Mannaken, Tokyo

Waffles.  One of my favorite topics.  Not just foods, topics.  Remember that whole phase of waffling all my leftovers?  Yeah, I love waffles.  Particularly when we are talking crispy liege waffles, like my absolute favorites from b. Street Waffles in San Francisco.  Oh yes.

Waffles will draw me in.  They will cause me to do unexpected things.  Like, ditch my plans to get a dessert 2 blocks away, a carefully researched, deliberately planned, dessert, just because I happened to walk by a waffle shop.

Yes, this is a story of woe, that began with walking by Mannaken, in Tokyo, on my way to get an amazing soft serve strawberry parfait elsewhere.

Mannaken is a Japanese waffle chain, started in 1986.  That is all I know.  I didn't even know that when I stumbled in.

Waffletastic.

Everything at Mannaken *looked* so very very good.

However, the waffles, which should have been the stars ... lackluster, to say the least.

Storefront.

The curb appeal though was great.  The smell of fresh waffles was basically irresistible to many of us.

Belgian Waffles

Belgian waffles are the main draw, and come in a slew of flavors, ranging from simple plain, maple, or chocolate topped, to trendy matcha, to limited seasonal specials like chestnut, to monthly specials like caramel (September).  Additionally, many stores have exclusives, like the 'Premium Butter Waffle' found in Ikspiari only, or the caramel, honey, and florentine topped version only in Hankyu.

Uji matcha, Maple, Plain, Chocolate.

Here were the basics, plain, one with maple baked in, one topped with chocolate, and the green matcha.

All looked fresh and crisp.

Marron, Double Chocolate.

Next up, some more limited ones, including the seasonal marron and chocolate topped chocolate based double chocolate.

Caramel Pudding.

The special for September only, a caramel pudding version.

Again, these looked great.

Waffle Set.

You could also get pre-packaged boxes of 7 different flavors, or make your own assortment.

Cup Waffle. Marron. 380 yen.

"100% Hokkaido cream, high quality soft cream and freshly baked waffles."

"Tasteful waffles made by kneading Italian chestnut malon paste into the dough, baked with sweet chestnut dice."

As good as waffle is, there is something much better than just a waffle.  A waffle with soft serve ice cream of course!

I am notorious for making waffle sundaes at home, so this was *exactly* what I wanted.  An amazing waffle plus Tokyo soft serve?  I mean, YES!!!!

For my waffle, I picked the seasonal marron (chestnut).  I was so excited that they offered it.  I love chestnut.

I ... kinda expected the waffle to be warm.  I definitely expected it to be crispy.  It was neither.  Room temperature, and ... soft.  I don't understand how a liege style waffle can be as soft as this was.  Particularly given that it *looked* legit.  But alas, it was soft, and not hot.

I did like the bits of chestnut in it, but I was so incredibly let down by the rest of it that I really couldn't find much joy in it.  Had I been home, I would have quickly scraped the ice cream off, saved it, and tried to toast it up at home.  But having no access to a toaster oven, I gave it a few more half-hearted bites, and threw it in the trash.  Defeated.

The soft serve though was good.  Not as amazing as the top soft serve places I was usually seeking out in Tokyo, but, it was creamy, rich, and the signature "milk" flavor you find in Tokyo.  The ice cream was redeeming, but, this was a waffle shop!

Cream Waffles

Cream waffles are the other product line, packaged waffles, filled with fillings. Available in 5 flavors: vanilla, chocolate (with chocolate chips), custard, rare cheese, and a limited edition peach.

Packaged Cream Waffles.

Only two varieties remained when I arrived, but that was fine with me, as the one I wanted, rare cheese, was one of the two.

I quickly added this to my order, not sure when I'd get to it, but, I knew I wanted to try it.

Rare Cheese Cream Waffle. 200 yen.

"A smooth rare cheese cream that uses cream cheese from Tokachi, Hokkaido, with sweet and sour raspberries."

I was asked if I was eating it then or later, and said later, and thus it came packaged up in its own "Cream Waffle" branded bag, with a mini ice pack!  I was really surprised when I found the ice pack, but, pleased, as it was still over 80* out, even though evening, and I had a long walk back to hotel.

The waffles used for the cream waffle were entirely different.  They were ... thin, limp, and spongy.  Note: I said different, I didn't say better!  If anything, it was worse, but the fact that it was filled saved it a tiny bit.

