Glico Pretz Shrimp Paste

Taste

Very salty but very addictive. They taste like prawn crackers really. Afterwards you have the taste of shrimp paste in your mouth...hmmm.... shrimp paste. See the Pretz ranking.

Rating - 7.5

Look

Yup, like the Pocky and Poare packaging. The red box had cute shrimps on it too!

Rating - 2

C-factor

65g for around $2.50, not too bad, but I would probably buy some chips for that price.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 10

Ingredients

wheat flour, vegetable oil, shortening, shrimp powder, sugar, garlic powder, yeast, table salt, oyster sauce, XO Jiang Sauce, spices

Available At

Asian Groceries

Glico Pocky Milk Flavour

Taste

I was surprised to find these Pocky that are made in Thailand and keen to see if they taste any different. Well, they taste pretty similar to other Pockys. For the uninitiated, Pockys are little bread sticks coated with all manners of toppings. They are the opposite of Poares. Where do these stand in terms of the taste test? Click here to find out.

Rating - 7.5

Look

They looked like all other Pocky packaging, except there was Thai writing on the box! This one had a white background with blue writing. The milk coating was more cream than white, but otherwise the packaging was the same as any other Pocky. There was only 1 package in this pack.

Rating - 2

C-factor

27.5 g for 80 cents, I wonder how much they would be if they were made in Japan?

Rating - 1.5

Swiss Points - 11

Ingredients

wheat flour 42%, sugar, 20%, palm oil 14%, milk powder 10%, lactose 6%, margarine 4%, calcium 3%

Available At

Asian Groceries

Uncle Tobys Plus - Wildberry

Taste

This is basically corn flakes with added fruit, and it was surprisingly tasty. The corn flakes tastes a little better than Kelloggs's but it was still pretty bland, but the wildberry really lifted the whole cereal to another level. The fruit were juicy and tangy. I would probably like a bit more of it pleasant.

Rating - 7.5

Look

I like the colour of the package, the purple matches the fruit. The flakes were less yellow than Kelloggs's. Like most other cereals, the plastic bag is not resealable.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

Around $5-6 for a big box.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10

Ingredients

cereal grains (55%)(corn, whole wheat, brown rice), sugar, oats, sultanas, berry fruit pieces 97.5%) [fruits (strawberry (2%), blueberry (1%), raspberry juice, red elderberry juice), sucrose, dextrose, humectant, vegetable gum, rice flour, wheat fibre, citric acid, flavours, mineral salts], salt, mixed berry juice concentrate, emulsifier, malt extract, minerals

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Sara Lee Banana Nut Muffin

Taste

I had no idea that Sara Lee actually made individual muffins, but there you go. I was attracted because of the word "banana" as I've had a craving for this for ages. The banana taste was unfortunately quite artificial, but the muffin was soft and the walnuts added great textural crunch. Now if only they used real bananas...

Rating - 5

Look

They came individually packaged in a clear and coloured wrap, so it was easy to eat and transport. The muffin itself has that uniformed, machine-made look and artificial colour though.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

120g for free, but I wouldn't buy it normally.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 7.5

Ingredients

sugar, wheat flour, banana puree (12%), egg, canola oil, walnuts (5%), fructose, syrup, emulsifiers, milk solids, salt, banana flavour, baking soda, vegetable gum, baking powder, preservative, vanilla flavour.

Available At

Somewhere

Copperpot Chunkies Dip

Taste

I'm a fan of Copperpot's double dips. So this time I tried the Hommus with kalamata & Cashews - a drier hommus with heavenly pieces of olives and small chunks of cashews. The olives were fresh and added the sour and salty texture to the dip. I also tried the Moroccan Hommus with cashew - again a drier hommus with similar pieces of cashews adding great texture and blended well with the chickpeas. The Moroccan spices added a subtle sweet and spicy kick that elevated this above other hommus.

Rating - Kalamata -8, Moroccan - 7.5

Look

They went for a very fun packaging instead of the classy look. Through the clear plastic container you can see the vivid colour of the dip. There are no artificial colour use so the colour is not very appealing. But you eat this for the taste and not the look right?

