The Impulsive Buy » Japan

WEEK IN REVIEWS – 12/10/2011

Marvo — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we follow.

You got your Tabasco in my chocolate! You got your chocolate in my Tabasco! Two great tastes that seem kind of weird together. (via Candyblog)

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her Greens & Whey. Along came a spider, who landed in the Greens & Whey beside her and its taste scared the spider away. (via Rodzilla Reviews)

Spoiler alert! The surprise in this Pure Protein Peanut Butter Caramel Surprise Bar is that it sucks. (via Crazy Food Dude)

Damn the Japanese and their foods that are too cute to eat. (via Japanese Snack Reviews)

Only a handful of you will get this reference: So move back ya self dread, you know the element. The Tribe is good for your health like a can of Nutrament. (via Foodette Reviews)

Image via flickr user ErinKhoo / CC BY 2.0

WEEK IN REVIEWS – 7/16/2011

Marvo — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 11:26:55 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we follow.

It turns out Canada has chip flavours that are more awesome than the ones we have in the United States. I’d like to recommend we trade the Stanley Cup for some of those Canadian chip flavours. (via Fat Guy Food Blog)

Whose tube do I have to suck in order to get some creamy goodness? Apparently, this one. (via Japanese Snack Reviews)

Arby’s new Angus Cool Deli Sandwich, with 35 grams of fat and 1,760 milligrams of sodium, doesn’t sound like Good Mood Food, it sounds like Good Belly Protrude Food. (via Dude Foods)

Subway makes a BBQ pulled pork sandwich. With that now a reality, I look forward to Subway’s unsatisfying attempt at another one of my favorite sandwiches — peanut butter and jelly. (via Tampa Bay Food Monster)

Reviewing 15 fast food condiments is impressive. I hope to top it by reviewing 16 condoms with mint. (via An Immovable Feast)

Image via flickr user rubenerd / CC BY SA 2.0

WEEK IN REVIEWS – 4/16/2011

Marvo — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we follow.

I’ve eaten bananas. I’ve sucked on many banana Slurpees. I’ve put on Banana Boat sunscreen. I’ve put a condom on a banana. I own clothes from Banana Republic. I have a 45 rpm record of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer.” But I’ve never consumed a banana soda. (via Thirsty Dudes)

It looks like two chocolate bunnies have been going at it like rabbits. (via Candyblog)

Boy Bawang sounds like a Filipino boy band or the name of an extremely young-looking Southeastern Asian male prostitute. I have no idea what “bawang” means, and the review I linked to would probably include a translation, but I’m just going to leave it to my imagination. (via Food Junk)

Chick-fil-A attempts oatmeal. I hope they attempt beef next. (via Tampa Bay Food Monster)

Frito-Lay Japan has a Heinz ketchup-flavored corn snack in a package that looks like a giant ketchup packet. I wonder if I’m going to struggle to open it using my fingers and then get so frustrated that I’m forced to use my teeth. (via Japanese Snack Reviews)

Image via flickr user keepon / CC BY 2.0

NEWS: McDonald’s Japan Creates New Line of ‘Big America’ Burgers That May Create A Big Japan

Marvo — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:41:35 +0000

Last year, McDonald’s Japan started the Big America campaign with limited edition burgers that captured the flavors of Texas, New York, California and Hawaii. This year, they’re doing the Big America promotion again with a new lineup of burgers. Texas and New York are represented again with the Texas Burger 2 and Manhattan Burger, while the rest of the Big America line up consists of the Burger Idaho and the Miami Burger.

Texas Burger 2 has chili beans, bacon, onions on top of the middle bun found in the Big Mac. Underneath all that, a Quarter Pounder patty sits on top of a slice of American cheese and mustard relish. Burger Idaho is made up of a quarter-pound beef patty, mustard, bacon, onions, cheese, a peppery sauce, and a hash brown in-between an onion bun. The Miami Burger is part taco and part hamburger, and it contains a quarter-pound beef patty with lettuce, tortilla chips, shredded cheese and a chili sauce in between a bun. Finally, the Manhattan Burger combines a beef patty with mozzarella cheese, lettuce, onions, sour cream sauce and a slice of pastrami in a bun.