Rare Cheese Cream Waffle: Side Profile.

The filling was tasty, sorta like cheesecake, sorta like the crema toppings you find on bubble teas these days.  Great dairy flavor, cheesy, sweet.  The berries were fine too, although quite sweet.

So the filling of this was nicely done, just like the ice cream, but again, this was supposed to be a waffle shop.  I did gladly salvage the filling though and just eat it by the spoonful, leaving the soggy waffle behind.

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TP Tea, Tokyo

When in Tokyo ... seek out Instagram worthy trendy items?  It appears so.

But I really wasn't intending that, exactly.

Storefront.

My destination: TP TEA in the Hillside mall in Roppongi.

TP TEA is a chain from Taiwan, founded way back in 1983, which, does sound old for bubble tea years.  They now have 250+ stores worldwide, including the one I visited, which was newly opened.

I didn't do any research really before visiting, but I now know that TP stands for "Taiwan Professional".  Ok.

Anyway, I was drawn in, amusingly, not for the bubble tea.

No, it was 93* out, and I wanted one thing: ice cream.  Soft serve ice cream to be exact.  In a cone, to be even more exact.  It didn't matter than I knew nothing about the soft serve at TP Tea, it just mattered that they had it.

English Menu.

I stepped up to order, and was quite pleased when the cashier flipped the menu over, revealing an English menu.  Phew.

I glanced quickly over the options, pausing slightly to consider a taro milk tea, or a bubble tea parfait, but I knew what I wanted.  Soft-serve ice cream.  The menu had two options: cup or waffle cone.  Single size.  It didn't say what flavor the soft serve was.  And both seemed to have tapioca on them.  Well, that then.

After ordering I was given a buzzer, and had a longer wait than I expected.  My cone I'm sure was fast, but, I had to wait for all the more elaborate teas and noodle dishes ahead of me to be prepared.  Eventually, my buzzer went off. 

Bubble Milk Soft Serve Ice Cream, Waffle Cone. 550yen.

"Original soft-serve ice cream with fragrant tea leaves and sticky tapioca."
I could tell just from looking at the soft serve that it was not the texture I was hoping for.

Tokyo is home to some really incredible soft serve (although both my favorites from my last trip, Silkream and Mother Milk Farm, have closed), where the soft serve is just sooo perfectly creamy and rich.  This, I could tell, was not.

But I still dug in.

The flavor was milk tea, which I guess I could have expected.  The tea flavor was indeed good.  But the ice cream was just not very smooth.  It melted nicely though, and got much better as it melted, basically turing into, um, milk tea.  Which perhaps I should have just gotten in the first place.

The cone was a waffle cone, large size, well made, but clearly not very fresh.  Meh on the cone too.

And finally, the tapioca, which I expected to be stars given the venue, I really did not like at all.  They were a smaller style ball than is more standard, but they were kinda hard, and had a flavor I didn't care for.

So overall, this really wasn't much of a winner.  The tea flavor was good, but the rest of it ... not so much.

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Peroni Bar, Sydney International Airport

Another day, another few hours spent in an airport, this time in Sydney.  I don't often buy much at airport concessions, as the prices are high and quality generally low, but Peroni drew me in, as it looked like a classier place.  Or maybe I was just bored.

Storefront.

Peroni is located in a food court near the Air New Zealand gates, with a fairly nice exterior.  Bar and table seating is available on the side, but you order everything at the register.

Peroni Bar has a fairly boring food menu, with pizza, pasta, burgers and salad for lunch/dinner, a couple starters (fried calamari, olives, pretzels, chips).  I didn't try any of that, opting only to get items to go.

Beverages

Peroni is a bar, but, since I was there at 10am, I didn't opt to try any of their wine or cocktails, although these seemed to be a main attraction.

Beverage Menu.

The beverage menu strangely doesn't list any of their morning drinks, only the beer, wine, and cocktails.

Beer, Mini Bottles.

I almost did get a mini bottle of wine to go, but I realized I'd need to drink it right then, since I couldn't bring through security at my next transit point (Auckland).

Decaf Long Black, Large.  $4.

I did order a decaf long black, with no expectations of it being very good, but I don't really care for the coffee in the Air New Zealand lounge (my next stop).

