BIJOU-REVIEW: Simply Balanced – Sweet Chile Organic Rolled Tortilla Chips with brown rice, sesame seeds and flaxseeds

Rating: ©©-1/2 chips  (tolerable)

Sweet Chili flavor, as far as chip flavors go, has forever been one of those flavors we do not get excited for.  If we were picking our own flavor team, we’re more than certain that sweet chili would be one of the last picked, if picked at all.  Sorry Sweet Chili, you and Sweet BBQ are going to have to try again next year!

Another thing we noticed regarding sweet chili flavored chips is that here at Chip Review we tend to enjoy the sweet chili seasoning much more on a potato chip, than we do on a corn tortilla, or some other style chip.  We’re not going to try and determine why that is, we just wanted to let you know.

All that being said, here we have Simply Balanced (Target) Sweet Chile Organic Rolled Tortilla Chips with brown rice, sesame seeds and flaxseeds, and wouldn’t you know it, we don’t really like them for any reason.

The best part of these chips by a long side is the inclusion of the seeds strewn throughout.  The seeds add just enough textural difference to entice the pallet but not quite enough to distract us from the seasoning like we wish they would.

The sweet chili seasoning is exactly like so many others we have tried before.  Of course sweet, very sweet in fact, followed by a strong presence of garlic, and finished with a touch of flavorless heat.

The rolled tortilla chips are fine.  We could certainly crunch on them if someone had set them out at a party or something, but nothing about them has us screaming for more.

Well, there you have it.  Anyone else out there tried them yet?  Thoughts?  As always we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree.  Let us know.

Chips discovered at Target; Hillside, Illinois

Simply Balanced Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

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©© – tolerable

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BIJOU-REVIEW: Doritos Shots – Yoghurt & Herb Mix

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

How many of you out there can actually remember the original Doritos 3D chips?

We’re guessing that even fewer of you can remember, or have ever even heard of Doritos Sonic Sour Cream chips?!

Fear not, because Doritos has created Shots Yoghurt & Herb Mix – aka the combination of Doritos original 3D chips, and Doritos Sonic Sour Cream seasoning from the United Emirates.

Unfortunately, this combination is not one we like very much.

First of all, we have never felt like the flavor of Sour Cream / Yoghurt has melded well with corn tortilla chips.  And these shots, with the additional ‘herb mix’ are no different.

But, even worse than the seasoning is the unpleasing texture of these shots.  Where as Doritos’ 3Ds would crunch very similarly to their traditional chips; providing a light, softer, crispy crunch.  These Doritos Shots are rigid, with a too strong-solid-toothsome crunch.  In other words they do not make us think of Doritos at all, and they do not treat our mouths kindly!

Well, there you have it.  Anyone else out there tried them yet?  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

Doritos Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

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BIJOU-REVIEW: Goldbaum’s – Barbecue Multigrain Quinoa Crisps

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

Another all natural, wholesome, gluten, wheat, and a handful of other things free, multigrain snack option from Goldbaum’s.

We’ve tasted an array of different “healthier” snack food options from Goldbaum’s now, and for the most part they been pretty good.

These latest barbecue flavored multigrain quinoa crisps fall right there inline with the rest.

The quinoa crisps’ texture is just sort of……off, or off-putting, let’s say.  Kind of stale, with a soft crunch.

Goldbaum’s tries to redeem the crisps by dousing them with a heavy orangish-red seasoning coat, but it does not quite do the trick.

The barbecue seasoning blend reminds us of a Texas BBQ sauce that is heavy on the Hickory smoke essence.

The inclusion of paprika adds another smoky, and slightly sweet, note, while some sort of chili adds just a touch of peppery heat.

We recognize the necessity of these crunchy crisps in the snack market, but that doesn’t mean that we would be choosing them over tastier, more unhealthy, options.

Crisps provided to Chip Review by Goldbaum’s for review

Goldbaum’s Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

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REVIEW: Lay’s – Creamy Bacon Potato Salad Potato Chips

Rating: ©©-1/4 chips (tolerable)

These chips have been out for a little while now, so we apologize that this review may be reaching many of you after you have already enjoyed yourself a few bags of Lay’s newest flavor to hit the market.

Okay, let’s get one thing out of the way right from the start.  Lay’s new Creamy Bacon Potato Salad potato chips are in deed quite tasty.  It did not take us very long to pound through this entire bag – but, whether or not that crazy chip chomping action was due to our taste buds enjoying what we were throwing their way, or the fact that they were bewildered by the flavor name, in comparison to what they were actually tasting – is unknown…?  Most likely, a little of both!