Rating - 2

C-factor

200g $4.30. More expensive than others, but then again, I think this is better than others.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - Kalamata -11, Moroccan - 10.5

Ingredients

Hommus with Kalamata & Cashews
chick peas (48%), cashews (19%), veg oil, kalamata olives (10%), tahini,
parmesan, garlic, vinegar, black pepper, lemon, preservative
Moroccan Hommus with Cashews
chick peas (54%), cashews 922%), veg oil, tahini, Parmesan, water, Moroccan
spice (2%), garlic, salt, vinegar, lemon juice, preservative

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Byron Bay Cookie Company - Butterscotch & Almond Shortbread

Taste

I think I am in love with Byron Bay Cookie Company cookies. Each one I have just keep getting better and better. These were buttery and crumbly, like any good shortbread should be, and with a great almond taste. It's really hard to stop at one.

Rating - 8

Look

As always, very innovative packaging. The box can be resealed very easily, however you will need to put these in a separate container once the plastic wrap is opened. I don't think there will be much left though.

The biscuits come in little heart shapes, in a pale cream colour, a great present for a loved one.

Rating - 2

C-factor

150g for $9.95 at DJs. This is a premium product, with no addictives added. Again, expensive, but totally addictive.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 10.5

Ingredients

butter, wheat flour, wheaten cornflour, sugar, almonds (8%), flavouring, salt

Available At

David Jones Food Hall
Website

Island Pure Kangaroo Island Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt - Honey

Taste

Am I just lucky or is Australia blessed? I'm finding more and more yoghurt products that just keep getting better and better. For those who aren't familiar, Kangaroo Island is a small island off the coast of South Australia that is beginning to establish a name for itself for the quality of its local food produce. This yoghurt has a very strong sheep taste so if you don't like that, stay away, but if you do, then grab this and enjoy the creamy fresh taste, with just a hint of honey. This wasn't too heavy or too watery, it was just right!

Rating - 9

Look

The packaging could be worked on, consisting of a white tub with blue writing. The yoghurt though, is set in the tub, and looked as good as it tasted.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

500g for $5.99 is not expensive at all, especially because of the quality of the ingredients. I will be back for more.

Rating - 2

Swiss Points - 12.5

Ingredients

sheep milk 96%, kangaroo island honey 4%, live yoghurt culture
thick natural yoghurt cultured in the pot.

Available At

Harris Farm Markets
Website

Wattle Valley Spicy Hommus

Taste

This offering is more runnier than I expected for hommus. I am a fan of their chunky dips but I'm not so sure about this one. The hommus is heavy with lemon juice, and I can't really taste enough nuttiness of the chickpeas. The addition of chilli is a good idea though, lifting the flavour of the hommus and giving it that little something extra.

Rating - 6

Look

Again, not a fan of the packaging, but the hommous itself looked rather creamy and pinkish, especially with the red chilli flakes throughout.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

200g for around $2.39

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 8.5

Ingredients

chick peas (45%), water, canola oil, sesame paste, lemon juice, white vinegar,
salt, garlic, red chilli flakes, preservatives, colours

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Australian Swiss Cheese

Taste

I have to say, a bit plastic like, but retaining the essence of Swiss cheese.

Rating - 6

Look

A pale yellow cream colour, with very small air pockets. It came wrapped in plastic with the Harris Farm label, not great for storing this at all.

Rating - 1

C-factor

11.99/kg is an ok price to pay. I think this is more suitable for cooking or filling sandwiches rather than to eat plain.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 8

Ingredients

milk, starter culture, rennet

Available At

Harris Farm Markets
Website

Paradiso

For Evelyn's farewell lunch, we chose Paradiso at the MLC Centre. I'd been here years ago, on a company sponsored lunch and quite enjoy the experience, so I was looking forward to another visit.

Food

The menu is made you of your typical cafe fare of burgers, pasta, fried items and a few special, with absolutely nothing a bit special or unique to offer. Nothing really caught my eye so I settled on the steamed salmon with steamed vegetables, grilled polenta and mustard sauce ($21). The salmon was fresh and moist, and of a good size. Because there was no marinade or anything added to it, you really get to taste that fishy salmon goodness. The polenta was grilled to perfection. But - and I blame myself for ordering a steamed dish - the carrots and beans were watery and tasteless, and the mustard sauce thinned by the water content of everything else on the plate. It was ok, but not great, but not bad. At least it was healthy.

Maybe I should have stuck to the more simple cafe fare as the burgers and fried calamari did look good. The pasta wasn't very appealing though, and they pitch themselves as an Italian joint?