I was pleasantly surprised.  It was not harsh, no funk, and better than most of the decaf I had at fancy places all over Sydney.

I'd gladly get this again, and likely will, en route to the lounge.

Update: I did get this again, and got two in fact, stashing one in my travel coffee mug to enjoy on my flight.  #protip.  It isn't the best coffee ever, but, it really wasn't bad at all.

Baked Goods

A small variety of baked goods was available, morning appropriate, none looked awesome, and this place is clearly not a bakery.  Still, you know me and baked goods.

Danishes, Banana Bread.

I skipped the danishes as they looked pretty bad, and banana bread since I don't care for it.

Muffins.

Muffins were all large size, wrapped in plastic wrap.  None looked great, but I tried them all.

They were ... clearly not fresh items made with care.  Certainly mass produced, probably purchased wholesale as frozen items.  Or at least made with extended shelf life.

Double Chocolate.

The double chocolate was shockingly boring.  The chocolate base had no real flavor to it at all.  The cake was not moist nor dry exactly, it just was what it was.  So commercial, processed. I did like the chocolate chips on top for some crunch, and there were bits that were kinda gummy, like they were underbaked, that were slightly better than the fully cooked parts.

But really, this just was not a good muffin.  If you were expecting chocolatey goodness, you would not find it here.

Orange Poppyseed.

I liked the orange poppyseed even less.

The base was again this strange not moist-not dry, kinda commercial, chemical taste, sweet.  It had an essence of orange, not something I'd ever pick.

I do sometimes adore muffins of this pedigree, like Costco muffins, particularly the almond poppyseed, but this just wasn't worth a second bite.

Blueberry.

The blueberry was definitely the best, but it was also certainly a very generic, convinience store quality, muffin.  The kind that clearly isn't fresh, is loaded with preservatives, has a slightly gummy top, is very sweet, and yet, you kinda like it?  That's exactly what this was.

The blueberries were reasonably well distributed, but weren't fresh juicy berries, rather, they were more like dried berries.

This was very similar to the one from Better Burger.

Snacks

They also have bags of Red Rock potato chips (assorted flavors), Nobby's packaged snacks (cashews, peanuts, and pork crackle).  I grabbed some Nobby's to munch on later.

Pork Crackle.

I thought pork crackle sounded awesome, but alas, I didn't care for this.  It just tasted greasy and fried, in a stale old oil sort of way, and it stuck to my mouth.  It made me sad how much I didn't like it, and kept trying more and more of it, but alas, not good. 

I shared with a couple others, and they too were excited by the prospect, but didn't like it at all.

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German Gymnasium, London

When in London, go get ... German food?

Uh, yeah.

This was mostly a meal out of convenience, when we tried to go to Dishoom for an easy meal because it was close by, and the wait was substantial (don't worry, I went another time, see my review).  It was cold, raining, and we just didn't have it in us to venture far.

I had read good reviews of German Gymnasium, a fairly new establishment in Kings Cross, just a block away.  It is open for breakfast (and weekend brunch), lunch, and dinner daily.  Our visit was for dinner, 6pm, no reservation.

My Feast.

I had a light meal, shared with my companion, but we did get a nice sampling of a salad, a hot dog (of course), dessert, and a cocktail.

It was all actually decent, and service was quick and efficient.  I wouldn't seek it out, but, if I needed a convenient bite near the office, I'd go back.

Setting

The German Gymnasium is huge, located inside, well, a converted gymnasium (built in 1865 for the German gymnastics, and even hosted the Olympics in 1866!).  Really, a fascinating space.

The establishment is made up of multiple spaces: a higher end restaurant on the first floor (not ground floor!), a more casual all day Grand Café on the ground floor, two bars, and an outdoor terrace.  The menus (and price points!) are dramatically different between the spaces.

Main Floor Bar & Seating.

We wanted quick and easy, so opting for the casual ground floor restaurant, the Grande Cafe.

This area had a bar, and seating all around.

I could see the fancier restaurant on the floor above, but didn't venture up there to see more (which I don't think would have been welcome anyway).

Food and Drinks

Red Del Fashioned. £10.50.

 "Nomad whisky, sherry liqueur and bitters stirred. Topped with orange and cinnamon foam and grated orange."

My cocktail selection came from the "Short & Seductive" category.  It took longer to arrive than my food, which was a bit disappointing, as I wanted to sip on it before my meal, and with it.

