MUSH Overnight Oats

The concept of overnight oats turns off a lot of people.  Simple concept: take oats, add milk of your choice (sometimes yogurt), soak overnight, eat chilled from the fridge.  "Mushy old oatmeal?", I remember my mom saying when I tried to explain them to her.  "Who wants cold congealed oatmeal?", etc.  But for those familiar with bircher style muesli, the concept makes more sense, although they see overnight oats as super basic and lacking ... just milk base?  What about the citrus you should soak it with?

While I embraced overnight oats during a healthy phase I went through 15 or so years ago, I didn't really expect the general American public to, but, they did.  Just like instant oatmeal, you can buy overnight oats packets that you just add milk to and mix up the night before and place in your fridge.  No measuring required, and they often come with flavorings and mix-ins.  And now, ready-made refrigerated overnight oats exist in the cooler section at supermarkets, side by side with the plethora of yogurts.  Several leading brands have emerged, but MUSH seems to be pretty dominant.

Packaging.

"Ready-to-eat oats are different than traditional oatmeal in that they are never cooked. At MUSH, we soak old fashioned oats in almond, coconut, or oat milk. The resulting product is just as easy to digest as traditional oatmeal but is more nutrient dense. We haven't cooked off the vitamins and minerals. No need to heat, just eat!"

Mush makes a variety of flavors, and one thing I found frustrating is that you can't tell from the variety name which type of milk base it uses without reading the ingredients panel.  All use alternative milks, and all are gluten-free.  Flavors range from the basic vanilla bean or maple cinnamon, to fruity strawberry/blueberry/apple cinnamon, to decadent dark chocolate, peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate, or pb&j (yes, they went all in on the peanut butter varieties!).  Some use coconut milk, others almond milk, and others oat.  All use fairly minimal ingredients.

They suggest eating them chilled, but do mention that you can heat them if you wish, transferring to different packaging of course.

Dark Chocolate.

"It only tastes indulgent. MUSH Dark Chocolate Overnight Oats is a blissful blend of real cocoa powder, dates, nutrient-rich oats and silky smooth almond milk for a treat that’s hard to resist but easy to feel good about. Breakfast, dessert, or a 2pm snack…clean ingredients and 7g of protein make it the anytime treat that still keeps you firing on all cylinders."

I really wanted to love these.  But ... I didn't.  The texture of the oats is fine, soft, overnight oats after all.  Although they look creamy, the almond milk really isn't that creamy, I wanted more richness.  The almond milk flavor is fine, but more dominant is the dates.  Chocolate is there, but dominated by the dates too.

So ... reasonable texture oats, not creamy enough, ok flavors, but too much date and not enough chocolate.  I added fresh berries, cocoa nibs, and eventually whipped cream, but I wouldn't get these again.  **.

Read More...

Sweet Lu, Sydney

When I visit Sydney, I often find myself having the opportunity to order cake for my co-workers.  This important task ranges from smaller 20 person parties, to those of about 100 or so.  At this point, when the locals see me in the office, they ask when cake day is.  Yes, I have a reputation.  Over the years, I have sourced the goods from a variety of places, having settled on Saga Bakery the past few years for the true show stoppers.  Before that, when Uncle Tetsu first opened in Sydney, I introduced my team to that style of cheesecake.  This time, when I visited, it was time to introduce my co-workers to another trendy dessert: crepe cakes.

I was talking to one of my teammates based in Sydney, and he mentioned never having a crepe cake before.  I explained that the trend had taken off in the US a few years prior, and Sydney, with all its trendy desserts, must clearly be on board.  I immediately started looking and found very few places offering crepe cakes, only two actually. I was surprised, because the dessert game in general is so strong in Sydney.  Give it another year?

Anyway, one of the two choices was Sweet Lu, with a convenient location in Chinatown.  I went to visit my first night in town to scope it out, and the lines were long, the place was bustling.  Definitely a good sign.  

"Treats for every occasion bringing warmth and sweetness to your life."

Sweet Lu is not just a bakery, it is a "Boutique Dessert House", offering cakes, filled croissants, and their signature item, little egg tarts with interesting toppings, such as durian marshmallow or boba pearls, in addition to the crepe cakes I was seeking out.  I am *very* curious about the tarts, particularly as I have a hard time imagining the durian and marshmallow combination ...

"Handmade with love using premium ingredients showcasing the best our local farmers have on offer. Perfect for any occasion!"

Sweet Lu has been in business since 1997, and prides itself on quality, local ingredients.  I tried a number of items, and every single one seemed like it had been baked fresh that morning, the fruity elements were perfectly ripe, and the cream was rich in all the right ways.

Delivery Packaging.

Since I ordered multiple full size cakes, I had them delivered, which was easy to arrange directly through the bakery online.  My jaw dropped when I saw the cakes lined up in my building reception.  Each one came on a sturdy base, with a clear plastic box around it, bound by ribbon, with a custom cake serving set on top.  They were remarkably well packaged and displayed, and I really appreciated that I didn't need to transfer to another tray or platter to serve.

Party Kit (included, or $15 additional).

"Big gathering? Create the perfect place setting for your celebration. Each pack contains our premium signature Sweet Lu serving knife, candle, plates (x5) and forks (x5)."

Each cake came complete with a party kit, with 5 tiny little plates and 2 prong forks, a birthday crown, candles, and matches, and a serving knife.  While I didn't need the birthday components, and the plates were far too tiny for our desired portion sizes, the cake cutter in particular was a very welcome addition.  The server and forks all had custom Sweet Lu branding.  

Awesome to have this included, and you can purchase extra sets for $15. 

Chiffon Cakes

Sweet Lu does not just make the crepe cakes I had sought out, they also make chiffon cakes (and I suspect made those long before introducing crepe cakes).

"Light as air Chiffon cakes laced with fresh whipped cream in a range of flavours. Perfect to enjoy for everyone!"

Sweet Lu's chiffon cakes are all elaborately decorated, with interesting fillings and flavors.  On the fruity side there is wintermelon, blueberry, strawberry, rose and lychee, and fig and berry.  Chocolate lovers have the Oreo chocolate, and for the truly over the top there is the earl grey milk tea cake with "oozing molten earl grey lava custard centre".  I was tempted to get the later for my group, but, I worried it would be too messy.

I got one full size chiffon cake for my group, along with 2 additional slices for myself.

Strawberry. $12.80.

"Our Signature Strawberry chiffon cake layered with fresh strawberries and clouds of fresh whipped cream."

The most boring, and lightest, of the cakes was the strawberry chiffon, with layers of plain chiffon cake, strawberries, and whipped cream.  The cake was light and airy, chiffon style, not a dense American style butter or sponge cake.  The whipped cream was fresh and fluffy.  The strawberries were juicy and ripe.  It reminded me a bit of strawberry shortcake when people make it using an angel food cake rather than biscuit base.  The ratios of cake to cream were exactly as I wanted.  