The burgers are available for a limited time only in Japan ,which makes me wish I knew someone in Japan who is willing to ship one to me via overnight delivery in dry ice, and also pay for that expensive delivery.

Source: Inventor Spot

Image via flickr user samurai-errante2 / CC BY SA 2.0

NEWS: Pepsi Japan To Release Another Limited Edition Flavor, Pepsi America Still Won’t Re-Release Crystal Pepsi

Marvo — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 10:24:01 +0000

Next month, Pepsi Japan will release the limited edition Pepsi Mont Blanc, which, sadly, will not taste like Montblanc pen ink.

The soda’s sweet chestnut flavor is inspired by the Mont Blanc dessert, which is made with pureed chestnuts and whipped cream.

At the rate Pepsi Japan pumps out limited edition sodas, if the Japanese get a limited edition version of Crystal Pepsi or Holiday Spice Pepsi before the United States does, I’m going to punch a Japanese man in the face.

And since I’m the closest Japanese man near me, I’ll be punching myself like the bullies made me do in elementary school.

Pepsi Mont Blanc will be made in limited numbers and available in Japan in 490 ml bottles for 140 yen starting on October 26th.

Or if you live in the United States, they will be available in 490 ml bottles for five to seven US dollars plus shipping on October 25th on eBay.

REVIEW: Pepsi Strong Shot

Marvo — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:25:56 +0000

When I first received the Pepsi Strong Shot from Japan, I instantly noticed the five warnings printed all over it. But because my ability to read Japanese is so poor that my college Japanese professors should deeply bow their heads in shame for passing my Japanese illiterate ass, I didn’t know what they were warning me about.

Perhaps the can contains an evil tengu. Or a tentacled demon that wants to stick its tentacles in every single one of my orifices to torture me. Or maybe it’s a Pokemon. Or perhaps it’s telling me I watch too much anime at Crunchyroll.

After doing some research on the internets, I learned the warnings on the Pepsi Strong Shot tell potential drinkers that it’s HIGHLY CARBONATED and we should wait 15 seconds before opening it.

Really? Honto ni?

Does extra carbonation really warrant the five warnings printed on the can that’s four and a half inches tall? Because, seriously, the best case scenario from opening the can would be thirst quenching. The worst case scenario? A little more burping.

However, if the can’s warnings said it contained a tentacled demon, I believe the multiple warnings would be justified. Because the worst case scenario from opening the can would be a tentacle entering every hole in my body at the same time. The best case scenario? A tentacle entering every hole in my body at the same time, but leaving a three dollar tip after it’s done.

The Pepsi Strong Shot not only contains extra carbonation, it also includes extra caffeine. However, I’m not sure how much caffeine, since, again, I’m quite illiterate when it comes to Japanese. But I did get a small energy boost from it. Although, I have to admit, tentacles slithering into every hole in my head would do a better job of waking me up.

Even with a small energy boost, the Pepsi Strong Shot isn’t worth it, whether you pay 120 yen for a can in Japan or five dollars a can plus shipping via eBay from an expat living in Japan. It tastes just like regular Pepsi and the extra carbonation is probably the worst Japan Pepsi gimmick ever. I expected something spectacular from the company that developed cucumber and baobab flavored sodas.

The only thing the extra carbonation did was provide a little more pressure than usual when opening the can. If I want a Pepsi that provides a little more pressure when opening it, I’ll just get a regular can of Pepsi and shake it a bit. Even after it explodes, it’ll still probably have more soda left than what’s in the Pepsi Strong Shot’s small can.

(Nutrition Facts – 100 ml – 47 kcal, 0 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, 10 milligrams of sodium, 11.7 grams of carbohydrates.)

(NOTE: Thanks to Orchid64 from Japanese Snack Reviews for sending me the Pepsi Strong Shot.)

