Nihon Cravings

Nihon: Japan

This has GOT to be my longest food review entry EVER! And it took me ONE WHOLE MONTH to do this review. Wanna know why? Continue reading.

Four months ago, my dad went on a trip I would kill your dog for. Hokkaido, Japan.

Before you start bashing me on being a Japanese freak, one who blindly supports Japanization because they build the best gadgets in the world, produce the best drama series, draw and make the best anime, prepare and cook the best food (I love sushi and unagi kabayaki), have the cutest girls and own the coolest, if not weirdest, designs for outfits; NO, I DO NOT love Japan for all those awesome things they have.

Japan is a country so full of culture with beautiful scenic views,




it is the first country that promoted Cherry Blossom season and festival (Sakura festival – a time when people gather under cherry blossom trees for a picnic while millions of cherry blossom petals falls hence producing a pink-ish snowing effect as your backdrop as you sink your teeth into those delicious Unigai Roll);




also it is where my favourite food of all time originated – sashimi (raw fish) and unagi(eel).

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Apart from loving Canon camera to death (though I would love to own one of those expensive Nikon DSLRs), and apart from being an anime freak; it is a country where prostitution is HIV-free!! And a country where you get to buy used-panties with yellowish stains from vending machines along the red light district of Tokyo!! (not that it matters to me anyway anyhow)

I mean, there are so many things in Japan that is one of its kinds, there are so many things in Japan that are ahead of its time, its fashion, food, art, technology, etc. Just look at Gwen Stefani,




all she did is to adopt *cough*copy*cough* Harajuku style from Japan, import some Japanese chicks to be her backup dancers for an entire album and boom, she’s now the top celebrity fashion designer cum singer cum trend setter in the states, might as well conquer the world now while she can.

So after much naggings about not being able to go along with him to one of the most beautiful place in Japan and taste the best salmon sashimi, my dad felt guilty enough to bring back two luggages full of Japanese titbits for me.

I was a little comforted. I said a little. Don’t push it.

So before I packed my bags and moved into KL, I locked myself in the room and underwent the toughest experiment of all time.

To go through each and every single of those sinful tit bits so I can write this review months ago. It’s a tough task, but someone has got to do it.

Share the love they say.

Share the love I shall.

First, it is this white chocolate covered almond thingy,




I would know the name if I can fully understand Japanese.




The chocolate is lightly coated with powder, or icings, or both.




The almond inside is very crunchy and nicely roasted, the outer chocolate is rather fragrant, though I prefer dark chocolate anytime, this white chocolate is not too sweet.

Nicolekiss rating: 3.5/5


Then the next one is a chocolate covered crunchy corn bite.



I really like this because the corn flavor is really tasteful, and the chocolate really complements it.




Have to be careful when eating this, before you know, you will unwrap one after another and soon the whole box is gone.

Nicolekiss rating: 4/5


Next, my dad bought this because his tour guide went to Japan and bought nothing but this box of 'cookies'.




The reason I put inverted comma on the cookies, because I really do not know how to name it other than, well, cookies.




It's very soft, too soft to be any sort of biscuits, but too biscuit-looking to be a cake.




All I know, it is FREAKING NICE! Serious, it is so soft, when you chew, it just crumble and melt (at the same time!) into your mouth. I reckon the paste is custard mix with raisins.

Nicolekiss rating: 5/5


This next one is chocolate.



The box is drawn to look like cow skin.





The chocolates are wrapped in cow black and white patches design and it shapes like a milk tin.





Design wise, I would give this a 9 out of 10. It's nice to look and has my fav choc - dark choc.




The content taste like milk, even better! Dark chocolate and milk, what better combination. The only problem with this box of chocolate is that it looks so cute, I don't have the heart to eat it. T_T

Nicolekiss rating: 4.5/5


Then comes my favourite titbits of all time!




This is a huge bag. Cost aroundf RM38 and comes with very convenient small packagings.







It is crunchy, a bit salty, a bit sweet, taste like... erm... pistachio? There's peanuts inside (I think it's peanuts). And the best thing! You will never get tired of these little buggers!!! It is so nice you can eat it forever, the best type of titbits for all ages.

Nicolekiss rating: 5/5


Okay, next.







Among all, this is probaly the most boring chocolate. It taste just like any other milk chocolate.



The packaging is cute. But other than that, that's it.

Nicolekiss rating: 2/5


Mind I remind you all these chocolates and snacks are from Hokkaido, though I don't know whether you can only buy them from Hokkaido or other places in Japan or other countries out of Japan. But I must say, Japanese has the coolest design in chocolates, even when the chocolates are disgusting.










One corn flavor and the other honey melon flavor. Both are my least favorite flavor in a chocolate. I like corn, but not corn by-product, like corn ice-cream, yuck!

Nicolekiss rating: 1/5


Okay, this is plentiful. But I have to go on. Next!




When I first looked at this packaging, the box was a bit torned, and it kinda look dodgy then.




Even the packaging wasn't really impressive, it looked like some dodgy manufacturer trying to create some dodgy designs to sell some dodgy chocolates.




The brand is from MERCI, I have heard of MEIJI, but not MERCI, sounds familiar, maybe someone mentioned to me somewhere before. I can't recall. The chocolate balls looks cute enough, so I just popped one into my mouth.




OMG, this chocolate can kill. It is so NICE can die! The inside is actually dried blueberry, but the flavor of those berries retained and the chocolate outside does not taste like your typical over sweetened white chocolate. I finished this box in two days!

Nicolekiss rating: 4.5/5


This corn thingy might looked similar to the one above.




Well, it is not.




This one is covered in white chocolate!




Don't judge but I never knew switching from milk chocolate to white chocolate over the same corn crunch can make such a difference!

This is absolutely a hit for me and my parents.

Nicolekiss rating: 4.5/5


Finally, the last one.




I like the box, it's unique and cute.




It's meant to be chocolate balls of cappucino flavor with macadamia nuts inside.



Well, I don't really like coffee, and I don't really like macadamias. So personally, I don't like this chocolate. Though I have to say the cappucino flavor is rather strong and maybe a bit too sweet, maybe others might like this more than I do.

Nicolekiss rating: 1.5/5



Now you know why I gained weight.