We would like to start out this review by reiterating Matt Linder’s spot-on thoughts regarding the flavor validity of Lay’s newbies in his review.  He mentions that “…if you’re expecting a flavor even remotely resembling actual potato salad, you’re going to be disappointed.”   Truer words regarding these chips have never been spoken.  So, if potato salad is what your heart yearns for, we would suggest you crunch elsewhere, and perhaps try Larry The Cable Guy’s Tater Salad Potato Chips.  As we recall his chips delivered much more of that classic fragrant mustard-y punch, as well as, some deliciously sharp wafts of vinegar that puckered our nasal cavities.  Larry may not have any bacon in his recipe, but we’re pretty sure he would have no qualms with you crumbling some of your own all over his fried taters!

Linder goes on to say in his review that “Creamy Bacon Potato Salad” has a nice ring to it from a marketing perspective, but a more accurate description of these chips would be “Sour Cream and Onion with Bacon,” because that’s exactly what they taste like. And that’s not a bad thing, in fact it’s quite brilliant, and I’m almost amazed someone hasn’t tried it before Lay’s.”  Well, to that we say, Matt you need to get your hands on some of Ruffles Sour Cream ‘N Bacon Potato Chips.  Because, you are right, they are amazing!  We would go one step further in our flavor description and say that Lay’s Creamy Bacon Potato Salad chips taste like sour cream, onion, bacon, as well as, cheddar cheese.  In other words, as if they were stolen right off of the appetizer section from practically every bar across this great country of ours!

In the end these chips are really just another addition (albeit a tasty one) to the The Works / Loaded Potato flavor family.  We’re not exactly sure why Lay’s is trying to pull a fast one over on us here?  We already had to scold Pringles earlier this week for trying to selling us on Cheesy Quesadilla flavored potato crisps that didn’t include ANY ACTUAL CHEESE among the ingredients!?!  If Lay’s would have just spilled the beans and admitted the truth to us right from the get go then maybe this snack relationship could have worked.  But, instead we had to resort to scooping up mom’s classic potato salad using Lay’s new chips!  We can admit it though, Lay’s bacon flavor did add a nice touch to the combination!!

So, if you have no issues with flavor accuracy, and you go into one of these bags knowing ahead of time that you will not be tasting potato salad, then by all means give these chips a whirl because they are cheesy, slightly sour cream and onion-y, definitely bacon-y, and certainly tasty!

As always we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree.  Let us know.

Chips discovered at Walmart; Villa Park, Illinois

Lay’s Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

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BIJOU-REVIEW: Cabana – Sour Cream & Onion Potato Chips

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

Don’t you just hate it when your first impression becomes obliterated by your last?  Complete 180.  Well, that’s what we’ve got here.

Everything started out just perfectly as we reached in to grab a few of Cabana’s thin and large potato chips.  They delivered a perfectly light crisp, with loads of real potato flavor.

But, when it came to the sour cream and onion seasoning, well, that’s when things made a turn for the worse.

Strong punch of pungent onion, with a salty sour splash of cream, but then…what’s that…..sweet sugar?!  An uncomprimisingly sweet layer that completely throws the classic flavor combination out of whack!  Sweet & Sour Cream & Onion?  Doesn’t have a nice ring to it, and nor do we love it!

Weird and off-putting.  We’re going to stay away from these ones.

Chip Ratings Scale:

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RATING: Goldbaum’s – Sea Salt Multigrain Quinoa Crisps

Rating: ©©-1/2 chips  (tolerable)

Crisps provided to Chip Review by Goldbaum’s for review

Goldbaum’s Official Website

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BIJOU-REVIEW: Good Health Half Naked – Hint of Olive Oil Popcorn

Rating: ©©-1/4 chips (tolerable)

Well, all we can really say about this popcorn is that it better bring us “good health” because it really doesn’t bring us “good flavor”.

The popcorn itself is alright.  The light and crispy, bright white, butterfly popcorn does its job of simply being popcorn.

But the Hint of Olive Oil, along with any substantial amount of salt, is really lacking.  Basically, we couldn’t taste much of anything.  This popcorn wasn’t really “half naked” so much as it was bare naked!

We can appreciate a low calorie snack from time to time, but we appreciate these snacks even more when they can still bring the flavor.

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

Popcorn discovered at Pete’s Fresh Market; Oakbrook, IL

Good Health Snacks Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

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