It was good though.  It said "topped with ... foam" but I never expected such generous foam!  Look at that gap!  I really liked the froth, but didn't quite taste the orange and cinnamon that were supposed to be there.  Nor did I find grated orange.

Still, a nice cocktail, and I enjoyed it.

Menu.

The dinner menu at Grande Cafe has ... well, everything.  It was overwhelming, actually.  A full page, tiny print, many sections.

The menu options ranged from oysters & caviar, to crowd pleasing burgers, hot dogs, and steaks, to lighter seafood dishes, and of course, more traditional dishes like sausages and schnitzels.

There was also an entire section devoted to autumn specials, which caught my eye, lots of fun ingredients.  I tried to order the roast chestnuts from this section, but was told the chef pulled them from the menu because they were small and bitter.  I appreciated the quality control, but, alas, I wanted chestnuts!

Narrowing down our order was really rough, but in the end, we went for a autumn salad, a hot dog, and a dessert.  There were many other items I would have happily ordered however.

 Autumn Special: Chestnut & beetroot salad £8,50 (starter size).

"Apple, walnut, goat cheese, red wine vinegar dressing."

Last minute, we went for chestnut salad instead, still being offered as the chestnuts had been roasted already.  I would have *never* ordered this if I had read the ingredients, as it had goat cheese and beets.  I dislike beets and a loath goat cheese.  And it had apple, which I don’t really care for.  But … I ordered it when the server mentioned that the salad had chestnuts as a last minute replacement for my roasted chestnuts.  And I liked it.

Well, mostly.

The greens were great, a mix of bitter greens like radicchio, and common “mixed greens” like baby spinach and the like.  Everything seemed quite fresh.  The apple was thin strips and added a welcome juiciness and crisp bites.  As did the similarly thin slices of what I think was raw beets (it might have been fancy radish though).

I avoided the large chunks of roasted beets.  The walnuts seemed lightly toasted, added more crunch, and I somehow liked those too.

The chestnuts, the ingredient I was after were … fine.  Kinda hard, not very flavorful.  The weakest ingredient.  I avoided the goat cheese, but it somehow didn’t ruin everything.  I was pretty surprised how much I liked the salad, and ended up taking more and more of it.  It was lightly dressed, fresh, full of good textures and flavors, and, well, I guess my body was craving this.

This was available as a starter or main, and we got the starter, which was more than enough for two to share.

GG Hot Dog. £9,80.

"Marjoram spiced pork sausage, coleslaw, house sauce, crisp onions, brioche roll."

For a main ... we went for the hot dog.  Yup, the hot dog.  The menu had this "GG" hot dog and a curry dog, in addition to more traditional german sausages (currywurst, weistwrust, etc).

But I'm a hot dog girl, and couldn't really get past "hot dog", particularly when it came with coleslaw and crispy onions, and was served in a brioche roll.  All things I quite like.

Now ... it was a sight for sure.  Not what we know as hot dog. It didn’t really fit in the bun, rather, came perched on top, a bit hard to eat, overflowing with garnishes.

The hotdog was very juicy. I didn’t care for the house sauce, and found myself really wanting ketchup. Who was I? I love creamy house sauces!

I did like the slaw, and the crispy onions, as expected.   The brioche bun was soft and fine.

My dining companion really liked it, I think I just wasn’t quite in the mood for it, and was strangely just too excited by the salad.

Mont blanc. £7,00.

"Blackberry vanilla mousse, blackberry compote, chestnut cream."

For dessert we again had many, many options.  I was tempted by some of the actual German offerings, like warm apple strudel with vanilla sauce, and I did want a warm dessert so the fruit crumble (apricot) was also appealing, but, the mont blanc called me in.

Why?  Because I kinda got hooked on mont blanc in Tokyo.  Also: more chestnut!

The Moun Blanc was … meh.

The hard tart shell was chocolate, and it came dusted in cocoa powder, which I wasn’t expecting, as I avoid caffeine at night.  I'm not sure I would have ordered it if I knew there would be chocolate components.

I liked the sweet white chocolate decoration on top, smooth, sweet, creamy.

Mont blanc: Inside.

Here you can see the cross section, with the many layers inside.

The layer above the tart shell was some kind of blackberry compote, with tons of seeds.  I hate seedy berries.  Oops.  The menu did warn me about the blackberry, I just somehow missed it.

