Grill'd, Sydney

Grill'd is a casual burger joint, a chain in Australia. The premise is healthy burgers. They offer a slew of patty varieties, standard beef, to upgraded wagyu or organic beef, to pork belly, lamb, chicken, or veggie. The menu is rounded out by salads and a trio of fried items (chips, sweet potato chips, and zucchini chips).

I first visited Grill'd years ago, during one of my first visits to Sydney, as it was a common lunch destination from the office due to proximity.  I remember never really thinking it was great, but my co-workers all loved it, and certainly liked the "healthier" aspect of the place.  My memories are mostly "meh" and I never sought it out again.

That is, until I was attending a food festival and Grill'd was there, offering up an interesting sounding bite.

Sir Truffle Slider.

"Premium 100% Australian Wagyu Pattie with creamy Truffle mayo, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Smoked Sea Salt, Cos Lettuce and Fresh Basil."

I had the slider version of their signature premium burger, the Wagyu based Sir Truffle.

The patty was fully cooked, well done, and the wagyu certainly wasn't able to shine.  Sadness.

The bun was uninteresting, not fluffy, not brioche, no seeds ... just, a bun.  The cos lettuce was crisp and fresh.

The aged cheddar was quite good, quality, flavorful cheddar, and it was well melted.  The star though was certainly the truffle mayo.  Creamy, great truffle flavor.

I liked the truffle mayo and cheddar, but, alas, the overall sider was pretty dry and not good.  Perhaps better in full size form, made to order?

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Bi-Rite Creamery

When I first moved to San Francisco, Bi-Rite was well on my radar.  It was *the* place to get ice cream, perhaps because it was at peak trendiness right then, perhaps because it was located next to Dolores Park, where my hipser-ish friends liked to spend time, perhaps because it always had ridiculous lines, even on cold days, and, well, San Franciscans like standing in line for things.

I'm an ice cream girl through and through, but I don't remember ever really believing it lived up to the hype.  Sure, it was good ice cream, but worth a 40 min wait on the sidewalk in the cold?  Eh.  I've reviewed Bi-Rite many times before, as it often shows up in my office in the form of ice cream cakes (like in my 2017 reviews) or pints (2016 reviews), and you can check out my original 2012 review too if you'd like more background.

September, 2019

It has been a while since someone sent a "Hey, we have extra ice cream cake" email at my office, but, finally it happened.

I was thrilled when I found out that the ice cream cake maker in question was Bi-Rite, and they had not one, but two ice cream cakes!  I sprinted (er, power walked in a totally office-appropriate way?) down the hall to reach the prized cakes.

Birthday Cake Ice Cream Cake
with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream and Rainbow Sprinkles.

"Sour cream chocolate cake, birthday cake ice cream, cream cheese whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles."

The first cake was a classic "birthday cake", just, um, amped up a bit.  It had a lot going on.

The very top, not all the way to the edges, was the cream cheese whipped cream.  I loved it - light, fluffy, lovely flavor, slight amount of cream cheese.  I'm not really sure why they choose cream cheese whipped cream to be honest, that isn't very traditional birthday cake, and it wasn't being paired with anything usually topped with cream cheese frosting (e.g. carrot cake, red velvet cake), but, I really liked it.  And of course I liked the sprinkles.

The little pieces of cake studded on the outside looked a bit like a wreck, but perhaps that is because it was melty?  It really was perfect serving temperature though, the ice cream portion was still quite frozen, even if it looked a bit ridiculous.

Birthday Cake Slice.

Here you can see the side profile.

The ratio of cake to ice cream was a bit off for me.  Too much cake!  But then again, I'm just not much of a cake person.  It was a basic chocolate cake, apparently sour cream chocolate cake, but I didn't taste any sour cream.  It wasn't moist.  I mostly discarded mine.

The ice cream flavor was "birthday cake", which actually just seemed vanilla with sprinkles.  I think I expected some kind of additional sweetness, or "yellow cake" flavor, or something.

It was fine, but for me, the star really was that whipped cream.  I really liked that topping.

***.

Mint Chip.

"Chocolate midnight cake, mint chip ice cream and chocolate glaze."

Next up, Mint Chip, clearly a crowd pleaser as there was much less left.  It also turned out to be my favorite!

The ratio of cake to ice cream was much better (as in, less cake cake, a very thin layer, the cake was mostly ice cream).  The cake was a very dense chocolate midnight cake, much like a brownie.  It was ... fine, but this isn't the style of cake I like.

The topping was a huge piece of additional dark chocolate (it said "glaze" but really, this was solid, crisp, delicious chocolate).  I loved that topper.

And the rest of it?  Bi-rite Mint Chip Ice Cream, in all its glory.

Mint Chip Ice Cream: "Made with Seely’s organic mint oil and chocolate flakes that deliciously melt in your mouth."

