Bungeo Samanco Gold Label 붕어 싸만코 골드 라벨

Bungeo Samanco Gold Label 붕어 싸만코 골드 라벨's mainly red package.
Notice the label stamped on the upper right "자일로스 설탕" (Xylose Sugar).

Back of the Pack... Gold Label (Premium Style).

The wafer design and size still looks the same.

Every food judgment starts with a bite.

After taking a bite and savoring it, the difference between Bungeo Samanco Gold Label  붕어 싸만코 골드 라벨 and regular Bungeo Samanco 싸만코  became apparent. See the pic below for the visual difference.

As you can see, the bean paste 팥 in Samanco Gold Label (left) is more refined and pasty. However, plain Samanco's bean paste 팥 is syrupy and contains soft whole beans. 

Before anything else, for the sake of comparison, I already made a review of the plain Bungeo Samanco 붕어 싸만코 here.


Product Name: Bungeo Samanco Gold Label 붕어 싸만코 골드 라벨... just with an additional 골드 라벨 (Gold Label) Premium Style making it sound more superior.


Hole in the Pocket: PhP 50.00 in Mashitta (Korean Restaurant)


First Impression: Because I adore the regular Bungeo Samanco, I think another version in "gold label" would still be good. The only difference in the package is the color. Gold Label is red/red orange whereas regular Samanco is cream-colored/off-white.


Taste buds say:  It's still a delicious overload, but the new consistency of the bean paste somehow improves the eating experience because there'd be less bean skins/pulp getting caught in your teeth and less roughness, thereby making the whole eating experience smooth and richer in flavor. Bungeo Samanco Gold Label (붕어 싸만코 골드 라벨) also uses Xylose Sugar 자일로스 설탕 which is a healthier alternative to ordinary sugar because it's not readily absorbed by the body which means less carbohydrates stored as fat.


Reminds me of: Bungeo Samanco 붕어 싸만 before it became Gold Label 골드 라벨...;)


K-rating: 5/5 ... perfect made better.

Goraebap 고래밥

Here's the front and back of Goraebap 고래밥's box.

Of course, I wouldn't pass on the opportunity to show my English prowess. The matching activity doesn't only help in teaching English names of animals, but also introduces you to 4 of the sea creatures that you'll meet inside. It also has a website: www.goraebab.com, but I can't open it. I wonder why... must be my settings or something.

I like how most Korean snacks have this kind of packaging / box where it opens in the middle (like a box of Kleenex). Look! Cute drawings inside too! Must be an activity, but I'm too lazy to try and translate. ^^;;

~ Funky Sea Creatures ~

I tried to "catch them all", but I missed three: turtle, octopus, and shrimp.  I'll update this as soon as I open my second box. *pinky promise*

Product Name: Goraebap 고래밥...  고래 is Korean for "whale" and 밥 can mean "rice", "meal", or "food" depending on how you use it in a sentence. Most blogs and info in the net translates Goraebap 고래밥 as "whale food", of course it doesn't literally mean that you're a "whale" if you eat it. I think its name goes with the whole theme of marine animals. By the way, typing 고래 밥 in google translate gave me "Bob whale" and was a quick laugh. Kkk...good thing I don't have a fat friend whose name is Bob cause I'd be tempted to you know..secretly call him 고래밥 behind his back. >_<;


Hole in the Pocket: This was from ♥. Surely it's not more than Php 70 in your friendly neighborhood Korean store.


First Impression: How cute is that 3D whale with a bump on its head? Although whale food in reality is mainly krill and plankton, they might actually snack on fish or squid every now and then. I doubt they eat turtles, dolphins or octopus though. The package gives me an impression that the whale is thinking about its food and is quite happy about it.  


Taste buds say: The box says 볶음양념 맛 ("stir-fried in sauce flavor")... and it tastes like a generic "vegetable" flavored snack with a little more zing. Still delicious though and much closer to "chicken barbecue" in flavor if you ask me. It's crunchy and you'll actually feel like a whale devouring small sea creatures for pleasure. I find it more satisfying to throw 5-6 pieces (sometimes even more) into my mouth and chomping away.


Reminds me of: Vegetable snacks (e.g. Regent's Snacku Rice Crackers).


K-rating: 4/5 ... 'coz I'm tired of categorizing animal crackers.

Maxwell House Coffee 맥스웰 하우스 커피

Maxwell House Coffee 맥스웰 하우스 커피... 오리지날 (Original)

Here's the English side of it.

Product Name: Maxwell House 맥스웰 하우스... I'm concluding that "original" in Korean can either be spelled as "오리지널"  or "오리지날" probably depends on how you pronounce it. Could it also be that "original" in Korean may also mean "natural" in flavor? Such as in the case of this coffee drink, original might mean pure black coffee without milk and other artificial flavors (hazelnut, caramel, etc.).

Hole in the Pocket: PhP 30 - 35.00 / can (Mini Stop).


First Impression: "Good to the last drop" eh? Let's see...


Taste buds say: It's plain iced / cold black coffee. It tastes a little better than instant coffee + water + sugar, but only by a few points... kinda "blah".


Reminds me of: Plain iced coffee


K-rating: 2/5 ... I'd only buy it if I were too lazy to make my own coffee.

Any Time 애니 타임 Candies

Any Time 애니 타임 Sugar-free (무설탕) Hard Candies at 10 calories a piece.

Xylitol in between minty flavors.

It tastes as cool as it looks.

Product Name: Any Time 애니 타임... Yep, you can pop them into your mouth "any time" for a blast of flavor and minty goodness.

Hole in the Pocket: I got it for PhP 4.00/piece at Prince Mart. They didn't have a pack.

First Impression: Looks like regular candy. Although the flavor isn't written on these individual wrappers, I'm guessing it's written on the package, which they didn't have at the time. I'm just gonna describe them according to my taste buds.

Taste buds say: Cool and refreshing! They're not like ordinary mints that uhm...well... tastes like toothpaste or something. The xylitol (white strip in the middle) gives that cooling sensation that complements the two layers of flavor. The blue one tastes like bubblegum + barley mint, whereas the red one tastes like peach + strawberry. I prefer the blue Any Time 애니 타임 candy! Plus, xylitol is better than sugar because it lessens the risk of getting cavities.

Reminds me of: Fox's crystal clear candies in mint or fruit flavors and Fres mouth perfume candies.

K-rating: 4/5 ... as good as hard candy gets!

Custard (Lotte) 카스타드 (롯데)

Lotte's Custard (Original) 롯데 카스타드 오리지널

~ 행복 찾기... Finding Happiness ~

Individually wrapped custard cupcakes for your happiness.

The custard wasn't overflowing, but it was soft and delectable.

Product Name: Custard 카스타드... plain creamy custard.

Hole in the Pocket: I dunno, this was a direct import from ♥. Just check your friendly neighborhood Korean grocery store. 

First Impression: Packaging is simple and kind to the eyes (with all the green). The custard cake looks packed with creamy filling. Also looks like mamon (Filipino sponge cake).

Taste buds say: Yummy, a little on the sweet side, but still tastes good. I like eating it with tea or other unsweetened drinks (water? yes, that too). Although it's not good to eat when you're trying to fight hunger, because you might need 3 - 4 pieces to even feel a wee bit full. It's just great as a light snack in between meals.

Reminds me of: Mamon and other custard cupcakes...^^;;

K-rating: 3/5 ... simply custard.