Tiramisu and Strawberry Almonds - Gilim Tom's Farm

Tiramisu and Strawberry Almonds - Hung Vuong Food Market 

Nuts are my least favorite part of trail mix. I don't have anything against them, I'm not allergic and I don't mind the flavor, in fact I love things flavored with nuts, I just don't want to eat them as-is, for some reason. The idea of someone just snacking on almonds absolutely blows my mind. Yet, it's a booming industry. Look at the snack aisles. They're covered in different flavors of mixed nuts, everything from sweet to savory, and the Hung Vuong Food Market is no exception. 

There was an end cap absolutely filled with different flavors of Gilim Tom's Almonds. From what I can tell, they're the Bertie Bott's of snacking nuts. They offer all kinds of varieties but the store I was in seemed to focus on almonds. 

Here is a quick run down of the flavors I have seen:

What Have I Done? - Korean Cheetos

Korean Cheetos  - H-Mart

I'm aware that the majority of reviews this year have been negative, and I don't know if it's because after all these years my palette has become more discerning, or if food companies are totally phoning it in. If it's the latter, is it an American-exclusive issue, or a worldwide epidemic? 

To test that theory, here we have two flavors of Korean Cheetos: White Corn Soup and Smoky BBQ.

Pudding CORN BUH-BAH~!

Crown Pudding Corn BBA  - H-Mart

I have no idea how "BBA" is meant to be pronounced, it could be "bee bee ey," or it could be "BUH-BAH!" Since the characters are in all caps on the bag I imagine it being yelled in exclamation. Although I am 99% sure my pronunciation of it is incorrect, I am going to stick with it because it makes me nonsensically happy. CORN BUH-BAH!

Not only do these have a fun name, but they are also banana flavored! (If you're new here, spoiler alert, I freaking love banana.) I tried looking these up online to learn a little more about it, and not much turned up. Just a MunchPak page where this was once a featured item. Oh, and this page where it says the item was recalled. And this page. No big deal. Totally fine. 

If I hadn't Googled this for nonsensical reasons, I never would have known about the recall, which is scary to think about. Thankfully, it seems the recall was due to an undeclared dairy ingredient which some people with dairy allergies reacted to. With my history of buying interesting foreign foods that usually have stickers with translated nutritional information, I can see how the slip up occurred. There have been a lot of labels I have seen over the years with incorrect or mislabeled translations. Whatever software they use to create those seems to have the same accuracy as Google translate. Being the non-dairy-allergy risk taker I am...I'm going to eat these anyway.

A Tall, Cold, Glass of...Vinegar?

Hong Cho - H-mart (Came with a FREE reusable bottle!)

I love vinegar! In my early 20's I had intense stress-related stomach issues that put me out of commission for several months, and the cure? Vinegar! (And less stress. I love vinegar, but let's not be click-bait-y. It's not a cure all!) 

It's popular to use vinegar for pickling, sauces, and dressings, but I straight up drink it! I'm sure that sounds weird to most people, but I'm not alone! 

I Chews You! - Korean Pokemon Candies

Pokemon XYZ Crown MyChew Fruit Chews - H-Mart

Howdy, strangers! 

I apologize for my sporadic updates. (Or lack there of.) Life just keeps throwing me curve balls. (Says the food blogger with very limited knowledge of sports.) Anyways, quick life update: I started a new job last week! It's kind of food related, and a lot closer to home, which means I gain an hour and a half of my life back every single day. Yay!

Once I settle in to my new routine I plan on dedicating that hour and a half to the blog so I can finally get back to posting daily. Which will be extra awesome because my food hoarding problem is only getting worse. (I'm one box-full-o'-food away from Hoarders banging down my door.) So, let's knock out some candy!

Tiny Fake Fried Chicken? - Fried Snack

Fried Snack? - Hmart

Interesting packaging strikes again! We've got cartoon chickens, a weird safari-ready mustachioed man with a glove-on a stick? There's a tiny chef, and the promise that these tiny little snacks will look like itty bitty fried chicken legs. How could I resist?

I tossed these into my cart the second I saw them, were they worthy of being purchased? We shall see...

Toreta! - H-Mart

Toreta! - H-Mart (in New Jersey)

EDIT: 3/23/18: I've gotten a significant amount of emails, Facebook messages, and comments about this product. I guess this drink was featured on a popular K-Drama? 

