I’m so over deep fried foods. Deep fried bacon, bacon wrapped deep fried mars bars, deep fried butter, deep fried “this,” deep fried “that” – it’s getting real boring and overplayed. Let’s move on with our lives, people. Let’s get our creative juices running. Let’s be innovative and go beyond drenching everything in hot oil! You with me? If so, then be prepared to be inspired because beyond our deep fried bubble are five uber cool food items you need to know about right now…
Healthy Coffee
No ifs, ands, or buts about it, a fat burning coffee takes the #1 spot in my books. After 10 years of R&D, Kao Japan has recently released Healthya Coffee, the nation’s first “health coffee.” Using a special bean-roasting method that doubles the amount of chlorogenic acid, Kao claimed that they observed a fat processing effect from this polyphenol. During a 12-week trial, the maker reported an average of 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs.) lost in a group of 109 obese men and women. I’ll take a case, please and thank you!
Fancy Eclairs
Move over cupcakes because eclairs have officially taken London by storm. Reinvented with new flavours such as strawberries and cream, peanut butter, salted caramel and marshmallow all topped with colourful and decorative garnishes, this versatile pastry can now be found everywhere in London. From cookbooks to department stores such as Marks & Spencer and Selfridges, all the way to upscale Michelin-starred restaurants like Yauatcha and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, it’s the eclair’s time to shine.
Ramen Burger
Many of you may be appalled by the thought of a prime beef burger stacked between two buns made of fried ramen, but not so for the 250 people who lined up for three hours to try it. Debuted last month at Brooklyn’s flea food market, Smorgasburg, 150 Ramen Burgers garnished with green onions, a secret Shoyu sauce and arugula, were sold out in a flash. Even the burger’s creator, Keizo Shimamoto, was shocked at the turnout. The good news is Shimamoto will continue to be at Smorgasburg every Saturday until November 24th. Anyone down for a road trip?
Hello Kitty Beer
It was inevitable. From toasters and mahjong sets to lawn mowers, Hello Kitty has the power to invade just about every consumer product imaginable on our planet. Licensed by the Shanghai KT trading company, and brewed by Taiwanese beer maker Long Chuan, consumers in China can now purchase six fruit-flavoured beers, including peach, lemon-lime, passion fruit, and banana, all sporting the famous feline on the can. With just 2.3% alcohol by volume, these beers will most likely taste like juice. Although I’m more of a wine and cocktail kinda gal, I’m a Hello Kitty fan at heart. So yes, I can totally see myself drinking this. Totally.
The Birizza
Available only at Pizza Huts in Sri Lanka, the Birizza is comprised of biriyani rice covered with a layer of pizza crust. With your choice of two options – the Chicken Birizza with chunks of spicy chicken, or a Vegetarian Birizza with soft cubes of paneer and vegetables – this east-meets-west creation is finished with spicy gravy and fresh onion sambol. Apparently the locals love the Birizza: The dish was offered as a brief special on the menu but popular demand has forced Pizza Hut to bring it back. Overseas fast food chains seriously have the darnedest things!