Crème brûlée Oreos / Snack Review

Today I have an awesome review on this Crème brûlée flavored cookie/chocolate oreo treat from Japan!

Now most people in the US know Oreos as the typical two cookies sandwiched outside of a cream center but the cool thing about Japanese Oreos is that they come in all shapes, flavors, and varieties!

Behold this triangular prism shaped Oreo w/ a typical Oreo cookie crust on the bottom and a Crème brûlée flavored chocolate right on top.  The cookie crust bottom is a bit crispier than your typical American Oreo and also not as sweet. The best part is in the Crème brûlée flavored chocolate right above. They were able to capture the true burnt sugar taste of Crème brûlée the cookie crust on the bottom imitates that crunch you get on a freshly flame-torched Crème brûlée. 

Unfortunately, this item is a bit rare to get a hold of, especially the States, but if you are lucky enough to find it in your local Asian/Japanese grocery store, then I would highly suggest picking it up. I picked mines up for around $3.50/$4 and was definitely pleased by it, despite the fact that pieces are small w/ only 8 coming in a box--that's just what you get with a lot of Japanese snacks!

Readers, have you tried different Oreos other than ones found in America? What are your favorite flavors? Let me know!

WILDWHEAT BAKERY CAFE - KENT, WA

This past weekend, I went to this wonderful breakfast spot in Kent, WA. The place is called Wildwheat Bakery Cafe and it is located in a surprisingly quiet little area of Kent with an old-American vibe.

Not only do they serve breakfast but they have an array of pastries and fresh baked breads and drinks they sell if you are just looking to pick up a quick snack 

I started off with their house made chocolate syrup hot chocolate and I loved the presentation of it! The little design that's typically seen in espresso drinks was on the hot chocolate. It was creamy and not too hot and it wasn't too sweet either.

I went with my mom and she ordered the Dungeness Crab & Asparagus Omelet. This was absolutely delicious! I usually highly dislike omelets, especially when the egg is mixed in with all the filling. This omelet, however, was perfection. They weren't cheap on the crab meat and loaded it up. The asparagus was chopped and still had their nice green color and a nice crunch. The cheesy cream sauce on the outside was a nice layer of flavor too. Add a bit of Tabasco to the top and you're good to go! The potatoes that were served with the omelet were really good too-well seasoned and not too salty. The bread was delicious too--I think its the one they bake themselves! With the butter and the jam? Perfection!

My dish was the Blintzes (named with grammy or something, sorry I can't remember!) They were filled with either ricotta or cottage cheese? I thin k it was cottage cheese, but either way it was extra yummy! The blintz pancake part was nice and eggy. I kind of wished there was more of the cheese filling, but other than that I have no complaints. The strawberry compote wasn't too sour or overly sweet--it added a nice tartness to the dish. For a little extra creamy flavor, the sour cream added a nice touch as well. Both dishes came with the smallest/dinkiest piece of watermelon though, so that was almost unnecessary.

Overall I am a happy camper and would love to come here again and maybe also for lunch too. Inside, the place is packed with people and there's a lot of hustle & bustle. I'd recommend getting there earlier as opposed to later so you don't have to wait long. We only had about a 10 minute wait but ended up with a small table, but we didn't mind since we were hungry! The service was great and the waiter that helped us was friendly.

Readers, do you love breakfast foods? What is your favorite breakfast dish? Let me know!

PIKE PLACE AFTERNOON

Had some family in town and of course the touristy thing to do is to take them to Downtown Seattle and the ever-so-popular Pike Place Market! Here are just a couple shots from the day--enjoy! =)

         

        

        

 

        

 

Of course we ate a lot too. Some Samosas and mango juice from Saffron Spice.... and then of course some of the popular mini donuts from Daily Dozen.. sampling along the way, we found ourselves and my favorite French Bakery at Le Panier and had some pistachio eclairs, macarons and of course my favorite feuilletes (puff pastry), a champignons (mushrooms in cream sauce). We walked a little further, more sampling, then made a pit stop at Piroshky Piroshky Bakery for some piroshkies and borscht (Russian beet soup). 

 

It was nice day out so my uncle was able to take some awesome shots of the market. No matter how much of a 'tourist attraction' Pike Place Market is, I still love going down there and enjoying all the fun colors and wonderful food! If you are ever in the Seattle area, this is a must-stop spot!

 

 

CHUPA CHUPS GUMMY

I haven't done a review on candies in awhile and I figured this was the perfect time too since I hauled a bunch of new Japanese candies! I've always been a fan of those little Chupa Chups lollipops and didn't know this popular Spanish brand of candy found its way into Japan!