More Pepsi Strong Shot reviews:
Mike’s Blender
Crunchgear

Item: Pepsi Strong Shot
Price: 120 yen (about $1.35 US)
Size: 190 ml
Purchased at: A store in Japan
Rating: 4 out of 10
Pros: Tastes like regular Pepsi. Caffeine gave me a small energy boost. 0 grams of fat. Tentacled demons leaving a tip. Crunchyroll.
Cons: Nothing spectacular from the company that made cucumber and baobab flavored sodas. Extra carbonation is the worst Pepsi Japan gimmick ever. Excessive amount of unnecessary warnings. A demon’s tentacle entering every hole in my body at the same time. Available only in Japan. Being Japanese illiterate despite 2.5 years of college Japanese.

REVIEW: Pepsi Baobab

Marvo — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:37:45 +0000

Do you know what the baobab in Pepsi Baobab is?

If you do, congratulations and I suggest you keep that nugget of knowledge in your head if you ever end up in the Cash Cab, get a call from one of your friends in the Cash Cab, get hailed by a complete stranger who is in the Cash Cab or if you want people to think you’re a pretentious douche.

For those of you who don’t know what a baobab is, let me be a pretentious douche and tell you it’s a tree that’s native to Madagascar, Australia and Africa. It’s also known as the bottle tree, upside-down tree and monkey bread tree. In Africa, it’s common to eat the baobab’s fruits and leaves, but that’s not the case in other countries.

And oh yeah…DUH!

If you’re a regular reader of The Impulsive Buy, you know I have a thing for redheads and limited edition Pepsi products from Japan. Over the past few years, I’ve subjected myself to whatever the flavorologists at Pepsi Japan have come up with to dare their fellow Japanese citizens to drink. In 2007, it was Pepsi Ice Cucumber. In 2008, it was Pepsi Blue Hawaii. Last year, it was Pepsi Shiso. This year, it’s Pepsi Baobab.

Now I don’t know what baobab tastes like because I’m not able to buy-o a bag-o of baobab from my local African shaman or Whole Foods. However, if actual baobab tastes like Pepsi Baobab, then I may just have to make it worth my African shaman’s while to get me some.

The beverage has a pleasant and light citrus scent. Its flavor is also light, starting off with orange and then followed with a grapefruit-ish back end. It was surprisingly refreshing. However, by the time I reached halfway through the bottle it started to become a little chemical tasting. It’s like I’m sucking on the fingers of a French maid, not the role play kind one would pay an extra $200 to get, I’m talking an actual rubber glove-wearing French maid who has been cleaning the kitchen counter with a citrus scented cleaner. I think this is because the warmer it gets, the less tasty it becomes.

Of the four limited edition Japanese Pepsi flavors I’ve tried, I have to say that Pepsi Baobab is my favorite, but not by much. Its citrus flavor makes it taste a lot more normal than the others, but the chemical taste I experienced makes it a little unsavory. Another item that bothers me is the fact that it’s marketed as a cola, but I couldn’t detect any cola flavor. I wish next year they introduce a limited edition Pepsi with a little cola flavor, and I hope it’s called Pepsi Octopus and it’s black and ink flavored.

(Nutrition Facts – 100 ml – 42 kcal, 0 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, 15 milligrams of sodium and 10.5 grams of carbohydrates.)

Here are other Pepsi Baobab reviews:
Japanese Snack Reviews
Mike’s Blender
SarahJoyAlbrecht.com

(NOTE: I’d like to thank Reid for picking up a few bottles of Pepsi Baobab for me during his visit to Japan (along with a variety of KitKats). I’d also like to thank Meredith for taking the time to mail me a couple of bottle of Pepsi Baobab from Japan.)