There was a group there who was having some sort of set menu though, and that looked really good - seafood platters, pasta, garlic bread, crumbed prawns... so maybe we just ordered wrong.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

The last time I was here was in late summer, we dined Al Fresco and it was lovely. This time, it was very cold, windy and raining, so we sat inside. There was no protection from the element though, except for some clear plastic sheeting, which didn't really shield out the wind. The heaters were all facing the wrong way, so it wasn't a pleasant experience to stay.

A long counter alongside the bar area displays an array of cakes and slices. A very shiny TV plays silently in the corner. There were a lot of lunch groups. The special group also got tablecloth instead of the wooden tables and uncomfortable chairs we got.

Rating - 1

Service

They were quite good, knew just when to come to take orders. The food arrived in pretty good time and they asked us how we were. The only gripe from me was that they just assumed the male was going to pay. Even though I asked for the bill they delivered it to a male. When I handed them my credit card they handed it to another male in the group to sign. In this day and age I think they could pay a bit more attention to that aspect as it can get pretty embarrassing to assume who was paying.

Rating - 3

C-factor

We paid for Evelyn's meal so it worked out to be $25 pp. Maybe if the weather was better it would be ok. We didn't want to stay in that surrounding and got out of there pretty quickly. For what they are doing, I can think of a lot of places doing it better for a better price.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

Level 7
MLC Centre
Corner of King and Castlereagh Streets,
Martin Place
NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9221 0527

Catalina Rose Bay

I've heard about Catalina for yonks, and even though it sounded nice, I could never justify going there because the food is in the $$$$$ range. If I was going to pay $50 for my main meal I would rather go to a 3 hats restaurant and not just for the location. So when the meal was company sponsored, I was very happy.

We were transferred by limos to the restaurant from the city. The restaurant was booked exclusively for this event, so we didn't have to share.

Food

On arrival, we were greeted with Bollinger and caprioska. I went for the potent stuff, and I have to say, they were very good. The quality of the vodka was top rate and the lime and sugar hit the spot. While downing my drinks, we were also offered a selection of canapes, the highlight for me were the fresh shucked oysters.

The bread roll that was placed at every table, like they do at functions, was nothing to write home about. The signature dish of Catalina house smoked salmon with a salad of avocado, blood orange and dill ($27.00) was great, ripe avocado mixed with a smoky salmon that really sings with flavour. The other entree was Vitello tonnato: veal fillet on potato gratin with tuna mayonnaise and rocket ($27.00) - also quite good, although the potato gratin was not as thin or crunchy because of the ingredients that were placed on top of it.

After some speeches from people I've never met about things I have no idea about, the mains arrived. The Roasted snapper fillet with potato and garlic mash; lemon caper butter ($40.00) was a bit colder and a bit more cooked than I would've liked, but I guess that is the way things are at functions. I have to say, for a seafood leaning restaurant, I thought this was pretty average. The fish was pretty high quality, but bland, and the mash didn't really go with the fish. The Grain fed beef tenderloin, sauteed baby spinach, chilli jam and onion rings ($39.00) suffered the same problem, the beef was only warm, the beef more cooked than I'd like, but the tenderloin was tender. The Steamed green beans ($8.00) were excellent, crunchy and buttery, ditto for the Rosemary roasted potatoes, crunchy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside.

More seat swapping and the first Christine Anu performance followed, before some great looking desserts arrived. The Vanilla Parfait with Poached Rhubarb and Kadaif ($17.00) was very creamy, and topped with that Persian fairy floss that people started calling hairballs. The Chocolate mousse with chestnut cream and chocolate sorbet ($17.00) came with some brown floss, so that looked even more like hair. The chocolate was very good quality, and this one was very very creamy too. They were washed down with some very good dessert wine.

By this stage the festivities were at full swings, with table hopping frequent. People started filling the dance floor to Christine's 2nd set. Waiters took our coffee orders, and my Vittoria Espresso Coffee Cappuccino ($4.50) was of the more bitter variety than the robust flavour I enjoy, however it was great accompaniment to the very sweet Petit Fours.

All in all, not spectacular food, but pretty great for a function style event.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

If it's not food you pay for here, it must surely be the view. Catalina is basically a pier with huge glass windows where you can look out at the water towards the city skyline. The restaurant was smaller than I thought, giving it an intimate feel. On this cold cold day, there was a real fire burning in one corner, a small illuminated bar, a dance floor that a couple of people made good use of, and a small area where Christine Anu (of Why Don't you Come Join my Party and My Island Home fame) and her 2 guitar accompanist played.