So, two big strikes right away: I don't like tart shells, I don’t like seedy berries.

Above that layer was a cream dome, with a berry cream in the center, and then chestnut paste along the outside.  The cream was fluffy but pretty boring.  The center was blackberry vanilla mousse, or so the menu said, but it too wasn't very flavorful.

Since this was a play on mont blanc, there was no chestnut in the center, which is really what I wanted!  It did have the iconic chestnut paste wrapping though, thick and more flavorful than the other components, but still fairly lackluster.

But overall?  Meh to this, the only item I wasn't really satisfied with.

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Russian food from Pushkin

Russian cuisine.  Not one I am all that familiar with.  But I do always like to try new things, so when I had the chance to try food from Pushkin, I gladly did.

Pushkin is in San Francisco, a small retail storefront in the International Food Court, open for lunch only, Mon-Fri.  They also do catering, which is how I experienced the food.

PIROJKI

Pirojki were new to me, large, yeasted baked stuffed buns.  Pushkin makes these in 4 varieties year round (beef, sausage, mushroom, and apple), the last of which is sweet plus additional, more exciting sounding, seasonal varieties.

I was able try two kinds.

Mushroom. $4 each.

"Button mushroom, onion."

First up was the savory bun, filled with mushroom and onions.  The buns all had a lovely golden sheen.

I really liked the bun dough itself, soft, slightly sweet, really enjoyable.

Mushroom: Inside.

But I did not like the filling.

I like mushrooms, I like onions, but this ... truly did not do it for me.  The mushrooms were chopped up into reasonable size chunks, the onions were smaller, the ratios were right.  But ... I just can't pinpoint it, I didn't like it.  It was basically just slimy mushroom stuff inside?  It didn't seem particularly seasoned.

I ate the entire bun, but, um, discarded the interior.

Apple. $4.

"Apple, raisin, cinnamon, poppy seeds."

Next up, the sweet one, apple.

I *loved* it.

The dough was again soft and fluffy, slightly sweet.  It was almost like what I always want Asian style buns to be.  Excellent base for the product.

Apple: Inside.

Inside was cubes of well spiced apple, perfectly cooked slightly al dente, which be sound weird describing apples, but, I actually really liked, as they had some bite to them this way.  Unlike American style apple pie filling, there was no additional goo really, just, the chunks of spiced apple.  Small chunks, which made a mess as they fell out, but really didn't bother me.

Also in the mix were a few raisins, not too many, and they were rather plump and juicy, so not a deterrent for me in the way that they are when hard bits in granola or scones.

I found this strangely satisfying, as a snack, just as is, but it was even better warm with honey cinnamon whipped cream, turned into more of a dessert.  I could imagine it also perhaps appropriate for breakfast?

Dumplings

A huge part of the menu is assorted dumplings, all varieties, again, offered in 4 staples, plus a slew of additional seasonal ones.  They come by the cup normally, but we had a full pan for catering.

Potato Mushroom Vareniki. $48/tray.

"Potato, mushroom, fried onion / pan fried."

I was very excited for these, as they are fairly familiar to me, I went through a pierogi discovery phase in college, and ate them regularly.

I found the dumplings fairly unremarkable.  Sure, the dough was better than frozen grocery store ones that is fairly lifeless, but they didn't taste particularly good, and the filling was kinda just a mass of potato.  Others did enjoy them quite a bit though.

That said, the caramelized onion bits served with them were delicious, so flavorful, droolworthy.  I gladly ate just the onions!

Salads

Salads are not part of Pushkin's regular offerings, but are available through catering, several styles, including a basic "fresh" salad, a traditional Olivier potato salad and a herring salad, and a beet salad, which is what I had.

Vinegret (Russian Style Beet Salad). $60/tray.

"Beet, potato, peas, pickled cabbage and cucumber, dressing: vegetable oil."

This was ... fine.  Not really my thing, as I don't care for cooked beets, or really potato cubes, peas, cucumbers .... really, just not my thing at all.

It was far more bland than I expected.

Mains

Pushkin only has one main dish, and it is only available via catering.  And only in mass quantity, with the smallest order being 3 trays of the main itself, and a tray of the side it comes with.

Plov (Uzbek plov). $150.