Item: Pepsi Baobab
Price: FREE
Size: 500 ml
Purchased at: From a convenience store in Japan
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Nice light citrus scent. Surprisingly refreshing citrus flavor. Fat free. Paying an extra $200 to get a French Maid. Cool people willing to pick up things from foreign countries to send/give to you. Having access to an African shaman. Cash Cab.
Cons: Only available in Japan (and if you’re willing to pay crazy shipping fees — eBay). It has a slightly unpalatable chemical flavor when it gets a little warm. No cola flavor. Sucking on the rubber glove-covered hands of a French maid. Being a pretentious douche.

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 1/9/2010

Marvo — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 10:00:44 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

I’m disappointed Candyblog didn’t try to lace up a pair of sneakers with these toffee laces from Ikea. (via Candyblog)

I can make bon bons at home!?! All I need now is a slave to feed them to me and a couple more slaves to fan me with gigantic leaves. (via Supermarket Eats)

Fermented soybeans, rice & barley + Kit Kat = Yum (via Tasty Japan)

There will be a time in my life when I have to choose between good or evil…at Chick-fil-A. (via Grub Grade & Frozen Food Journal)

One of my favorite words to say is soufflé. Another one of my favorite words to say is incestuous. (via Heat Eat Review)

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 10/24/2009

Marvo — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:00:30 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

I don’t trust eggs with microwaves, much like I don’t trust leprechauns with pots of gold. (via Freezer Burns)

You know what would go great with microwaved eggs? Fake bacon. If Dr. Seuss were alive, I think he would’ve written a book about the combo. (via The Skinny Plate)

Oh, the memories. I remember when Hot Mango used to be my stage name. (via Jim’s Chocolate Mission)

It’s Weird Japanese Kit Kat Review Week on the internets: Roasted Sweet Potato, Miso and Ginger Ale Lemon. (via Jen Ken’s Kit Kat Blog and Japanese Snack Reviews)

These shipping labels will come in handy when I want to reuse Amazon.com boxes for shipping my old porn…I mean…shipping new porn to people. (via Office Supply Geek)

Microwave oven photo via Flickr user wallslide/ / CC BY 2.0

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 10/17/2009

Marvo — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:00:18 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs we like.

If there’s one thing small beer companies know how to do better than the big beer companies, it’s give their beers names that sound unappetizing and not refreshing. (via TBQ)

If it seems like I link to a lot of Japanese Kit Kat reviews, I do. I’m just fascinated with Nestle Japan’s ability to churn out new flavors, like the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat, at the rate they do. It’s like they have Kit Kat fertility drugs or something. (via Jen Ken’s Kit Kat Blog)

I’m poor and hungry, so I have no standards. I would totally wrap my lips around a cheap microwaveable burrito. Heck, I’d take two of them in my mouth, if I could. (via Frozen Food Journal)

If I want a Milky Way shake I’ll just stick ice cream, some whole milk and ~~one~~ ~~two~~ ~~an entire bag of Fun Sized~~ three Milky Way bars in a blender. (via Chocolate Thunder)

This truly looks like a wiener in a blanket. (via Japanese Snack Reviews)

Cute moose/duck photo via Flickr user dotpolka / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 6/27/2009

Marvo — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:00:32 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs wrapped in an HTML shell and served with immature writing.

Oh, great…Now Lil Jon has Japanese chocolates. Oh wait. I’m being told they’re not Lil Jon’s. Thank goodness because I think Japanese people with jeweled grills would look as ridiculous as everyone else who wears them. (via Candy Addict)

Wow. Talk about deviation. Taco Bell puts potatoes in a burrito and not one of the usual dozens of other ingredients they put in everything else. Bravo, Taco Bell! Bravo! (via Would I Buy It Again)

I may not have tried McDonald’s latest Angus burgers, but I once received an angry letter from McDonald’s corporate threatening legal action regarding a column I wrote when I worked at my college’s school newspaper. (via We Rate Stuff)

Michael Bay has a profoundly tiny dick? That would not only explain the huge explosions in his movies, but also so much more. (via Pajiba)

Speaking of obscenely large items, here’s a jumbo binder clip. Finally, I can now keep my 300-page manifesto together with one jumbo binder clip, instead of two large binder clips. (via Office Supply Geek)

(Note: Lil Jon photo via Flickr)

REVIEW: Green Tea Coke Plus With Catechin

Marvo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:13:39 +0000

It’s hard to imagine why it’s taken so long for the Japanese makers of Coke to come up with the Green Tea Coke Plus with Catechin. After all, the Japanese love green tea. They love it HARD. I think they love it just as much as smoking, manga, short schoolgirl skirts, posing for pictures and physically abusive game shows.