The elements of this were all good, but its not a cake I'd pick for myself, as when I want cake, I want dense buttery sponge cake with copious buttercream, not something light like this, and when I want fruit and cream, I want a shortcake biscuit with it, not chiffon cake.  But nothing to fault with the execution of the cake, just a preference thing.  My least favorite, but still a good cake.  ***+.

Rose Lychee. $12.80.

"Pillowy soft chiffon cake with Lychee and finished with Rose Cream."

Next up was the rose lychee chiffon cake I had considered getting for my group, as it sounded great to me, but, no one else was interested in rose and lychee flavors, so, I got a slice just for myself.

The construction of this cake was less perfect than the previous, with some layers of the chiffon cake thicker than others, and quite a bit of back frosting/cream.  The cake however was much the same, light and moist, same with the cream.  In with the cream was sweet and fruity fresh lychee, and everything had a subtle, floral, lovely rose flavor.  This one ate a bit sweeter than the strawberry cake, but still wasn't an overly sweet cake.  The lychee added nice texture as well.

The rose and lychee were a sophisticated and inviting flavor mix, and I liked this one considerably more than the strawberry cake, even though, on the surface, they were much the same.  ****.

Fig & Berry Cake. 8 inch. $169.00.

"Fresh figs topping pillowy soft chiffon cake layered with fresh raspberries, blueberries and strawberries encased with cheese and raspberry fresh cream." 

For my group, I went for a crowd pleasing non-controversial flavor that still sounded good to me, the Fig & Berry cake, which sounded much like the strawberry cake, but, with raspberries, blueberries, and figs on the top, and instead of just plain whipped cream, it had cheese and raspberry cream.  It was a beautifully decorated cake, dusted with icing sugar as well.  It was however lacking any of the promised figs.

This was our highest priced cake, at $169, but, it was clear more effort went into the decorating of this one.

Berry Cake: Cross Section.

Here you can see the construction of the cake.  Again, three layers of light, moist chiffon cake, with plenty of raspberry whipped cream all around and in-between the layers.  The fresh fruit element (berries only, no figs!) was the decoration on top, and continued in the center of the cake between the layers. 

I felt much the same way about this as I did the strawberry cake.  Yes, the chiffon cake was a nice chiffon cake, and the cream was so fresh, but ... that's just boring to me.  The fresh fruit was nice, and all perfectly ripe, but it would have been better to have the berries not just in the center, and more distributed to the edges between the layers.  I didn't taste the listed cheese element in the cream either.

So, not quite as described on the menu (no fig, no cheese), and a touch boring, but nothing really to fault with the execution of what it was.  I liked it slightly more than the one with just strawberry, ***+.

Crepe Cakes

"Alternating layers of delicate golden handmade crepes and fresh pastry cream to create a light mille crepe cake. Elegant and delicious!"

Crepe cakes are available in a variety of flavors, none very "vanilla", as the most basic is the soy custard flavor, and the variety ranges from light and floral rose or osmanthus, to the risky like durian.  No taro, black sesame, or pistachio though, which let me down, as those are my top picks for crepe cake flavors in general.  My group picked the earl gray as their top choice, which wasn't my top choice, so I also got myself individual slices of others.

The crepe cakes were all very consistently well made.  Paper thin layers of fresh, not dry, crepes, the right balance of cream between the layers.  The flavors were more subtle than other brands of crepe cake I've had.  Definitely not too sweet.  But I've been spoiled by having Lady M crepe cakes, and, well, they are a reason they are so famous.  Others can be really well executed, like these, but, Lady M is just a class apart.  

Earl Grey. 8 Inch. $118.

"Earl Grey crepe cake, fresh cream infused with Earl Grey tea layered with Earl Grey tea jelly." 

Earl grey is certainly not the flavor I'd ever pick, but my co-workers all had this as their top pick, so I got it for the group.  Of course, I did still try it.

The full cake was $118, in AUD, so much cheaper than Lady M.  Individual slices are $12.80 each.

Earl Grey.

The crepes themselves were clearly fresh, not dried out, delicate.  The cream was faintly earl grey flavored, lightly sweet.  Construction was well done, lots of layers, perfect balance of crepe and cream.  The jelly on top had a slightly stronger earl grey flavor, although it too wasn't all that strong.  

Overall, a well made crepe cake, but flavor was very mild.  My least favorite of the four flavors I tried.  **** for construction, **+ for flavor, ***+ overall.

Osmanthus.

"Aromatic osmanthus crepe cake with fresh floral notes topped with fresh whipped cream and an osmanthus glaze."

One of my co-worker's second pick was osmanthus.  Again, not what I'd pick, but I got him a slice, and of course I still tried it.  Again, the construction was well done, perfect balance of cream and crepe, and all was clearly fresh.  The flavor was lightly floral and lightly bitter, which, I guess is what osmanthus is?  I'll admit I haven't had much osmanthus flavored stuff in my life.  The jelly on top was again more flavorful than the creme layers.

Overall, another **** execution, *** for the interesting but mild flavor, ***+ overall, and above the earl grey for me because the flavor was more complex and novel.

Rose.

"Elegant rose cream with rose lychee jelly vanilla crepe cake."

Next was a slice for me of my top pick of the crepe cakes that Sweet Lu offers: rose cake.  This was a lovely cake, again, nice construction, clearly fresh, good layers.  The lychee jellies added a touch of sweetness and a bit of a textural focal point.  The rose flavor was reasonably strong, I don't think I'd want it stronger because rose is so powerful.  It was the sweetest of the cakes I tried, mostly due to the lychee jellies.  The jelly on top, again, a nice extra burst of flavor, and flower petal garnish made it look quite elegant.

That all said, the rose crepe cake from Lady M really was another notch above this, with more delicate crepes, thinner layers, and stronger flavor.  There is a reason Lady M is so well known.

This was my favorite of the crepe cakes from Sweet Lu, and I'd gladly get it again.  ****.

Soy Custard.

"Golden vanilla crepe cake with soy cheese custard garnished with clouds of fresh whipped cream dusted with roasted soy bean powder."

My last slice was the soy custard, which I got mostly out of curiosity.  It sounded simple and plain, but, I do really like the flavor of soy, and "soy cheese custard" was just too interesting to turn down.

It was fairly hard to describe, certainly the most plain, but somewhat stronger tasting, if that makes any sense.  I wouldn't identify the taste as particularly soy nor cheese, but it was more like the taste of the custard from creme brulee?  The filling between the layers seemed thicker, more custard like in this, than the others that seemed more like whipped cream.

I enjoyed this, again due to the excellent construction, but I did want fresh fruit to jazz it up a bit.  ***+.

Other Cakes

In addition to the crepe and chiffon cakes, Sweet Lu also makes some hybrid cakes, sponge cakes, and, for those who love Durian, and cheesecake, a durian cheesecake, topped with big hunks of fresh Musang King durian.  Sadly, I could not convince anyone else to go that route.

Strawberry Matcha Crepe Chiffon.