"Rice, beef, carrot, onion, garbanzo beans."

This is not a dish I had any interest in.  I don't like rice (unless in dessert), and I hate garbanzo beans.   The bits of beef were chopped small, and looked dry.  Just totally not a Julie-style item.

But I was quite interested in one thing in these trays: the garlic.  The *entire* bulbs of garlic.  Several of them per tray.  Just, entire cloves.

The garlic, um, I liked?  Roasted garlic is just so delicious, the flavor mellowed out, and I enjoyed eating it just by the spoonful, although it was also fantastic warmed back up and spread on croutons (I didn't have any fresh bread!)

Salad that comes with Plov.

"Fresh tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, shallot onion."

I did not try this, as it really looked like just some mushy tomatoes, yellow onion, and jalapenos.

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Out the Dough

Edible cookie dough.  As in, *raw* edible cookie dough.  One of the more recent fads to hit the area.  Not one I was particularly excited for, given that I'm not really much of a cookie girl, but, eventually I gave in and tried.

It turns out, I certainly like raw dough more than cookies!

"From classics to new innovative flavors, our mission is to bring you a wholesome product, with the freshest ingredients, providing a nostalgic, enjoyable experience that you and the whole family will love! You DOUGH-serve the most DOUGH-licious treat!"

My ventures took me to Out the Dough, in San Francisco.

Out the Dough Kiosk Experience.

Out the Dough is not the first raw cookie dough shop that I tried, but it is the best I've had so far, no question.

Quality seems high.  The dough is made fresh every day, and can keep in your fridge for 2-3 weeks (or 2-3 months in freezer).  They make all fun mix-ins as well, like the cinnamon rolls, baklava, pie crust bits, cheesecake, and caramel.  

The flavor line up is fairly extensive, with vegan and gluten-free options as well.  In addition to your choice of flavor, you need to decide how you want your dough.  The basic option is like ice cream, by-the-scoop, in a bowl, with or without toppings.  Toppings are fairly classic ice cream toppings like chocolate or caramel sauce, sprinkles, assorted cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, whipped cream, and toasted marshmallow fluff.  You can purchase by the pint to take home too.

But you can also choose to have it rolled in chocolate, as a truffle.  Or stuffed into a cannoli shape in a pizzelle cookie shell.  Or, if actual cookies are your thing, you can have it baked into a real cookie too.

Ordering Window.

The SF location is in Trinity Place, just a small window on the alley there, across from Barry's Bootcamp.  You know, get your workout on, then come eat raw dough?

There was no crowd, sadly, no line "out the dough" as they may have wished for, but this gave me time to consider my options from the large menu.   I was also quickly offered samples of any flavors I wanted, which of course I agreed to.

Greek Goddess
"Classic sugar + house made baklava."

The first sample I tried was Greek Goddess, which I hoped would have decent chunks of baklava inside.  I can't say I really tasted anything baklava-esq, no filo chunks, no honey, no nuts.  Just kinda sweet dough.  I moved on.

What The FLUFF?!
"Peanut butter + marshmallow fluff."

As a peanut butter and fluff fan, this was a no brainer for me to try.  The peanut butter flavor was good, but I didn't get much fluff to it.  Perhaps that was just my sample size.  Still, very peanut butter-y, which is a great thing.

The texture of both doughs was good, but they just weren't the flavor I wanted.  Luckily, I found it next.

Cannoli: Jimmies Classic. $3.75. 

"Try Out The Dough's version of a cannoli...select flavors of cookie dough rolled inside a delicious pizzelle cookie!"

I opted to do a cannoli, because, why not?  It was made to order.

I really liked the shell, not a standard cannoli shell, but rather, a pizzelle cookie, which was crispy, sweet, and a great component to have with the filling.  It also made the dough ridiculously easy to eat - I've had it before by the spoonful, or in a cone, but this was just far easier, just pick it up and munch.

The shell was very generously stuffed, packed full, with cookie dough.  It might not look like a big item, but, given how rich it was, it was a bit hard to imagine finishing in one sitting, except, that, um, it was addicting and amazing, and I kept going back for "just one more bite" after I'd put it down, willing myself to save it for later.

Jimmies Classic
"Classic sugar + rainbow sprinkles."