I’m also surprised the American makers of Coke didn’t come up with it sooner because, as they’ve proven time and time again, they’ll shoehorn almost anything into their cola. They’ll shoehorn it HARD. Some ingredients they’ve added to Coke or Diet Coke include: coffee, vanilla, black cherry, lime, lemon, Splenda, cherry and zeros.

Although it doesn’t specifically say on its label, the Green Tea Coke Plus with Catechin is really less like regular Coke and more like either Diet Coke or Coke Zero since it contains artificial sweeteners and no calories. Despite its name, it doesn’t contain vitamins like the U.S. version of Diet Coke Plus. The “plus” in this soda’s name is either for the catechins the green tea provides or it’s being marketed to sumo wrestlers.

Catechins are antioxidants and are mostly found in teas, but also in some chocolates. Studies have shown that catechins prevent plaque from building up on artery walls, some forms of cancer and aging. In my personal studies with catechins and green tea, it seems to turn me into a pompous ass by making me extend my pinky outward when drinking tea.

The Green Tea Coke Plus’ smell and initial flavor reminds me of the American version of Coke Zero, but not as prominent, which doesn’t surprise me because Coke from Japan tends to have a slightly muted flavor compared with their American counterparts. The green tea flavor doesn’t kick in until a few moments later, but when it does, it’s subtle and without any of the bitterness that green tea is known for.

Being someone who enjoys Coke Zero, I enjoyed the flavor of the Green Tea Coke Plus with Catechin, although I wish it had a little bit more green tea flavor. As for the catechins, I think you’d be better off drinking cups of regular green tea because there’s probably not a significant amount of catechins in each bottle of Green Tea Coke Plus, unlike green tea itself.

But overall, I like it HARD.

(Note: Orchid64, who purchased and sent the Green Tea Coke Plus for me, also reviewed it, along with Mike’s Blender. Also, below is a stupid experiment I did with the second bottle of Green Tea Coke Plus I had. It’s stupid because I totally wasted a good bottle of soda that’s hard for me to obtain. Enjoy my wastefulness.)

Item: Green Tea Coke Plus With Catechin
Price: 147 yen
Size: 500 ml
Purchased at: Received from Orchid64
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: I like it HARD. Tastes like Coke Zero. No calories. Easy to drink. I guess some catechins are better than no catechins. Green tea. Short schoolgirl skirts on women 18 years old or older. Japanese game shows.
Cons: Only available in Japan. Not enough green tea flavor for me. Not sure how much catechins it provides, but it’s probably not much. Wasting a perfectly good bottle of soda with a stupid dated Mentos experiment.

REVIEW: Nestle Soy Sauce Kit Kat

Marvo — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:00:22 +0000

DISGRACE!

I demand the limited edition Japanese Soy Sauce Kit Kat commit seppuku right now, because it’s nothing like what I expected.

What did I expect?

I thought the whole Soy Sauce Kit Kat was going to come in the color of death, much like actual soy sauce. I’m not talking about just black or the color of eyeliner around Pete Wentz’s eyes, I’m talking about a black so dark that it’s only found in black holes and in the chest cavity of those who kill kittens and puppies for pleasure.

I wanted it to be so black that if I were to touch it, I would either wither and turn into a pile of dust or my fingers would end up in an alternate universe where dinosaurs still roam the lands and Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have their own reality show called Survivor: Heidi and Spencer Trapped on an Island Forever With Hungry Dinosaurs.