"Double your enjoyment with both crepe and chiffon cake! Premium grade matcha crepe layered with matcha infused cream on top of layered chocolate cream and chocolate chiffon cake with strawberries and garnished with pistachios."

If you can't decide between chiffon or crepe cake, get both!  And throw in a chocolate cream layer as well.  That is what you get with the strawberry matcha crepe chiffon cake.  It has a chocolate chiffon cake base, a matcha crepe middle layer, and chocolate cream top, along with fresh whipped cream, strawberries, and pistachios.

I'll admit that this seemed like too many competing elements.  Chiffon cake and pudding and crepes?  Matcha and chocolate and strawberries and pistachios?  That's ... a lot.  The matcha and chocolate in particular I just couldn't imagine going well together.

It actually worked fine, although some elements simply faded away into the background.  I saw the dusting of pistachio crumble on top, but didn't taste it at all.  The single strawberry was just garnish on top.  Likewise, the chocolate chiffon cake was entirely lost for me.  So, they didn't compete, but were pretty lost.

The matcha crepe cake layer was excellent, again, really nice execution on the crepe cake, and the matcha flavor was intense.  I liked the chocolate cream too, rich, mild milk chocolate flavor.  They were ok together, but, I do think I'd enjoy them more separately.  

Overall, an interesting cake with many components, and I enjoyed it, but likely wouldn't get again.  ***+.

Taro Cake. 8 inch. $139.

"Taro cake layered with coconut jelly and sea salt cream, garnished with coconut and nut flakes."

And finally, even though no one else wanted it, I got the cake I was most interested in, the taro cake.  I love taro, I like coconut jellies, and I love sea salt cream, so, this sounded pretty perfect to me.  It was a square cake rather than round, and came garnished with coconuts and seeds, and a few bits of gold leaf.  Definitely a less stunning presentation than the others, but it was, hands down, my favorite.

Taro Cake: Cross Section.

The cake was again a light chiffon I believe, thinner layers than the other cakes.  It mostly just served to provide a touch of structure to the cake, and little else, which I didn't mind.  

That is because the main component was the two taro layers.  Beautiful purple color, creamy, fabulous real taro flavor.  I believe it was sweetened mashed taro, perhaps with some cream in the mix too.  Truly delightful.  It was frosted with white cream frosting, which Sweet Lu described as sea salt, but I didn't detect much of.  The cream was a great compliment to the rest of the cake.  The coconut and seed garnish was great for a touch of texture.  I never found any of the coconut jellies that the menu said it would have.

Overall, a great cake.  Such wonderful taro flavor, and yay for cream.  I'd get this one again and again, no question.  ****+.

Signature Favorites Tasting Set.  $118.

"ONLINE EXCLUSIVE combination 10 of Sweet Lu's most popular cake slices.

The Tasting Set features a variety of one to three slices each of our favourite cakes available on the day. This may include Signature Strawberry cake, Strawberry Matcha Chiffon cake, Rose Crepe cake, Soy Custard Crepe cake, Earl Grey Tea Crepe cake, Rose Lychee cake. "

Sweet Lu is kinda my hero.  They make a full size cake that is made up of slices of their signature cakes.  Cheaper than getting 10 slices by the slice, and far more fun than getting a whole cake of just one flavor.   Our set came with two each of the strawberry and rose lychee chiffon cakes, and two of the rose crepe cake, along with slices of osmanthus, earl grey, soy custard, and the strawberry matcha chiffon.  It gave me a great chance to try several I wouldn't have normally picked.  I'm all for frankencakes.

Read More...

Chaat Corner

Update Review, 2024

I've never been that much of a fan of Chaat Corner, but it is the closest Indian restaurant to my house, and sometimes, I just want Indian cuisine.

Or, I just want dessert.  Or I have a freebie to redeem.  All three were true one day, which led me to Chat Corner (also sold as "Damn, Dosa!" on some delivery platforms ...) to pick up a free dessert.

Rasmalai. $3.95.

Well ... I didn't have high expectations, as reviews basically said "meh", "not the best", etc, but it was a very, very random craving of mine.  I wanted rasmalai.

These however were fairly awful.  The balls literally tasted like generic white bread.  Sure, the milky syrup was kinda tasty, in that it was sweet and creamy, but it had no actual flavor going on, no pistachio sprinkled on top, no cardamom, just, nothing.

Fairly certain these are frozen item, not fresh, and, well, just truly, truly lackluster. *, at most.

I drank all the sweet milk though ...

Yogurt (side). $0.99.

I also got a side of yogurt, to use with my breakfast the next day.  It was just strained, thick style, yogurt, but it is what I wanted.  ***.

Update Review, March 2020

Another Shelter in Place meal, another chance to help nearby restaurants continue to have some business ...

I wasn't particularly impressed with Chaat Corner, the "local" Indian restaurant on my street last time I visited, but, they were still open, and I decided to check out the other salad I almost ordered last time.

I was pleased with the pickup experience - I ordered online in advance (delivery.com, although they are listed on nearly every delivery platform), and it was ready for me to pick up (contactless!), when I arrived.  Everything was nicely packaged, nothing was missing, and my requested utensils were provided.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of pickup and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes ...

• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]

Caesar Salad (Separate Packaging). $7.99.

"Romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese and croutons tossed with a zesty mint Caesar dressing."

Since I wasn't planning to eat my salad right away, I asked to at least have the dressing on the side, and, ideally the croutons (so they wouldn't get soggy).  My requests were easily handled.

As with my first time at Chaat Corner, I was also thrilled with the packaging of everything - separate, but also, in the right kind of vessel for the item, and, anything potentially messy was additionally wrapped in foil.

I can't say the salad was nearly as exciting as it sounded (zesty!), but, I was pleased with the care put into the assembly.

Romaine Base.

The first time I ordered from here, I was amused by the giant box of greens that was my salad, but this time I knew to expect it, and, I think it was even more generously filled.

It was just romaine of course, but, this was really pretty fantastic.  Super fresh, super crisp, and they used all parts - the left hand side of the box is the leafier pieces, the right hand side the hearts.  All were torn/cut into large size chunks, making it very moorish.

It is just romaine, but, I was really pleased with the portion, freshness, and prep.  Was it $7.99 worth of romaine?  Well, clearly not, but consider ... $1 for dressing, $1 for cheese and croutons ... ok, yeah, still not $5.99 worth of romaine either.  But, I was pleased.  ***+.

Croutons & Parmesan Cheese.

I asked in my notes for the croutons to be packaged separately, assuming it would be done like the chaat salad before, but instead the croutons came in a larger, soup/deli style container, along with the shredded parmesan cheese.  This was fine, I mostly just didn't want them to get soggy with the lettuce.

The croutons were entirely standard, average croutons.  Super crispy.  Not really seasoned much.  I had hoped they'd do something more ... inspired like naan croutons, or at least have some Indian spicing on them?

The shredded parm was fine, not much to say there.  Basic caesar salad ingredients, no more, no less.  ***.