Everybody was dressed in their finest, the mood was upbeat and celebratory, and even the dreaded song, My Island Home sounded better as an acoustics version.

Rating - 3

Service

Other reviews often criticise Catalina on their service, but since this was a function, all the staff had to do was deliver the meals, and make sure all our drinks were filled. They did a commendable job on that, as you should for this type of restaurant. No one particularly good looking, so maybe all the stuck-up ones were fired?

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

If we ate here normally I would have to say that the experience isn't really worth the price - go to est or Tetsuyas instead! But seeing this was a free event, where I got to meet all new people, and having the whole restaurant to ourselves, it made you feel extra special and fabulous!

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 16

Info

Lyne Park
1 Sunderland Avenue
Rose Bay
NSW 2029
Phone (02) 9371 0555
Website

Ta Fong Noodle House

This is our "regular" and I am actually quite surprised I haven't been back until now. But on this hot Saturday, we could think of nowhere better than some good old reliable Asian fare.

Food

We started off with the old favourite, Rare beef noodle soup (pho) ($7.00). The stock has great depth of flavour and the noodles are thin and slippery. Add onions, bean sprouts and some beef, and it's proof that simple is often the best. Next came the Chicken rice Hai Nam style ($7.00). This one was not the best, the rice being oily and the chicken fatty, but that great Hai Nam taste was a bit faint. Pretty soon, the Fresh prawn and vegetable fried noodles ($9.80) arrived. I was surprised that a few prawns came with this, as well as an assortment of tin veges (bamboo shoots, mushrooms, baby corn). The noodles were fine, but the sauce too oily and rich, overpowering the dish. Well, they've saved the best for last, the Vermicelli sheet with fried braised pork and salad ($8.50) was even better than we've last tasted. You take the crispy and juicy pork grilled over coal, wrap it in lettuce, add an assortment of mints, carrots, cucumbers and vermicelli, and pour a liberal amount of the sweet and sour nuoc cham sauce over the mix. And bite!

We washed all these down with their signature homemade soy-bean drinks. I prefer the nutty taste of the black bean while Slokky likes the mild taste of the white bean.

Stick with the Vietnamese offerings and you will be rewarded. I can also highly recommend their hot pots.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

This is one of the more spacious place on the joint. It's certainly cleaner than its neighbours, but there's usually a crowd. Turnover is quite quick however so that shouldn't be a problem.

Decor is the usual cheap Asian chic, with wooden laminate tables, a huge assortment of condiments and utensils fight for table space with the thermos tea jugs.

There's an assortment of people here, families, couples, singles. All seem to enjoy themselves, and when it quiet downs, you can usually hear some soppy canton pop playing in the background.

Rating - 1.5

Service

The staff speak multiple languages. They handled our requests for small bowls, drinks...etc without any fuss. They were also very willing to explain how to eat the vermicelli wraps to us too.

Rating - 3

C-factor

All up, the bill came to $40.20. It's not the cheapest Asian around but they always offer above average food and pretty good service. That's why I keep going back. Add good company to that - bliss.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13

Info

12B Henley Rd,
Homebush West
NSW 2140
Phone (02) 9746 5486

Arnotts Chocolate selection

Taste

This mixed pack from Arnotts is made up of:

• Tim Tam
• Gaiety
• Mint Slice
• Chocolate Teddy Bear
• Chocolate Monte
• Caramel Crowns

My favourite is the Gaiety because of the layers of crunchy wafer and hazelnut cream, combined with smooth milk chocolate, just ashamed about the name. The least favourite is the Caramel Crowns because of well...the caramel. Overall though, a very good pack of biscuits.

Rating - 7.5

Look

Quite seductive, all dark and chocolaty. The biscuits are neatly divided in sections. The only problem? How to reach the ones on the other side of the opened end!

Rating - 2

C-factor

$6.61 for 400g. Worthy for an occasional treat.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10.5

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Nestle Caramel Drumstick

Taste

I was a bit apprehensive when I went to Coles to stock up on Drumstick specials. However, when we got there, only the caramel flavour was left. First of all, readers of this blog will know that I am not a big fan of caramel, secondly, what's wrong with this flavour in that there's so much of this stock available but nothing for the other ones?

