BIJOU-REVIEW: Mr. Krisps Rings – Jalapeño Flavor Potato Crunches

Rating: ©-1/2 chips  (return to sender)

We were pretty excited for these jalapeño flavored rings; well, that is at least until we actually tasted them and realized that the rings were potato based, and not the usual corn based puffed products that we are used to here in the U.S.

Mr. Krisps Rings are another unusual snack brought back from our good friends S&A’s trip to the United Emirates.  In other words, you’re not going to find these on your local grocery store shelves.

We don’t really have much to say about these.

They are obviously puffed rings.  They are light as air.  No body or chew to them at all.  They give you one crispy crunch and then POOF, they are gone.

Where we didn’t really care for them at all was in their seasoning, or should we say, lack there of??  Seriously, these were completely devoid of said jalapeño flavor.  To top it off, they needed a visit from the salt fairy as well.

Not impressed with these at all.

Anyone out there ever tried these?  If so, please let us know.

Chips provided to Chip Review by S&A, acquired in Dubai, United Emirates

Mr. Krisps / NFI Dubai Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

BIJOU-REVIEW: Ten Acre – The Day Sweet and Sour Became Friends Hand Cooked Crisps

Rating: ©©©©-1/2 chips  (lip-smacking)

It started out just like any other day for Sweet, and for Sour.  Each going about their usual business, checking their emails, grabbing an iced latte, and probably a scone.  But, this day was different.  Both tastes had, by sheer chance, run out of salt at the same time, and as fate would have it, they were destined to bump into each other at the local grocery store.  As they say, the rest is history.  That’s the day Sweet and Sour became friends.

Down to business – what the heck are these chips supposed to taste like?!?

Well, let’s just start out by saying that this unique sweet and sour flavor combo is really, really delicious.  Apparently, salt, sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, black pepper, tomato, rice flour and yeast extract make for a surprisingly tasty recipe.  We can say with utmost certainty that we have never tasted a seasoning blend quite like this one.

Probably the best way that we can describe this seasoning to you would be picture a salt & vinegar chip crossed paths with a ranch flavored chip who had brushed up next to a BBQ flavored chip.  In other words, we tasted a lot of garlic, a touch of tomato and onion, a dash of pepper, a subtle splash of sour cream.  The chips have a lot going on but all of it works!

To top it off, the seasoning is delivered on some tasty, extra crispy, thinner cut, potato-FUL flavored potato chips.  Truly, these are some very well prepared hand cooked crisps.  In fact we can even taste those delicious, slightly nutty, slightly “burnt” tasting potato sugars.  The potato crisps are certainly smaller than average, which probably just means that they are more natural than others we’ve tried.

We’re really glad that both Sweet and Sour met and became friends!  Here’s hoping that we can find a way to get our – chip lovin’ lips – on some more flavors of these Ten Acre Hand Cooked Crisps!!

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think. Agree or disagree, let us know.

Chips discovered at Marshall & Home Goods; Lombard, Illinois

Ten Acre Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

BIJOU-REVIEW: Kitco – Arabic Spice Kettle Cooked Potato Chips

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

Intriguing…..

Very…  intriguing…..

And yet, at the same time, we find it a little perplexing that over in the United Emirates there would be Arabic Spiced Potato Chips?  Isn’t that like selling chips here in the U.S. as American flavored?  And who are these chips really targeted at? We’re guessing that it has to be all of the foreigners who are visiting the United Emirates and wanting to try something familiar, and yet a little exotic or foreign…who knows.

All that being said, we unfortunately did not taste any of the unique seasonings pictured on the front of the bag.  No star anise, no cinnamon, or bay leaf.  And is that coriander?  Yep, none of that.  Nutmeg?  Nah-uh.

Instead what we tasted was exactly what the ingredient list on back of the bag said we would – tomato powder, paprika, onion, black pepper….  So, yeah, none of those are screaming exotic, or Arabic to us!  They are screaming seasoning salt!!

The potato chips themselves are okay. They have some body to them, but with a much softer crunch.  Decent potato flavor.

Anyone else out there tried them by chance?  Thoughts?  As always we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree.  Let us know.

Chips provided to Chip Review by S&A, acquired in Dubai, United Emirates

Kitco Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Trader Joe’s – Somewhat Spicy Dill flavored Kettle Cooked Potato Chips

Rating: ©©©©-1/2 chips  (lip-smacking)

We really appreciate how Trader Joe’s just loves keeping their packaging light, and a little quirky!  With these latest chips we get an orange haired young chap, who is apparently dressed for his St. Patty’s Day party or something, and is reflecting to himself – “Everything changed the day I discovered…”
We have to assume that this reflection is in regards to the day he discovered these chips.

Well, we’re not going to go so far as to say that everything changed the day that we discovered….. these Somewhat Spicy Dill flavored Kettle Cooked Potato Chips.  But, we can guess that things would certainly change for us if we wore an outfit such as the one this guys is wearing!

The Spicy Dill variety is not necessarily a new combo in the chip flavor game, but it is one that has not really picked up steam with the “big” brand companies.  Most of the chip companies willing to venture into this tangy flavor realm seem to be a bit more of the independent sort.

Most certainly our all-time favorites from this flavor combo variety are Grippo’s Hot Dill Pickle Potato Chips.  It is very likely that these are no longer available, but our memories of these herbal-y-spicy thin cut potato chips were forever live on!  We are also huge fans of Zapp’s, and Deep River’s potato chip versions.  We are happy to report that Trader Joe’s Somewhat Spicy rendition can be added to that list of favorite versions!

