Case# 032

Case# 032

Snack: Ala potato

Rating


Packaging: 7/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 6/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 28/40

This snack is basically Ruffles in the US just like the Rich Cuts. This one hails from Hokkaido where butter, potatoes and crab are the shit. When you open the bag you get a decompression of butter smell that is similar to movie popcorn. The taste is just as buttery and has a nice crunch.

The packaging is pretty good too I guess. There is a quasi hidden Hokkaido map on it and the potato looks nice BUT with the coloring, you really loose it on a shelf of other snacks. Thats too bad because the taste is decent and had I not looked over the selection as long as I did, I would have grabbed a potential shitty snack (see next case).

Case# 031

Case# 031

Snack: Moriona Pote Long

Rating


Packaging: 4/10
Taste to flavor claim: 5/10
Creativity: 4/10
Overall Taste: 5/10
Score: 18/40

These monkey bo-jangles are riding on the one hit wonder wave that case #030 did. It's a one trick pony. Its in a can. That's it. The sticks look like sperm trying to impregnate the reversed comma. I give it a meh.

Case# 030

Case# 030

Snack: Potato Chips Rich Cut

Rating


Packaging: 5/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 7/10
Creativity: 5/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 24/40

Nothing too special about this one. I say the rich cut is the best part really. There are tons of chips that are too flimsy and this one it ain't. Its more like a Ruffles from back home.

What this sucker really needs is some hickory smoke BBQ flavor to take it from a barely non-suck to David Bowie in space awesome.

Case# 029

Case# 029

Snack: Meiji Choco Banana Ole

Rating


Packaging: 10/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 8/10
Score: 33/40

Lets talk Choco Banana Ole shall we. I admit, I didn't even know what it was at first cause I bought it for the carton. What we have here is a chick with a big rack, in a bunny suit, serving said drink. The posterized effect is pretty rad when you compare to the pink this, flashy that of other drinks in the cooler.

Taste wise was pretty good, considering. I felt there was a nice balance of 'nana and choco. Not super unique though. I have seen other banana drinks out there so thats really the only reason the rating was 7.

Overall this sucker delivered. Drink was nice, chick on the box nice. Would get it again either to crank one out or quench my thirst within.

Case# 028

Case# 028

Snack: Meiji Karu "Ukaru" snack Curry flavor

Rating


Packaging: 8/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 30/40

Ok Ok. After my rant about #27, this one wasn't too bad. I even thought it was pretty spot on. The package once again has Karl and his from getting ready for the festivs of the new year with his festiv stick. But can I say something, why is the frog always is a pissy mood? Does he think he's gonna get whacked by the stick? Chill out homie.

Taste as I said was pretty good. If I could change one thing it would be to have the curry flavor NOT be Japanese curry. I'm sorry but their curry sucks. Thai, Indian, etc. got their curry in gear but Japanese flavor is like spicy butt. Stick with the fish and sea grass Nihon. Anyway, even with this one being better than the last, stick with the original and you can't go wrong. Its like when Lucas fucked with the original trilogy. Nobody asked for a change.

Case# 027

Case# 027

Snack: Meiji Karu "Ukaru" snack Katsu Sauce flavor

Rating


Packaging: 8/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 5/10
Creativity: 6/10
Overall Taste: 6/10
Score: 25/40

The Karu line of snacks is simple: Make cheese snacks that taste awesome and leave compounded snack bits in your molers. I get it, I am cool with it. But here they made a wrong choice. About the only thing right is the awesome bag with "Karl" freaky happy about the new year and waving his holy stick of magical spirit paper. Even his frog buddy is hitting it on this one.

The taste is what got me, it's not katsu sauce. I know katsu sauce. I eat katsu alot, I got the sauce at home; shit, I can see it on the shelf RIGHT NOW. If I can have that kind of proximity, Meiji's gotta have a clue.

As I tossed some in my mouth I was greeted with the familiar sawdust crunch, then a bad case of the what the fucks as I tried to digest this brash imposter. I know the new year brings new ideas and experimentation but damn, leave that to all the new freshmen university students.