The mint chip ice cream was fabulous.  Creamy, premium ice cream, nice mint backdrop, not many chips, but the ones hat were there were dark chocolate and quality.

I really enjoyed this one, particularly the ice cream and chocolate topper, particularly as it got all melty.

****.

Update Reviews, 2017

Another year, another few Bi-Rite ice cream reviews, but this time, of the ice cream cake!  They keep showing up in my office.  For my thoughts on the general ice cream, see my previous reviews.

Another day, another, "quick, we are having a celebration, come get ice cream cake!" message sent out one afternoon.  Of course I went running, to find ice cream cake from Bi-Rite.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake.

“Chocolate cake with cookies and cream ice cream and whipped cream.”

The base was chocolate cake, a fairly thin layer, compared to the others.  It was very firm, not really what I think of as cake, almost more like a very dense brownie.

Next was the main attraction: the ice cream.  This layer made up probably 70% of the cake, and was really just a thick solid mass of cookies and cream ice cream.  It was ... fine.  Not particularly creamy though, and cookies and cream isn't ever a flavor I go for.

The top layer was whipped cream based frosting, and it was decorated with crumbled Oreos.  The fluffy whipped cream was sweet and quite tasty, and it melted nicely, although, faster than the ice cream layer.  The Oreos were just kinda mushy/soggy.

Overall, I felt this ice cream cake lacked ... research?  I dunno.  I'm not going to claim that Carvel cake is amazing or anything, but, they have a formula that works, with layers in the right proportions.  This was really just a whole lot of ice cream, with some hard cake strangely at the bottom, frosting that melted faster than ice cream and slid off, and mushy topping.  The components were all fine, but it certainly didn't add up to anything special.

Chocolate Midnight Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I'll be honest.  I'm not a big cake fan.  Not that I don't like cake, but, because I generally would pick most other things over a simple cake.  But, when someone says there is cake to try, how do I resist?

This was quite good, for a cake.

Two layers of very dense, super moist, rich, dark chocolate cake. Borderline brownie-like.  In-between those layers was a very thick milk chocolate, more like a fudge than a frosting due to its thickness.  The frosting was cream cheese, sweet, creamy, and delicious, but it seemed like a slightly strange pairing with chocolate.  Dark chocolate shards lines the outside, high quality dark chocolate, with a nice snap.

Overall, very good, again, for a cake.

Update Reviews, Summer 2016

It had been a few years since I had Bi-Rite ice cream, and then, recently, I was surrounded by it.  I was curious if my opinion had changed, since, well, I never found the ice cream to be anything special.  See my original review.  

First, a friend brought over several pints of Bi-Rite ice cream to a party at my house.  None were flavors I would have picked, but, I was glad to try more flavors.  Then, a week later, we hosted a Bi-Rite event at my office, with a bunch more flavors.  My opinion remains largely unchanged.  It isn't bad ice cream, but, it just isn't any better than other ice cream.  I'm not sure why people are so crazy over it.

I did notice that Bi-Rite ice cream freezes much softer than many ice creams.  That is, if you put pints of Bi-Rite, Three Twins, and Ben & Jerry's all in the same freezer, they come out at totally different softness levels.  I've always been struck by how hard Ben & Jerry's freezes, you really need to let it soften a good 10 minutes before even attempting to scoop.  Bi-Rite is on the other end of the spectrum, actually scoopable from the moment you pull it out.  Three Twins is somewhere in the middle.  I wonder what causes this?

Tcho Chocolate.

I don't generally like chocolate ice cream.  I like chocolate, I like ice cream, I like hot fudge on ice cream, but, for some reason, I just don't tend to like chocolate ice cream, or even chocolate based ice cream.

But this was very good chocolate ice cream.  Smooth ice cream, really rich flavor, and it reminded me of a rich chocolate mousse.  I'm still wouldn't opt for chocolate ice cream generally, but, if I wouldn't turn this down.

Cookies & Cream.

"We make our Cookies and Cream with Newman O’s, hand chopped, and mixed in to our ice cream."

This was pretty standard cookies & cream ice cream.  Decent enough vanilla ice cream base, decent distribution of decent sized chunks of cookie.  Decent is really the best description I have for it.  Nothing wrong with it, but nothing really remarkable either.

August 2016

The week after a friend brought Bi-Rite ice cream to my house, we hosted Bi-Rite at work for an ice cream tasting.  We had four flavors (peach, roasted banana, salted caramel, balsamic strawberry), and, of course, I tried them all.

I failed to get a photo of the roasted banana.  It tasted ... like banana.  Ojan said, "it tastes just like a frozen banana".  For me it was just too plain, as I'm used to Chunky Monkey, or at least lots of toppings on a banana ice cream.  We all ranked it third.

Peach with Masumoto Peaches.

The first flavor I tried was peach, as I've had salted caramel and strawberry balsamic before, and banana sounded boring.