Instead it has a white chocolate exterior and a tan wafer interior.

While the Soy Sauce Kit Kat didn’t come in a color that was blacker than the void where Simon Cowell’s heart is supposed to be, I thought it was going to have a strong salty soy sauce flavor that’s so real that I would want to melt each Kit Kat finger down to liquid form and dip my spicy tuna roll or salmon nigirizushi into it. But the Soy Sauce Kit Kat doesn’t have a hint of soy sauce flavor, instead it has a strong maple syrup scent and taste.

WTF, Japan!

I expected, nay, I wanted to be disgusted by this flavor of Kit Kat. I also wanted to brag about how I was man enough to consume a salty, black Kit Kat that made my saliva glands close shut by getting a t-shirt that said, “I Survived a Soy Sauce Kit Kat.” But no, Nestle, the makers of Kit Kat in Japan had to rain on my parade and sic Godzilla on my floral floats and marching bands.

Now I’m stuck with a box of delicious tasting, crispy, maple syrup-flavored, white chocolate Kit Kat, which is the complete opposite of what I wanted. The only thing that kind of disgusted me was the unusually long length of time the maple syrup flavor lingered in my mouth, but it didn’t make me gag like a salty soy sauce flavored candy would’ve.

What are those crazy bastards in Japan going to do to mess with my taste buds next time? A Natto (fermented soybeans) Kit Kat that tastes like cotton candy? A Seaweed Kit Kat with a caramel flavor?

DISGRACE!

(Note: The AV Club reviewed these last year.)

Item: Nestle Soy Sauce Kit Kat
Price: FREE
Size: 12-pack
Purchased at: Received from parents
Rating: 7 out of 10
Pros: Nice maple syrup flavor. Crispy. Heidi and Spencer being eaten by dinosaurs. The variety of Kit Kat flavors in Japan. Being able to say I ate something disgusting.
Cons: Doesn’t have a hint of soy sauce flavor. Doesn’t come in the color of death. Fingers are smaller than regular sized Kit Kat. Hard to find outside of Japan. The maple syrup flavor lingered in my mouth longer than I wanted it to. Limited edition. Having your parade attacked by Godzilla.

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 5/9/2009

Marvo — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:00:18 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs wrapped in an HTML shell and served with immature writing.

I’ve tried this pricey toothpaste before and me likey because it’s refreshing and it combines my name with my twin sister’s name. Wonder Twin powers, activate! (via +/-)

Tuna + Mayo + Corn + Pizza = Pass (via Japanese Snack Reviews)

Can’t stop staring at cans. (via Possessed by Caffeine)

I hope this bring us one step closer to making energy bacon a reality. (via Energy Drink Ratings)

Speaking of bacon, I was hoping that this chicken wrapped in bacon would be awesome, but it proves the cardinal rule of bacon — it makes everything better — wrong. I weep with sadness. (via Freezer Burns)

THE WEEK IN REVIEWS – 3/14/2009

Marvo — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:00:09 +0000

Here are a few product reviews posted this week from other blogs wrapped in an HTML shell and served with immature writing.

I have a crush on the Chocolate Crush Pocky…AAAAAAAAGH!!! Someone shoot me before I turn into Gene Shalit! (via The Japanese Crush Pocky)

Sadly, I will never have the opportunity to wrap my sexy lips around the Dunkin Donuts Breakfast Sandwich. Instead I’m stuck with replacing the muffin on my Sausage and Egg McMuffin with Eggo Waffles. (via Grub Grade)

When did energy drinks become gangsta? Is it the new malt liquor? Is it appropriate to “pour one for my homies”? (via Taurine Rules)

It doesn’t matter which chocolate covered raisin is better, you will probably choke on both of them in the theater when you see Doctor Manhattan’s blue schlong in the Watchmen. (via Second Rate Snacks)

Maybe I’m impatient, but I believe anything that takes 20 minutes to heat up in the microwave defeats the purpose of it being microwaveable. (via Freezer Burns)