Case# 026

Case# 026

Snack: O'zack Cream Shichu Soup snacks

Rating


Packaging: 7/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 7/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 28/40

Sevens across the board! This one was a wild card. It was either gonna be a love it or hate it. The package was nice in that the image was of cream soup and it didn't make me want to vomit. I have actually never had this before so my frame of reference is skewd. I'm also not sure why the "O" has an apostraphy rockin on it but O'h well.

Taste was not too bad. It DID taste like it had a white cream sauce flavor and I really like the crisp-ness of the chip. I also liked that it didn't need to use a cheese grater amount of seasoning to pull it off.

I would try this again after i had the real thing, maybe the score will change also.

Case# 025

Case# 025

Snack: Fried Chicken Chips

Rating


Packaging: 6/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 6/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 6/10
Score: 25/40

So we have some fried chicken potato chips. I had these suckers way back on New Year's Eve and man, what a shitty way to welcome a new year. It tastes like chicken, just not the good kind. It's more like the residue left from a delicious batch of chicken was saved and later used to fry regular potato chips in. I know they hoped it would transfer via osmosis but you cant dog a dog, especially when it's your dawg like awesome friend chicken.

I give points only for the bucket graphic but thats it. This company should go back, grab some chips and batter those fuckers and drop them in a fryer until they're golden brown. Thats how you do it right.

Case# 024

Case# 024

Snack: Cratz Spicy Chicken Curry Bits

Rating


Packaging: 8/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 30/40

Spicy + Chicken + Curry. 3 flavors that could have been 3 different snacks but Cratz is just that crazy to throw it all together, and its pretty good! Cratz is marketed as a snack to eat while drinking. Why should pizza and nuts have all the fun? I am sure its loaded with salt and MSG but who cares! I think beer and salt will just for a great friendship anyway. Maybe get a little cottage in the hills with a few little ones on the way...oh, wait. Its just a snack.

I really like the dude with the spoon. I think he just wants to eat the actual spicy chicken curry meal but suprise SUPRISE sucka, you got some Cratz!

Case# 023

Case# 023

Snack: Cheetos Cheese Fondue flavor

Rating


Packaging: 5/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 4/10
Creativity: 8/10
Overall Taste: 3/10
Score: 20/40

Jesus! Cant I get a regular Cheetos bag here? I've seen even strawberry flavored, but where's the original? I was really really hoping this would be atleast ok and surprising..NO. First off, why is there nasty drizzle on the bag? It looks like mayonaise or man juice, both not what I want in my mouth.

It's like Cheetos is trying to be this suave snack from another land, lookin to attract all those chicks people back home said were horny for foreigners.

Taste wise, nothing like cheese fondue. It did however taste like cream cheese which for about 3 minutes was ok, but then it became a gross waxy film in my mouth. I through out the rest and washed my mouth with some good ol' Wild Turkey.

Fritos, I give you one chance to make this right....

Case# 022

Case# 022

Snack: Aero Chocolate Bar

Rating


Packaging: 6/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 8/10
Score: 26/40

As reviewed by Colin, the Aero bar is quite nice and fulfilling with the unique choco-bubbles and Kit Kat chocolate used to house said bubbles.

Wrapper is standard but the play on the bubbles in the brand logo is a nice touch. Not much more to say except its worth it if you can find it in your home country (looking at you England and Canada).

Case# 021

Case# 021
Snack: Tohato Osatsu Poteko

Rating


Packaging:7 /10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 9/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 8/10
Score: 31/40

Yes! sweet potatoes are awesome! I can catch just the faintest whiff when I go into a Combini or there is a vendor selling hot ones outside Kichijoji station and I get me some hungers going on.

Let's start with the package. Now the finger puppet thing is a girl with freckles, a leaf, and a big smile. I bet 'cause this snack is going to tasty town. There is a nice hot baked SP in the corner as well.

These rings have a special spot in my heart because they can also be a toy. You put em on your fingers, you can roll them for a high score, and throw them at people and they don't get mad.

The taste is a little on the sugary side, but they are called sweet potatoes so whatcha gonna do. I gave a decent score, but not a great score for the creativity because there are many sweet potato snacks here, but that's a plus!

