Laos Tam Yum Tohato Snacks | Pureral Gummies | Beer Pretz Cheese On

Laos Tam Yum Crisps - These are thicker & therefore more potato-y than the regular variety of Tohato Tyrant crisps. They also have ridges to pack perhaps more flavor powder than usual, as well. They tasted like lemongrass, lime, and spices like coriander - with a huge hit of heat. They were actually quite hot! They tasted almost exactly like the previously reviewed Tom Yum Cutlet from McDonald's in Singapore. Except, of course, not as chicken-y. As a matter of fact, nil for chicken taste. Zilch. Nada. However, definitely a great flavor for a crisp, and they'd go very well with a beer.

I ordered these quite a while ago on Candysan, so not available now - but the regular Tyrant crisps are quite nice as well!

Pureral, Lychee & Dragon Fruit Flavor - Not sure if these have anything to do with the gummy brand Pure, which I've reviewed a few times before with as much accolade for a gummy that I can muster. These were also quality gummies - I think Japan just excels in the world of gummy creation. Yeah, I said it. Take that, Haribo! Very soft & squishy, with an inner core that reminded me of a actual wobbly jelly, or for my fellow Americans, a semi-solid Gusher.

The flavor itself - well, kinda hard to describe. I guess it was pretty delicate, at least the ones that were lychee - the dragon fruit variety was like tangy passionfruit. To be honest, the texture is what made these particularly good. Without that texture, they were just sort of lightly tangy 'fruit' flavor gummies, nothing really strong or unique to them flavorwise.

While this particular flavor is sold out on Candysan, there are a few more varieties that sound delicious. For example, you can harness the power of mangosteen in gummy format. I'd probably go for pineapple or grape, as I know that those flavors are quite strong.

Beer Pretz Cheese On! - I love this name. They're called Beer Pretz because that is what the recommended beverage accompaniment is, not because they're made of any sort of hops or barley. They're a far sight crispier & more brittle than the traditional Pretz. They come in a couple of flavors, I ordered Bacon & Potato, but there is also a Basil Chicken variety.

The flavor had a touch smokiness from the bacon & a lot of smooth & savory potato, but I can't really say there was much of a cheese taste. For a product that says cheese has been baked straight onto it, I just didn't really get it. This isn't the case with all Japanese snacks - as you'll see in a later post, the cheesy pizza Calbee chips with 'baked on' cheese are hecka cheesy.

These are still available on Candysan, and definitely worth a pick up in another order!

OyatsuBox May Unboxing

I uploaded my first video to Youtube, it's an unboxing of May's OyatsuBox. It was fun - think I'll do more of these. :) The OyatsuBox itself is a great value - probably my favorite of all the Japanese candy subscription boxes I've seen, as it packs the most variety.

Look forward to reviews coming in the next week! Until then, take a look at my initial reactions:

Maxim Patissiena - Cocoa

Maxim Patissiena is a stick type drink from Japan. I like these quite a bit actually - I'm into instant cocoas so it wasn't too big a stretch for me to drink the matcha versions, or in this case, a cocoa parfait style coffee. I'll make a long story short there though - I taste zero coffee in this. My suggestion is don't drink it first thing in the morning and then operate heavy machinery...Just in case.

I've tried previous stick drinks, including cocoa au lait & two varieties of matcha.

As with all Japanese stick-type drinks, it makes a very small beverage. Also, this one doesn't have instructions on how to make it as a cold drink, which makes sense since it's got li'l bits in it.

 Now, OyatsuCafe calls these azuki beans, but to me they just seemed like bits of chocolate flavored 'cereal'. It also didn't taste that much like red bean - like I said, it tasted like chocolate. The entire drink was just a sweet, milky cocoa - I liked the textural bits as they added a bit of interest and an extra hit of chocolate flavor.

I'm glad I tried it and I'll happily finish the remaining sticks, but probably not a repurchase for me just because it's not terribly 'unique'. Had the bits tasted more like red beans & perhaps even had a red bean texture & thickness, I'd probably have liked a lot more. Tasty enough, though!