ZenPop Ramen + Sweets MIX Pack Review January 2019
ZenPop Ramen + Sweets MIX Pack is a monthly subscription box filled with tasty ramen noodles and yummy treats sourced directly from Japan. It’s then shipped straight to your doorstep with free shipping to most countries. ZenPop currently has multiple subscription plans, including one-time box purchases (no subscription needed). They kindly sent me January’s box to review. So lets dig in!
Subscription Details
Box Details: ZenPop’s Ramen + Sweets MIX Pack is filled to the brim with a variety of delicious ramen noodles that are easy to make at home, as well as yummy treats! Each box contains 2-3 packages of ramen, plus 6-10 various snacks!
Subscription Plans:
- One-time Purchase: $24.50
- 3 Months Prepaid Plan: $70 ($23.33/month)
- 6 Months Prepaid Plan: $137 ($22.83/month)
Shipping: Free Worldwide Delivery
Here’s a closer look at the items I received this month….
The theme for January is Kansai Pack. Kansai is a region that consists of many districts including that of Mie, Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, and Shiga. In this month’s box, you’ll find yummy foods and snacks from the many prefectures of Kansai!
Included in every box is a mini flyer with details, descriptions, and instructions for each item. ZenPop makes note of key ingredients that some people tend to have allergies to or other ingredients used in the facilities that processes the items. This is so considerate of ZenPop and I really appreciate them going this extra mile for people who may have food allergies.
Kyoto Se-Abura Shoyu Ramen (Left)
The Se-Abura Shoyu Ramen is a pork-based soup that was really easy to make. Besides adding water, you add in the packet of pork fat and mix it with the noodles. This one only took about 3 minutes before it was ready to eat. The soup contains pieces of green onion and sparse amounts of mini bamboo shoots while the noodles were very stringy and thin. It was a very flavorful soup that had strong pork flavors (from the pork fat) which I enjoyed, but it was very salty.
Chibo – Supercup Yakisoba (Right)
I LOVE yakisoba (stir-fry noodles) and this one was very delicious and full of pork flavor. It was a little more difficult to make because it consists of adding hot water to the noodles and then draining it. Luckily, the container comes with a built in strainer that’s super easy to use. Afterwards, mix in the sauce with the noodles and top it off with the nori and katsuobushi packets. It took about 5-10 minutes to fully prepare everything, but it was well worth it. It tasted like something I could get from a restaurant!
Takoyaki Snacks
Takoyaki is a popular Japanese dish that consists of round balls of dough filled with octopus. It’s one of my favorites appetizers to order at Japanese restaurants and these Takoyaki Snacks taste very much like the real thing! The puffed corn balls are seasoned in a takoyaki flavored dust and sprinkled with tiny seaweed flakes. These are crispy and packed with a lot of umami rich flavor, which I loved.
Okonomiyaki Taro
I was confused as to what this was, but it’s a flavored sheet that’s made of boiled fish paste. These are paper thin, and chewy like dried squid or dried fish. Again, this snack was full of umami flavor and very tasty if you like fishy snacks, but there was only enough for two bites!
Double Kinako Black Thunder
Kinako is a roasted soybean flour and this version of Black Thunder is packed with it! Like other Black Thunder flavors, this one was very crunchy and crispy like a granola or cereal bar. The soybean flour was powdery, but had a nuttiness that was slightly sweet. It really compliments the chocolate in this and it was one of my favorite snacks this month! You can never go wrong with Black Thunder.
Mini Yokan – Matcha
This bar is made of earthy matcha flavor and has a very thick, but smooth jelly-like texture. My favorite way to eat these bars is to keep them in the fridge and eat them chilled for a firmer texture!
Mikan Gummy
I absolutely love gummy candies and these are some of the best ones I’ve tried so far! Mikan is a popular citrus fruit that is native to Japan. Personally, I think it looks like and tastes a lot like oranges. These candies are shaped like orange/mikan slices and taste both sweet and tangy!
Kobe Roasted Chocolate – Creamy Milk
The Kobe Roasted Chocolate in Creamy Milk comes with 12 chocolate pieces that are sure to go quickly. Glico roasts their own cacao beans to make this smooth and creamy chocolate. It also contains milk and Van-Houten Cocoa. The chocolates have a stiffer texture initially, but I like to place them in my mouth and allow them to melt a bit before chewing. These taste very pure and are rich in depth!
Glico Caramel
This box of mini caramels comes with two parts. The top box actually contains a miniature toy, while the bottom box comes filled with individually wrapped caramels. There are only four candies in the box, but I think this is geared as a Valentine’s Day candy-gram. The caramels are shaped as hearts and are VERY chewy and sweet.
ZenPop Ramen + Sweets MIX Pack REVIEW January 2019 – Final Thoughts
I thought last month’s ZenPop Ramen + Sweets Mix Pack was amazing, but this month’s box was just as good (if not better?!). ZenPop continuously leaves me very impressed with their snack selection and I enjoyed every single item this month! There was a great mixture between both sweet and savory snacks, and I appreciate how they add different types of noodle dishes into the box.
The variety between the items is so nice since I get to try a little bit of everything. I have a lot of favorites this month, including the Yakisoba, Takoyaki Snacks, Mikan Gummies, and the Double Kinako Black Thunder. I’m already scouring the web trying to find more of these goodies!
Mary Vu – http://thepointofvu.blogspot.com