I didn't care for it.  It tasted ... too healthy.  Yes, this ice cream was too healthy for me.  It really did taste like frozen fresh peaches, so, if you like peaches, then perhaps it is for you?  My least favorite, and no one else wanted more than one bite of this either.

Salted Caramel.

"Our number one seller, famous for the deep rich flavor of sweet caramel balanced with just the right amount of salt."

Salted Caramel is probably Bi-Rite's most famous flavor.

It was just way too sweet for me.  Ojan and I both pulled back a bit after taking a bite, equally shocked by how sweet it was.  He wanted some rich chocolate sauce on top to cut it.  And some whipped cream.  It was really just a lot on its own.  It did melt nicely though.  Second choice.

Balsamic Strawberry.

"We only make this flavor when local strawberries are in full season and offer the best flavor. Balsamic vinegar enhances the strawberries’ fantastic flavor even more."

And finally, another Bi-Rite Signature flavor, balsamic strawberry.

This turned out to be everyone's favorite, as the flavor was the most complex.  Fruity, like the peach, but, the balsamic added some interest to it.

I think in general these flavors were just a bit too plain for me. I think they'd make great foundations for a sundae, but aren't the flavors I just want a scoop of.

Original Review, April 2012

Bi-Rite.  Ah, Bi-Rite.  Everyone loves this place.  The lines are epic, even on the coldest San Francisco "summer" days.  Somehow, the magic has been lost on me.

Just like Humphrey Slocombe, they use Strauss Organic Dairy. They use organic, local ingredients.  Yadda yadda yadda.  The ice cream still just doesn't seem that much better than generic grocery store ice cream to me.

Malted Vanilla with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate Pieces.

"This flavor combines malted vanilla ice cream with house make peanut brittle (made with Virginia peanuts) and TCHO milk chocolate pieces."

This pint reminded me of a pint of Ben & Jerry's - I had a hard time not eating the whole thing in a single sitting.  But, not because it was awesome.  Because every bite seemed like it was about to be awesome.

The ice cream base was fairly boring, perhaps slightly malty, but just vanilla ice cream.  It wasn't particularly creamy.  The milk chocolate pieces were tiny flecks, and there weren't many of them.  Nothing so far was very tempting.  But ... the peanut brittle.  That was my weakness.  But again, not because it was awesome.  Because it was almost awesome.  There wasn't much of it.  It wasn't really brittle, but more like little bits of peanut surrounded by some caramel.  But I couldn't stop digging for more.  This is exactly what happens to me with a pint of Ben & Jerry's, particularly with Heath Bar Crunch.  The ice cream isn't great, but I can't help myself from seeking out "just one more chunk" of the candy.

So, did I easily finish the pint?  Well, yes.  But, I can't say it was a very rewarding pint.

[ Update review: A friend brought a pint of this over to my house, and I again almost loved it.  The malty vanilla ice cream was smooth and melted perfectly, and I really did love the idea of the brittle and chocolate chunks.  Somehow though, it didn't quite satisfy. ]

Hard Ice Cream

• Almond Fudge Swirl:  Meh.  Mostly just vanilla ice cream, didn’t get much of the other flavors.
• Brown Sugar with Ginger Caramel Swirl: Way too sweet.  Just sweet.
• Ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodles): Ok flavor, but nothing special.
• Salted Caramel:  Nice and creamy, good caramel and salt flavors.  There is a reason this flavor is famous.

Soft Serve

• Pumpkin: Not very pumpkin-y, not very well spiced, meh.
• Salted Caramel: Sweet, not very salty [ Decent concistency, but just sweet, not salty, not caramely, not very good at all ]
• Vanilla : Very generic, nothing special.

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Jimmy's Recipe, Sydney

Jimmy's Recipe is a Malaysian restaurant chain in Sydney, known primarily for the laksa.

I have a very, very distant memory of the first time I was in Sydney, I think the first day, and stumbling into a mall food court where a colleague had told me to get laksa.  I don't think I even knew what laksa was, and I don't remember much else, except that I did it, and I found it very flavorful.  This was years and years ago now, and when I was in Singapore in 2020 I remember laughing thinking back to how novel laksa had seemed then ...

Anyway, years passed.  Malaysian still isn't a cuisine I experience much, and, the few times I've gone for Malaysian food in Sydney, it has always been to Mamak, for the roti (seriously, swoon, that dessert roti!  There *is* a reason people line up on the street, every single night, to get in to Mamak ...).

Jimmy's Recipe however is far more accessible.  Mall food court.  Easy peasy.

Gado Gado.

"A south east asian salad with beansprouts, lattice, fry tofu, tempeh, potato, green bean, crackers."

Ok, this was downright delicious.  Wow.

The base was fresh crisp cos lettuce, whole leaves (I think when the menu said "lattice", this is what they meant ...).  On top was a very generous amount of bean sprouts, that looked comical at first, but actually were perfect.  Super juicy, crisp, and went great with the sauce.