For my flavor of dough inside, I went with the Jimmies Classic, because I just can't resist rainbow sprinkles when they are an option.  This did mean it was a very sweet flavor, sweet sugar cookie dough and sweet sugar sprinkles, but, that is what I was in the mood for.

The dough was a great texture, well, raw cookie dough.  Not crumbly.  The sugar cookie flavor was crazy sweet, legit sugar cookie, like the kind you get a tube and eat raw even though you aren't supposed to.  Great sweetness, plus nice crunch from sprinkles.

I was happy with my choice of filling, thrilled with the form factor, and I'd gladly get another, although I'd love to try others too (like ones with pie crust mixed in!).  

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Raw Rev Vegan Bars

Update Review 2019

I was pleasantly surprised (ok, shocked) when I tried my first Glo bar from Raw Rev, the Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, & Sea Salt version, as I wrote about in my first review of the brand.  These are healthy bars, no question, not decadent, not what I normally go for, and certainly still not anything I'd ever crave.  But the pockets of chocolate were good, and the very healthy base did make me feel like a good person eating it.

So I tried another, more simple kind of Glo bar.  And one from their other product line.  I'm still inspired by them, so next, I want to get my hands on a cookie dough one ...

Glo Bars

"Glo bars are high in protein with lots of fiber and only 2-5 g of sugar per bar! Glo and look your best with plant based, health supportive ingredients! Always 100% vegan, gluten free, non-GMO and kosher and free from preservatives, soy protein isolates, whey, grains, and sugar alcohols."

Glo bars are certainly the more fun sounding product line, the one that drew me in to the brand, with flavors like Cookie Dough, and those featuring chocolate, mint, and caramel.  They all have a fairly simple ingredient list with a base of the "Raw Rev Superfood Blend" of peanuts, pea protein, brown rice protein, hemp proteindidn' virgin coconut oil, chia seeds, sprouted flax seeds, most raw and organic.  I am pleased they don't have whey protein, as that causes me issues.

Crunchy Peanut Butter & Sea Salt.

"Clean wholesome peanut butter with that whole peanut crunch. A moist and delicious treat loaded with protein, fiber and only 2 g of sugar per bar!"

This bar looked as awful as the first kind I tried, but I pressed on, not deterred by the strange mushy texture, the shiny exterior, or the fact that it was half the size of its wrapper.

It was essentially the exact same bar, just, minus the dark chocolate.  Same "Superfood Blend" base.  The chia and flax seeds added a bit of crunch, as did the actual chunks of peanuts, which I appreciated.  And besides that, the only other ingredients?  Sea salt and ... "Isomalto-Oligosaccharides".  Not so sure about that last one, but otherwise quite simple.

It didn't have a strange bitter taste, it didn't have a bad taste, and it was vaguely peanut buttery.  It was also boring, and I needed to pair it with chocolate.  And the texture is strange, mushy, and shiny.  It still isn't appealing, it isn't something I want, but, it doesn't taste bad, and, it really is a good option for post-workout, with 11 grams of protein, only 2 grams of sugar, and 190 calories.  Not a meal replacement, but plenty of protein without the junk.  So if that is what your life needs, try these.

Organic Bars

"Enjoy Organic decadence with our fruit, nut, and seed bars that are moist and chewy with a crunch. Ohh so tasty, hard to believe it’s good for you! Always vegan and free from preservatives, soy protein isolates, whey, grains, and sugar alcohols."

Inspired by the near success of Glo Bars, I decided to try the other product line from Raw Rev, organic bars.  This line is far less fun sounding, in both flavors available and ingredients.  It doesn't use the Superfood Blend base, rather, just nuts, seeds, and dates.  Meh.

Organic Spirulina Dream.

"Spirulina never disappoints with its high nutrition profile and sweet taste. Be a green goddess! An organic raw nutty nutrient packed bar that is moist and delicious with a crunch of almonds and cashews. Spirulina has so many scientific researched health benefits such as: loaded with antioxidants, phytonutrients and B vitamins, protein and trace minerals. No wonder so many people and cultures have hailed spirulina for being a true superfood!"

This base of the bar is just nuts and seeds (cashews, sunflower seeds, almonds, flax seeds), and it is sweetened with dates and agave.  Besides the namesake spirulina powder, there aren't any other ingredients.

And, well, it tastes exactly as the ingredients read.

Way, way too strong on the cashew for me.  And I hate dates.  So, not for me, not at all.

