REVIEW: ALDI Fremont Fish Market Sweet & Spicy Crispy Battered Shrimp

It's an ALDI Thing: I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with ALDI shrimp products. Sometimes they're great, like the Tempura Shrimp, Shrimp Skewers and the Wild Caught Argentine Red Shrimp. Sometimes they're not, like the Boom Boom Shrimp, Dynamite Shrimp, Popcorn Shrimp, and Creamy Wonton Stuffed Crispy Shrimp. I could go on.

So, when my daughter and I swung into ALDI to grab brownie ingredients, something for dinner, and a quick appetizer for that evening's neighborhood happy hour, these caught my eye. They're not even on the ALDI website yet, so I think my store might have been a little premature in putting them out in the case. (It wouldn't be the first time. They jumped the gun a couple weeks ago and had the faux Filet-O-Fish patties out a few days ahead of time.)

Anyway, I knew I was risking my Happy Hour ALDI Appetizer reputation by bringing something that I hadn't tried or read any reviews of, but I wasn't bringing the stuffed clams (might as well just make some Stove Top), the Reuben Bites scared me a little, and while the Chicken Momos were excellent, they would have required too much work.

Turns out the Fremont Fish Market Sweet & Spicy Crispy Battered Shrimp were far easier to make than to say. (What a mouthful!) I bought two boxes, preheated the oven while I cracked a beer, and saved half a box since my wife wasn't going to make it to happy hour. (After I have a few random bags of leftover uncooked apps in the freezer, I'll throw them all on a pan for an appetizer assortment.)

After ten minutes in the oven I turned the shrimp over, warmed up the sauce packets (two per box), and got my serving tray ready. 10 minutes later he resulting shrimp were definitely crispy and battered, but hidden inside were plump, tasty shrimp and the chile dipping sauce gave them the promised sweet and spicy kick. So, in retrospect, I guess the product needed all those words in the name after all.

Verdict: The Fremont Fish Market Sweet & Spicy Crispy Battered Shrimp (whew) were a big hit and were quickly devoured by our Happy Hour Crew. Even the most judgmental attendees gave them a raised eyebrow, appreciative nod, and a return visit to the tray. Leftover sauce was also used for dunking whatever else was around the table. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet (new issue out now!) and his Happy Hour Appetizer Guy reputation remains intact.

REVIEW: ALDI Journey to Nepal Chicken Momos

IT'S AN ALDI THING: Bought these Journey to Nepal Chicken Momos on a whim yesterday while picking stuff up for dinner. We love dumplings, pot stickers, etc., so I figured these would be right up our alley. 

Turns out I was correct! I didn't feel like pan frying them or hauling out the air fryer, so I ended up steaming these (half a bag at a time) for the recommended 12 minutes. 

The resulting momos were tender and delicious, and they are as packed with ingredients as the packaging suggests. Also, it's super fun to say "momo". 

Naturally, these are an ALDI Find so grab them while you can. They're also available in a vegetable version and they come with a sesame dipping sauce. 

$6.50 for a bag of 12 with dipping sauce. 

Momo. – Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. Get your copy of our latest issue at our store!

Baltozine Fest at Atomic Books in Baltimore on March 21

 

Join The Hungover Gourmet and other Baltimore independent publishers for the Baltozine Fest on Saturday, March 21 from 6-8 pm. 

We'll be joined by publishers from Salt Box Concern and Kinema: A Japan Travelogue at Atomic Books in Hampden.

Come on out, mingle, buy some zines, and support local retail and indie publishing!

VIDEO: What's The Hungover Gourmet #13 All About? Watch and Find Out!

 

It didn't make the cut for the Super Bowl—they said I had to pay to air it—but here's a new promo video for our latest issue.

You Know it's Almost Lent When...

You know it's almost Lent when Popeyes puts out the "Seafood is Back!" banner. 

Besides McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, what's your favorite meatless fast food meal?