I could care less about the crispy bits of fried tofu, or the hard boiled egg slices, but the crispy fried cracker things on top were fantastic, I'm a sucker for textures and crunch, and these provided in spades.  A *very* generous amount, again, it looked like probably more than most normal people would want, but I loved it.

And then, the sauce.  This is what made the dish.  It was a peanut sauce.  It had bits of ground peanut for more texture.  It was crazy flavorful.  And, much like the bean sprouts and the crisp things on top, the ratio seemed entirely inappropriate.  Way too much.  Seriously over dressed.

But it was sooooo good it didn't matter.  I was literally licking the bowl clean.  Every. Single. Drop. of that sauce.

This came together wonderfully.  Fresh crispy lettuce, juicy crispier bean sprouts, crispier even fried bits, and tons and tons and tons of flavorful peanut sauce smothering the whole thing.  Absolutely delicious.

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Bounce Energy Balls, Australia

Update Review 2019 Tastings

I've reviewed, and quasi-liked, Bounce balls before, which you may recall from earlier reviews (you may start with my original or follow up reviews first, and then return here if not).  Short recap: protein energy balls, with crunchy coatings, generally ... almost good!

Plant Power

Bounce introduced a newer product line based around ... plants.  They are all vegan in fact. Known in the UK as "V Life" and in Australia as "Plant Power".  I tried the "Plant Power" versions.

They come in 7 varieties, and use pea protein instead of whey protein, which is meaningful to vegans of course, but also to me, as my body doesn't seem to like whey protein.

Almond Kale.

"Ever peeled the marzipan off the top of a slice of cake and tuck into that first? Our NEW Almond Kale Vegan Ball is our healthy version of that naughty delight. Even though it might have a slight green colour to it, don’t be put off; this nutritious Ball is packed with protein, is high in fibre and has no hidden nasties!"

I have such mixed feelings on this.

On one hand, it is a rather gross combination.  But on the other, it was actually almost good.  I hesitate to write it off entirely.

Like most of the Bounce balls, I liked the crunch from the almonds coating the outside.  The texture of the ball itself was not great, but not entirely awful.

The thing is ... it tastes like kale.  Not bad kale, the kale taste is actually good, but ... it also tastes like almonds, sweetened, like almond butter, or, perhaps marzipan as they mention in the description.   Kale is fine, marzipan is great, but, uh, do you want marzipan topped kale?  I don't.  It ... clashes so hard.   Maybe I'm just not used to this sort of healthy item?

But really, it was almost good.  And it is truly healthy, made from majority almonds, brown rice syrup and grape juice for the sweetness, pea and rice protein for the protein boost (yes! Not whey protein!), rice flour for the texture, and then, that kale.

Update Review Dec 2016

As always for updates, start with my original review first!

Peanut Cacao Protein Energy Ball.

"Not your average protein bar, have a ball instead! If you’re looking for a post workout snack, you’ll go nuts over this one. The alpha of the Bounce Ball range, this contender weighs in with a whopping 13g of protein. Peanut butter lovers will enjoy the combination of peanuts and whey protein, and the unsweetened cacao nibs add an extra nutritious twist.

Our protein energy balls are made from 100% natural ingredients that are cold pressed to maintain nutritional integrity. Like all of the flavors in our range, the Peanut Cacao ball is gluten free, GMO-free, and is made with the highest quality whey protein along with peanuts and unsweetened cacao nibs. It's kind of like your favorite energy bar... but in a ball shape, made with real food ingredients you can actually pronounce."

13 grams of protein!  In this little tiny ball!  

This was really nearly tasty.  The outside was coated in little bits of peanuts and inside was tons of little tiny nibs for extra crunch.  So much crunch!

The peanut flavor was there, but not particularly strong.  It had a strange sweetness, I guess from brown rice syrup?  But, flavors were good, overall.

But ... the protein comes from whey protein, a mix of whey protein blend and whey protein crisps, and as always, they make my stomach feel funny, so after a few bites, I had to give this to a friend.

Original Review 2015

Another day, another review of snack food bars that I discovered while visiting our Sydney office, (like Carman's Muesli Rounds that I loved!).  These were ... less successful.

Bouce makes ... balls.  Energy balls.  The company was founded by a couple in Australia with health and fitness backgrounds, who wanted to build a snack products that helps people feel good, by highlighting superfoods.  They also make protein powders for shakes, but, I only had the balls.

Bounce makes 8 different varieties of these balls, all with kinda funny names: one is a "protein burst", another a "protein bomb", another a "protein punch", yet another is a "protein bliss", etc.  Most have protein added via one of my least favorite ingredients, whey protein isolate.  They do have interesting flavors, and all have fun coatings like bits of nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts), coconut, or cocoa nibs.

Like many other bars I have tried, they are gluten-free, high in protein, etc.  They use natural sweeteners (blue agave, brown rice malt syrup, grape juice, dates) rather than sugar.