TJ’s medium-thin cut kettle cooked potato chips are fantastic!  Perfectly crispy, with just the right amount of mouth pleasing body.  We couldn’t really taste any potato flavor underneath the powerful seasoning blend, but that was just fine since that seasoning was a delicious recipe.

Joe’s seasoning recipe reminded us a lot of McClure’s Bloody Mary chips.  First, comes the tongue tingling spicy acidic-chile burn.  The acidic burn attacks the throat and the nasal cavity sort of harshly, but then quickly subdues to the moderate chile burn that resides in the mouth!  The one-two spicy punch.  The fragrant dill herbal notes flutter there in the background, bringing thoughts of pickles to the mind.  Garlic is also very present.

The flavor combo works deliciously well!  If you are a fan of spicy chips, or pickle flavored chips, then we’re fairly confident that you would be fans of these as well.  Make sure to let us know your comments below regarding these chips, or the day everything changed when you discovered…..what?”

For another take check out What’s Good at Trader Joe’s review.

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think. Agree or disagree, let us know.

Discovered at Trader Joe’s (of course); La Grange, Illinois

Trader Joe’s Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

BIJOU-REVIEW: Kernel Season’s – White Cheddar Crunchin’ Kernels

Rating: ©©©-1/2 chips  (notable)

First, there was Gladcorn.  The original corn trail blazer!

Next, came Pop’d Kerns with “a corn crunch like no other!”

Heck, even Trader Joe’s tried their hand at a couple of ‘Partially Popped Popcorns’.

And now, Kernel Season’s Crunchin’ Kernels are joining the “half-popped popcorn” club!

Typically white cheddar cheese and popcorn is one of those flavor matches made in heaven.

Unfortunately, Kernel Season’s white cheddar seasoning is not the best cheese powder variation we have tasted.

To further complicate things, the cheddar seasoning does not jive right with the Crunchin’ Kernels.  What exactly doesn’t work, we can’t seem to pinpoint, but we just don’t love it.

These are our least favorite from Kernel Season’s flavor line-up.

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Crunchin’ Kernels provided to Chip Review by Kernel Season’s for review

Kernel Season’s Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Nathan’s Famous – Classic Hot Dog Potato Chips

Rating: ©©©©-1/4 chips  (lip-smacking)

If you really want to know what these new Nathan’s Classic Hot Dog Flavor Potato Chips taste like just run on down to your local dog joint and ask for a dog with the classic Nathan’s condiment combo of ketchup, mustard, and relish.  And from what we taste, maybe heavy on the mustard.  If you are fans of hot dogs with ketchup, mustard, and relish, then you are going to love these chips!  Well, that is as long as you are also fans of fried, sliced potatoes, better known as – CHIPS!!

If you are like us, then maybe you first became acquainted with Nathan’s and their famous hot dogs through a decades old eating contest that became a worldwide phenomenon when a certain small, Japanese, professional food eater completely obliterated the competition in, and along with it, everything we thought we knew about competitive food eating!!  In 2001, Takeru Kobayashi consumed 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes!  This doubled what anyone previously had ever consumed in a Nathan’s contest.  People became fascinated by this small Japanese guy who could eat more dogs than anyone else.  And as they say, the rest was history.

Getting back to Nathan’s Hot Dog flavored potato chips…. First of all, they are instantly recognizable as Hot Dog flavored chips.  There is no doubt about what the seasoning tastes like.  A little salty-smoky, a good helping of pungent yellow mustard, a touch of sweet ketchup, and some background notes of tangy relish.  That being said, we of course knew what these chips were prior to eating them.  If we would have blind taste tested them would we have gotten the same results?  We can’t be sure, but we think that we may just have.

Do we actually taste meat?  No, not necessarily.  But do you ever really taste hot dog meat flavor when you put any condiments onto it?  For the most part the dog is there for texture and substance.  FYI – we did not get any real hot dog texture with these chips – THANKS GOODNESS!!!!

The potato chips themselves were quite tasty as well.  Light and crispy, thinner cut, slightly greasy, in a good way, potato chips.

Our only real gripe with Nathan’s Classic Hot Dog Flavor Potato Chips is that they do not remind us of the dogs we are used to in the Chicago area.  The Chicago Depression dogs or char dogs that we love!  They are missing a few of our favorite key components (ie. pickles, raw onions,  sport peppers & celery salt).  Once you’ve tried one of these, there is no going back to just ketchup, mustard and relish!

Those are our thoughts.  Let us know what you think below.

Chips provided to Chip Review by Nathan’s Famous for review

Nathan’s Famous Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

BIJOU-REVIEW: De-lish-us – Cheese flavored Crunchy Curls

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

Prior to stumbling upon these Cheese flavored Crunchy Curls, as well as, these Baked Cheese Curls, we had only known Wisconsin’s De-lish-us Company for their lip-smacking potato chips.

De-lish-us’ Crunchy Curls delivered that same dense, sort of stale, crunchy bite that their Baked Cheese Curls.  Only this time it seemed more warranted with a crunchy curl, then a puff.

Good mouth coating of rich and creamy cheese powder, but the cheese lacked seasoning, aka salt.  Which is surprising based on their Baked Cheese Curls being overly salty.

All in all, we weren’t very impressed with these De-lish-us Cheese flavored Crunchy Curls.  We really wish we had gone with some of their delicious potato chips instead!

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Discovered at Pick’n Save; Madison, Wisconsin

De-lish-us Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list