Case# 020

Case# 020

Snack: Calbee Pizza Potato

Rating


Packaging: 6/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 7/10
Creativity: 8/10
Overall Taste: 8/10
Score: 29/40

Mmmm, pizza. This is the first and only pizza snack I bought in Japan that has had even a chance of tasting like pizza. In all honesty, it's not a pizza taste but its more like a cheesy pizza pie that really really wants to be a pizza. The best part, it has cheese on the chip, that you can SEE!! Whoa I said as my eyes gave me the clearance for a fly by of bumpy cheese.

The bag features a pizza that would never been seen in America, Friggin whole slices of tomato?? But the drizzlin dairy is what clues you in for what's in store. Also, Japan uses "W" to say "double" as in double "u". Double cheese is welcome in this market of fake pizzas and shotty flavor development.

Case# 019

Case# 019

Snack: Aero Hot Milk flavor

Rating


Packaging: 7/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 8/10
Score: 30/40

I know Aero is not an original product of Japan, but I'd like to think only in Japan where hot milk is a valid flavor. And justly so, it was rockin. I would say its like ordering steamed milk, I mean exactly!

Packaging is pretty Nestle standard but here is a product that is almost completely represented to the true essence of snackability.

I would argue that the size makes them BETTER than full size Aero since the bubbles are smaller inside and prevents rogue chocolate from bailing out before my taste buds can savor.

Case# 018

Case# 018

Snack: Saporo Potato BBQ cookout

Rating


Packaging: 7/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 6/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 8/10
Score: 28/40

If Chicken in a Biscuit had a relative living in Japan, this would be it. Taste is like a jumbo Chex with CIAB flavoring. I was really happy to find such an awesome flavor punch in a little bag.

The packaging is ok with some cascading snack and a little potato man keepin an eye on his grillin. I'm not sure I tasted all that was represented on the pic but I am keeping this one in my snack rotation.

Case# 017

Case# 017

Snack: Kirin FIRE Coffee

Rating


Packaging: 6/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 2/10
Creativity: 4/10
Overall Taste: 3/10
Score: 15/40

I was hoping this little sucker was gonna be awesome given the can was gold and had some sweet flames on the side. Unfortunately much like the Suntory Espresso, it also tasted like ashes. Not as bad as Suntory though, more like a cigarette butt was distilled with it. I am not sure of the trend of ash coffee is, but I may soon be turned off completely from canned coffee here if I cant get coffee flavored coffee.

Case# 016

Case# 016

Snack: Choco Bari Ice Cream

Rating


Packaging: 5/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 7/10
Creativity: 5/10
Overall Taste: 8/10
Score: 25/40

This was a pretty good snack-sky. The box claims "Quality UP" so I guess I can only assume it was crap before. Other than that, box is pretty meh.

Tastes like those ice cream crunch bars you can get back home except more on the crunch and less on the chocolate. Its actually a nice trade off as I prefer the crunch. Its about 2 fingers in girth and I found myself eating 2 at a time to get the desired ice cream quantity. I would buy this again.

Bottom also states you can find Vanilla Ice inside but sadly, he must have been misplaced during distribution.

Case #015

Case# 015

Snack: Suntory Black Punch

Rating


Packaging: 5/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 7/10
Creativity: 3/10
Overall Taste: 6/10
Score: 21/40

Black. Punch. Cola, gurana, and lemon with some random booze. I really don't know what to put here cause I dont usually drink this motley crue of ingredients AND have it be magically intoxicating. I felt buzzed and it was worse than Pepsi Lemon. The "Zero Dry" series of chu-hi has been kinda lacking. It really has a bitter, acidic quality that only the homeless of the homeless would call their choice.

I was hoping that with a name like Black Punch that they would have just taken off with some cool fight scene. Sadly, not.

Case# 014

Case# 014

Snack: Pepsi Baobab Refreshing Cola flavor

Rating


Packaging: 9/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 7/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 6/10
Score: 29/40

Baobab is a tree mostly found in Madagascar. They use many parts of it but apparently, this drink uses the dried pulp as flavoring and a source of vitamins.

That said, this is one of those crazy drinks Pepsi comes up with for the Spring/Summer season. They always come out with something surprising like Cucumber flavored drink and so on. Personally, it just tastes like diet pepsi with even less sweetener. When I bought it I wasn't even sure what I got. It looks like tea but has "cola flavor". Long Island Ice Tea's have cola flavor and its not even tea. i think they got it backwards.