I tried 5 different flavors.  They ranged from truly dreadful (I'm sorry, I can't stand the texture nor flavor of awful whey protein junk) to almost ok (no whey protein, phew).  I do appreciate that they take a different spin on traditional energy bars, and really do like some of the outside coatings.  But ... whey protein, I just can't take it.

Almond Protein Hit.

"A tasty pocket rocket, bursting with nutrients from the king of nuts. This Ball contains the optimum balance of high quality proteins, complex carbohydrates and heart-healthy mono and unsaturated fats."

The first Bounce bar I tried was the "Almond Protein Hit".  How do you resist a "tasty pocket rocket"?

Almonds make up the majority of the ball (29%), with whey protein making up the next largest component (15%).  The whey protein shows up in several forms: isolate, hydrolysate, and concentrate.  The rest of the ingredient list is a random assortment of stuffs, including brown rice malt syrup and grape juice as sweeteners.

I went into it with low hopes since I don't tend to like protein bars, particularly ones with whey protein.  I liked the crunchy nuts on the outside, but, I didn't like the flavor of the base.  It wasn't necessarily the whey protein I didn't like, rather, it tasted like almond butter, and even though I do like almonds, for some reason, I don't generally like almond butter.

So not as awful as I feared, but, not something I wanted another of.

Peanut Protein Blast.

"The Golden Nugget - a filling and satisfying powerhouse of protein,packed with peanuts, to help keep you energised and feeling at your best."

Next, I moved on to a peanut based one, since I identified the almond as the problem in the first ball I tried.

The one is primarily peanuts (34%), plus all the expected whey proteins (22%), and the laundry list of ingredients I also found in the almond bar.

This one didn't look very good, the nut coating wasn't as evenly distributed, and the ball itself was kinda mushed.  Perhaps it was the higher nut percentage in this ball, or perhaps it was the fact that I've been craving peanut butter lately, but I liked this one far more.

The crunch of the bits of peanut on the outside, just like the almonds on the previous ball, were again a nice touch.  The ball itself had a decent peanut flavor.  It obviously still had whey protein stuff, but, I *almost* liked it.  My favorite of the balls, and the only one I'd consider eating again.

Cacao Mint Protein Bomb.

"An epic new recipe that harnesses the healthy power of cacao nibs, sunflower seeds, quality proteins and rice bran. It’s exploding with delicious, nutritious goodness."

After the near success of the Peanut Protein Blast, I decided to keep trying Bounce balls, since they seemed so close to tasty.  For my next bar, I selected the one that sounded like dessert: cocoa mint!

At first, this looked like a winner.  The outside was coated in crunchy cacao nibs.  I loved the crunch and the nibs.

But the ball itself ... the texture and the flavor were just awful.  All I could taste was the whey protein isolate, or maybe the whey protein concentrate, or perhaps the pea protein concentrate.  Whatever it was, it was awful.  It was also very bitter, likely from the sunflower seeds, which made up 19% of the ball.

The flavor was just dreadful, and the aftertaste lingered on and on.  No amount of nibs could save this one.

Coconut & Macadamia Protein Bliss.

"Not only is it packed with macadamias, cashews and coconut, this delicious favourite is also high in protein, fibre and antioxidants. Wow."

But still I persevered.  Maybe macadamias would be the magic touch?

This ball fared about the same as the almond and peanut ones.  It was almost good.  I liked the crunch from the macadamias inside.  I liked the coconut coating.  But ... alas, whey protein.  Whey protein makes up 18% of this bar, with macadamias only weighing in at 6%.  A surprise is that cashews make up 12%.  I didn't actually taste the cashews, but I was surprised to see them in the ball.  I guess they provide a nutty taste, and are cheaper than macadamias?

Not one I'd get again, but not as offensive as some others.

Superberry Vitality Burst.

"Gluten and dairy free, the Superberry Vitality Burst has been developed to meet the requirements of those with specific dietary needs. Combining cranberries, goji berries, raspberries and coconut, the flavours are a sumptuous mix that tantalise your taste buds."

For my final attempt, I decided to try one that wasn't a Protein Blast/Bliss/Bomb/etc, aka, one that didn't have extra protein junk inside.  After all, I know I don't like whey protein.

I opted for the Superberry Vitality Burst (the other non-protein one is the Spirulina Ginseng Defence Boost).

This one had some promise, and indeed did not have the nasty whey protein.  But ... what do most health foods bars have that I also hate?  Yup, dates.  #1 ingredient in this.  This ball had a nice texture, and good fruitiness from the dried cranberries, apples, raspberries, and acai juice.  I liked the crunch from goji berries, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and crispy rice.  But ... dominant flavor?  Dates.

If you like dates, and fruity things, I think this one is likely actually good.

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Chocolove

Update Review, 2021

Chocolove seems to be a chocolate brand I want to like more than I really do.  They have interesting flavors, but I continue to find the bars just not very good.  The nut butter cups are great, but the bars ... eh.

