Around the World: Hello Kitty Circus Plush Dolls Come to McDonald's Hong Kong

McDonald's Hong Kong is once again running one of their immensely popular Hello Kitty plush doll promotions. While the theme last year was 'fairy tales,' this time around it's the Circus of Life.

News: Subway - New Greek Yogurt Parfait

Subway updates their yogurt parfait and jumps on a trend by switching from Dannon yogurt to new YoCrunch Yopa Greek Yogurt Parfaits.

The new available side features nonfat Greek yogurt with strawberries and nine whole grain granola. In case you're wondering, the nine whole grains are oats, barley, white wheat, rye, triticale, spelt, brown rice, millet, and buckwheat.

Review: Sonic - Cheesy Bacon Pretzel Dog

Sonic's Cheesy Bacon Pretzel Dog is one of two pretzel dogs they're offering this summer (the other being the plain Original Pretzel Dog) and features a beef hot dog nestled in a warm, soft pretzel bun, topped with bacon, grilled onions, and warm cheese sauce.

Sonic has them going for $2.49 each in my area.

Reference: Ben & Jerry's 2013 Exclusive Flavors

Photo Credit: Ben and Jerry's

There are certain Ben & Jerry's flavors that you won't find on their website. They're special flavors that are only offered exclusively at a specific chain of stores, like 7-Eleven or Walmart.

If you're looking to try these flavors or if you've never heard of them, here's a list of Ben & Jerry's 2013 exclusive flavors for your reference:

News: Baskin-Robbins - July 2013 Flavor of the Month

Baskin-Robbins' July 2013 Flavor of the Month is Oreo 'n Chocolate. A bit like a chocolate version of Oreo 'n Cream, it features chocolate ice cream with Oreo cookie pieces and a crispy fudge crackle ribbon.

Along with the flavor of the month (available in cups, cones, and shakes, as well as hand-packed pints and quarts), Baskin-Robbins is serving up a whole line-up of Oreo-themed desserts, including:

Review: Krispy Kreme - Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake Donut

Krispy Kreme's limited-time Caramel Chocolate Chip Cake Donut features a chocolate cake donut topped with caramel icing and Ghiradelli chocolate chips.

My nearest Krispy Kreme sells them for $1.19 each.

News: 7-Eleven - Free Small Slurpees on 7/11

7-Eleven is once again celebrating 7-Eleven Day this year by offering free small 12-ounce Slurpee drinks on this Thursday, July 11 between 11am and 7pm (i.e. on 7-11 from 11 to 7) at participating 7-Eleven stores, while supplies last.

Review: Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger

Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger is their latest limited-time offer and features a soft pretzel bun sandwiching a 1/4 lb hamburger patty, Applewood-smoked bacon, a slice of cheddar cheese, warm cheddar cheese sauce, smoky honey mustard, tomato, red onion, and spring mix

The price tag at my local Wendy's is $4.69 and is the first Wendy's burger I've seen that comes in a clam-shell.

News: Starbucks - New Discoveries Iced Cafe Favorites

Starbucks Discoveries Iced Cafe Favorites (long name, let's just go with "Starbucks Discoveries") is Starbucks' new carton-based coffee and milk drink sold in grocery stores for at-home consumption. According to a company representative, the drinks are made of Starbucks espresso from 100% arabica beans, 2% milk, and natural flavors.

They're currently available in a limited number of grocery stores, but will be more broadly distributed by August. Unlike Starbucks' current grocery line up of bottled and canned coffee, Starbucks Discoveries are not shelf-stable and require refrigeration.

Around the World: McDonald's Hong Kong - Summer Sauces and Drinks

From top to bottom: Honey Mustard, Singapore Curry,
Korean Chili, and Sesame Miso.

In a campaign they're calling "Amazing Summer Flavors," but what I am going to call "The Summer of Sauces and Drinks" McDonald's Hong Kong is offering four McNugget sauces and five dessert-type drinks on a very limited-time basis (only about a week or two).

For the sauces, McDonald's Hong Kong is currently offering Honey Mustard and Singapore Curry sauces through July 22, when they'll begin offering Korean Chili and Sesame Miso sauces.

Local Review: Cook's Tortas - Mojito Torta

Cook's Tortas is a Mexican-/Latin-inspired sandwich shop that serves up a variety of tortas on their own fresh-baked bread. The Mojito Torta is filled with roasted pork, garlic mojo sauce, and slow-cooked onions.

All tortas on the menu come with a side and are $8.59 each. I went with potato salad for the side and got a Watermelon Mint Aguas Frescas to drink.

Around the World: Pizza Hut Sri Lanka - Birizza

Over in Sri Lanka, Pizza Hut recently brought back the Birizza. What's a Birizza you ask? It's a portmanteau of biryani and pizza.

The dish is basically baked pizza dough placed over a serving of biriyani in a pot pie-like manner. Basically, it's not pizza at all and is closer to a calzone than anything.