Original Review May 2017

I'm going to admit something from the start.  I had no intention of liking these bars.  I went into trying one assuming I'd hate it.  Yet of course I still tried it, because someone gave me one, and I figured if nothing else it would make a good review, and my blog regularly features assorted nutrition bars.

Raw Rev is another maker of healthy nutrition bars, gluten-free, non-GMO.  But their products go even further, in that they are raw and they are vegan.  Not that I have anything against raw and vegan, but, the results aren't usually very tasty to me.  Oh, and some of the bars are high protein too.  They just didn't sound possibly good.

Let me back up and talk about Raw Rev a bit though.  The company was started by a nurse who cared about nutrition.  She makes two product lines: organic bars and Glo bars.

Organic bars are available in 6 flavors (Chocolate Crave, Chunky Peanut Butter Chocolate, Chocolate Coconut Bliss, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, Golden Cashew, and Spirulina Dream).  These are standard size bars, made up of fruits, nuts, and seeds, dubbed "superfood bars".  They have a moderate amount of protein (4-7grams) and moderate amount of calories (~230).  The ingredients are things like peanuts and cashews, chia, flax, and sunflower seeds, plus dates and agave for sweetness.   Nothing really scary in the ingredients list.

Glo bars are available in 7, far more tempting, flavors: Dark Chocolate Espresso Crunch, Mixed Nuts, Caramel & Sea Salt, Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt, Dark Chocolate Cashew & Mint, Crunchy Peanut Butter & Sea Salt, Creamy Peanut Butter & Sea Salt, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.  The bars are a bit smaller, and are also the protein packed bars, ranging from 10-15 grams.  Of course, this means the ingredients list is a bit less pure, and the base of each is the "Raw Rev Basic Superfood Blend", made of cashews, pea protein, brown rice protein, hemp protein, coconut oil, chia seeds, and flax seeds.  Yes, still raw vegan ingredients, but not quite as wholesome.  They tend to be high fiber and low sugar.

My biggest issue with most nutrition bars, particularly protein bars, is that they usually use soy or whey protein isolate.  Not only do I think whey protein isolate tastes gross, but it also always makes my stomach feel bad.  Like, really bad.  I no longer eat products with it, and I was happy to see that Raw Rev does not use whey protein.

So I tried a Glo bar, and, uh, I liked it?

Glo Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, & Sea Salt.

"A creamy, delicious taste with rich dark chocolate includes nutritious raw ingredients with omega-rich superfoods to keep you glowing from the inside out!"

Sure, the name of this product sounded great:  Peanut Butter!  Dark Chocolate!  Sea Salt!  I like those things.  But, how many nutrition bars ever live up to the promise their dessert-worthy names imply? (Yes, I'm looking at you Clif and LUNA bars!)  Very, very few.

I opened the wrapper, and extracted the bar.  It looked just as awful as I assumed it would.  Yup, strange looking texture, no chocolate coating.  Strangely shiny.  Broken in half (ok, that was probably my fault).  I took my requisite bite.  And then I was confused.

I tasted lots of peanut butter, and a creamy pocket of chocolate.  I almost tasted a peanut butter cup.  I immediately took another bite.  This was not awful.  I turned the wrapper over to read the ingredients: yup, rice protein, hemp protein, chia seeds, flax seeds ... all things I don't usually like.  Where were they?  Honestly, I didn't taste the bitterness nor the funk usually associated with those ingredients.  I did taste the peanuts, and, it really was decent peanut butter flavor.  The strange texture of the bar kinda worked if you think about it as eating slightly firmer peanut butter.  Peanut butter, with pockets of chocolate that is.  I was really shocked by the chocolate, it wasn't chocolate chips as I assumed it would be, but instead, creamy, soft, areas of "organic Italian dark chocolate".  The chocolate was good, and, um, chocolate and peanut butter is always a good combination.  I did taste the pea protein, but I actually like pea protein (I know, a bit odd, but it really is tasty.  Have you tried Ripple Milk?  I really like it!)

So, yes, this was actually pretty good.  Was it as good as a peanut butter cup?  Obviously not.  As good as a fresh baked good?  Obviously not.  But far better than your average nutrition bar.  Strange texture, but, good flavor.  And really, quite amazing for the protein content, and in particular, one without whey protein isolate.  I'd have another.

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