Peppermint in Dark Chocolate.
55% Dark.

"Dark semisweet Belgian chocolate and natural peppermint oil.  55% Cocoa creamy dark chocolate and refreshing peppermint.  The flavors swirl on your palate ending in a cool mint finish".

Mint and chocolate.  Pretty common pairing.  A pairing I enjoy - think: Thin Mints.  Andes Mints.  York Peppermint Patties.  Junior Mints.  Etc.  So I had no concern picking this bar up.

But ... I really did not care for it.  The bar was only 55% dark, but seemed far darker.  The chocolate was not smooth and shiny, rather, it was kinda chalky.  That was unfortunate, but not a deal breaker.  The real issue was the taste.  It was sooooo bitter.  So very, very bitter.

The peppermint was extremely subtle, it came through really on the finish, hard to detect through all the bitterness.  It tasted strongly of peppermint oil.  Which, is what it was after all.  Not medicinal exactly, but, slightly cloying.

Overall, just not a bar I enjoyed at all.

1/5.

Holiday Fruits & Nuts
in 55% Dark Chocolate.

"Sweet currants, tart cherries, zesty orange and spicy ginger complement a mix of crunchy pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts enrobed in dark chocolate... This classic combination is inspired by popular holiday chocolate in France known as mendiant."

This was a really, really interesting bar.  It had all sorts of bits of dried and candied fruit including currants, cherries, and orange peel, plus assorted nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts), and holiday accents like ginger.  It really had a ton going on, all set against a fairly dark deep chocolate.

The chocolate I found kinda lost in the bar, and I actually think perhaps a lighter chocolate would work better.  But the goodies inside it were certainly interesting - I appreciated the crunch from the nuts, and it was very, uh, "holiday" flavored, indeed, with chewy bits of fruit and fairly intense spicing.  It was like ... a fruitcake in a chocolate bar.

I think this bar sounded better than it was though, this was a case of too many competing things, the result being a bit muddled, and, the chocolate lost.

3/5.

Original Review, September 2020

Chocolove is a chocolate bar manufacturer located in Colorado.  They make 24 varieties of bars, starting with a 55% basic dark chocolate, a 65% richer dark chocolate, a 70% strong version, all the way up to extra strong (77%).  They also make bars with mix-ins, like cherries & almonds, orange peel, chilies & cherries, salted peanuts, peach and pecans, and so on, in both milk and dark chocolate varieties. And bites and cups.

I've tried a few products, most were fine, but one was a real winner.

Bars

The bars are sold at Whole Foods, right near the registers, and many of my friends pick them up to bring to parties.  I recognize the wrappers instantly.  I know I've tried many of them, numerous times, but ... they have never been memorable enough to even take notes on.  I feel like I've failed you a bit here, but honestly, I just don't remember a thing about them, besides that they are all generally "okay".

So when I was recently given a bar, I took my job seriously, and tried to take notes.

Strong Dark Chocolate, 70%.

"Strong, bittersweet Belgian dark chocolate crafted to deliver an exceptionally smooth experience in dark chocolate".

The first bar I ever tried from Chocolove, I went for the strong dark chocolate bar, coming in at 70%.

It was ... unremarkable.  The snap to the chocolate was ok.  It wasn't too bitter, it wasn't too mild.  But the flavor just wasn't very complex.  It just ... was.

I really tried to take better notes.  I tried to taste subtleties, to tell you about the blackberry on the finish, or the slight earthy undertones.  But there weren't any.  This chocolate just wasn't interesting.  Perhaps the 77% is better?

And I'm sorry to all my friends who regularly buy this brand, it has just never impressed me!  2.5/5.

33% Milk Chocolate.

"Creamy Belgian milk chocolate crafted from a blend of Javanese and African cocoa beans."

I don't often crave milk chocolate, but since I didn't find the dark chocolate particularly interesting, I at least gave the milk a shot.  One day, I was eating a peanut butter protein bar, and really, really wanted creamy milk chocolate to pair with it.  I dug into my pantry, and found this bar, I believe acquired while flying at some point.

It was a fine milk chocolate bar.  Creamy milk chocolate.  Fairly smooth.  Nothing complex, but nothing bad.  Not too sweet.  Just, a fine milk chocolate bar.  It met my needs that day quite well, but I wouldn't seek it out.  3/5.

Cups/Bites

In addition to bars, they make cups, the pinnacle of chocolate confections, and Bites, slightly smaller version.  They make many varieties, classic peanut butter with milk chocolate shells, but also versions filled with different nut butters, dark chocolate versions, even salted caramel ones.

Hazelnut Butter Cup - Dark Chocolate.

"Move over peanut butter – hazelnut butter is taking over as the king of all cups. Chocolove’s latest recreation of the “cup” features a shell of the richest Belgian dark chocolate around a fluffy soft hazelnut butter center. Like biting into a hazelnut cloud."

