Dial A Dinner. Pre-Made Meals. Product and Store Review.

 

This is my third review from Dial A Dinner (search them on my blog), I went to the brand new brick and mortar store. I got the butter chicken, mac and cheese and pizza rolls.

The store is a little shop tucked away in a plaza near the University of Waterloo. Upon arrival we were alone for a few minutes before someone came from the back, it would've been nice to have a bell to ring but if you simply don't have social anxiety to call someone to the front haha. It was easy to shop in with each fridge and freezer item labelled, with a variety of choices to choose from and great discounts on items about to enter the freezer and items in the freezer. Service was quick, great and friendly, I rate the shopping experience a 4/5.

The butter chicken was just alright, it did not taste much like butter chicken but I have had worse butter chicken, the sauce wasn't quite there but the flavour was just fine though I felt something in it was not quite butter chicken, the chicken itself was fine though once re-heated it was a bit tough and the rice was fine too 3/5.

The mac and cheese was okay but one of the best ones I've had, which isn't saying much as I have yet to find a mac and cheese I really like, I so far have found mac and cheese a bit gritty in the sauce and lacks flavour, this one is as such. I shared the mac and cheese and she said it was really good but based on my own feelings I felt alright about it 3.5/5.

The pizza rolls were just pizza burritos, I was impressed by their size but they tasted just alright, I have never had something like this before but it's almost like a calzone, just I hate calzones and this was much nicer but in saying that these were just okay 3/5.

Lastly the ranch dressing, I am not a ranch person but this is the best ranch I've ever had, it was flavourful, had great creamy taste and lovely texture, likek a nice restaurant ranch. I am impressed but I still do not love ranch overall 4/5.

Rap Snacks. Creamy Chicken Gumbo Ramen Review.

 

This is the Master P rap snacks ramen, in the creamy chicken gumbo flavour.

It has minimal chicken flavour but not too bad in flavour. I would not say it was creamy or much like gumbo and the vegetables were just fine, overall a fair cup noodle. I would not buy it or likely eat it again and I rate it 3/5.

Dr. Oetker. Ristorante. Mini Pepperoni Pizzas Review.

 

I've done many reviews from this brand (search them on my blog) and today I'm trying their mini pepperoni pizzas.

I hated the texture of the pepperoni, the way it's diced and weirdly chewy under the cheese. The sauce had a touch of spice which was nice, the cheese was alright but the crust was dry and flavourless. I would not buy them or likely eat them again and I rate them 2.5/5.

FreeYu. Tomato Quinoa Snack Review.

 

This is my first review from this brand, today I'm trying their tomato quinoa snacks.

These are like Munchos meets Sunchips, they have a nicely seasoned tomato flavour like a sauce or ketchup but I did not love the texture, they are more Munchos than Sunships in that way but I feel both type of chip when I eat them, I just don't enjoy the texture of Monchos. I might buy them again but I'd eat them if offered and I rate them 3.5/5.

Nature Valley. Almond Butter Granola Cups Review.

 

I've posted three other reviews from this brand (search them on my blog) and today I'm trying the almond butter granola cups.

I thought these were gunna be soft but they are crunchy and weirdly textured like they shouldn't be crunchy, the center had a nicer texture than the outside cup portion. The flavour wasn't bad just kinda boring but the almond butter was the nicer flavour than the granola. I'm just not crazy about these and I would not buy them or eat them again and I rate them 3/5.

Upper Village Market. Cinnamon Bun, Chocolate Chunk Cookie and More Review.

I got an array of baked goods and pepperettes, they do also make to order subs and wraps (like at Subway) but I did not try them.

Cinnamon bun: it tasted sour, a little like cleaner and I absolutely hated it, I had to spit it out and throw it away 0/5. I wanted to note I did share these items and they felt it was fine and did not share my thoughts on the flavour, so something was wrong for me personally, not that there was something wrong with the bun. (This happens sometimes when you eat an item and something tastes disgusting or inedible but others eating it do not agree, it's very strange.)

Cream horn: one had mold halfway through 0/5. The other one was fine and mold-free but I felt it was not very good, the filling was better than the pastry but neither were enjoyable 2/5. I wanted to note these were individually wrapped, so the one with mold did not touch the other one and I did cut the "good" one into pieces anyway, to share it and to check each piece before eating it.

Banana muffin: it was dry, a bit too dense and boring in flavour but not terrible, not enjoyable to eat and barely tasted like banana 2/5.

Chocolate chunk cookie: it was really good and the chocolate chunks were my favourite part but I just didn't love it due to the texture, as it felt like it was previously cold and the thinness of the cookie threw me off, I prefer thicker cookies. Overall it was really good but I wasn't wowed by the rest of the cookie and the chunks alone cannot carry it 4/5.

Apple pastry: it was good, just too soft and not as baked as I'd like and the filling was fine. I just don't love most apple pastries, so I would not buy it again but I'd eat it if offered 3.5/5.

Hot pepperettes: I thought they were good, a little spicy but not enough for me personally and they did have a good texture and chew, I just prefer them a bit dryer. They were not as flavourful and spicy as other ones I've had but I did not enjoy the aftertaste 3/5.

I don't think I'd buy anything from them again, even the items I would buy again, as I wouldn't want to go all the way there for them and I'd rather go elsewhere, as most of this review was a fail.

Goetze's Candy. Caramel Apple Cow Tales Review.

I've done two other reviews from this brand (search them on my blog) and today I'm trying the caramel apple cow tales.

I don't like the apple center as I find it's too tart and the flavour is so artificial, even more than the caramel but the caramel was pretty good. I would not buy this or eat this again and I rate it 2.5/5.

Tutto Bene. Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Review.

 

This is my first time doing a review from this brand. I actually did two of these, one with tomato and one with pesto, pictured is only the tomato one. 

