It has grown on me!

Friday, November 30, 2018

Japanese Grocery Haul - 7 Products He Purchased at Kitano Ace in Japan

Kitano Ace Haul

As I mentioned in my previous entries, my husband went on his business trip to Japan last month. This time, he found that there was Kitano Ace (北野エース) located nearby his hotel in Yokohama city. As I mentioned in my previous entry, What I Purchased at Kitano Ace - Japan Haul, we really love products from Kitano Ace because their foods are high quality and taste really good! Kitano Ace sells a variety of groceries. If you are already an expert at Japanese foods and would like to find something you don't see at regular supermarkets in Japan, I think you will love this store. Kitano Ace has many branches in Japan. For instance, they have 15 branches in Tokyo. Anyway, today I'm going to share 7 products he purchased at Kitano Ace with you. All products listed below have so many positive reviews in Japan. :)

1. Kyushu Sweet Potato Chips, Kyushu Satsuma Chips (九州さつまチップス)
sweet potato chips
369 yen

Kyushu Sweet Potato Chips, Kyushu Satsuma Chips (九州さつまチップス)

This is my most favorite snacks from Kitano Ace! Before he went on his business trip to Japan, I had told him, "I wish I could eat 100 bags of Kyushu Satsuma Chips!" That's why he purchased this one there. (However, he purchased only one bag of it!) ;)

Japanese sweet potatoes are called satsuma imo. Satsuma (薩摩, さつま) is a former name of a district in Kagoshima prefecture. Imo (芋, いも) means a potato in Japanese. Kagoshima prefecture located on Kyushu island (九州) is the largest Japanese sweet potato producer in Japan.

Kyushu Sweet Potato Chips, Kyushu Satsuma Chips (九州さつまチップス)

The chips are sweet and so crunchy! I hope you will try ones someday!

2. Nadaman Cream Cheese Rice Crackers, Nadaman Cream Cheese Okaki (なだ万クリームチーズおかき)
cream cheese flavor rice crackers & bacon flavor rice crackers
200 yen

Nadaman Cream Cheese Rice Crackers, Nadaman Cream Cheese Okaki (なだ万クリームチーズおかき)

Last time, we had purchased this cracker for our Japanese friends, and they told us that it was so delicious. That's why we really wanted to try this one for our first time. :)

Nadaman (なだ万) is a famous high-end Japanese restaurant established in 1830. They also sell some bento boxes and side dishes at depachika (デパ地下) in many department stores in Japan. (As I mentioned in my previous entry, depachika is delicatessen on underground floors of department stores.)

Nadaman Cream Cheese Rice Crackers, Nadaman Cream Cheese Okaki (なだ万クリームチーズおかき)

It had a lot of small size rice crackers. It contained puffy cream cheese flavor rice crackers and cranchy bacon flavor rice crackers. It was way beyond my expectations! :) I thought this one was one of the best rice crackers I've ever had, and it was pretty affordable. If you go to Kitano Ace, you should try this one. :)

Nadaman Cream Cheese Rice Crackers, Nadaman Cream Cheese Okaki (なだ万クリームチーズおかき)

3. Lemon and Squid Flavor Snacks, Setouchi Lemon Ikaten (瀬戸内れもん味イカ天)
lemon and squid flavor snacks
300 yen

Lemon and Squid Flavor Snacks, Setouchi Lemon Ikaten (瀬戸内れもん味イカ天)

This Setouchi Lemon Ikaten is lemon and squid flavor snacks. Ikaten (イカ天) means squid tempura in Japanese. It was flavored with lemons grown in Setouchi region (瀬戸内地方).

Lemon and Squid Flavor Snacks, Setouchi Lemon Ikaten (瀬戸内れもん味イカ天)

I really loved these snacks! They had very fresh lemon flavor, and I noticed squid tastes! I thought that it would taste good with beer. (I don't usually drink alcohol though.) If you love beer, you might want to try this one. :)

Lemon and Squid Flavor Snacks, Setouchi Lemon Ikaten (瀬戸内れもん味イカ天)

4. Japanese Soup Stock with Flying Fish, Ago Iri Dashi (あご入りだし)
Japanese Soup Stock with Flying Fish
25 packs of soup stock
916 yen each

Japanese Soup Stock with Flying Fish, Ago Iri Dashi (あご入りだし)

I wanted to try Kitano Ace Ago Iri Dashi (あご入りだし). Ago dashi, agodashi (あごだし) is fish based broth made from dried flying fish. As I mentioned in my previous entry, Shopping at Don Quijote Ginza and Japanese Vending Machines, agodashi has been very popular in Japan these years. People in Japan use agodashi for making miso soup, udon soup, ramen soup and etc. (By the way, I also love Marutai Nagasaki Agodashi Ramen.)