I tried the hazelnut butter cup, since my choices were almond butter or hazelnut (they didn't have peanut due to allergies where I was).

Wow.  These were great.  Really, really good.

Lovely dark chocolate shell, not too sweet, but sweet enough to compliment the filling.  Thick, but not too thick.

And inside, hazelnut butter, rather than the traditional peanut butter.  You need to be in the mood for hazelnut, but, the "nutella" formula is a successful one for a reason, and it totally worked here.  Creamy, smooth, not too sweet.

I really enjoyed this.  At nearly 100 cal per little cup though, definitely a treat! 4/5.

Salted Peanut Butter in Dark Chocolate Bite.

"Enjoy an elevated classic with our Dark Chocolate Salted Peanut Butter Filled Bites — a satisfying blend of salty and sweet designed to share and savor. This twist on a cherished American favorite combines the familiar comforting taste of creamy salted peanut butter with the richness of premium 54% Cocoa Belgian Dark Chocolate."

I'm still not quite sure why they make both Bites and Cups, as the form factor is quite similar, but hey, more things to try, so I'm not complaining.  The Bites are a bit more petite, so a nice pick if you just want a little treat.

This was a nice piece.  Again good dark chocolate shell, not too sweet, decently dark.  Decent peanut butter inside. The salt level is what kicked this up a notch though - it had such a delightful hit of salt that amped up every bite.  I enjoyed it. 4/5.

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Tong Sui

Tong sui is a generic term for any sweet, soupy item served at the end of a Cantonese meal.  It is also the namesake of a dessert shop in Sunnyvale.

Tong Sui doesn't have much of a web presence, besides their ordering site, so I wasn't able to learn much about it.  While I didn't visit myself in person, they do have a retail location, and delivery via basically every delivery service in the area.

I was drawn to Tong Sui due to the great lineup of interesting desserts, in particular, puddings, and strong Yelp reviews (4.5 stars? No red flags here at least!).

Delivery via Nextdish.

I ordered from Tong Sui via Nextdish, a platform featuring a slew of Asian chefs offering dishes for dinner (changing daily), plus partnerships with dim sum restaurants, bakeries, bubble tea shops, etc and hard to find Asian groceries, all in one delivery.  I was blown away by the selection.

Ordering was quite easy through their website, new menus published once a week for the week ahead (dinner dishes change daily, as do some desserts, grocery items are the same most days).  I ordered in advance, which I'm glad I did, as several items sold out quickly.  You can modify your order up until 1pm the day of delivery.  My delivery window was 2 hours, and I was sent a text the day of delivery to remind me, and a text when the order was 3 minutes away.  It arrived near the end of, but still inside, the delivery window.

Anyway, side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• 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 ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Allset ($5 off) [ Pickup only ]

Packaging.

My items were packed nicely in a box lined with some crinkly brown paper.  Yet another label was inside, this one telling me how to recycle, or collect and redeem for a free pudding, my jars. 

My first order!

I opted to try two dishes, one classic coconut pudding (their signature dish) and one more exciting item: taro & ube sago!

Both came in branded glass jars, a nice size for re-purposing at home, if I don't end up collecting the 10 required to redeem for free pudding.

Coconut Pudding

Coconut pudding is the signature item from Tong Sui.

In addition to a plain version, they also make a "double layer" version with coconut jelly on top, a version served in a coconut shell, and versions topped with other flavored puddings (strawberry, matcha, sweet rice, chocolate), or other fun toppings (red bean mochi, oreo crumbs and mochi, mango and mango juice, even rosewater peach gum).

I tried the signature.

Signature Coconut Pudding in Glass Jar.  $7.95.
原味椰子凍玻璃瓶.

"Made with organic lactose-free milk and fresh coconut water. No additional sugar. It comes with homemade toasted coconut flakes. Please keep refrigerated and store for up to 5 days."

This signature pudding came with the coconut topping on the side.  Designed to be served chilled, can keep in the fridge a few days.

The toasted coconut topping was fine, small pieces of toasted coconut.  I appreciated the texture to add in, but I like bigger flakes.

Signature Coconut Pudding in Glass Jar: Top.

On top my jar had a bit of a film/skin, underneath which was a creamy coconut jelly, bursting with coconut flavor.  There was sweet coconut liquid in the jar as well.

The pudding had a lovely texture, strong coconut flavor, and was sweet but not too sweet.  Quite successful.

This reminded me exactly of the "coconut tofu" or "coconut jelly" that my favorite sushi restaurant used to serve as the complimentary dessert, and they always included a few tiny bits of fruit: strawberry, blueberry, grapes.  So I did the same, using cotton candy grapes and strawberries, and it was fabulous.

However, at $7.95 it struck me as pricey, considering I've seen similar dish on dessert menu for <$5 fairly commonly.