All H-Marts use different suppliers and such for their specialty items. So what is in one H-Mart at one location, might not be available in others. Also this post was written over a year ago (at this point) so even if it was there at that time, it is likely long gone. 

It's always worth checking it out to be sure, but these bottles can also be purchased online or through a Korean goods service. If it's any consolation, it tastes like your average sports drink, and was only featured in the K-Drama as a paid product placement. I don't think you're missing out. 

Another case of pretty packaging pulling me in. I spotted this simple, but stunning, bottle in the chilled drink section of my local H-Mart and I fell in love with the illustrations and pops of color. When I picked one up I noticed it was some kind of fruit and veggie drink, with kale, apples, cabbage, and fruits...but it was 100% clear! How could this be? It must be witchcraft, right? Or at the very least, it must taste awful. I loved the labeling, and I was intrigued by the product, so into my cart it went.

When I took closer look at the nutritional label I noticed that this has absolutely no vitamins in it...which is strange. Usually the reason why you advertise a product being filled with fruits and veggies it's because it's being marketed as an easy way to get nutrients and vitamins into your diet. If there are no vitamins, no fiber, and it only uses .4% fruit and veggie juice, what is this product really about?

Three Colors Crunch Ball Snacks - H-Mart

Three Colors Crunch Ball Snacks - H-Mart 

Three Colors. Crunch Ball. When I saw this adorable pastel and pink package at H-mart picking it up was a no-brainer.

League of Legends Shrimp Snack Review! - YouTube Video Review

Halloween video #2 is now up!  I know next to nothing about League of Legends, so you guys are going to have to fill me in.  Check out my PEPSI GHOST video from earlier today, and stay tuned for a third video!
In case you missed the others:
Mystery Flavored Pepsi GHOST (from Japan)
Pumpkin Apple Pocky (from Japan)

FINALLY! A new VIDEO REVIEW

Tao Kae Noi Kimchi Grilled Seaweed - Asian Food Market

Tao Kae Noi Kimchi Grilled Seaweed - Asian Food Market

Never in my life have I craved kimchi as much as I have the last few weeks.

Kimchi (often spelled kimchee) is a fermented vegetable side dish that originated in Korea. The fermentation process gives these veggies a complex flavoring that is usually paired with a healthy dose of chili peppers for heat. Prepackaged jars are easily found at Korean grocery stores, like my beloved H-Mart, but lately it's been finding it's way into mainstream cuisine and grocery shops. I think you can buy kimchio at Wegman's these days and possibly at some Shop Rites. I've always liked kimchi but recently I feel like something in me has snapped and now I am craving it like never before. (I blame the delicious kimchi samples at this year's Summer Fancy Food Show.)

I may not have a jar of kimchi on hand to satisfy this craving, but I have flavored seaweed snacks, so those will have to do.

National Junkfood Day - Haul Photo

Here's SOME of my hoard to celebrate #nationaljunkfoodday 💖😊🍭🍬👍💖 I have so many reviews to write... #sometimesfoodie #junkfood #food #foodporn #foodreview #haul #japanese #oreo #kitkat #twinkies #chips #ghostbusters #hellokitty

A photo posted by Sometimes Foodie (@sometimesfoodie) on Jul 21, 2016 at 4:55pm PDT

Last Thursday was National Junk Food Day! How awesome is that? 

I didn't get to celebrate properly here on the blog, but over on my Instagram account I posted 2 massive food haul photos! Check out a chunk of my ever-growing food hoard! (Be sure to visit my account to see the second, equally as hoard-y, photo!) 

Caffé Bene Coffee Bingsu - H-Mart

Caffé Bene Coffee Bingsu - H-Mart

Even though I'm not a big coffee drinker, I do like a little coffee ice cream once and a while, so why not try it in Bingsu form?

This container is several months old. I intended to review it right away, but it got wedged behind a few other things in my freezer and I completely forgot about it until I bought that strawberry version in New York. Now that I'm home, busting through my stash like a food blogging pro, it's time to finally try this frozen treat!