 Zesty Mint Caesar Dressing.

Just like last time, the dressing came wrapped in foil, so it wouldn't make a mess.  I continue to laud them for this.  So appreciated.

The "zesty mint caesar" dressing certainly sounded interesting, but, it really ... wasn't.  I would not call it "zesty", nor would I call it "caesar" ... and I can't say I tasted mint.

It was ... a slightly herby mayo.  Really, it tasted like mayo.  It did not taste anything like Caesar dressing - no anchovy, no cheese, no tang ... it just tasted like mayo.

I actually liked it for other things (of course I saved it!), and used it as a spread in wraps, and as an aioli with some fries, but, a dressing?  It was super thick, and just mayo.  ***.

The portion was also a bit small - they used their 4 ounce container and filled it less than halfway, which didn't seem like enough, had I used it on the salad.

Tandoori Shrimp Add-On. $4.

To my salad, I could add on chicken breast, chicken kebab, or paneer for $2, or tandoori salmon, tandoori shrimp, or sheekh kebab for $4.

I wanted some protein, and, had been eating a lot of paneer recently, so, I opted for shrimp, a bit hesitantly.  I do like well cooked shrimp, but ... so often shrimp is not well prepared - not properly cleaned, rubbery, etc.  I was hopeful that the tandoori treatment would be successful.

Sadly, this was not well prepared shrimp.  It was hot, the spices were fine, but ... it was incredibly chewy.  Chew, chew, chew, chew, chew.  I've never experienced such chewy shrimp.  It also wasn't really cleaned, and certainly wasn't deveined.

It was fairly horrible, sadly, and after trying (chew, chew, chew, chew) a few pieces, I gave up and tossed it.  $4 for 6 shrimp would have been fine I guess ... if it was decently prepared. *.

Raita. $0.99.

I didn't actually get this to go with my salad, but, I had a spinach roti wrap at home, and I really wanted some raita to pair with it, so, I also added on a side of raita (4 ounces) for $0.99.  They also sell 12 ounces for $2.99, and offer plain yogurt and curry in this way as well.

The raita was ... well, super watery and thin.  It did have plenty of spicing though.  I was glad to have it, but it wasn't remarkable. **+.

Like the dressing, it came wrapped in foil, so it didn't make a mess. I really appreciate their packaging, and the price was good for the serving size.

Tamarind Chutney, Mint Chutney. (Complimentary).

I also asked for tamarind and mint chutney, to jazz up the flavors in my salad, and, of course, to use with my roti wrap.

I've had these before, as they are the "dressing" that comes with the chat salad, and my opinion was the same this time around.  Definitely generic, and not made in house, but, useful to add flavor.

The tamarind one however was more sweet than I remembered.

Combined with the raita they did form a nice set of sauces for my wrap, and, also kinda worked as a salad dressing, but, I certainly wouldn't call these remarkable in any way.  **+.

Original Review, May 2017

I've walked by Chaat Corner more times than I can possibly count.

I used to live a block away.  I walked by it daily on my way to work.  I walked by it every night on the way home.  Yet I never went, even when it was the only place open in the neighborhood.  Chaat Corner is open every day, and that area does not have many options on Sundays.  They are open until midnight every night, and it certainly isn't an area with late night options.  They are open for lunch, starting as early as 11am.  Yet these things still never encouraged me to visit.

Even since I moved down the street, I still walk by several times a month.  It has managed to stay around for years now, which should be a sign of something.  And I still never visit.  Why?  I have no idea.  I like Indian cuisine, and I'm always looking for good indian food in the city.  But this place just never jumped out at me.

Chaat Corner recently opened a second location near Union Square.  That too should indicate that they are doing well.  But Yelp reviews are fairly mediocre.  No one I know has ever mentioned going there.  "Meh", I thought.

And then one day I was at home and really, really wanted salad.  And naan.  And something with spice.  I quickly looked online at menus of indian places nearby, and saw that the intersection of naan and salad is fairly limited, but Chaat Corner had several salads that sounded interesting (Indian ceasar? Grilled paneer topped salad?), and a huge assortment of breads, so, Chaat Corner it was.

I placed my order online, and headed the few blocks to pick it up.  My order was completed soon after I arrived.

Setting

Chaat Corner is really quite large.  I was shocked by how much seating and open space they had inside.  It was 5:15pm when I arrived, and it was mostly empty.

It isn't fancy.  It has basically no charm whatsoever.  I was glad to be getting takeout.

Cashier at Front.

Right inside the door is a cashier station, with a menu board on the wall.  This surprised me a bit as I thought this was a regular full service restaurant, so I think they must do a lot of takeout (unless tables order and pay up front too?)

On the side is also a cooler with canned/bottled drinks (do tables get cans too?)

Seating.

Decor is not particularly interesting, fairly low end, lots of shiny materials and faux stone.

Bar.

There is a small bar with counter seating, where I was invited to sit while I waited for my takeout.  I could have watched TV while I waited.

Food

The menu is large, all standard indian offerings.  I didn't explore it much, as I had my eyes on exactly two things: salad and bread.  That said, they had an extensive selection of pakora, and I almost threw some battered fried onions into the mix too ...

Sometimes, you just need 2 spoons and a fork?

Things started going downhill as I opened up my packaging.

I was provided a fork and 2 spoons.  No knife.  Luckily, I was bringing it home anyway.

Tandoori Roti. $1.99.

I'll admit, I was overwhelmed by the bread selection.  I thought I knew indian breads, but, once I started reading the list, I realized I'm still uncertain.  One section was titled naan, with 13 different options, including 10 types of naan (plain, butter, garlic, garlic pesto, paneer, cauliflower, potato, onion, chicken pesto, ground lamb), plus tava roti, bhatura, and tandoori roti.  Then, another section, labelled paranthas, with 8 more options (plain, laccha, potato, cheese, onion, cauliflower, ground lamb, chicken).  Why were the roti and bhatura listed as naan?  And what is tava roti vs tandoori roti?

I fairly randomly picked the tandoori roti, thinking that tandoori items are usually nicely smoky, and, I like roti.

It turned out to be basically ... whole wheat naan?  Hearty tasting, but, very boring.  Dry, no butter.  Crispy bottom.

I guess fine, but highly, highly boring, although I suspect it was supposed to be?  **+.

Chaat Salad. $6.99

"Romaine lettuce, lentil chips, spicy chickpea noodles, cilantro and spices tossed in
tamarind and mint sauces."

For salads, I could pick the interesting sounding caesar (zesty mint caesar dressing!) or the chaat salad (lentil chips and spicy chickpea noodles!).  I opted for the later, based entirely on the promise of fun crispy things on top.  Since I had other food at home to finish, I decided not to add a protein topping, but I could have added chicken breast, chicken kebab, tandoori salmon, shrimp, seekh kebab, or paneer on top.

Since I got it to go, my salad came disassembled.  I appreciated this so it wouldn't get soggy.  The dry toppings came in separate containers, and the wet sauces even came with an extra protective foil wrapped around them.  Points for this.