*** as served, ***+ with my additions.

Other Desserts

For my second item, I was pretty torn between the coco durian sago, the "mango fantasy" with mango, strawberry, and rice balls, the mango coco sago with pomelo and the ube/taro creation ...

Ok, who are we kidding, yes, I wanted several but there was one clear winner if I was only picking one.

Taro & Ube Sago with Taro Balls. $6.95. 
 芋香紫薯西米撈

"Made with coconut milk, fresh taro, and ube. It comes with 3 taro balls. For better taste, please leave it at room temperature and consume it within the purchase day."

I couldn't resist taro and ube in the same dessert.

This one was for consuming at room temp, not chilled.  I also tried it warmed up, and thought it was even better that way.

Taro & Ube Sago with Taro Balls: Top.

The taro/ube sago was entirely different from the coconut pudding, as it is not a pudding, but more like a drink.

Very liquid-y, but great coconut flavor, great taro flavor, great ube flavor.  Again sweet but not too sweet.

It had little bits of taro and ube inside, plus a few shreds of coconut, all of which added even more flavor and texture, and made it pretty clear that this was NOT made from powder.

Taro & Ube Sago with Taro Balls: Taro Balls & Sago!

Also inside of course was sago and taro balls.

The sago was ok, small size, but a bit softer than I like.  Decent amount of it, although it definitely could have benefited from even more.

Also inside, along with the obvious sago, was 3 good sized taro balls, soft, slight chew, mochi-like.  These were a great addition.

Overall a very tasty "soup", good balance of taro-ube-coconut, nice textures.  I did find myself wanting something more though, I'm not quite sure what.  I may have added whipped cream.  Sssh.  At $6.95 however it was a bit pricey for what it was - and I somewhat think a real taro or ube boba drink, with cheese foam, would be more satisfying.

***+.

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Peter's Ice Cream, Australia

Peter's vs Streets.  Which is technically "Australia's favourite ice cream"?  I think both claim to be.  Peter's at least seems slightly more authentic, as Streets is now owned by Unilever, and thus, has equivalent product lines worldwide (like Heartbrand in Europe, which I've reviewed before).  Peter's makes regular ice cream, but also assorted novelties like Drumsticks, and even has a partnership with Messina now, distributing gelato (yes, that Messina, Sydney darling ...)

Anyway, I am an ice cream lover, and travel frequently for work, and thus, discovering ice cream, even generic ice cream truck items, when I travel, is one of my past times.  Peter's is still relatively new to me, but I look forward to trying more of their treats.

Ice Cream

For foodservice, Peters offers 5 liter trays in a variety of flavors:  Vanilla, Choc Lovers, Rum & Raisin, Macadamia, Boysenberry, Choc Mint, Cookies & Cream, Violet Crumble, Hokey Pokey, Bubblegum, Passionfruit, O.E.T, Strawberry, Mango Tango, Triple Swirl, Banana, Honeycomb, Choc Chip.  Yeah, these are the generic mass distribution flavors, not exactly your standard lineup!

My office in Sydney recently switched to Peters as a supplier, so I was able to try several.

Boysenberry.

I started with the interesting sounding boysenberry.  

It was good, a vanilla base with the berry swirled in.  It was creamy, decent quality ice cream, good mouthfeel.

A bit too sweet for me, particularly in places where the berry swirl was over generous, but otherwise, good, and a fairly unique flavor, at least to me.

Mango Tango.

I don't generally go for such fruity flavors, but, the Mango Tango was a good one.  Great mango flavor, and the real winning element was the perfectly creamy texture.  Clearly a quality ice cream.

Best paired with some fruit, or perhaps coconut cream?

I was glad to get to try it, not one I'd normally seek out.

Novelties

As I mentioned, the office switched to Peters, not only for the ice cream by teh scoop, but for hte novelties that filled the ice cream freezers, switching from from Streets, which I've reviewed before.

I was of course excited just to try new things.

Super Choc Drumstick.

"Smooth Choc ice cream topped with lush chocolate sauce and crunchy peanuts all in a crispy wafer cone with delicious choc tip."

This was actually a pretty decent Drumstick. 

The ice cream was the best part, and the most surprising, as usually the ice cream quality in novelties like this isn't exactly the highest. It was very creamy, melted nicely, and has a good milk chocolate flavor.

The topping is fairly standard chocolate and nuts, but the amount was good and the quality reasonable.  I didn't love the toppings though.

Same with the cone, crispy, fine, but nothing special.  Bonus points for the chocolate tip though, very generously filled.  I liked that quite a bit.

I liked it enough to have another of these cones the next day.

Oreo Sandwich.

"Your favourite cookie just got a whole lot cooler! Tuck into this frozen OREO cookie sandwich with OREO cookie crumb throughout."

Not being an Oreo lover, I liked this far more than I expected.

The cookies were soft chocolate cookies, the ice cream was creamy, seemingly good quality, very "cookies & cream" flavored.

I'd have another.

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