So, I recently discovered yet another subscription box - Umai Crate! It's a monthly subscription filled with Japanese instant ramen. I LOVE noodle soup and ramen in particular, so I thought this would be the perfect box for me. Umai Crate is $25/month including shipping and comes with about 7-8 noodles and a special item. It also comes with a booklet describing all the various ramens in the box as well as recommendations on how to cook and serve them.
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| Instruction booklet |
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| Sapporo Shoyu Mini Ramen |
Sapporo Shoyu Mini Ramen: soft, tender noodles (includes corn, scallions, and cabbage). The broth is well seasoned and well flavored. This whole cup was tasty and extremely cute. It fits in the palm of my hand and is a great snack that hits the cup noodle craving in a pinch.
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| Sapporo Ichiban Yakisoba |
Sapporo Ichiban Yakisoba: good soy sauce flavor, slightly sweet and salty. It's supposed to be eaten dry as shown in the picture.
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| Myojo Chukazanmai Canton Shoyu |
Myojo Chukazanmai Canton Shoyu: slightly bouncy noodles, perfectly salty flavor (includes sesame oil). I opted to add an egg.
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| Sanukiya Original Udon |
Sanukiya Original Udon: flavorful soy sauce soup; scallions and bonito flakes added after water heating. As a huge scallion hater, I thought there were way too may scallions in this bowl.
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| Green Premium Ginger Ramen |
Green Premium Ginger Ramen: strong ginger scent; firm noodles; thicker soup texture; tastes similar to wonton noodle soup. I added an egg and mushrooms. This was probably my least favorite ramen of the box.
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| Nissin Demae Ramen with Sesame Oil |
Nissin Demae Ramen with Sesame Oil: delicious flavorful soup base and sesame oil flavor. I added an egg. This is actually a ramen I've loved since childhood as it's readily available at many Chinese supermarkets in my area. It's delicious and brought back a wave of nostalgia since I haven't had it in many years.
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| Nissin Sho Spa Shitamachi |
Nissin Sho Spa Shitamachi: nice soy sauce flavor; firm noodles. I loved the inclusion of veggies and mushrooms. Unfortunately, I dropped half of the noodles in the sink while draining out the water, so I was only able to eat half of this :(
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| Paldo Jjajang Men |
Paldo Jjajang Men: sweet soy sauce with potatoes and meat. Now this was all the rage when I was in college for some reason. I think it's good, but not the bee's knees because I prefer saltier and soupier noodles.
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| Mini Ramen Bowl Gashapon |
Mini Ramen Bowl Gashapon: this was the bonus item for the month! I think it's adorable and have always loved mini items, especially food imitations.
Overall, I did enjoy my first Umai Crate. The price point is a bit high since I can get some of these noodles at my local supermarket, but I imagine it to be harder for people in more obscure states to get these items. I have continued my subscription for a few more months to see how I feel about this crate.
- Jolie ♥
