Time for another review and this time we’re having a look inside TokyoTreat, a monthly subscription box filled with themed candy, snacks and more from Japan. I was sent the February 2023 box which had a My Snackin’ Valentine theme.
Our last TokyoTreat review was all the way back in 2016 so I was excited to see how things have changed. The box is still the familiar bright orange and the magazine is even bigger and better with 26 full colour pages. It has detailed descriptions of all the contents including allergens and whether items are vegetarian, plus some fun articles about Japanese culture, including Valentine’s Day, strawberry buffets and upcoming festivals.
Inside the box were lots of snacks and candy, plus a drink and instant ramen. Everything is from Japan with lots of big name brands and almost everything was full size. Out of 15 items, only 4 weren’t vegetarian so it can still be worth subscribing if you have an omnivore friend to share with. Nicolette wasn’t around this time so sadly I had to eat everything myself!
Pink Candy & Snacks
Since it’s a Valentine’s theme, there was lots of pink! These are a mix of flavours with strawberry, plum, grape and azuki bean.
There’s a whole bag of KitKat Lucky Daifuku, which is red bean/azuki bean in mochi. It’s been a while since I had anything azuki bean and it’s still hard to describe the flavour – it’s sweet but very complex and even a little bit spicy. The white chocolate works well with it and I think these would pair nicely with green tea. If you haven’t tried azuki bean, this is a good snack to start with.
Of all the items in the box, the Suppamucho sour plum chips were the most intriguing and they even look pretty with a dusting of pink powder. I don’t think anyone would guess the flavour as it’s both familiar and yet hard to pin down. I ate quite a few trying to figure it out but it is really just a mix of salty, sweet and sour. As a fan of both crisps and sour gummies, these were a great find. I would buy them again, and especially when family or friends are around so everyone could have a try.
Artificial strawberry is one of my least favourite flavours but the I was pleasantly surprised by the Ginza rusks, which had quite a realistic flavour with little pops of sharp, almost fizzy, strawberry. I thought these would be dry and hard but they’re actually quite crumbly and melt in a pleasant way.
These mini Asparagus biscuit are supposedly shaped like asparagus but I don’t really see it! These were a nice sweet crunchy biscuit but I think they would be better with a savoury flavour.
I wasn’t expecting much of this little pack of Pure petit grape gummy but look, they’re heart-shaped! I do love gummies and would be happy to receive these instead of (okay, as well as…) Valentines chocolates. These are actually quite sour and sharp and do taste like grape. I’ll be keeping an eye out for these in other flavours.
Chocolate
Pakila chocolate wafers are a new brand for me. They’re clearly going for the Pocky market and I think they stack up quite well next to that classic. Instead of biscuit, these are 2 long wafers with a filling and this one has a good quality chocolate with almond pieces. Really good!
These Choco Cakes looked a bit like Jaffa Cakes and there is a bit of similarity, though it’s just plain sponge covered in chocolate. Nothing fancy but good for a little snack.
Savoury Snacks
While this box is mainly sweet there’s also some savoury snacks including 3 types of rice crackers. All the packs are quite small so you’d probably want to pick up a few, or mix them together.
The Maruko-chan arare (at the bottom) are the most familiar – crunchy and puffy with a soy sauce and honey flavour. I could have eaten a lot more of those! The spicy peanut arare (on the right) didn’t taste particularly like peanut or spice but they were still easy to eat. I was a bit more wary of the shrimp senbei (at the top) but they weren’t fishy at all and just savoury and crunchy. I would happily eat all of these again but especially the Maruka-chan.
Karai Spicy Ramen
I don’t think I’ve ever received ramen in a box before and it makes a nice change. These kind of instant noodles are everywhere in Japan and you probably have similar options at your local supermarket. The instructions are included in the magazine but it’s simple enough – add the packets of soup powder and dried vegetables, pour on boiling water, wait 3 minutes and then stir and eat.
As promised, it was very spicy! It takes a while to build up but by the time I reached the bottom of the bowl I was struggling a bit. I still enjoyed it as a quick and easy lunch but definitely one for chili fans.
Qoo peach jelly drink
I was so happy to see Qoo, one of our favourite drinks brands when we visit Japan. I was less happy to see a jelly drink, but it has been a while since I tried one. And you know what? I take it all back. It is initially weird to be sucking jelly out of a pouch but it’s also really refreshing, especially if you chill it in the fridge. This contains real peach juice and had a nice strong flavour. I’m glad I got to try it again and I’d consider picking up other flavours.
Final Thoughts
It’s great to see that TokyoTreat is still as strong as ever and I can’t really fault this box. A fun theme with lots of different flavours and brands to try and a nice mix of sweet and savoury items that feel very Japanese. I appreciate all the full size items and that they don’t add filler candy or toys. While I do love getting a DIY candy kit in other boxes, instant ramen is more enjoyable to eat and still has the DIY aspect. I was impressed with the magazine too, which was actually interesting to read, rather than just some basic product info. It’s also one of the only boxes I’ve seen that includes detailed allergy/dietary information and a lot of the items were vegetarian. I’d definitely recommend TokyoTreat to anyone who loves trying new snacks and learning a bit about Japan.
Pricing & Shipping
This box is sold out but the next TokyoTreat box has a Japan’s Best Bites theme, with KitKats, Pocky, udon and lots more in seasonal flavours. Every box includes 15-20 items with a mix of Japanese candy, snacks, drinks and instant ramen to try.
You can subscribe now for $37.50 (£31) per month with free tracked shipping worldwide from Japan and there are further discounts if you subscribe for a block of 3, 6 or 12 months.
If you don’t fancy snacks, the TokyoTreat family also includes YumeTwins (kawaii) , nomakenolife (beauty & makeup) and Sakuraco (traditional snacks, tea & home goods). SCK readers get $5 off any YumeTwins subscription with the code CUTEKAWAII. You can also shop at their TokyoTeat Mini Mart online store for seasonal and hard-to-find Japanese snacks, candy and drinks.
(Box was provided by TokyoTreat for review but all words and photographs are my own.)
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