 

Almost any type of candy or snack that comes from Japan always has a 'kawaii' aka cute factor to it with the packaging to match. This take on the classic Chupa Chups lollipops is taken into gummy form with three flavors. I can't read Japanese, and the flavors weren't exactly the most distinct, but from the pictures on the packaging, the flavors are: grape, cherry, and ramune/soda.

 

The gummies are in little lollipop shapes coated with a sour sugar dusting. The gummies themselves are pretty firm/chewy, more so than your average gummy but not in a stale way. These definitely don't remind me of the original lollipops anymore after I tasted them.

 

It is for sure a fun candy to try out and it is nice that the bag is able to be resealed so you don't have to finish it all in one setting. This candy is a bit pricey at around $3.79 for the bag, but if you're into confections like me, I'd definitely give it a try if you can find it!

 

Readers, have you had Chupa Chups before? Would you ever try Chupa Chup gummies? Let me know!

 

TRAY KITCHEN: KOREAN COMFORT FOOD W/ A TWIST

A few weekends ago, my friends and I went to the Fremont/Ballard area to have our usual food adventures. With the help of Yelp, we came across this place called Tray Kitchen which is a bit of a Korean fusion twist in a comfort food sort of way.

 

        

 

We went for their brunch and quite enjoyed their food. The menu is small but with enough variety so you have a few options to choose from. We didn't do the congee bar (sorry, but it's just too overpriced for congee and having a mom who makes excellent congee, or going closer to home (Chinatown) to get a bowl for less than half the price!) but we did snack on some of the condiments they served (probably weren't supposed to do that, but oops!)

 

I had the K.F.C. grain bowls - I had too! K.F.C are also my initials apart from it being Korean Fried Chicken. The chicken was nice and moist with a crunch on the outside topped with a not too spicy chili sauce. The fried egg on top was perfect and the cucumber kimchi added a nice coolness to the dish and crunchy texture. This take on a bi bim bap style rice dish was nicely done and I really enjoyed it. I could have gone a little lighter on the sauce, but that's just personal preference.

 

One of my friends had the Kimchi & Pork belly pancake and it was really good as well. It was extra crispy and thicker than your usual pajun/pajeon (Korean pancake). My other friend tried the Loco Moco and I really liked how they breaded it! It had a non-traditional corn flake coating to add to the extra layer of crunch.

 

The dishes were smaller than what we expected, especially for the price, but surprisingly, it was very filling for the size. We went on a Saturday afternoon around 1pm and surprisingly again, it wasn't crowded or busy at all especially considering the place being a little small (but comfortable and not crowded feeling). I would definitely go back to try out their dinner menu, especially if I'm headed to that area in the first place. The parking in front is limited, but there is plenty of street parking available around the block. The service was good, though the waitress was a bit awkward at times and forgetful, but maybe she was new? Our food came out in a timely manner and I love how there's an open kitchen so you can really see what is going on.

 

If you're into Asian comfort foods with a little bit of a twist, then definitely check this place out. It's close to the busy Ballard and Fremont areas if you plan on hanging out or getting drinks or dessert after so everything is really convenient!

 

Readers, have you tried different Asian comfort foods? What is your favorite comfort food? Let me know!

 

 

 

FEBRUARY NATURE BOX

Another month passing by means another Nature Box review! I'm happy to say that I was completely happy with my entire box this month. Nothing was out of stock and replaced and each item tasted great.

Mini Belgium Waffles - These little bite sized Belgium waffles tasted exactly like one's I've had before but less sweet, which I liked. They were a bit harder/crunchier than an actual waffle and more like a softer cookie in texture which also made for a fun snack.

Blueberry Greek Yogurt Pretzels - These ones had a slight blueberry flavor to them and I found myself liking them more than the Strawberry ones I had previously. If the blueberry flavor was any stronger, I think I would have been put off, but these were great and not overly sweet.

Asiago & Cheddar Cheese Crisps - These were probably my favorite snack out of the bunch. I love the cheese flavors coming through and it was almost as if I was eating baked crispy cheese bits without any cracker to it. It wasn't too salty at all and just right. I'm glad these came in a bigger bag!

Parmesan Garlic Pop Pops - Another savory snack that had an explosion of flavoring. I love pop pops in general and love the texture of half popped popcorn. This flavor combo was great and definitely left your breath garlicky. It can be a bit salty for some, especially towards the bottom were the seasoning lies, but it was still delicious.

Mini Medjools - simple and delicious. I love dates, especially medjool dates and found these to be a perfect sweet treat! I didn't think they were particularly 'mini' but that didn't bother me, it actually made it even better. The only thing that'd make it better is if they came seedless!

As mentioned before, this was definitely one of my favorite boxes and in my next box and will definitely be reordering some of these soon! 

Readers, have you guys tried Nature Box yet? Any snack in particular that is your favorite? Let me know!