Chaat Salad: Lettuce.  $6.99.

I did have to laugh when I opened my box though.  It was ... lettuce.  Just lettuce.  It seemed freshly chopped, not wilted, very crisp.  A decent base.

The menu said there should be cilantro too, and other people seemed to have tomato and cucumber in theirs (in the photos I saw), but mine?  Just lettuce. ***.

Lentil Chips, "Spicy Chickpea Noodles".

Things got more amusing as I opened my other containers.

I quickly discovered the "spicy chickpea noodles" were ... just chickpeas.  Not toasted, no spicing.  Just chickpeas.  They seemed like they came from a can.  I had seen photos of this salad from others, and they did have chickpea noodles.

Since I actually hate chickpeas, I tried one, recognized that it was watery, slimy, and like from a can, and threw these out.  Chickpea noodles would have been nice. *.

The lentil chips were tasty though.  While I don't like lentils, I do like lentil chips (and likely would have liked chickpea noodles!)  I really liked the crunchy element, and the promise of the crunchy things is what made me order this in the first place. ***+.

I added a bunch of the lentil chips, but it looked like there was a bunch of rubble left in the bottom of the cup.  It was only later that I realized this is where the spices were added.  Doh.  I missed out on a lot of spice and flavor by missing this.  Not their fault though.

Tamarind and Mint Sauces.

The dressing for the salad is a mix of standard tamarind and mint sauces, like you use to dip samosa.  It was pretty strange putting these onto my salad as if they were dressing, but, actually, the result was good.  Obviously, normally it comes dressed for you, which seems less ideal, as you can't get the right balance of flavor that way.  I liked that I could add different amounts of each to create my preferred flavor (heavier on the herby mint, less of the sweet tamarind).

Both sauces were pretty standard, though I doubt housemade.  They didn't have that kind of freshness about them.  Still, it was nice to have some left to dip my naan in.  ***.

Read More...

Starbucks Savory Items

Update Review, 2023/2024 Visits

I've previously reviewed some of the more substantial savory food items from Starbucks (mostly, the breakfast sandwiches), which you can read about below in prior reviews.  My latest visits, when I opted for something savory rather than sweet baked goods, were for more simple items.

Ham & Swiss Croissant.  $3.95 / 150 Stars.
(frozen).

"Hickory-smoked ham and melted Swiss cheese enveloped in our buttery signature croissant. A French classic with savory delights and a flaky, golden crust."

I had a free bakery item on my account, so decided to use the opportunity to try the ham & swiss croissant, normally 150 stars! (all other bakery items are 50).

I asked for it frozen, which was no problem, handed over in the wrapper.  Now I could even know its expiration date!

I heated it a few days later at home in my toaster oven.

It was ... kinda decent.  The pastry was flaky, which was nice, but it was not buttery nor decadent like a fresh croissant.   I really liked the swiss cheese, a generous amount, good deep favor, and it melted quite nicely inside.  The ham though ... kinda eh.   My notes say it was "too hammy".

It was just "ok" as is, so I added honey mustard and pickles to make it into more like a cubano croissant (is that a thing?  It should be!).  In that form, it was actually quite good, it masked the ham I didn't really like.

Anyway, overall, just ok, and I wouldn't get another.  Kudos to the staff for selling me a frozen one though!

***.

Sprouted Grain Bagel. $1.95 / 50 Stars.

"This vegan bagel is the traditional texture everyone loves. The flavorful, aged bagel dough made with wholesome sprouted wheat and rye, then topped with brown and golden flax, oats and sunflower seeds is delicious on its own. Or finish it off with your favorite spread."

Bagels.  Not exactly what come to mind when I think of Starbucks.  But they do have them, a decent lineup with number of varieties actually: plain, everything, cinnamon raisin, blueberry, and elusive "cheese, onion & garlic" one found in only select markets, and this one, the sprouted grain bagel.

Are they baked fresh?  Of course not.  They are shipped to Starbucks frozen, like every other bakery item.  But one day I had some fabulous pesto leftover at home, and my local Panera had been closed for several years (Covid casualty), and I really missed making pesto melts on the Panera sprouted grain rolls or whole wheat bagels.  So I took a gamble that these "lowly" looking sprouted grain bagels might deliver something similar. 

The hearty sprouted grain bagel comes topped with a decent covering of a "seeds and grains blend" (oats, flax, and sunflower seeds), and more seeds/grains are found throughout.

You can opt to have your bagel "warmed" (not toasted, as they don't have toasters), but I simply took mine home, as I was planing to repurpose it anyway. 

I tried a bite of the bagel just plain, untoasted, room temp, and it was pretty, uh, boring?  And the chew wasn't anything like a bagel, nor did it have a "crust" on it like a bagel should.  I can't say I was optimistic for this.

But I really, I intended to use it warm, spread with pesto, red onion, melted cheese ...

So I did.  And ... eh.

It was a hearty bagel I guess, but, the texture, even when toasted or warmed, was still just ... bread.  It really wasn't a bagel in my mind.  The flavor wasn't great, nor was the crunch from the seeds ... 

Lackluster.

** would not get again.

Cream Cheese. $0.75 each (or free with reward).

So, uh, little known fact.

When you get a bagel at Starbucks, you can add butter or cream cheese.  It comes on the side, in individual packages.  Ok, so maybe that part is well known.  You can add up to 10 of each, if you want.  Cream cheese costs $0.75 per 1.5 ounce tub.  So you could add $7.50 worth of cream cheese to your bagel, should you choose to.  Ok, sure, but why would you do that?  I don't know either.  Maybe you really like their cream cheese.

Now, the fun comes when you are redeeming Starpoints.  Then, any customization is *included*.  So the $1.95 bagel + $7.50 cream cheese costs 50 stars, just like a bagel without any toppings.  $9.45 for 50 Starpoints?  That is a pretty great value!

I know it sounds a bit crazy, but hey, the relatively cheap $1.95 bagel isn't a great redemption on its own, and the cream cheeses are individually sealed and these all had a 5 month shelf life!  I stocked my fridge with cream cheese to last a while.  Win-win for me.

The cream cheese wasn't anything extraordinary, just, firm style cream cheese, but it stayed fresh in my fridge for as long as I needed it, and it was great to have individual portions of cream cheese on hand.  I'd get this again.

***.

Update Review: September 2016

Starbucks likes to give away breakfast sandwiches.  I really don't understand it.  I'm a Starbucks member, and besides a random $1 off, or extra bonus star earnings, I don't ever get freebies.  Except breakfast sandwiches.  I don't like eggs, I don't really like sandwiches, so these are the worst targeted item for me.  Why not pastries?  Why not frappucinos?  Wah!

Anyway, I'm also not one to not take advantage of a freebie.  So, even though I'd never normally get a breakfast sandwich, it was time to try yet another Starbucks breakfast sandwich.  I've had mixed success with past versions, like the disappointing Slow-Roasted Ham & Swiss on a croissant or the shockingly decent Sausage & Cheddar or Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon on english muffin, so, I figured it was worth a try.  Plus, free!