Luckily, I was surprised. The caramel was sweet, but it was crunchy and added great contrast to the smooth and creamy vanilla ice-cream.

Rating - 7.5

Look

I am not a fan, but the box does its job of keeping the ice-cream in good shape. I think over the years they've developed the packaging to a point where it is the easiest to eat an ice-cream cone.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

475 ml for $2.75 on special. Very good!

Rating - 1.5

Swiss Points - 10.5

Ingredients

water, milk solids, sugar, vegetable fat, flour, glucose syrup, skim milk concentrate, sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, emulsifier, malodextrin, vegetable gum, potato starch, flavours, malt, salt, mineral salt, colour

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Kellogg's Cereal

Taste

Out of all of Kellogg's cereals, I only ever really liked Just Right. On my most recent tasting however, I've had a change of heart. Sustain now takes out the honour of the best Kellogg's cereal I've tasted. The reason for me is that both Just Right and Sustain are pretty similar (as you can see from their ingredients), but just sultanas are so boring. I don't know what it is with Corn Flakes, it is a bit like eating cardboard. They are bland and not even that crunchy. And they're not even that good for you! Special K is actually better than Corn Flakes, but only just. At least it's actually low fat.

Rating - Sustain - 6.5, Just Right - 6, Corn Flakes - 3, Special K - 3.5

Look

The packaging of each is distinctive of course, but really, there are much sexier packaging out there. And my pet hate is, you can never keep the cereals in the box once it's opened anyway.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

I never really got why cereals are so expensive. Maybe it's the large amount of processing the ingredients go through? For a large-sized box they cost between $5-6. I'd rather pay more for some wholesome muesli anyday.

Rating - 0

Swiss Points - Sustain - 8, Just Right - 7.5, Corn Flakes - 4.5, Special K - 5

Ingredients

Sustain
cereals (69%) (wheat, corn, brown rice, rolled oats), fruit (14%) (sultanas, currants, dried apple), sugar, malt extract, sliced almonds (3%), wheatgerm, honey, salt vitamins, mineral, preservative
Just Right
cereals (69%0 (whole wheat, rolled oats, triticale), sultanas (17%), sugar, dried apricot piece (3.5%), malt extract, salt ,honey (0.1%), mineral, vitamins, preservative
Corn Flakes
corn (90%), sugar, malt extract, salt, vitamins, minerals
Special K
cereals (62%), [rice, wheat], wheat gluten, sugar, wheat flour, minerals [calcium carbonate, iron, zinc oxide], salt, barley malt extract, vitamins (niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, folate)

Available At

Supermarkets everywhere

Chestnut Glutinous Rice "fruit" cake

Taste

We got pretty addicted to mochis when we were in Japan, so have been looking for a fill ever since we got back. However, the ones imported from Japan were all very expensive, so we decided to try the Taiwanese product instead. The outer was a bit tougher than the Jap ones, but still pleasant. I can't really taste the chestnut filling, but the sweet sticky mess was ok, blending nicely with the glutinous outer.

Rating - 7

Look

Not as cool as the Jap version, the colour scheme is just tacky, and the drawings aren't cute enough! However, they still came individually wrapped for convenience.

Rating - 2

C-factor

300g for around $8, still expensive, but believe me, a lot cheaper than those made in Japan.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 10

Ingredients

black glutinous rice, sugar, maltose, jams, sorbitol, starch, natural flavours, emulsifier

Available At

Asian stores

Connoisseur Peachy Mango Perfection

Taste

Yet another supermarket product aim at the "high-end" of the market. The range from PB Foods also include ice-creams and desserts. I am a fan of their ice-cream, but I was very disappointed with this yoghurt offering. The peach flavour tastes very fake, the yoghurt was not thick or creamy enough, and there was so little of the peach and mango in this product! Very disappointing. The only thing that is good is that it is not as sweet as some other fruit yoghurts on the market.

