Tom Yum Pretz

Tom Yum Pretz

(Japan Crate: August 2015)

[Japan crate description: (There is no description for this one)]

Melissa Says:

They look like those Pringle's sticks, even down to the packaging. However, they aren't quite so nice and friendly.

Once you take a bite, you get the lime flavoring for a bit. Then, slowly, like a dragon in the back of your mouth, your throat and back of your mouth just burn. It does not lie when it says hot.

As I am not quite so fond of spicy things, it's definitely not one I'd eat again. It tasted good, but…the flames are killer! (I was racing for a water bottle!)

Kimberly Says:

Man, I wish I'd gotten the soy sauce flavor instead of this one. It's very rare for me to outright dislike something we get, but I'll just say it outright.

Bleh.

Okay, so, actual review.

Smells weird (lime mixed with...something), tastes awful. First you taste lime, then you get kicked in the mouth with weird tasting spicy blech.

Not eating any more, not ever buying if I get the chance.

Just...blech.

Lifeguard Paste

Lifeguard Paste

(Japan Crate: July 2015)

[Japan crate description: Lifeguard started off as a soda and now comes in many candy forms, like this paste!]

Kimberly Says:

Hee hee.

I took this to a sort of 'pot luck' at work. This and spoons, so people could squeeze some out without germ contamination.

It was entertaining watching people try to figure it out. It and the grape...stuff (which we haven't reviewed yet)

This is a SUPER sticky, bright green, sour flavored...stuff. Thing. Something or other. Three packs of it come in each package.

It's quite tasty, but it's almost more fun to play with than eat. It has the consistency of half melted gummy worms and, well...why don't you just watch?

(Apologies for blurriness - I could not seem to get it to totally focus.)
[Edit: I am working on fixing the video]

Final thoughts? Just sour enough to be delicious, and oh so much fun to play with.

Melissa Says:

This is extremely sticky, extremely odd-looking paste. If you stick it to your fingers, it will stretch out between them. 

It reminds me oddly of melted gummy snacks, and tastes a little like lemon. Together, it tastes really good (but extremely sticky!) 

It’s amusing to play with and fun to eat. I’d definitely eat more of it!

Creamy Melon Soda

Creamy Melon Soda

(Japan Crate: August 2015)

[Japan crate description: Delicious and creamy soda with a nice melon flavor. Melon might be your new favorite soda flavor!]

Melissa Says:

This is something between cantaloupe and honeydew, in smell and taste. I’m not sure which it is, but whatever it is, it’s good. The taste shifts between the two, and it has the fizziness of soda. 

Though it was a bit of a surprise how loud it was when it popped open! 

I would drink it again if given a chance.

Kimberly Says:

Cute little can, to start with. I like the design of it, and I don't feel like my fingers are short and tiny. xD

This soda smells and tastes EXACTLY like honeydew melon. I feel like someone just juiced a honeydew and injected it with carbonation. (Although once in a while when it sits on my tongue it kind of tastes like cantaloupe, too. Strange.)

I'm not normally fond of fruit flavored sodas, but this one is quite delicious. I had a hard time sharing and not just chugging the whole thing myself. xD

Potekoro Cubes

Potekoro Cubes

(Japan Crate: July 2015)

[Japan crate description: Savory bite-sized cubes with bold black pepper.]

Kimberly Says:

So I knew going in what these would taste like - we opened this package a while ago and have been snacking on it off and on. xD

(Actually, I even took it in to work and shared with my coworkers - I do that a lot, to mixed reviews. x3 )

I really like these. They're delicious and crunchy and addicting.

After much discussion about them with various people, I've come up with how to describe them to someone who hasn't tasted them:
Take some McDonald's french fries and cut them into cubes. Drizzle them with oil, sprinkle with black pepper, bake until crispy like a crouton, and you'd end up with something that tastes just like this.

Definitely would eat again, will be sad when they're all gone.

Melissa Says:

These are weird, little fried-crunchy potato-like crisps…that are cubed. They are also a bit spicy. 

The seasoning is pretty good, making them a fun-to-eat snack which leaves quite the aftertaste. (Luckily for me, we didn’t end on them, or else I’d likely still be tasting it.) 

They’re pretty good, so I’d likely eat them again.

Maken Gummy

Maken Gummy

(Japan Crate: July 2015)

[Japan crate description: Hand gummies shaped after rock, paper, scissors. You'll try a cola or grape hand in 1 of 3 poses.]

Melissa Says:

Rock, paper, scissors…and really weird. 

It feels cold to the touch, it smells like VapoRub, and it tastes like really firm gummy bears. 

It actually tastes pretty good. I dislike gummies, but that was pretty yummy. After you get past the smell and the cold. 

Definitely not a bad thing. Would eat again.

Kimberly Says:

Okay, so, I'm not actually a big fan of gummies. Fruit snacks, gummy worms, gummy bears, I don't...really like them much, which is funny since in almost EVERYTHING else I like a chewy texture.