My visit was actually not at breakfast time, given that I had only one day to use the free sandwich, and I wasn't able to go at breakfast.  I went at lunch, and thus selected the one that seemed most lunch appropriate.  I was glad they still had all the breakfast sandwiches in stock at 1pm, the last time I had tried to get a (free) breakfast sandwich, they seemed to run out by mid-morning.

Spinach, Feta & Cage Free Egg White Breakfast Wrap. $3.75.

"We bring together cage-free egg whites, spinach, feta cheese and tomatoes inside a whole wheat wrap, then toast it to perfection. Vegetarian and protein-rich, this low calorie wrap is a tasty start to any morning."

So, um, yeah, I picked the veggie wrap.  Even though it contained a bunch of things I don't really like.  Like the wrap itself (although, besides a croissant, its not like I like the other bread choices much more).  And egg whites (although, I don't like any of the egg options in the breakfast sandwiches).  And feta (not that I hate feta, but I certainly don't like it, particularly compared with the other cheeses like gouda, swiss, and cheddar used in the other sandwiches).

So, why would I get this?  Like I said, it was lunch time, and it seemed the most lunch appropriate.  Plus, for some reason, spinach and tomatoes actually sounded tasty to me.

Like all the sandwiches, it was heated up in the crazy magic oven, and handed over to me in just a minute or two, literally.  It was piping hot, too hot actually, I had to wait for it to cool down before I could really eat it comfortably. 

The wrap was crispy on one side, but kinda moist and mushy on the other.  Not the magic heating job I was hoping for, but, it had potential, since one side was good.  It had a fairly hearty wheat flavor to it and was well wrapped.

The overall size was decent, maybe a bit small for a lunch item, but, for breakfast it would have been more than enough.  The price is usually $3.75.

Spinach, Feta & Cage Free Egg White Breakfast Wrap: Inside.

Inside the wrap was the veggies, cheese, and egg.

The most dominant part of the filling, at least volume wise, was the egg white.  It seemed to be a folded up egg white omelet that was surprisingly not offensive.  Not rubbery, not scary looking.  It really did look like an omelet.  Inoffensive is likely the highest praise I'll ever have for egg whites.  I removed a chunk of it since I really didn't want it, but, it wasn't bad.

The flavor all came from the other fillings: spinach, crumbled feta, bits of roasted tomato, and ... sundried tomato cream cheese?  I wasn't expecting that, as it is not part of the description, but, slathered all over the inside was a layer of flavorful sundried tomato cream cheese.  It added a nice creaminess and more strong flavor.  Also a surprise is the fact that the feta seemed melted.  I didn't realize feta melts.  Maybe it takes their magic oven to melt feta, or, maybe I just haven't encountered it before?

Anyway, the spinach/tomato/cream cheese/cheese was all very flavorful and savory.  The entire thing had an aroma almost like pizza.  It was enjoyable enough.  ***+.

Would I get another?  Probably not, unless I was really craving something like this, due simply to the fact that Mediterranean flavors and egg whites just aren't really what I like.

Update Review: September 2015

If you didn't read my original Starbucks sandwiches post, I suggest you start there, and then return to this update, since I'm skipping the background this time around.  See "Original Review: November 2014" below.

A few days ago, an e-mail popped up from Starbucks titled "Let us take care of breakfast".  Slightly intrigued, I clicked on the link, expecting to see something like a free baked good with purchase of an expensive handcrafted beverage.  Nope.  Starbucks just wanted to offer a free breakfast sandwich.  No strings attached, save the fact that I had only 2 days to redeem it.

Well, hmm.  I was used to Starbucks randomly throwing on freebies when I was a Gold member, but I lost my status long ago.  A measly Green card member, getting a freebie?  How could I not?

Breakfast Sandwich Lineup.

Starbucks must be struggling with sales of breakfast sandwiches.  Clearly there is a reason they gave me one for free (and it isn't the first time, the first one I had back in November was also a free offer).

But also, the lineup keeps changing.  At one point, I think there were at least 10 different sandwiches, and now they have reduced it down to only 7.  They kept the basic egg and cheddar (with or without sausage) on an English muffin, the very first Starbuck's breakfast sandwich I ever tried, that I thought was decent.  They also retained the healthier reduced-fat turkey bacon and egg white on whole wheat English muffin, that I liked even more, plus one on a "artisan roll" and a single vegetarian option, the boring spinach, feta, and egg white wrap.  But they also added two more decadent options, served on croissant rolls, one with bacon and cheddar, the other with ham and swiss.

I think one reason the breakfast sandwiches suffer is the presentation in the display case.  Honestly, they always look awful.  Of course, these aren't the actual sandwiches you are purchasing, but they are ones that someone made earlier in the morning, and set out on display.  They've been sitting for hours.  The cheese is always congealed, the bacon ridiculous flabby.  They simply don't look appetizing in any way.

Slow-Roasted Ham & Swiss Breakfast Sandwich. $4.45.

I surveyed the lineup, a bit unsure of what to pick.  I knew I liked the turkey bacon one well enough, but, I didn't want to be boring.  I should try something new.  Gouda sounded great, but the "artisan roll" didn't seem likely to be interesting, and the bacon looked gross.

So, I decided to risk it, and go for one of the newest selections.  I didn't expect to like the egg anyway, this really was about bread and cheese (and maybe some decent meat), and obviously a croissant is much better than an English muffin.

I had two options: "double-smoked bacon" and yellow cheddar or ham and swiss.  Reviews I read in advance told me that people weren't happy with the bacon one, in particular, the cheddar didn't melt well and was never sufficient.  Since I was in it for the cheese, this mattered.  Thus, ham and swiss it was.

I ordered my sandwich, and stepped back to await my fate.  A few minutes later, the oven chimed, and my very hot creation was handed over.

Spoiler: even though it looked ok as I pulled it out of the bag, it turned out to be the most disappointing of the three sandwiches I've now tried.

Inside: swiss cheese, prosciutto cotto.

"Take slow-roasted Italian-style ham, 'prosciutto cotto' and nutty melty Swiss cheese layered on a flaky, buttery croissant, and you've got the perfect wake up call."

I eagerly opened it up to see what awaited me.

The construction was about what I expected: Swiss cheese on top, ham (err, "prosciutto cotto") in the middle, egg patty on the bottom.

You may recall that the aspect of the previous sandwiches that I thought was remarkable was how melty the cheese was.  Here, it was melty, but ... where was it?  Yes, this was all the cheese.  Just a single, obviously small, slice of swiss.  I was hoping for a generous amount of cheese.  I was in it for the cheese!  

The cheese was good, it was melty, but ... I could barely taste it.

While there was only one slice of cheese, there were three slices of prosciutto cotto.  The ham was pretty soft and flabby.  The flavor wasn't awful, it had a bit of smokiness to it almost, but it certainly wasn't as fancy as its name would imply.

