Baby Star ramen ice-cream
While some hybrid food creations are truly unholy unions that just shouldn’t happen, ramen ice-cream is something we can get behind. Hear us out – there is not a wet noodle in sight in this concoction. A base of buttery salted caramel ice-cream with a hint of soy sauce is topped with crispy dry instant ramen to create a little something this writer refers to as the Hannah Montana experience (best of both worlds, in case you were wondering). The Japanese instant noodle mavericks at Baby Star Ramen have hooked up with the Daisen Dairy Cooperative to create the dessert, aptly named Baby Star Ramen on Ice. The sweet-meets-savoury snack is currently only available at 7-Eleven stores across Japan, so if you have a trip planned soon we would suggest seeking it out.
Image: Gigazine
Crayola Beauty for ASOS
Crayola is a brand synonymous with childhood, creativity and the destruction of many a household wall (sorry mum). If the waxy scent of crayons and the vivid yellow packaging get your nostalgia senses tingling, this one is for you – the colour wizards have teamed up with online retailer ASOS to create a line of retro cosmetics that are almost too cute to cope with. Exclusive to ASOS, the 58-piece collection includes 95 eye-popping shades that are all vegan-friendly – you can get your hands on colour-change lipsticks, eye palettes, highlighters, bold-coloured mascaras and a rad metallic make-up brush kit. If you’re interested in getting a little creative, you can pick up items from the collection through ASOS.
Image: ASOS
Apple iOS 12
As anyone with an iPhone is aware, the time surrounding an iOS update can be as confusing as it is exciting. What the heck can my phone do now? Why has everything moved? Why did Steve Jobs have so many turtlenecks? While some mysteries will always remain unsolved, the tech wizards behind your favourite phone software have shone a light on what we can expect with iOS 12 when it drops in September – and it’s a lot. New features will let older iPhones run faster, help parents limit their children’s screen time and make Siri work smarter within third-party apps. On the more fun front, the update will also let users Facetime with up to 32 people at once, as well as create their own custom Memojis (that’s an emoji of your own face, in case you’re not across it). This is just the tip of the iceberg – for a full run-down of what’s coming, head to Apple’s website.
Image: Apple
McDonald’s Sprite merch
When most food corporations release a new item, they might roll out an ad campaign with some cool visuals to get the word out – nothing huge, just a heads up. Most corporations are not McDonald’s, though. The fast-food giant has released a racing-inspired collection of merch in support of Mix by Sprite Tropic Berry, a new Sprite flavour exclusive to US McDonald’s locations. Enlisting the talents of Joe Freshgoods’ Joseph Robinson, the merch line consists of socks, tees and a bomber jacket that is giving us more emotions than a late-night cheeseburger. The cool factor is upped even further knowing that posi-rapper Kyle has modelled the clothes, plus produced an exclusive song and video for the campaign. Unfortunately, this is a money-can’t-buy deal – lucky Maccas fanatics in the U.S. will be able to cop the merch as a giveaway at select stores.
Image: Coca Cola Company
Donugs
In case you missed it on Shark Tank, Melbourne-based couple Crag Carrick and his wife Rachel Dutton have made quite the splash with a food invention we never knew we needed until now – the Donug. Don’t let the name trick you – this isn’t some unwholesome Frankenfood trying to mash two very uncomplimentary flavour profiles together. A Donug is a hybrid of a doughnut and a chicken nugget made from chicken, a top-secret flour and spice mix, plus a crunchy panko and cornflake crust. The end nug is then coated in a dipping sauce of your choice – the full range of options is yet to be released, but the signature sauce you see above is a cheesy Dijon bechamel with chilli flakes and black salt. Hello, please come to Queensland at ONCE.
