Between the global pandemic and record-high temperatures, it¡¯s totally understandable (if not encouraged) if you just stay home this August. One downside ¡ª you can¡¯t go out to restaurants or izakaya pubs. Fortunately, several snack makers have come through with new flavors inspired by dishes you can order during a night on the town.
Well-regarded ramen restaurant Bankara has teamed up with snack producer Yamayoshi to create a potato chip, bringing the flavor of its pork bone broth to bite-size form (?150 after tax). It¡¯s an intriguing idea, but the flavor is too subtle to leave much of an impression. There is a hint of ramen richness, but it ultimately just tastes like garlic.
Far better is Koikeya¡¯s rich black pepper tatsuta-age fried chicken version of its Scone corn snack. This creation (?132 after tax) ticks the boxes of every advertised flavor ¡ª the pepper comes through clearly, there¡¯s a nice, but not overpowering, chicken taste and it¡¯s really spicy. Call it an izakaya-worthy flavor you can get much closer to home.
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