Japanese Soup Stock with Flying Fish, Ago Iri Dashi (あご入りだし)

This Ago Iri Dashi contains 25 packs of agodashi.

Japanese Soup Stock with Flying Fish, Ago Iri Dashi (あご入りだし)

If you want to cook miso soup, you can put one pack of agodashi in 800ml (27 fl oz) of water and bring it to a boil. Then, simmer it for one to two minutes and take the pack out from the boiling water. Add your favorite ingredients such as tofu, and simmer it until ingredients are cooked. Turn off the heat, and add your favorite miso paste. Serve it and sprinkle some chopped green onions. That's it. You can also make udon soup, takikomi gohan, nabe dish with this agodashi.

Japanese Soup Stock with Flying Fish, Ago Iri Dashi (あご入りだし)

How much of Ago Iri Dashi should you use?
・1 Pack for 600ml of Water for Japanese Clear Soup (お吸物), Oden (おでん) and Nabe (よせ鍋)
・1 Pack for 400ml of Water for Simmered Vegetables (煮物)
・1 Pack for One Rice Cup (米１合) of Takikomi Gohan (炊き込みご飯)
・1 Pack for 800ml of Water for Miso Soup (お味噌汁)
・1 Pack for 400ml of Water for Chawan Mushi (茶碗蒸し), Soba Soup (そば), Udon Soup (うどん) and Tentsuyu (天つゆ)

With using this agodashi, I have cooked miso soup, takikomi gohan and so on. Those turned out very delicious. I also sent Kitano Ago Iri Dashi to my mother-in-law and she loves it as well. :)

5. Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles with Sesame Seeds, Goma Takanazuke (ごま高菜漬け)
Japanese pickles
276 yen

Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles with Sesame Seeds, Goma Takanazuke (ごま高菜漬け)

I really love takanazuke! As I mentioned in my previous entry, How to Prepare Takanazuke, Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles, takanazuke is Japanese mustard leaf pickles and is perfect with steamed white rice. In Fukuoka, where is my hometown, takanazuke is famous local pickles and also popular tonkotsu ramen topping. This Kitano Ace Takanazuke is already cut finely to ready to eat, so I just moved it into my Pyrex container. I enjoyed it with steamed white rice.

Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles with Sesame Seeds, Goma Takanazuke (ごま高菜漬け)

There was the recipe of a fried rice with takanazuke!

Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles with Sesame Seeds, Goma Takanazuke (ごま高菜漬け)

6. Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles with Spicy Pollock Roe, Karashi Mentaiko Takana (からし明太子高菜)
Japanese pickles
369 yen

Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles with Spicy Pollock Roe, Karashi Mentaiko Takana (からし明太子高菜)

He also purchased Karashi Mentaiko Takana (からし明太子高菜), Japanese mustard leaf pickles with spicy pollock roe. I really love karashi mentaiko! This one is also already cut finely to ready to eat and is perfect with steamed white rice.

There was also the recipe of Krashi Mentaiko Yakisoba.

Japanese Mustard Leaf Pickles with Spicy Pollock Roe, Karashi Mentaiko Takana (からし明太子高菜)

7. Cooked Sardines Coated with Sesame Seeds, Kingoma Iwashi (金ごまいわし)
cooked sardines
150g (7 sardines)
500 yen

Cooked Sardines Coated with Sesame Seeds, Kingoma Iwashi (金ごまいわし)

This time, he purchased Kingoma Iwashi (金ごまいわし), cooked sardines coated with sesame seeds. It's perfect with steamed white rice. :) It's also perfect as a side dish for obento or snacks that go well with sake.

Cooked Sardines Coated with Sesame Seeds, Kingoma Iwashi (金ごまいわし)

The sardines were simmered with soy sauce and sugar and were coated with plenty of ground toasted sesame seeds. I really loved that they had very savory sesame seed aroma! They were sweet and salty, and I enjoyed them with white rice. :)

Simmered Sardines Coated with Sesame Seeds, Kingoma Iwashi (金ごまいわし)

      If you are planning on visiting Japan and want to check out Kitano Ace, you can find store locations from their official website (Japanese).

       By the way, this month, he had another chance to visit Japan for his business trip again! We actually didn't expect that he would go to Japan three months in a row! Next time, I will share what he purchased at convenience store in Japan with you.