Inside: prosciutto cotto, fried egg patty.

Under the ham was the "fried egg patty".  This was my first time having this style of egg.  The sausage, egg, and cheese used the "puffed scrambled egg patty" (rather rubbery, but sorta like an omelet I guess?), and the turkey bacon used an egg white patty that I never expected to be decent.  I would have never called this a "fried egg".  There was no clear egg to be found.  The top half was mostly white, and the bottom yellow.  It was really weird, rubbery, and totally unseasoned.

I went to the condiment station to look for salt and pepper, but alas, not part of the offerings.  I could add mocha, nutmeg, sweeteners, etc, but some simple seasoning?  Nope.  Again, perhaps another reason these things aren't taking off?  It seems like basic salt and pepper make a big difference on breakfast sandwiches, but I could also imagine people wanting it for the savory lunch items too.

As for the final component, the croissant roll itself, it too failed to deliver.

In the English muffin sandwiches, I loved how crispy and perfectly toasted the English muffin got.  It seemed like the oven worked magic on those muffins.  It didn't work the same magic on the croissant roll.  The croissant was warm, but it just got moist, rather than getting a slightly crispy exterior.  It wasn't flaky.  It wasn't buttery.  It did have a slight sweetness to it that I thought was pleasant, but, besides that, there wasn't much going for it.

So overall, I had a moist and not buttery croissant, far too little cheese, flabby unremarkable ham, and a totally unseasoned rubbery egg patty.  I obviously don't endorse this one.  At $4.45, it was also the most expensive.  Keep trying, Starbucks.  **+.

Original Review: November 2014

Blah, blah, blah, Starbucks.  You obviously know Starbucks.  Perhaps all your extra spending money these days goes to getting your fix of Pumpkin Spice Lattes, (sorry, PSLs), before they vanish.  Or perhaps you avoid Starbucks like the plaque.  Either way, you know Starbucks.

And I've reviewed it many times before, from drinks, to seasonal beverages, to frappuccinos, and more recently, to the baked goods.  But have you ever dared try a sandwich there?

Starbucks has been expanding the menu to encompass more and more food, starting with introducing the La Boulange baked goods, but now by offering sandwiches of both the breakfast and regular variety.  They really want to tap into the food market.

Hot Breakfast Sandwiches

Breakfast sandwiches are available all day, although I was told that they do run out, so if you want a specific one, you should get it earlier in the day.  This is a still a nicer model than most fast food places with set breakfast hours.  It seem that you can have brunch any day!

Breakfast Sandwiches on Display.

Unlike most of the pastries, Starbucks does not have all of the breakfast sandwich varieties out on display.  Instead, only two are shown(in this case, the bacon and gouda and the sausage and cheddar), but the rest are listed on the placard behind, along with images of a few others.

Th breakfast sandwich line-up is actually pretty impressive, with 8 options, all quite different.  Each features a different type of bread, ranging from basic toast and english muffins, to a wrap or even multigrain ciabatta.  Eggs come in several forms as well, like a fried egg patty, a cheesy frittata, scrambled eggs, or egg whites only.  All the classic breakfast meats show up: sausage, ham, bacon, and turkey bacon.  And a slew of cheeses: feta, gouda, cheddar (white or yellow), fontiago, swiss.  But you cannot customize, nor can you mix and match.  The variety is there, but, you have to like the way in which they are combined.

Picking just one to try was hard.

The most basic option is the Egg & Cheddar, made with a fried egg and mild cheddar on multigrain toast for $2.95.  This sounded boring to me, so I easily moved on.

A step up is the Ham & Cheddar, except that it isn't just the same thing just with ham added.  Rather than toast, it is served on a white artisan roll.  Rather than a fried egg, it has a parmesan and monterey jack frittata.  Yet somehow, it is 350 calories, and the simple egg and cheddar is 400.  I can't say I understand that, given the ham and cheesy frittata.

If you are a ham lover, there is a much more appealing option: the Slow-Roasted Ham & Swiss Breakfast Sandwich.  This one brings back the fried egg patty, switches in swiss for the cheddar, and upgrades to a croissant for the serving vessel.  And it isn't just ham, it is "prosciutto cotto".  This fancy meat also makes it the most expensive option, at $4.45, and the croissant pushes it up to 490 calories.  But, I don't like ham, so, moving on.

Sticking with the pork products comes the Bacon & Gouda, which again has the Parmesan frittata for the egg, plus the expected bacon and aged Gouda, and the same artisan roll as the Ham & Cheddar.  This was my 4th choice, but I was worried about soggy bacon, so I skipped it.  I'm a crispy bacon girl all the way.

Speaking of bacon, the healthiest option is the Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich, which gains its more modest nutrition stats by using an egg white patty, reduced fat white cheddar cheese, and turkey bacon, on a whole wheat english muffin, only 230 calories and 6 grams of fat, which seems fairly impressive given that it still has cheese and some form of bacon.  This was my third choice, but Ojan wasn't excited about turkey bacon, and we were splitting it.

Which leads us to the least healthy option: the Sausage & Cheddar.  This one is a classic, served on a regular white english muffin, with a "puffed scrambled egg patty", aged yellow cheddar, and of course, a sausage patty.  And it clocks in at 500 calories, and 28 grams of fat.

Vegetarians have not only one, but two choices, either a healthy sounding Spinach & Feta Wrap, a wheat wrap filled with cage-free egg white, spinach, feta cheese and tomatoes, only 290 calories, or the more indulgent Vegetable & Fontiago Breakfast Sandwich, a fried egg topped with spinach, sundried tomatoes, caramelized onions, and Fontiago cheese on a multigrain ciabatta bun, a more heafty 470 calories.  Since I don't like wraps or feta, I easily eliminated the wrap from consideration but the other vegetarian one did appeal; it sounded like a flavor powerhouse, with the spinach, sundried tomatoes, and caramelized onions.  However, I was splitting a sandwich with Ojan and he ruled it out immediately.

The two sandwiches on display in the case looked pretty gross, which you'd somewhat expect, as they likely had been sitting there all day.  At this particular Starbucks the cheese was melted and they looked like what you would receive if you ordered one, but at another Starbucks I visited the cheese was unmelted, and looked even less appealing.  Still, we forged on.

Sausage, Egg, & Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich. $3.25.

Which did we get?  Of course, the gut busting Sausage & Cheddar!  It was warmed up rapidly, only about 2 minutes elapsed between placing my order and the magic warming oven dinging.  A hot bag was handed over moments later.  That oven is amazing.

Inside the Sausage & Cheddar.

"A savory sausage patty, fluffy cage-free eggs and aged Cheddar cheese on a perfectly toasted English muffin."

 Let's just say I had very low expectations for this.  A pre-assembled creation, thrown fully made into a warmer?  Yeah right.  There was a reason I brought Ojan with me to try it.

I was a bit shocked by the results.  First, it was piping hot.  I could have easily taken it a few blocks home/to an office/etc and it would have remained warm.  Seriously, those ovens are something special.