Herr's Kettle Cooked Spinach & Artichoke Dip Flavored Potato Chips

Well these were a big disappointment. Had you not told me they were supposed to taste like Spinach & Artichoke Dip I'd have never guessed that was the flavor. Crisp and salty as the roads around Baltimore, but not worth the price ($2.69 per small bag). – Dan Taylor

The Hungover Gourmet 13 — Order Your Copy Today!

Get ready to feast your eyes on Issue #13 of The Hungover Gourmet! 

The offbeat journal of food, drink, travel, and fun returns with a potluck of supermarket nostalgia, culinary chaos, and pop culture deep dives. Whether you're a coupon-clipping cost-cutter, a roast beef romantic, or a congealed salad connoisseur, this issue has something for every flavor of foodie and retro renegade. 

• Supermarket Report Card: THG calls it like he sees it with an honest grading of grocery giants like ALDI, Lidl, Wegmans, and more. 
• Origins of THG: How childhood grocery runs turned one man into a cost-conscious gorehound with a love for fig bars and film tie-in novels. 
• Sci-Fi Potluck: Kevin M. Flanagan serves up a genre-bending buffet of interstellar eats. 
• Roy Rogers Returns: A nostalgic pilgrimage to the home of the Double R Bar Burger. 
• Can I Get an Amen?: Louis Fowler contemplates the healing powers of frybread. 
• The Grocery Store of My Youth: Douglas Waltz waxes poetic about Skedgell’s IGA, comic spinner racks, and wild cherry cough drops. 
• Aspic "Appreciation": Leigh Anne Moriarty celebrates her dear mother-in-law, and ponders her devotion to congealed salads and food suspended in aspic. 

Plus: 

• An interview with the man behind PANMAN 
• Pouring one out for our dearly departed beer fridge 
• Retro ads, comics, and meat department memories 

Whether you're hungover, hungry, or just hunting for a good read, THG #13 is your ticket to a world where food meets fandom and nostalgia never expires. Grab your thimble of tomato juice and dig in! 

40 pages, 5.5" x 8.5" digest size, black and white. 

Pre-order now from the Page and Screen Shop!

NOTE: This issue is currently being printed. Anticipated ship date for pre-orders is 1/16/26.

Chick-Fil-A Chicken and Waffle Sandwich Review

You know me, I loves me some limited edition fast food. And when you're one of two (!) regions in the country offering said sandwich, well, wild horses couldn't keep me away.

So, on a COLD December afternoon, I ventured out to the local Chick-Fil-A to try the Chicken & Waffle Sandwich. Also available in a slightly smaller breakfast version, this twist on the classic Chick-Fil-A chicken sandwich features a traditional Chick-Fil-A fried chicken breast between two fragrant, sweet waffles (which immediately began to fall apart as soon as I picked up the "sandwich"). 

Crisp, actual bacon—not that fast food stuff that looks, tastes, and smells like dog treats—subs in for the pickle, and the whole thing is served with a syrup packet and a Wet-Nap. 

I wasn't sure if I was supposed to pour the syrup over or on the sandwich, but had I done so it would have been impossible to eat with my hands. (Maybe that's why the nice, freezing young woman at the drive-thru gave me a packaged knife and fork.)

Politics aside, I do love a Chick-Fil-A sandwich every now and then, and the chicken was the definite highlight. The limp waffles fell apart, though I did like the bacon, but even the usually-dependable waffle fries were lukewarm and limp. Considering how the drive-thru was humming you would expect a volume mover like fries to be hot and crispy. Alas...

At $12 for the sandwich and waffle fries—no drink—this is no value meal. The sandwich needs a BBQ mayo or something, but I fear that any kind of sauce/condiment would have just rendered the whole thing a sloppier mess.

Back to the drawing board, Chick-Fil-A. If you expect to keep pace with Raising Cane's, Popeyes, Slim Chicken's, Dave's Hot Chicken, etc., you're going to need to step up your game. Or stick with the one that brung ya. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and issue #13 will be heading to the printer after Christmas. Stay tuned to this blog as well as HungoverGourmet.com for ordering details.