       These are also my entries you might like.
♥What I Purchased at Kitano Ace - Japan Haul

♥7 Best Japanese Beauty Products I Purchased on Amazon Japan - You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

♥What I Purchased at Kaldi Coffee Farm - Japanese Snack and Candy Haul

♥14 Best Japanese Beauty Products I Purchased in Japan - Drugstore, Discount Store, Daiso and Loft Haul

♥13 Best Japanese Products I Purchased on Amazon Japan! - Beauty, Kitchen and Stationery Items

♥13 Muji Products I Purchased in Japan - Muji Haul

♥8 Japanese Snacks and Candies I Purchased in Japan - Japan Haul

♥10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

♥2 Convenience Store Skincare Products I Got in Japan - Japan Haul

♥3 Best Japanese Sunscreens Won Beauty Award This Year

♥3 Best Japanese Eye Creams Won Beauty Award This Year

♥7 Best Japanese Beauty Products Hall of Fame

♥Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products

♥Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Charcoal Soap

♥5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesyou-sui

♥Starbucks Japan Geography Series City Mug - Tokyo

   My entries related to Tokyo can be seen here.

     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

   My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Black Friday Hauls - Kohl's and Costco

Have you finished your Black Friday shopping? Black Friday is tomorrow, but its sales start earlier nowadays. I finished my Black Friday shopping before Black Friday. :) I was able to get some items with super great deals, so today I'm going to share my Black Friday hauls with you. :)

Kohl's Black Friday Sale
Kohl's Online Black Friday starts very early every year. I ordered two items this Monday!

Online Black Friday Sale (11/19 through 11/23)
In-Store Black Friday Sale (11/22 through 11/23)

These Are My Kohl's Shopping Tips! ;))
・Buy gift cards with great deal in advance. I usually purchase ones at drugstores.
・Use coupon code. (You can also find coupon codes on Ebates.)
・Always purchase through shopping portal sites such as Ebates and Topcashback.
・If you think you won't use your Kohl's Cash, just sell it on eBay.

1. Gourmia 6-qt. Digital Air Fryer
$99.99 ⇒ $44.02 (plus received a $15 Kohl's Cash)

Gourmia 6-qt. Digital Air Fryer

Air fryers have been very popular in the U.S. these years. Many people say how good air fryers are, but I was not interested in it at first because I thought that I shouldn't add any more kitchen appliance for my small kitchen. However, my husband told me that he really wanted one. We checked our kitchen cabinet if it had an extra empty space for a new appliance. Then, we finally decided to purchase this one. This Gourmia 6-qt. Digital Air Fryer was originally $99.99 but was on sale for $59.49 with a 15% off promo code, but it was actually about $47.59 with the Kohl's gift card deal. In addition, I will receive $3.57 cashback from Ebates, so it was $44.02 after everything. I also received a $15 Kohl's Cash.

2. 28-Inch Skyway Oasis 2.0 Hardside Spinner Luggage
$249.99 ⇒ $27.73 (plus received a $15 Kohl's Cash)

Skyway Oasis 2.0 Hardside Spinner Luggage

       Last year, I purchased two suitcases from Kohl's during their Black Friday sale, and we used them while we were traveling Tokyo. They were light weight and pretty good actually. That's why we have donated our old luggage to Goodwill this year. (It's because our old suitcases were pretty heavy. The luggage weight is very important when you travel on an airplane.) We looked forward to getting another large suitcase during Black Friday sale. :)

      This year, I purchased this 28-inch Skyway Oasis 2.0 Hardside Spinner Luggage. It was originally $249.99 but was on sale for $50.99 with a 15% off promo code, but it was actually about $40.79 with the Kohl's gift card deal. In addition, I will receive $3.06 cashback from Ebates, and I will submit a $10 rebate for it, so this 28-inch suitcase will be $27.73 after everything! I also received a $15 Kohl's cash.

      Yesterday, he picked up the suitcase at Kohl's. Then, last night he flew to Japan for his business trip. Now, he is using this new suitcase in Japan. :)

Costco Black Friday Haul
      Costco Online Black Friday Sale started today, and their in-store sale will start this Friday. I ordered one item at midnight on November 22.

Online Black Friday Sale (11/22 through 11/26) *Some sales are only available on November 22.
In-Store Black Friday Sale (11/23 through 11/26)

Costco Shopping Tip!
・Discover it credit card is currently offering a 5% cash back for Costco shopping until December. Because Costco only accepts Visa credit cards for in-store purchase, you can use Discover it master card for online purchase only. You can purchase Costco Cash (Costco gift card) with Discover it online, and you can pay your in-store purchase with Costco Cash.

