Lotte Wine Chocolat

Mon Cheri is the lofty standard to which I compare all liquor candies. Nothing came close to that intense shot of filling...until now. Lotte's Wine Chocolat was a last minute addition to my most recent napaJapan order, but it blew me away.

With the pink background, sparkly glass of wine, and cute font, the packaging is clearly appealing to a certain type (myself included), but it came up short of the elegant look I think Lotte was going for. The chocolate contains 3.3% alcohol, and the package also reminds consumers to use discretion about driving.


The format was quite similar to Mon Cheri, only on a smaller scale. The milk chocolate shell had a mildly sweet milky flavor, but it was almost irrelevant; the filling was most definitely the star of the show.

The liquid center tasted strongly of sweet, brandy-like liquor. The filling had a slightly fruity flavor that reminded me most of cherries. It was sharp on the tongue and went well with the smooth chocolate. It was a bit on the sweeter side, but that boozy kick was a fantastic surprise!

A-

Lotte website

Lotte Green Gum

Another item in my package from Tsunami.hk was this Green Gum. With only that name to go on, I assumed it would be mint, but it was hard to be sure. The simple, old fashioned, and, of course, green packaging didn't give much away.

Green Gum is one of Lotte's signature gum flavors, and according to their Let's Chewing website, it contains chlorophyll and green tea flavonoids, giving the chewer minty and woodsy sensations.


The gum gave me deja vu; it smelled just like the candy cane page in a Christmas scratch and sniff book I had as a child. The mint flavor different, but it was fresh and a little sweet; it reminded me most of spearmint. There was a hint of evergreen, making for a woodsy, refreshing mint flavor.

The texture was soft and bouncy at first, and the cooling effect was pleasant. I loved it at first, but within 2 or 3 minutes, it lost most of its flavor, then became firmer as I chewed. Still, the initial flavor was unique and tasty and it was a good breath freshener, but it wasn't a long lasting chewing gum.

B+

Lotte gum website

Lotte Double Berry Cheesecake Toppo

In a world of endless Pocky-like snacks, Toppo is one of my favorites. I usually like it better than Pocky (with the exception of those fancy dessert mousse types of Pocky), so I was excited to try a new flavor.

However, in a world of endless desserts, cheesecake is not my favorite. Oh sure, a bite is good, but it's often just too rich for me - even New York style (though it is better). It could have something to do with the lactose intolerance, but if I'm picking the dessert, it's almost certainly not going to be cheesecake.


The Toppo smelled strongly of cheese (yep, I took a Lactaid) but not cheesecake. The cheese flavor was quite subtle and didn't seem like cheesecake at all. Mostly, I tasted the strawberry and blueberry flavors, but they had a slight soapiness about them.

The pretzel was standard, slightly sweet and salty Toppo fare, with a slight preservative-like aftertaste. The whole thing left a little oily residue behind, but it wasn't bad. The soapy berry flavors turned me off, and I definitely prefer regular chocolate Toppo to this limited edition.

B-

Lotte Custard Waffle Koala's March

Koala's March is a snack that takes me back to my childhood - pretty strange, since it's a Japanese snack. In the mid 1980s, they were sold as Koala Yummies, and I have some vague memories of watching Noozles on Nick Jr. and eating these little cookies. Japanese koalas must have been big then. Here's a blog post about Koala Yummies, if you're feeling nostalgic.

They are long gone in American stores, but they never went away in Asia. In Japan, they are known as コアラのマーチ (Koala's March), but they haven't really changed. Of course, there are plenty of limited edition flavors to try, and this one is Custard Waffle (purchased at NapaJapan).


The cookies had a bit of a vanilla scent, and each cookie had a little koala stamped on it. The number of unique koala designs in the bag was pretty amazing! Right away, the cookies had a buttery, slightly salty taste. The crunch reminded me of the crispy, toasty rim of the waffle where the batter leaks out of the iron but still cooks.

The cream in the center reminded me of whipped cream with slight maple notes, giving a very convincing waffle flavor. Despite a slightly oily feeling after swallowing (which I usually attribute to preservatives), the cookies were very addictive. I'd happily consume this flavor again, and wouldn't hesitate to try other limited edition flavors.

B+

Lotte website

Lotte Let's Be Mild Coffee

While at one of a local Asian markets, I was in the mood for canned coffee. Suntory Black Boss coffee was available, but it was about $2.50. Since that seemed a bit excessive for a tiny can of coffee, I went for a $0.99 Korean coffee called Let's Be. Lotte is a giant conglomerate with a presence in just about every industry in East Asia, including food and beverage.

I am a bit of a coffee fanatic (though not quite at the Gilmore level). My husband and sister are both sensitive to it, but if I don't mind staying up late, I can drink several cups with no indigestion (so long as the creamer is lactose-free).

