Filipino Snack! Boy Bawang Cornick

Brand: Boy Bawang
Style: Garlic and Lechon Manok (Roasted Chicken)
Origin: Philippines
Type: Corn Snack
Flavor: Mixed bag - garlic wasn't very flavorful but the lechon manok was very savory, salty, and addicting!
Verdict: Approved!



People in my past have often made fun of me for my love of Corn Nuts.  I'm a bit scarred by it and now rarely mention them and never dare to eat them around others.  It's tragic!  I know they can have a strong smell and they're very crunchy, but so help me, those little nuggets of deliciousness are just too good to resist!

Today's review isn't Corn Nuts, but I grabbed these Boy Bawang corn snacks the other day hoping that they would be similar, just with new and exciting flavors, like lechon manok, or roasted chicken.  How did they stack up?  Well...I tried the garlic first and it wasn't awesome, but it wasn't terrible.  It just didn't really taste like garlic, despite smelling like a vampire's worst nightmare!  Very weird...I still don't quite understand how that works.  The lechon manok flavor, however, was freaking DEEEELISH!  So addicting!  I couldn't stop eating them.

How do they compare to good ol' American Corn Nuts, though?  I think they're better for one main reason: they're slightly less crunchy and don't make your teeth feel like they're about to crack and fall out!!  Awesome!!

Thumbs up for Boy Bawang!  I'm looking forward to trying more flavors in future reviews!

Purchased at Uwajimaya, in Portland, OR

Crystal Pepsi

Brand: Pepsi
Style: Crystal Pepsi
Origin: United States
Type: Soda
Flavor: Sugar with a side of sugar and some sugar on top
Verdict: Not approved :/



I was about ten years old when Crystal Pepsi was first introduced.  I remember it very clearly (oooh, pun intended?  I don't even know!): my mom and I were at Castleton Mall in Indianapolis, where I grew up, and in the center of the mall in front of Lazarus, they had a display set up.  Each person was allowed to go up to a special vending machine, push the button, and receive one FREE can of Crystal Pepsi!  It was so awesome!  As you know, any time you get to push a button when you're a kid makes the experience, like, twenty times better than it already was.

I gleefully pushed my button and got to try Crystal Pepsi for the first time.  I LOVED it!  It was sweet and cool and crisp and delicious and I wanted more more more!  My mom limited my amount of treats and had a weird vendetta against Pepsi though (Coca-Cola or die!), so I only got to have it a couple of times before it was discontinued.  Sad times for wee me :(

Great times for adult me, though, because Crystal Pepsi came back!!!  Or is it as good as I remembered...?  Watch the video to see my review!

So...maybe it was better when I was a kid.  However, much like the Swedish Fish Oreos, my sweets-loving sweetheart really loved it still!  They were more than happy to drink the rest of my bottle.  It's all yours, my love.  Yuck!

Purchased at Fred Meyer, Portland, Oregon

Boulder Canyon Backyard BBQ Chip Extravaganza!

Brand: Boulder Canyon
Style: Grilled Brats, Sweet Corn, and Peach Cobbler
Origin: United States
Type: Chips
Flavor: A complete cookout but in potato chip form!  What??!!
Verdict: Approved!




Obviously, I absolutely CANNOT resist a weird-flavored chip, and Boulder Canyon's seasonal weirdness always is at the top of my list!  They aren't always the best, but I think with each passing year, even if I don't like the flavors themselves, they are getting more and more true to what they are trying to taste like.  Today, I tried the summer Backyard BBQ set, which has Grilled Brats, Sweet Corn, and Peach Cobbler flavors.  Fun in the summer sun time!!!

Here's my video review of the flavors:

Ultimately, the sweet corn was kind of a bust, but the other two were good.  The peach cobbler definitely threw me for a loop because it tasted JUST LIKE peach cobbler!!  How they managed that, I don't even want to know!  Miracles of science, I'm sure.  It even tasted good with some vanilla ice cream - seriously.  The grilled brats didn't taste as much like what I remember brats tasting like (I haven't had one in many, many years), but they still tasted good and I definitely ate the whole bag.

Purchased at Fred Meyer, Portland, OR