1. Apple iPad A10 Fusion Chip 32GB - Gold
$319.99 ⇒ $242.24 (including shipping fee)

Apple iPad A10 Fusion Chip 32GB - Gold

        When I need any tech item, my husband always finds the right one for me because I don't know much about computers. When we look at ads for new computers and I ask him, "How about this one? This one looks a very good deal." He replies, "This one doesn't give better performances than your current computer because blah blah blah..." (I have no idea...) He knows much about computers and car maintenance. This time, I found that Costco would sell iPad with their Black Friday sale, so I asked him, "This one might be a good deal, right?" He agreed with me this time! :)

       This Apple iPad A10 Fusion Chip 32GB in Gold was originally $319.99 but was on sale for $249.99 plus $4.99 for shipping fee. Because I paid it with my Discover it credit card, I will get a 5% cash back ($12.74). It was $242.24 after everything. Actually, we already own two iPads (now three!), so we will sell one of our old ones on eBay in near future. :)

Online Shopping Tip!
   When I purchase something online, I always compare online shopping portals such as Ebates, TopCashback and Ibotta, and I use whichever higher cashback offers. Using online shopping portals have been getting more and more popular, and I think many of my readers have already used those to get extra cashback. If you haven't used any shopping portals, you might want to try it for this holiday shopping.

     If you are interested in Ebates and Topcashback, these are my referred links.

   ■My Ebates referral link (Ebates is currently offering $10 cash bonus to anyone who becomes a new member.)
http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=LkNE4tYCh5U6y1aEunlJqA%3D%3D&eeid=28187

   ■My Topcashback referral link
http://www.topcashback.com/ref/ringo3

    These are my entries you might like.
♥Online Shopping Tip - How Much Have I Received with Using Ebates, TopCashback and Ibotta?

♥My Experience with Ebates.com

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♥14 Best Japanese Beauty Products I Purchased in Japan - Drugstore, Discount Store, Daiso and Loft Haul

♥13 Best Japanese Products I Purchased on Amazon Japan! - Beauty, Kitchen and Stationery Items

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Tuesday, November 13, 2018

7-Eleven Convenience Store-Brand Snacks and Candies - Japan Haul

7-Eleven Store-Brand Snacks and Candies Haul

As I mentioned in my previous entries, my husband went on his business trip to Japan last month. Before he flew to Japan from Los Angeles, I asked him if he could purchase some popular snacks and candies at 7-Eleven in Japan. As I mentioned in my previous entry, Japanese Snacks and Candies Haul - What He Purchased at Convenience Stores in Japan, convenience stores sell most products at regular prices, so they are a bit expensive. If you want to purchase name-brand products, I recommend you to purchase them at discount stores and supermarkets because they might be cheaper there. However, 7-Eleven has many their store-brand products, and most of them are pretty affordable and highly rated in Japan. Today, I'm going to share six snacks and candies he purchased at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Japan with you. :)

1. Milk Anman (しっとりまろやかミルク餡まん)
manju
278 yen for 3 pieces

Milk Anman (しっとりまろやかミルク餡まん)

I wanted to try this manju, Milk Anman (しっとりまろやかミルク餡まん), because I found that many Japanese people mentioned that this Milk Anman and Hakata Torimon taste pretty much the same. As I mentioned in my previous entry, 5 Best Delicious Souvenirs from Fukuoka, Hakata Torimon is one of the most popular souvenirs from Fukuoka and has gotten the gold award of Monde Selection 18 years in a row. While Hakata Torimon can be only found at souvenir stores of an airport, stations and highway service areas located in Fukuoka prefecture, this 7-Eleven's Milk Anman can be purchased at 7-Eleven convenience stores located all over Japan.

Milk Anman (しっとりまろやかミルク餡まん)

I was surprised that the taste was practically identical! It had delicious butter flavor white bean paste in it. I really liked it. :)

Milk Anman (しっとりまろやかミルク餡まん)

However, 7-Eleven's Milk Anman is almost as expensive as Hakata Torimon. Since my hometown is Fukuoka, I will buy Hakata Torimon when I visit Fukuoka. If you visit Japan or live in Japan but don't have a chance to visit Fukuoka, you should try 7-Eleven's Milk Anman. :)

Hakata Torimon by Meigetsudo (明月堂博多通りもん)

2. Choco Bou (サクサク食感のチョコ棒)
chocolate snacks
108 yen for 10 pieces

Choco Bou (サクサク食感のチョコ棒)

Choco Bou (サクサク食感のチョコ棒) is chocolate snacks. I wanted to try this Choco Bou because it has many positive reviews. It contained 10 pieces of chocolate snacks and was only 108 yen!