Caffé Bene Strawberry Bingsu (I like Dalki Edition) - NYC H-Mart

Caffé Bene Strawberry Bingsu (I like Dalki Edition) - NYC H-Mart

New York was pretty hot and muggy, and my boyfriend and I had a normal sized Smeg refrigerator in our hotel room, so we took advantage of that and walked over to H-Mart to take the edge off with some frozen treats. He opted for a box of Melona honey dew bars, and I grabbed this Dalki version of Strawberry Bingsu.

I tried Bingsu for the first time about a year ago. There was a cookies and cream version at my local H-mart featuring K-drama actor, Kim Soo-hyun that I just couldn't resist. My H-Mart offered two other flavors, a coffee version and a green tea one, but never strawberry. I felt like I owed it to myself to check this flavor out, plus this package features Dalki! She's kind of like the Korean version of Strawberry Short Cake!

Honey Cheese Cheetos - H-Mart

Honey Cheese Cheetos - H-Mart

I hosted my first ever tasting party last night! Which is a lot less fancy than it sounds. Basically I just invited a bunch of my friends over so they could eat excess snacks and sweets I'm reviewing to help with my food hoarding situation. We snacked on junk food, played Wii U games and watched bad horror movies. (Last night's selection was the awesomely bad Zoombies. It featured amazingly bad CG and an epicly dressed character I dubbed "Mr. No-Sleeves." Not the best of bad horror, but it made for a fun evening.)

These Cheetos were one of the many items on last night's menu, so were they a hit, or a miss? Time to find out!

Honey Butter Kokalkon Corn Snack - H-Mart

Honey Butter Kokalkon Corn Snack - H-Mart

They look like Bugles, but they're honey butter flavored, and they're Korean. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm excited. (Even though I'm still haunted by Pringles attempt at using this flavor combination to produce these nightmare inducing Honey Butter Stix.) 

Honey Butter has become a hugely popular flavor combination for junk food in Korea. These snacks are rich and creamy, but salty, and they have a touch of honeyed sweetness, often paired with a crispy crunchy texture. Sounds great to me! This combination of sweet and savory isn't new, but I've never seen a product with that flavor profile become this popular! Was it effective K-pop viral marketing? Or does this stuff really taste as amazing as everyone says it does? Let's find out!

Tao Kae Noi Hot Chilli Squid Super Crisp Grilled Seaweed - Sunseng Market

Tao Kae Noi Hot Chilli Squid Super Crisp Grilled Seaweed - Sunseng Market

My last two reviews were candy bars from the same store, which were both delicious, but repetition can get a bit boring, and now for something completely different: Hot Chilli Squid flavored seaweed strips! (Try saying that three times fast!) 

Ice-no-Mi (frozen fruit & dairy balls!) - H-Mart: Cherry Hill, NJ

Ice-no-Mi (frozen fruit & dairy balls!) - H-Mart: Cherry Hill, NJ

It's kind of like giant Dippin' Dots, right? They're frozen ice cream/sorbet ...balls? (I am a mature adult!)

First, let's check out this amazing commercial for Ice no Mi with Kyary Pamyu Pamyu!



I freaking love it! There's tons of color, CGI, and fruit-related outfits. It makes sense, and yet, it doesn't. Oh, Japan. Never change. There's another more awkward commercial with her too and, not to be out done, AKB48 has their own commercial as well. Okay, enough pop stars. On to the real review!

Caffé Bene Cookies & Cream Bingsu - H-Mart - Cherry Hill, NJ

Caffé Bene Cookies & Cream Bingsu - H-Mart - Cherry Hill, NJ

Hello everyone, I'm back and I'm finally posting reviews again! I hate that it's been so long, but the last few weeks I've been stretched really thin.

I just wanted to give a quick shout-out/thank you to those of you who visited my table in Otakon's Artist Alley! I was able to meet so many wonderful people, and we talked about everything from video games, to food. It made me really happy, and I hope to see you all again next year. (I'm applying for a table, but it's by lottery, so it's not always guaranteed.)

Enough rambling, let's get right into today's review!

Teaser Photo: What could this be?

I leave for Baltimore Thursday morning, so everything is really crazy right now while I prep for my table in the Artist Alley.

I'm typing up a few more reviews tonight to queue up for the trip, and this photo is from one of them! What is it? And what's hiding behind this handsome Korean actor/spokesman's face?