Umai Crate by Japan Crate focuses on bringing you Japanese-exclusive instant noodles. Each month, you'll receive 7-8 instant noodles to try, along with a bonus collectible!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Umai Crate
The Subscription Box: Umai Crate
The Cost: $25 a month + free shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save $3 off your first box
CODE: MSADD3
The Products: 7-8 Japanese-exclusive instant noodle dish + a bonus collectible
Ships to: Worldwide
Umai Crate March 2018 Review
This month’s Umai Crate booklet lists each of the ramen bowls with a small description and cooking instructions. This is always super helpful to review before and during taste testing! As usual, there is always a super fun recipe for Ikemen's Tsuke-Soba.
Time to get cooking!
Shoyu Ramen
According to the monthly booklet, this ramen can be found in convenience stores and restaurants all over Japan. I love that this ramen allows you to really dress it up or enjoy as is. The noodles are fluffy and the broth had a salty chicken flavor to it. While this ramen was fairly standard, I loved adding some chicken and egg to this warm bowl!
Nagoya Kishimen
This dish really took me out of my comfort zone! It is flavored with Katsuobushi which is dried, fermented, and smoked tuna. The noodles were very different as well. They were much thicker than I have tried before and had a squishy texture to it. The broth had a light sweetness to it along with a bold fish flavor. The booklet recommends adding egg and green onion to this bowl. Unfortunately, I could not get past the sweet fishy flavor enough to enjoy this bowl so I based it along to my husband to enjoy.
Sozai-Ya Nori Tappuri Soup
This was another interesting dish for the month! This Nori is known as edible seaweed. The booklet recommends adding some rice to this soup to make into more of a meal, but this was the one night I didn't have any rice in my pantry. This soup was very earthy with not much flavor to it, but I can see it being delicious poured over rice or even with some chicken.
Shinshu Soba
These noodles were a pretty big miss for me this month sadly. The packet is similar to one we received last month, but this dish had an odd chlorine flavor to it. The noodles came out a bit sticky and just lacked flavor. This pack didn't come with any spice or sauce packets, but the monthly booklet notes that you can add your own soba dipping sauce. It also notes that this can be enjoyed warm or cold so maybe we will purchase some sauce if we receive a similar pack again.
Small Udon
This udon is flavored with yuzu which is a citrus fruit similar to a lemon along with white soy sauce. The soy sauce cuts through the citrus flavor to make it all a bit more floral. This bowl would be perfect with shrimp! The noodles were thick with a light fluffy texture. There were hints of salt that made this dish so well rounded and light!
Nagomian Kitsune Udon
The name of this udon translates to "fox noodles." According to the monthly booklet, Japanese folklore told of a fox that loved thin deep-fried tofu. As you can see in the photo, this bowl is topped with a thin piece of deep-fried tofu. I am always surprised at how sweet and chewy these tofu pieces are! My husband called the tofu a sponge for flavor! The noodles were extra fluffy and light with a yummy creaminess to it. The broth was salty that was a nice layer with the sweet tofu.
Big Tanuki Soba
The last bowl for the month is made with buckwheat noodles. Along with the noodles are fried tempura batter that really rounds out the entire dish. The broth had a sort of fried/greasy flavor to it, but the noodles made the dish light and fluffy. Even though the tempura gave the broth a fried flavor, the buckwheat noodles made me feel as though I was eating something somewhat healthy!
Bonus Item - Tsum Tsum Character Chopsticks
The bonus item for the month is this adorable chopstick set! We don't have any chopsticks on hand so these are perfect to keep around.
Verdict: This month's Umai Crate was a bit of a miss for me, which I don't think has ever happened! The dishes were very unique, which I always enjoy, but there wasn't anything that I really loved. There were so many different flavors this month and new variations of your standard ramen noodles so while I didn't have a favorite this month, the box still took me way out of my comfort zone!
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No, you will receive the May box.
Coupon - Use code MSA3 to save $3 off your first Japan Crate Premium, Doki Doki Crate, Umai Crate, or Kira Kira Crate
Value Breakdown: This box is $25 a month with free shipping. I received seven ramen bowls which come to an average of $3.57 per item.
Check out all of the Umai Crate Reviews to get more information on this subscription. Check out all of our Food Subscription Boxes in the Subscription Box List. Rate, review, and follow this subscription on the Umai Crate profile page.
What was your favorite bowl from the March Umai Crate?
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