Sainsbury's Mini Crab Thermidor crumpets review - Taste the difference

When I saw these crumpets I had to get them because crab is not often offered unlike prawns, fish and lobster.
The mini crab thermidor crumpets are a bit pricey but I am so glad I got these because they are so delicious and too good to share.
If you like the taste of tomalley and crab pate (the stuff you get in the glass jars) then this is for you.
The crumpets are soft and squishy with a nice crisp edge depending on how long you bake them and then you have this dreamy topping just as like crab pate and tomalley which is intense.
You have that lovely fishy crab taste and smell in a good way so definitely money well spent.

Sainsbury's Dim sum & Bao Bun selection - Taste the difference

I love Christmas because there is an abundance of party food offerings at the supermarkets.

The offerings at Sainsbury's always captivate me to try.

This time I got the dim sum and bao bun selection which comprises of prawn and chive shumai, prawn and Thai basil wontons and curried mushroom & aubergine bao buns.

They are not authentic dim sum but I love the creative twist by Sainsbury's which you won't find in Chinatown.

Frankly, you can't beat the price tag of £5 for the platter with three different dim sums when dim sums start at around £5 per basket.

Ideally dim sum are steamed which takes time but in this modern day and age, they can be microwaved.

They were ready in the microwave after two minutes and you will notice a slight colour difference in the pastry, the white one is slightly opaque and the magenta one is darker.

The one I was looking forward most was the wonton because it contains Thai basil which is very aromatic.

It definitely did not disappoint and it was like eating a prawn curry with Thai basil but wrapped in a Har Gau pastry shaped like a wonton and not the authentic wonton pastry which is similar to the one used in the Shumai.

Next was the shumai which was just as good in the sense that you could taste the minced prawns which still had a bounce to them after it was microwaved.

I believe their is some starch in it which gives it that smooth texture with some elascity.

Last but not least was the bao buns which I did not like because I was expecting curry but it did not even taste of curry.

It was mainly spices I could taste like aniseed and lemongrass as well as the usual suspects like clove and all that which was overwhelming.

Still I would recommend them because they look like hotel quality and colourful unlike the shabby ones in Hong Kong.

I am not saying that dim sum in Hong Kong is bad but you have to go to expensive places or do your research which is a shame for a place that specializes in dim sum.

Unlike UK where quality and standards are mostly good on average and by paying more you can get exceptional quality.

M&S Soft set bombay potato scotch egg

Again, soft set means that they used those same ready poached eggs which you find in their grab and go breakfasts and the shape of these eggs are not like your usual boiled egg.
The pairing of potato and egg definitely sounded good so I was expecting silky fluffy mashed potato wrapped around the egg but it was not.
The egg and the potato were like separate, and the potato seemed a bit dry and firm that it was almost meaty but didn't contain meat.
The taste wasn't bad but somehow it needed more flavour.

Morrisons the Best indulgent Hot Chocolate

I didn't have any expectations for this hot chocolate as I was expecting it to be just another supermarket hot chocolate.
However it turned out to be a surprising good hot chocolate that's rich, thick and not over powered by the sweetness.
I think they nailed it just like this other Italian brand which contains potato starch for that thickness.

Sainsbury's gingerbread and white chocolate cookie

Just a quick summary, the gingerbread and white chocolate cookie was like eating a firm chewy gingerbread man with creamy white chocolate that balances the fiery ginger.

I think white chocolate worked well because it was creamy and sweet and does not have the cocoa which would add another dimension to it.

Batchelors Limited Edition Pigs in Blankets

 It's Christmas soon and everything is pigs in blankets.

Obviously with pigs and blankets it would be sausages and bacon.
Batchelors already have bacon noodles so I would expect the pigs in blankets to taste similar or have something added.
The limited edition noodles definitely did have a strong smokey bacon smell and a corresponding taste.
On top on that, you can taste some thyme but luckily it was not too strong.
There was supposed to be some dried pieces of sweetcorn and mushroom, but I couldn't find any.
Overall, I am biased, so I liked it and if you like the bacon noodles by Batchelors, then you are going to like this.

M&S Lava Hot dog rolls

These lava hot dog rolls were launched for Halloween.

Visually red because they are made with tomato puree and smoked paprika.

Overall, they were tasty but I found the texture a bit too dry like Asian breads even though it was really soft.