I shook them a lot (as stated in the instructions) and it was still powdery and clumpy, they wouldn't cook or stir properly and the flavour was not good (as I did try to eat it) , it did not have much tomato and no mozzarella flavour, nor did it look good. The idea is good, I like the concept of instant pasta but these were not good, I would not buy or eat them again and I rate them 0/5.

Dairy Queen. Mint Crunchin Cookie Dipped Cone Review.

 

I've done quite a few reviews from this restaurant (search them on my blog) and today I'm trying the mint crunchin cookie dipped cone, this is my third dipped cone I've had of theirs.

It sucked, not that it was really bad but it was so boring. The mint flavour was cheap like the dollar store type mints and barely tasted cookie, there were some bites that had no flavour at all. People loved this and I really thought I would too, I am disappointed. I would not buy this or eat it again and I rate it 2.5/5.

Kraft. Hazelnut Spread Review.

 

I've done a few reviews from this brand (search them on my blog) but this is my first review of their brand that isn't mac and cheese, this is their hazelnut spread.

It isn't as rich as Nutella and you can tell by taste and texture that there's no palm oil in it, this has a nicer taste with a less greasy taste and texture which I like and I think it's nice. This is a good lighter version of Nutella and I prefer this one personally. I would buy it and eat it again and I rate it 4/5.

Mr. Pretzel. Pretzel Cheese Stick Review.

 

I've had a couple things from this brand but this is so far my first review. This is the pretzel cheese stick.

It doesn't look like much and you can't visibly see cheese like you would in say a mozzarella stick but it was so cheesy, melty and warm. It was delicious and buttery, though a little overdone and just a little too salty, though I've found almost every pretzel I've ever had, were to some degree of too salty. This is probably one of the best pretzels I've ever had and I would buy it and eat it again and I rate it 5/5.

Red Bull. The Peach Edition. Peach Nectarine Review.

 

I've done quite a few reviews from this brand (search them on my blog) and today I'm trying the peach nectarine.

I've had this frozen and both were good but I felt this tasted a bit alcoholic, though it is not. I don't love peach as much as the years go by but overall it's nice and has a good peach flavour. I might buy it again but I'd drink it if offered and rate it 4/5.

Stacy's. Parmesan Garlic and Herb Pita Chips Review.

 

These are Stacy's parmesan garlic and herb pita chips.

They are ugly looking but have not too bad of a flavour but they are very subtle in flavour. The texture is a bit weird, not like a pita chip I've had before, they a tortilla chip, meets a pita chip, meets a cracker. Overall not bad of a snack, just okay but I would not buy them or eat them again and I rate it 3/5.

Goetze's Candy. Brownie Cow Tales Review.

 

I did a review on 3 other cow tales flavours, in my blog post from 10 years ago (search it on my blog). Today I am trying the brownie cow tales.

It's a bit too rich in chocolate flavour for me but it was nice overall and it had I guess a brownie flavour. The texture is like a tootsie roll but a lot easier to eat and softer. I don't think I would buy it again but maybe eat it if offered and I rate it 3.5/5.

Ottogi. Spicy Jin Ramen Review.

 

This is my first time having Jin ramen, it is a very popular ramen but it took me a while to get around to it, I am grabbing the spicy first as they did not have the mild in stock where I went. This is probably my first Korean style instant ramen.

It is quite a bit spicy, as the package states but it was still edible and I really enjoy the flavour, one of the nicer instant ramen I've had. With a nice noodle texture, good spicy broth and nice addition with the veggie flakes. I would buy it and eat it again and I rate it 4/5.

Joyburst. Vanilla Ice Energy Drink Review.

 

I've so far tried one or two other products from this brand but this is the first one I'm posting for review. This is the Vanilla Ice flavour, in collab with artist Vanilla Ice.

It doesn't taste much like vanilla to me, it tastes like cherry for some reason but also medicine-like and it's not great but I liked it the more I drank it. I would not buy this again but I'd may drink it if offered and I rate it 3.5/5.

Crave. Soy Garlic Beef Noodles Review.

 

I've done many reviews from this brand (search them on my blog) and today I'm trying the soy garlic noodles with beef.

I've finally come to admit I don't like soy sauce, I have tried it many times in different dishes and it always falls flat, from frozen to restaurant to made for me. 

As I do not like soy sauce, this sucked so bad, it was almost inedible, it is just a pure soy sauce flavour and smell with a little garlic. The meat crumble was squishy, damp and weirdly textured with no flavour. Only the two vegetables and the noodles were good but I would not buy this or eat it again and I rate it 1.5/5.

Egg Roll King. Shrimp Rice, Spring Rolls and More Review.

 

I have not been to this restaurant in 19 years, at the time I only had their spring rolls and they were delicious. I am finally trying them again to compare the spring rolls of the past and trying a few other items. I apologize the two cross-section photos I took, I took in my room and the lighting was terrible.

Shrimp fried rice: it was really good, it had that good fried rice taste and texture and the shrimp had a good snap to it and wasn't too fishy tasting. I would likely buy it and eat it again and I rate it 4/5.

Spring rolls: they are even better than I remembered, these are the best spring rolls I've ever had. They have a great crisp on it and a delicious filling. I want to get more already, I of course would buy and eat them again and I rate them 4.5/5.

Chicken balls: they were a bit too toasted for my liking and the breading was a bit dry and too thick but the chicken was good and went well with the sauce. I don't know if I'd buy them again but I'd eat them if offered and I rate them 3.5/5

Sweet and sour sauce: I enjoyed the sauce, as it's not as sweet as other places.

Sweet and sour pork: it was not too chewy (at least most of the pieces) and it tasted alright. I don't know if I'd buy it again but I'd maybe eat it if offered and I rate it 3/5.