We ended up with the cola flavor, in the 'scissors' hand shape. (There was also a small star shaped gummy that got eaten before I got the picture taken. xD )

First impression, opening the package, is that it smelled very strongly. It smells like a mixture of soda (almost more root beer than cola, though) and Vick's Vaporub, which did not lessen our trepidation.

Of course, any time you get a long stretchy thing, what do you have to do first?

Play with it. A lot.

It was fun. xD

Eventually we got around to the eating, and it was strangely cold. My room is in the basement, it's fairly cool all the time, but not enough to warrant how oddly chilly the gummy was.

It's also a softer gummy, and sort of a strange texture. I keep feeling like it was fizzing on my tongue somehow.

It tastes really good, actually. Better than I was expecting. (I would not have enjoyed the grape near as much, I think.)

I would definitely eat this again, if we ever found it. (And play with it, too!)

[Update: 

So we always share everything with the rest of the family, if they want to try, and took everything we tasted tonight up to share with our brother. There was the hand of the gummy and part of the 'string' left and he ended up popping the whole thing into his mouth.

It's a good thing he ended up liking it, I guess! xD ]

Kids Beer

Kids Beer

(Japan Crate: July 2015)

[Japan crate description: Of course there's no alcohol in this yummy apple soda]

Kimberly Says:

Okay, so, they have Apple Beer in a couple of soda fountains around here, and I've tried it, and...it's absolutely disgusting.
So I was...concerned, to say the least.

When we opened it and it smelled super, super sweet, though, I started to feel relieved.
Only slightly, because MAN it smells sweet.

Basically it tastes overwhelmingly of cream soda, with a slight (very, very, very slight) apple taste.

I wouldn't go out and buy it, certainly, because it's waaaay too sweet for me, but I like drinking it once. Just once, though. xD

Melissa Says: 

We approached this one with more worry than others. One of the soda flavors we’ve tried out of fountains is apple beer, and that is some nasty stuff. 

However, we realized this smells incredibly sweet, and tastes like crème rather than apple. There’s a bit of an apple aftertaste, but it tastes (thankfully!) better than apple beer. 

The best part is, we have more of it to drink. Hey, if that was a choice to drink, I’d consider it.

Japanese BBQ Scones

Japanese BBQ Scones

(Japan Crate: August 2015)

[Japan Crate description: Like Cheetos, but better. We think the Japanese BBQ flavor is better than the American. What do you think?]

Melissa Says:

Though tried with a bit of trepidation, it’s actually not too bad. 

The texture is unique, but the barbeque is sweet. Ended up being quite different than expected. 

Definitely worth having more of, but probably would only get if it was on sale or something…if it was found in the US, that is.

Kimberly Says:

All right, so I admit to having eyed this one with concern ever since I saw it in the box. BBQ cheetos, basically? Eeeeeh.

So when I opened it, I sniffed at it warily and...and smells weird.
Let the wariness increase!

However, when I finally got up the nerve to taste one, it tasted...sweet. Actually, it reminds me of the sweet BBQ pringles chips.

It's really, really strange, though. It has the texture of cheetos, but doesn't taste like cheese. It's...strange. Good...in a strange, strange way.

I don't think I'd choose it again, though. And the aftertaste is not nearly as good as the first taste. It kind of just...sticks with you.
(In fact, we shared these and the soda with other family members, and our mom said "BBQ things aftertaste--not so hot", with which I agree. xD )

Ramune Marble Gum

Ramune Marble Gum

(Japan Crate: June 2015)

[Japan Crate description: Citrus-y and delicious ramune flavored gumballs. These pack a small hint of fizziness just like a real Japanese ramune soda]

Kimberly Says:

So I have to admit that when we picked this one to taste tonight, I already knew I liked it - this is from the original Japan crate, most of which we've already eaten. :)

In fact, I had to pull the bag out of my purse where I've been keeping it, and we're lucky there was any left to taste for the review!

I love the taste of these gumballs, but I wish they were larger, and that the flavor lasted longer.

They're so small that you have to eat a couple to get a decent size, and even then the flavor only last for a few minutes.

However, it's delicious enough that that's only a minor complaint. The flavor is fun, with the sensation of fizziness without actually HAVING fizziness.

Not only would I choose to eat this again, but I will actually be disappointed when I run out of it. :)

Melissa Says:

Ramune gum doesn’t have a whole lot of taste, but it’s got quite the texture. For at least 2-3 minutes, you’re chewing and it feels like bubbles! Somehow it pulls off the feeling of carbonation without carbonation. 

Beyond that, though, it lacks any kind of real flavor (definitely after a few minutes). I’d probably pick other kinds of gum over it…or maybe I’ll put it with another kind of gum? 

Either way, it’s not something I’d choose specifically to chew on.