The packaging is really sweet and I feel like I am in Africa just looking at it, or the Lion King (Poor Kimba... look it up folks).

Case# 013

Case# 013

Snack: Suntory Final Fantasy Potion
Rating

Packaging: 9/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 6/10
Creativity: 710
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 29/40

Ah, potions are back again. This time to promote FF Dissidia.

This is not the first time that a potion has hit the market, but they sure dumbed it down. Last time it came in a vile that LOOKED like a potion. Now its just a can with a sticker slapped on it. The reason for the high creativity and packaging points is there are sixteen different cans with pics on them. All are either artwork or CG graphics so the variety is nice.

Taste is like a diet sprite or fresca to me. Really light in flavor and clear. Some would see this as really bad but I thought it was ok. I dont have access to sprite here very much anyway.

if you wanna see more, hit up the website:

suntory.jp/potion

Case# 012

Case# 012

Snack: Roots: Creamy Cafe

Rating

Packaging: 5/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 5/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 25/40

yet another coffee drink this time by Roots. The can said original but the taste said BORING. I am pretty sure this one was made for chicks cause it tasted like milk flavored coffee. No kick to it, and put me to sleep rather than wake me up.

The can has little to no effort to it and shit, it has a waist line! What the crap is it with can sneaking the little deductions here and there? Just give me a regular can, no extra dips and indentions!

I say stay away unless its cold outside and you need a hand warmer ( the reason for me buying it in the first place).

Case #011

Case# 011

Snack: Suntory The Espresso

Rating

Packaging: 8/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 2/10
Creativity: 0/10
Overall Taste: 0/10
Score: 10/40

Another from Suntory, this time its a Boss, minus the boss. I like the packaging being a bold red and simple/clean. Thats about it.

They should have called this "Pipe dump the espresso" cause it tasted EXACTLY like an espresso that had used pipe tabacco dumped into it. An ashtray flavoring. I am not a smoker so maybe smokers will be ok with it. Stay away if you want to have a coffee drink that tastes like coffee and not 1 am at the bowling alley.

Case #010

Case# 010

Snack: (Suntory) Boss rich coffee w/Mario Kart ChoroQ

Rating

Packaging: 6/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 7/10
Creativity: 5/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 25/40

Suntory rocks the Boss brand and has for quite some time. The can features a dude (the boss) with his pipe and look of conviction. The all gold can sets it apart from an increasing number of coffee in a can.

Taste was pretty good but I really didn't feel like the "Boss". I wanted to think it would help me grow a beard but all I got was a stomach cramp a few hours later.

The toy on the top is a pull back toy from the Mario Kart series on Wii. The character is "Daisy" and although I didn't let it affect the rating, was a nice bonus at no extra cost. These goodies can be found time to time on various coffees and rinks in general.

Case #009

Case# 009
Snack: Koikeya Don Tacos: Chilli Taco flavor

Rating

Packaging: 7/10
Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10
Creativity: 7/10
Overall Taste: 7/10
Score: 29/40

sweet baby jesus it's TACOS! I got really excited to see these in the store. For those that don't know, Mexican food is non-existent here. Sure you can find one or two restaurants but they are more like south american than mexican.

Taste was better than I expected but didn't get a crowning rating because it was that same taste you get when you buy the heap taco seasoning packets at the store. A valiant effort but a taco time or taco bell seasoning would be off the rickter.

packaging is nice but a little typical. You got your sun bursts, shiny lettering, red, etc. I do like the ethnic globe with a sombraro and a nice taco on the front. Would buy again!

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Case# 011 Snack: Koikeya Don Tacos: Chilli Taco flavor Rating Packaging: 7/10 Taste relating to flavor claim: 8/10 Creativity: 7/10 Overall Taste: 7/10 Score: 29/40 sweet baby jesus it's TACOS! I got really excited to see these in the store. For those that don't know, Mexican food is non-existent here. Sure you can find one or two restaurants but they are more like south american than mexican. Taste was better than I expected but didn't get a crowning rating because it was that same taste you get when you buy the heap taco seasoning packets at the store. A valiant effort but a taco time or taco bell seasoning would be off the rickter. packaging is nice but a little typical. You got your sun bursts, shiny lettering, red, etc. I do like the ethnic globe with a sombraro and a nice taco on the front. Would buy again!