Second, the english muffin was actually crispy on the outside.  I really didn't expect that given that it was placed in the oven fully assembled, rather than toasting the muffin separately.  The english muffin was otherwise unremarkable, just a standard white english muffin, but, the fact that it felt as crispy on the outside as if it came out of a toaster, and wasn't soggy or mushy on the inside, seemed like magic.

Next, the cheese.  As you can see, it was absolutely perfectly melted.  Not a single shred was unmelted.  Again, impressive given that it was stuck in whole, and, the sandwiches use a variety of cheese types, which must have totally different melting points.  The cheese wasn't particularly flavorful, but, the gooey consistency was just right.

The sausage patty was also better than I expected, really nicely seasoned.  My only complaint is that it was smaller than the english muffin, so, near the end, I ran out of sausage patty.

Finally, the egg.  This was the weakest component.  Unlike the sausage, it didn't seem at all seasoned.  And, it was clearly a reheated scrambled egg patty.  It wasn't super rubbery or as gross as I expected, but I don't really like scrambled eggs/omelets, so I wished this wasn't there.  In fact, both Ojan and I ended up removing the egg, and just enjoying the toasty english muffin, the melty cheese, and the sausage.

So overall, this was much better than I ever imagined it would be.  The components all seemed decent quality, they have nailed the heating, and, sans the slightly-too-small sausage patty, the ratios were all right, no single element dominated, and you could taste each component.  I certainly wouldn't get another, since I don't actually like egg sandwiches and will always go for a baked good instead, but, if you like egg based breakfast sandwiches, you might be pleasantly surprised.  ****.

Another part of the initiative to change up their offerings, Starbucks now offers sandwiches, paninis, and salads.  Most are pre-boxed and available along with bottled drinks, but the paninis are warmed up in the same magical machine as the baked goods, to order.  In the mornings, egg and cheese sandwiches are warmed the same way.

Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich.

“Reduced-fat turkey bacon and reduced-fat white cheddar cheese on an organic wheat English muffin.”

On my next visit, I was alone, and decided to go for a more modest offering, the slightly scary named “Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich”.

From the outside, it looked similar, except the “original english muffin” from the sausage & cheddar sandwich was replaced with a wheat english muffin.  As with my previous sandwich, I was very impressed with how well the english muffin came out, slightly toasty on the outside.  I liked the muffin, it had a bit of heartiness to it, a bit of subtle sweetness.  I did wish it was buttered, but I guess that would somewhat defeat the whole reduced-fat nature of this sandwich.  Still, a good start.

Reduced-Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast Sandwich: Inside.

Inside was an "egg white patty" instead of the "puffed scrambled egg patty".  This thing was pretty awful, a brick of egg white substance, not seasoned.  I desperately went back to the condiment station hoping to find salt and pepper, but alas, only a variety of sweeteners, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cocoa were available.  This was Starbucks after all.  After a few bites of this rubbery, flavorless thing, I just discarded it.  Did not like.

A single strip of turkey bacon replaced the sausage patty, and was the reason I selected this sandwich.  For some reason, turkey bacon just sounded good to me.  It was honestly pretty scary looking.  It had strange little holes in it.  It was floppy and not crisp.  But the flavor was actually pretty nice, smoky.

Reduced fat white cheddar cheese replaced the yellow cheddar from my previous sandwich.  Just like the cheddar, it was perfectly melted.  The flavor was mild, but the melty consistency added a lot to the sandwich.

Nutritionally, it doesn’t look so bad (if you can look past the fact that it has a lot of seemingly unnecessary ingredients, presumably preservatives): 230 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 12g protein, although I obviously lost a little protein by throwing out the egg, I think the whole wheat muffin, cheese, and turkey bacon probably made up the majority of it anyway.  The only shocking part to me was 560mg of sodium, since, in particular, the egg seemed so under seasoned.  I guess this was from the turkey bacon?

So overall, it wasn’t bad, as long as you didn’t care about not actually having egg, which, I didn’t.  A toasty decent english muffin, melty cheese, flavorful turkey bacon … fairly comforting and satisfying.  And again, I was pretty impressed with how this managed to be crispy on the outside and so well melted inside.  Magic. ***+.

Next time, I’m going to just try the classic egg and cheese, I’m curious about how the “fried egg patty” compares to these other mystery patties ...

Sandwiches and Paninis

Starbucks also rolled out a number of sandwiches besides the pre-made ones alongside the "Bistro Boxes" in grab-n-go in the cooler.  Sure, you can still grab a basic egg salad or turkey and cheese on sliced bread if you want, or, you can order one of the slightly more upscale versions from the case.  Like the breakfast sandwiches and pastries, they also get warmed up in the oven, and come on a wide variety of breads, but most feature chicken or turkey.

Assorted Sandwich Display.

I stopped in one Starbucks location that was trialing some new sandwiches.  They had several varieties, all La Boulange branded, served toasted.  Since they were trying to get people excited about them, they were walking around with samples.  Even though I don't even like sandwiches in general, I obviously HAD to try.

I tried the Smoked Turkey & Provolone on Toasted Wheat Baguette, normally $5.95.

It was far better than I expected.  The baguette was multi-seed, nicely toasted, and reminded me of a bagel.  It was crispy on the outside, had nice texture from all the seeds, a good crunch when you bit into it.  So far, so good.

Inside was sliced smoked turkey, standard deli meat.  And provolone cheese, really nicely melted.  There was just the right amount of cheese, not too much that it felt super unhealthy, but plenty enough to taste.  And consistently melty.  Have I mentioned the magic oven?

The real surprise was the veggies inside.  Smoked, caramelized onions, super flavorful.  And even some kale, wilted since the sandwich was toasted, so not fresh and crisp, but quite good.

All in all, this was ... good.  It could have come from any neighborhood cafe.  A nice combination of flavorful ingredients, and it even seemed a bit upscale due to the kale instead of lettuce and the caramelized onions instead of raw.  And, it really was toasted quite well.  Not sure they'll be able to do that consistently, but having a crispy exterior and perfectly melted cheese is pretty impressive.

Each sandwich also comes with your choice of "house made" condiment packets: bbq, mayo, pesto, sundried tomato, ketchup, or dijon mustard.  For the sample, she had dijon mustard to spread on top.  It was ... dijon mustard.  The sandwich had plenty of flavor already, so this wasn't needed at all.

Sadly, this sandwich didn't make it onto the real menu, although the Turkey Rustico Panini seems to be the version that did made it.  The provolone was swapped for smoked swiss, which actually sounds better to me.  The caramelized onions were swapped for a sweet onion marmalade, which seems reasonable, easier to do at scale.  The baby kale remains.  The choice of condiments is gone, and it always comes with Dijon mustard already on it.  And, the multi-seed baquette turned into whole grain focaccia.  Seems pretty close, and maybe, just maybe, I'd bother giving it a try, if I ever wanted a sandwich.

Read More...