture.
Shifuku no Custard (Blissful Custard)
It is a custard-flavored ice cream, and the flavor really is rich. But does it have to be eaten frozen? On that, I am honestly not sure.
Kanjukuo Banana Cheese Dessert
Banana and cheese dessert did not really work together, I think.
McCol Hardtack
I never expected to find these at a Mega Don Quijote in Japan rather than at a Korean convenience store. It is a taste I crave now and then. Of all the hardtack biscuits on the market, this is my favorite flavor.
Tofu Protein
I stocked up on a few as a quick meal. Good value, and handy for keeping the nutritional balance in check.
Saikyo Donbei
Everything in this series is delicious. It is a little pricey, but if you get the chance I really recommend giving it a try.
Tenkaippin Kotteri Curry
Tenkaippin is famous for its thick, gloopy ramen broth, and now a curry made with that broth has appeared. It tasted much like the ramen broth. Though I did end up wondering whether it really needed to exist.
Yamazaki Usukawa Melon Cream Bun
I love the Usukawa line and buy it every time, and there are so many varieties. Some are delicious, some are underwhelming. The melon cream bun tasted good. That faint melon flavor suited the summer nicely.
miino Broad Beans
A perfect flavor to snack on with a drink. Japan has all sorts of fried bean snacks and most of them are delicious. I suspect it comes from a long history of eating beans as a snack.
Pocky Coconut
That richness coconut has goes really well with chocolate.
Choco Bakky
A cheap and tasty ice cream bar. Thin flakes of chocolate are set inside, so there is a crisp snap when you bite in. This is what keeps me going back to Chateraise on a regular basis.
Shirokuma That Does Not Give You Brain Freeze
It is shirokuma turned into a snack. The flavor really is shirokuma, but honestly, if I am going to eat this I would rather just have the ice cream.
Shin Ramyun, 105 Yen
People say the Korean and Japanese versions of Shin Ramyun are different, so I bought one to compare, and the 105-yen one is not much different from the Korean version. There is a pricier one that looks similar, and that one has far more substantial toppings. Naturally, if they sell it for more, it ought to be better.
Usukawa Apple Yogurt Cream Bun
This one tasted good too.
ROYCE’ Potatochip Chocolate Caramel
I had never seen it before so I picked one up, but to my taste the plain chocolate version is still the best.
Strike Eagle Honey Roasted Peanuts
If Korea has Murgerbon, then Japan has this. Apparently it has been on sale for a very long time.
Hakushu Highball
This is the Hakushu highball can released for Suntory Whisky’s 100th anniversary. It seems to use a whisky made specifically for highballs, because I do not think ordinary Hakushu would give you this smooth a taste. It is a limited edition so the price is steep, but it is worth drinking once for the experience. And to line up Hakushu highballs in convenience stores nationwide, they must have secured a serious volume of the base spirit. Quite something.
Cup Noodle Paella
The seafood flavor comes through better than I expected. It made me wonder whether putting rice in instead of noodles and reducing it down would actually give you paella.
TAKETORA
It is a tonkotsu ramen with katsuobushi in it, apparently a collaboration with a famous shop in Kagoshima. I wondered what katsuobushi and tonkotsu could possibly have to do with each other, but they go together surprisingly well.
Hokkaido Tokibi Monaka
A monaka shaped like an ear of corn. The shape is fun, but the taste was ordinary.
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