Choco Bou (サクサク食感のチョコ棒)

The puffy snacks were coated with chocolate. I really liked it. :)

Choco Bou (サクサク食感のチョコ棒)

When I had it, I thought that it tasted like Riska Choco Bou (リスカチョコ棒)! I checked the back package label, and I noticed that 7-Eleven's Choco Bou was also made by Riska (リスカ株式会社) indeed! "Yay! Riska is the best!" Did you know that Riska also makes Umaibo/Umaibou? Umaibo (うまい棒) is very affordable Japanese snacks sold by Yaokin (やおきん) and made by Riska.

Choco Bou (サクサク食感のチョコ棒)

Riska Choco Bou is one of my favorite Japanese chocolate snacks, and I wrote about it in my previous Japanese haul entry. :) I also love other Riska chocolate snacks. :)))

Riska Choco Bou (リスカチョコ棒)

3. Choco Shu (しっとりくちづけチョコシュー)
mini chocolate cream puffs
108 yen

Choco Shu (しっとりくちづけチョコシュー)

Choco Shu (しっとりくちづけチョコシュー) is chocolate snacks. I asked him to purchase Choco Shu because it also had many positive reviews. It contained so many small chocolate puffs and was only 108yen!

Choco Shu (しっとりくちづけチョコシュー)

Each puff had delicious chocolate cream in it! I really loved it. :)

Choco Shu (しっとりくちづけチョコシュー)

When I was a child, I also loved these snacks. You can find similar mini chocolate cream puffs at many grocery stores in Japan. Muji also sells similar one for 150 yen.

Muji Chocolate Chou Cream for 150 yen

4. Bacon Chili Potato Strips (ベーコンチリの細切りポテト)
potato strips
108 yen

Bacon Chili Potato Strips (ベーコンチリの細切りポテト)

He purchased this Bacon Chili Potato Strips (ベーコンチリの細切りポテト). He told me that he couldn't find 7-Eleven Satsuma Imo Kenpi (薩摩芋けんぴ), I had requested to him, so he purchased this one instead of that. I said in my heart, "Wait..., he knows that they are completely different..."

Bacon Chili Potato Strips (ベーコンチリの細切りポテト)

Actually this one was pretty good! I understood that the reason why he purchased it. This one was totally his favorite taste. It was crunchy and spicy. I think that it's perfect with beer. When I had it, I thought that it tasted similar to Koiyake Karamucho Hot Chili Flavor (コイケヤカラム～チョホットチリ味)!

Koikeya Karamucho Hot Chili (コイケヤカラムーチョホットチリ味)

5. Ika Senbei (みりん醤油で味付けしたいかせんべい)
squid rice crackers
108 yen

Ika Senbei (みりん醤油で味付けしたいかせんべい)

Ika Senbei (みりん醤油で味付けしたいかせんべい) is squid rice crackers flavored with mirin soy sauce. (By the way, ika means squid in Japanese.)

Ika Senbei (みりん醤油で味付けしたいかせんべい)

As you can see the photo below, they are embossed squid crackers. :) The crackers were nice and crunchy. They were sweet and salty, and they had subtle squid tastes. My husband and I liked these crackers.

Ika Senbei (みりん醤油で味付けしたいかせんべい)

6. Irodori Okaki (こだわり六種の彩りおかき)
rice crackers
289 yen

Irodori Okaki (こだわり六種の彩りおかき)

Irodori Okaki (こだわり六種の彩りおかき) is rice crackers. When I opened it, I was surprised that it had more crackers than I thought!

Irodori Okaki (こだわり六種の彩りおかき)

It was 289 yen and had 33 packages of rice crackers! I thought that they were very affordable!

Irodori Okaki (こだわり六種の彩りおかき)

It had six kinds of rice crackers, Shrimp (Ebi, えび), Soy Sauce (Shoyu, 醤油), Cheese (チーズ), Brown Sugar Soybean Flour (Kokuto Kinako, 黒糖きなこ), Seaweed (Nori, 海苔) and Salt (Shio, 塩). I liked Shrimp and Cheese ones. :)