Having explored the culinary curiosities of Tokyo Treat, Bokksu, and Sakuraco, Sonia and I like to think of ourselves as seasoned snack diplomats. We’ve navigated the world of shelf-stable Japanese vending machine cookies and vacuum-sealed mysteries, but Trader Joe’s Mini Taiyaki felt like a high-stakes promotion. For $4.99, you get eight frozen fish imported directly from Japan, which is significantly cheaper than a round-trip ticket to Sakai City.
This was our first foray into the actual pastry version of taiyaki, rather than the crunchy, biscuit-based imposters we’ve encountered in subscription boxes. The instructions suggest various methods of resurrection, but we opted for the air fryer—the only logical choice for a custard-filled waffle that was born in a factory and spent its formative weeks in a freezer chest.
The result was surprisingly sophisticated. The exterior transforms into a crispy, golden texture that manages to be both structurally sound and satisfyingly light. Inside lies a reservoir of vanilla custard. It’s a classic pairing, executed with a level of restraint that is quintessentially Japanese. While American snacks often aim to induce a glycemic coma, Trader Joe's Taiyaki offer a sweetness that is polite and understated.
I will note that the fish are slightly oily, as if they’ve been sweating in their bag, but it’s a manageable sheen that doesn’t require a hazmat suit to handle. You can and should eat them with your hands. If you’re feeling particularly decadent, or if you simply want to see how much dairy a single human can consume in one sitting, they pair exceptionally well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Overall, it’s a very neat experience for five dollars. It’s a bit of authentic Japanese street food culture tucked between the frozen cauliflower gnocchi and orange chicken. We’ve already decided they’re a buy again item, if only to fulfill our roles as dedicated snack critics. An impressive nine out of ten stars from the beautiful wifey. I'll go with eight and a half on Trader Joe's Japanese Mini Taiyaki.
Trader Joe’s Cranberry Clementine Greek Yogurt is one of those seasonal items that doesn’t shout for attention but ends up winning you over spoon by spoon. It usually shows up around the holidays, and while cranberry and clementine might sound a little festive-forced on paper, the execution here is surprisingly restrained.
First things first: the texture. This is a proper Greek yogurt—thick, dense, and creamy, very much in the same league as Fage when it comes to consistency. It’s not runny, not whipped, and not trying to be a sugar-laden dessert. A single serving feels substantial and filling, making it a solid breakfast or mid-day snack without needing much else alongside it.
Flavor-wise, Trader Joe’s Cranberry Clementine Greek Yogurt strikes a decent balance. The citrus notes from the clementine add brightness, while the cranberry brings a gentle tartness. Neither flavor dominates, and that’s the key strength here. The result is a unique flavor combination that feels refreshing rather than heavy, even with the yogurt’s thick body.
The sweetness level is a little lower than I'd prefer. It's quite tangy as one might expect from Greek yogurt. It also delivers a solid protein boost. Also, shouldn't cranberry clementine be an "all winter long" flavor rather than just a holiday one?
At 99¢ per cup, it's worth a whirl at least once just to see if you'll like it or not. It’s festive without being super gimmicky, and that’s no small feat for a seasonal dairy product. Predictably, the beautiful wifey likes it a bit more than I do, but I'm certainly not hating. Eight out of ten stars from Sonia for Trader Joe's Cranberry Clementine Greek Yogurt. Seven out of ten from me.
