Our earliest recollection of Oishi was of those pink Kirei prawn crackers. That was a time when local chips, most especially the potato chips, tasted differently from their foreign counterparts. Don’t brand us as colonial-minded but it was just that even blind-folded, we can tell if a potato chip came from a balikbayan box or the sari-sari store. It took awhile before the local chip makers caught up and boy, have they narrowed the gap. At the forefront of this is Oishi, now with a lot of other products apart from the still-growing strong prawn crackers.
For the next generation of chips eaters, Oishi goes a bold step forward with its gourmet series. And the flavors are not the usual variation of its existing lines. Your happyfoodies are just too happy to oblige to a taste testing and see what’s inside every big bag.
Lagal[og] said: I’ve been an Oishi eater ever since their prawn crackers days. But over the recent years, I’ve come to love their newer chips which taste miles apart from the other local chips out there. Whatever Oishi is doing, they’re really doing something very right.
Ironwulf said: One of the things they’ve done right is the price of these Gourmet Picks Chips. A big bag cost only about P45. The packaging is also very elegant that it can be easily mistaken for an imported brand.
Lagal[og] said: Oishi’s coming up with gourmet series came as a pleasant surprise. The Nori and Wasabi Flavor variant was the first one I tasted. Boy, it smelled and tasted like Wasabi alright. I like the chips speckled with bits of horseradish and Nori but I simply couldn’t finish half the big bag.
Ironwulf said: While I also like the Nori and Wasabi variant, the Natural Sea Salt Flavor appealed to me. It has the right amount of saltiness and the rippled chips have that nice crunch in every bite. This is a safe flavor for anyone who wants to try the gourmet chips without being too adventurous on the flavor.
Lagal[og] said: The Kimchi flavor is up to my liking as I dig Korean food. The second I opened the bag, the unmistakable smell of Kimchi wafted through the air. I knew it was going to be an interesting flavor to try and it was.
Ironwulf said: This is a great move for Oishi to introduce this line of chips. One highlight they have is the use of natural flavors that are apprealing to the “healthy” snacker. The label indicates very low sodium content which is good. But chips are still chips so moderation is advised. Better yet, share a bag of chips.
Wasabi flavored chips — really interesting.
I remember that prawn cracker Oishi, I think I still saw some being sold in Asian groceries here.
As much as flavoring is an essential part, most chips companies are into the baked chips more, which I appreciate very much.
I tried this one too a few weeks ago. I really liked the wasabi-nori flavored chips. I was able to finish the entire bag! Oishi had an existing (cheaper) wasabi flavor potato chips before this (which I also liked), I don’t know if it had been replaced by the gourmet one or there now exists two wasabi-flavored Oishi chips.
I haven’t tasted the wasabi and kimchi flavors yet as I prefer the plain salted chips. I do love their natural sea-salt flavored potato chips. Such a very good alternative if you’re having second thoughts splurging on Ruffles and Lays(and at half the price). I do think it’s not as salty as those imported chips can get that’s why I love it even more.
My husband and I bought one bag just to try the product out of curiosity. The taste did not fail us but the contents did. The bag is only half full and the rest was filled with air. If they can have it packed like the Pringles then it would be really worth it.
Photo Cache, it’s good that companies are into the baked chips variety, maybe a bit more healthful for us chips-eaters.
Bikoy, thanks for that info.
Yammie, I agree, the sea salt flavor is really the best of the three.
Rannie, I think they do that on purpose so the chips would not crumble. Pringles can pack their potato chips tight since they use a rigid can and not filling up the can will only make the chips crumble when the can gets shaken during transport and handling.
Hi there!
Thanks for trying Oishi Gourmet Picks. We would also like to ask if it would be alright to link your post to the Oishi Gourmet Picks Facebook Fan Page? Thankies!
hey!!! oishi has this new online photo contest for gourmet! you should check it out! i haven’t been able to enter yet myself but i love love love the sea salt variant and have been thinking of a great shot for it!
http://www.oishigourmetpicks.com