The Trader Joe's Product Discussion Thread (S/D)

I tried the orange chicken and loved it, so easy to make too.

I haven't bought the kung pao chicken but I sampled it yesterday and it was terrific, not too spicy either.

the frozen orange chicken is a classic, it used to be their top selling product of all time. not sure if that's still the case

my roommate got a TJ's chocolate babka that looks pretty good, its been sitting on the kitchen table for a couple days and i've been tempted to steal it

yes they are both v v great re: frozen chickens, esp when you whip up some rice to go with them, so easy and yum

really like the provençal mustard

Anyone try the cooked pork belly?

I bought a box but gave it to my old neighbor, when she made it it was gray and flavorless... but that describes much of her cooking tbh.

Yeah I've had that, it was good

yeah I've had that a few times and it's always been great. This recipe for crispy pork belly + kale is awesome http://www.traderjoes.com/recipes/recipe/269

kettle cooked chicken soup is excellent

wait what?

http://news.yahoo.com/trader-joe-close-stores-2017-104416372.html

april fools?

oh right

not seeing it anywhere else so I am suspicious - altho that was posted 10 hours ago and it isn't April 1st yet

yeah but i don't see it anywhere else

read below the wine photo

ah passed over that as I am not in the habit of reading apparent captions to photos of wine

it's april 1 in other time zones

Kale slaw in a bag, w/ three smaller packets inside: cranberries, sunflower seeds, and dressing. Really good.

We get that all the time.

It goes kinda fast, but damn.

They've got paella now! (Product of France, iirc.) Pretty good and a nice, easy lunch, especially for $5.

I overheard that trader joe's just suspended/took off the shelves a TON of different things due to quality issues, has anyone been recently? I'm going today, I need chips/guac/pico so those better not be missing...

They're always shifting stock around, changing sourcing, etc.

I still weep about the large stoppered bottles of ginger beer that got recalled. Their newsletter claims they have it back in normal-sized bottles

Of course but they usually don't pull things off the shelves and trash them during that process...

They have their own house brand of ginger beer now...I prefer reed's though since it's a little sweeter, but theirs is good too.

I was pretty hopeful for the TJs ginger beer but Reed's is def better. Bundaberg's even better but I have to go to another store for that shit.

costco has bundaberg's but i have been resisting it the last couple trips

i drink it all way too quickly and it just tastes too good with alcohol

i drink it all way too quickly and it just tastes too good with alcohol

― μpright mammal (mh), Saturday, April 30, 2016 12:36 PM (1 minute ago)

so otm

I don't drink much at all. But yeah when I have a bottle of dark rum and some Bundaberg's...

Island salsa is solid.

bundaberg is so dope

good bottle shape

Chicken and Vegetable Wonton Soup (frozen) is really good. Broth might need a little doctoring to your taste but the veggies are crisp and fresh and the wontons are just fine. (This comes after a string of frozen disappointments)

the lamb vindaloo is p good

I had the frozen Paella that was recommended above and didn't think it was anything special. The boxed package from Vigo (which seems to be widely available) is better, though it is a bit more work to prepare.

not v exciting, but they have new instant oatmeal packets that are just-add-boiling water w flax, chia etc

good portion size, really like em

i am on record stanning for the lamb vindaloo

note that a fair amount of the frozen veggies at TJ's were part of the recall. although we continued to eat a bag of organic mixed vegetables without dying

(the listeria recall, that is)

Blueberry Breakfast Biscuits (which are cookies) are exactly the kind of mildly flavored, slightly textured, subtly disappointing compressed sawdust wafers I need in the late morning when I'm waiting for lunch. Nice work, TJs.

i am on record stanning for the lamb vindaloo

― μpright mammal (mh), Thursday, May 12, 2016 8:17 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

keep in mind i live in minneapolis, hardly a hotbed of great indian food but i legit have had worse at sitdown restaurants

don't know why they bother carrying those fresh rice noodles. they're THE WORST! boiled 'em for less than a minute for a pho and shocked them with cold water - they were just a gummy hardly edible mess

Good to know it happened to you too. I blamed myself!

no they are super gross

the cooked lentils are such a godsend. in related news i'm incredibly lazy.

Their falafel wrap sandwich thing was like eating patties of mildly dampened sawdust wrapped in an old shirt stuffed with stuff they found under a cutting board. It was so gross it's poisoned my tongue against my sweet potato tortilla chips. YOU ARE WARNED.

Microwave cod Provencale w/ rice and ratatouille was basically gruel topped with dry, flavorless whitefish.

yuk

The occasional successes i've had with their food always make me forget how terrible and bland their stuff can be.

My TJ seems to have stopped carrying Fruit Frenzy II fruit bars. Motherfuckers.