I agree, linguafood. The only thing on that list I’ve tried and liked is the frozen chocolate croissants. But even there, I prefer the almond ones.
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It just goes to show that someone’s favorite is just that: their favorite.
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IMO, the TJ’s Chili Onion Crunch isn’t as good as the authentic Lao Gan Ma but I nevertheless tried the COC Hummus, which is a qualified YEA for me. But I won’t be buying it again because I intend to mix LGM with plain hummus, which is bound to be terrific.
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Hey now, don’t shoot the messenger.
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The cheese section is indeed very good, and great on price.
Of the “other” favorites list, agree on the Taiwanese Pancakes, Vegan Garlic Sauce (ie Toum), and Dark Chocolate Laceys (which I regularly “forget” about so as not to eat a whole box myself).
Sesame oil may be good but I’ll never know because I use enough to buy the big can from Chinatown.
(My aunt has been pitching the Saucy Scallops to me for years, but I have yet to try them.)
The customer favorites list is usually much more disturbing to me, but I was pleasantly surprised to see my fave snack on there - Crunchy Curls, aka indian papad in a different shape.
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They’re not really comparable – one is Italian, the other Chinese. Different flavor profiles, textures, and uses. (I use both often, just in different things.)
Found out over the weekend that they have discontinued the salmon caper spread. I loved that stuff, and am disappointed, but I can probably make it myself.
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I always ask the person at checkout for their top 3, some interesting suggestions and a nice way to make chit chat for someone who achieved almost a perfect score on the “are you an introvert?” scale.
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Renee – you’re in Portland? We arrive on Thursday en route to Belgrade Lakes. Looking forward to hitting Norimoto Bakery as soon as we are in the rental car – their instagram feed always leaves me drooling!
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Is this new? I haven’t seen it.
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I think they showed up in stores (in Calif) in the winter or last fall? Not exactly sure, but new item.
I like the chocolate, myself. I’d like even more if they made plain croissants the same way as the almond and chocolate ones (that is, let thaw/proof overnight. bake in morning). The only plain frozen ones are ‘mini’ croissants, which aren’t bad at all, and don’t require overnight thawing (you bake from frozen!) but are too small. I end up wanting to eat 2-3 of them.
The orange chicken is a longtime customer fave, and while it isn’t exactly haute cuisine, it IS a perfectly serviceable weeknight meal that doesn’t involve me deep frying chicken bits.
The frozen fettucini alfredo is also… fine. I mean, it’s not appreciably better than making some noodles yourself and throwing a jar of Bertolli’s alfredo on it, but it’s there.
A definite NAY is TJ’s cacio e pepe jarred sauce, which is just… sad. A very bland cheese sauce w/ a big hit of sodium citrate to keep it emulsified and some not terribly piquant peppercorns. You’ll end up putting more real cheese and pepper on it to make it taste of… anything.
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Is there a secret to preparing TJ’s pre-cooked and frozen pasta entrees? I’ve tried the cacio e Pepe, pink sauce fiochetti (and gnocchi) I think. I haven’t had much luck ending up with anything remotely near the ‘consistency’ of fresh made pasta.
The gnocci (imho) are a little rubbery. The fettuccine was… fine. Not at all mushy or overly chewy. Just… fine.
I always just followed their suggested method: put a few tablespoons of water into a large skillet, add frozen stuff, cover (for steam), cook on med-low, stirring occasionally, 'til everything is thawed and mixed to your liking.
I don’t think any of the frozen pasta dishes there are GREAT or anything, but they’re cheapish and convenient enough that we’ll grab one if we happen to be there.
Most frozen stuff is, at best, perfectly adequate.
Their potstickers are pretty good. Pork or chicken.
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I found them in MA back in March. Dangerous little buggers… so tasty!
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I like their refrigerated ravioli, especially the lemon ricotta. So easy. Just at end add butter and fresh Parmesan. After you add them to boiling water, turn down to a simmer.
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We particularly like the ricotta/lemon and butternut squash raviolis, but most of them are good.
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If I recall correctly, they used to sell plain frozen croissants that were larger like the chocolate and almond ones, but they were discontinued years ago.
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