Let's Be mild is not the best choice for coffee fans. It smelled mostly of sugar and not very much like coffee. The taste was also extremely sweet, and a bit milkier than it looked. To its credit, it tasted very fresh for a canned drink. The bitterness and much of the acidity were muted by the sweetness.

Let's Be mild just wasn't suited to my tastes at all, but coffee is a rather personal thing. There was nothing wrong with the drink itself, I just wouldn't recommend it to those who like stronger coffee. Then again, it was labelled "mild coffee," so I doubt it would attract those types anyhow. There are bitter and black versions of Let's Be, and I would definitely try them if I found them in the future.

C+

Lotte Chilsung Beverage website

Lotte Matcha Shake Crunky

Sometimes my craving for matcha is so strong that I will pick up a matcha flavor of a snack that I know I don't like. On that note, I present a review of Matcha Shake Crunky. According to the box, it is a limited edition release for this year.

I was amused that this flavor was called "Matcha Shake" and not just matcha, but I chalk it up to the Japanese marketing cycle and its demand for "new" and "different" products. This is not the first matcha Crunky, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but it might be the only "Matcha Shake" Crunky.


The bar smelled of a mild matcha, but the first things I noticed when I took a bite were the crunchy bits. As I remembered, they were bland (just a bit salty) but provided a good texture. The bar had a mild matcha finish and a very sweet aftertaste (common in white chocolate products).

I could definitely taste the green tea flavor, but it was in the background. The sweetness was probably supposed to be the shake element, but I didn't get any milky notes from it. I did like it better than regular Crunky, simply because of the matcha flavor, but it was nothing special.

This bar has also been reviewed by Kelly at Tasty Japan, along with several other flavors of Crunky.

B-

Lotte website

Lotte Toppo Peach Milk

Of all the Pocky-type snacks out there (and there are tons), Toppo is probably my favorite. There are tons of flavors, and I like that the chocolate is throughout the whole biscuit. This Peach Milk flavor came from JBox/JList.

I am a little wary of peach flavored snacks, as they tend to taste a little fake. Also, Toppo is usually a little oily, but I've always liked the kinds I've had in the past.


Indeed, this smelled like fake peach, but it didn't taste as fake as it smelled. The peach flavor was not perfect, but didn't taste like chemicals. The light crunchy coating was great, and with the peach cream inside, it reminded me of a danish.

This Toppo was a light and satisfying snack. Even though it was not terribly authentic, it was enjoyable for both me and my husband. I didn't feel overloaded with sweetness or the taste of preservatives, so I'd call that a successful Toppo. Most things I try end up being in the B range, I notice. Maybe I should be more critical....

B-

Lotte Website

Lotte Crunky

Long before I knew much of anything about Japan or Japanese culture (and before I went there), I was a fan of Engrish. I had heard of Crunky (probably a variation on crunchy) for a while, and when my sister presented me with one, I was kind of excited to finally try it.

I might have had too high of expectations. First, I left it by my oven for a week and unfortunately, one corner bloomed a little bit. I don't know if that affected the rest of the bar at all, but it just wasn't that good. Maybe I just forgot that I'm not a huge fan of Krackel or Nestle Crunch, but I think those taste better than Crunky.


The little bits of puffed whatever tasted burnt, and I know some people like that taste (my mom), it's not my favorite. The chocolate was good enough, but Lotte's chocolate just isn't as good as Meiji's, especially since this isn't one of their premium offerings. Other than that, it was very bland overall. The crispy bits only added a little bit of texture, and I wish they added some flavor other than "mildly charred."

For the record, there are some Lotte offerings that I do really enjoy, such as Koala's March.

C

Lotte Website (Japanese)

Lotte European Pear Chocolate

It might not be as good as Belgian, but I love Japanese chocolate. Meiji is my favorite brand, but Lotte is pretty good, too. And after trying this particular Lotte bar, I like them even better. And I was wary of this one, because of a previous bad experience with pear-flavored chocolate (the taste lingered for hours and it was not a good one).

First of all, the Lotte packaging is gorgeous, elegant, and eye-catching. The chocolate itself is also lovely, a little bit brighter than the matcha green. There was a definite pear/fruity aroma, but not too powerful. The taste was even milder, only the end notes were pear. I can't say I minded, because stronger might have been gross, in the same way that my Pear Blossom Wallflower air "freshener" smelled rotten after an hour.

My favorite aspect by far was the texture - smooth chocolate with a grittiness that reminded me of pear skin and cookie dough at the same time, if you can imagine. Also, unlike the last pear flavored chocolate I tried, no terrible lingering aftertaste, just satisfaction.

B+

LOTTE Website (Japanese)