Rating - 5.5

Look

Sexy black container with a curvy font. The twin-pack made it very easy to eat.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

2 * 150g for $2.60 at Coles. I wouldn't buy this at full price.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - 7.5

Ingredients

milk, peach mango fruit sauce 17%, cream, milk solids non fat, sugar, thickener, flavour, halal gelatine, emulsifiers, colours, cultures

Available At

Coles
Website

Michels Patisserie Cake

Taste

For a farewell today, we had a White Chocolate Celebration ganache from Michels. First off, just in case you haven't figured this out by now, let me get this out. I don't like white chocolate! So that's one strike for the cake. The outside is covered with cream, then with little white chocolate button. The inside is a vanilla pound cake. The cake was average - not quite dense or light, not quite dry but not that moist. If you pair it with the chocolate outer it gives a pleasant texture. The problem was, the cream and white chocolate was just revolting, really sweet, with none of the melt-in-your-mouth quality to the chocolate. What's more, it made you feel quite full after 1 slice because of the heavy cream.

On a b'day celebration, we had the Caramel Mud Cake which is more my cup of tea. In my opinion, it's the best cake from Michels. The sweet caramel topping mingled with buttery and moist mud cake. It wasn't as heavy as the cream, but one slice is definitely enough.

The next occasion, I tried were the Carrot cake ($26), very dark in colour, with a great nutty taste, and the cream cheese frosting was top rate. The Baked chocolate cheese cake ($24) was not too cheesy or chocolaty, a good cake to please everyone, but not me!

And another farewell, this time I got to choose the cake. My choice of the Apple & Rhubarb Crumble ($14.90) was the best thing I have tasted from Michels so far. The crumble mix was so crunchy and buttery, and the filling was not too sweet but still moist. The Chocolate Vanilla Deluxe Mousse Cake ($25.90 for medium) – chocolate and vanilla sponge with layers of chocolate mousse was not so great. It fell to the too sweet category again, and the sponge was really try and tasteless

Rating - Celebration - 3, Caramel - 7, Carrot -7, Chocolate Cheese - 5, Apple Crumble - 7.5, Mousse - 3

Look

The White Chocolate Celebration was not the most imaginative, white icing with shavings of milk chocolate in the centre, as well as a red rose. It certainly looked better than it tasted though.

The Caramel Mud Cake came with that nutty creamy colour, with Happy Birthday written in chocolate and little chocolate pieces on top, a winner.

The Carrot Cake was huge, and smothered with cream cheese and flakes of almond>

The Chocolate Cheese was beautiful, a swirl of brown and white.

Rating - Celebration - 0.5, Caramel - 1, Carrot - 1.5, Chocolate Cheese - 1.5

C-factor

$19.90 for a large sized Celebration, and $23.90 for the caramel Mud, $26 for carrot and $24 for chocolate cheese. $14.90 for the crumble and $25.90 for the mousse. Ok only 'cos it's free.

Rating - 0.5

Swiss Points - Celebration - 4, Caramel - 8.5, Carrot - 8.5, Chocolate Cheese - 6.5, Apple Crumble - 9, Mousse - 4

Available At

Michels Patisserie
Website

Glico Poare - Banana Custard

Taste

To the uninitiated, a Poare is a thin wafer stick, a bit like a straw, with the hollow inside filled with a chocolate like substance. This one, a banana custard, was the best of all the Poares and Pockys flavour I've tried, with the exception of black sesame of course. (See my Pocky Ranking). The custard has this sweetness that is very appropriate, and the smell of vanilla really complements the flavour. As always, I love the crunchy outer shell. The only problem is, once you eat one, it's hard to stop until you've finished the whole pack.

Rating - 8

Look

All Japanese products come with their cleaver packaging of course, and this one is of no exception. The cardboard box opens to reveal 2 individually sealed foil packages. So not only do they taste great, they look great.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

We got this 68g pack in Canada, which imported it from Japan, so I guess it's travelled a long way to get to my stomach.

Rating - 1

Swiss Points - 11.5

Ingredients

wheat flour, sugar, lactose, vegetable oil, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, dried egg yolk, condensed milk, shortening, salt , dextrin, soya lecithin, flavour, sodium bicarbonate, natural colour, citric acid

Available At

Large Asian and Japanese stores. Failing that, try just about any shop in Japan.

Pocky Chart

After our quest to try all the Pocky flavours in Japan, I've compiled this list of favourites.

CC

1. black sesame
2. poare banana custard
3. Mens
4. poare chocolate custard
5. soy
6. coconut
7. green tea
8. melon
9. almond
10. taro
11. pine

Slok

1. melon
2. black sesame
3. Mens
4. poare chocolate custard
5. green tea
6. milk
7. almond
8. coconut
9. soy
10. pine