As part of my partnership with ZenPop, I receive free boxes of Japanese goodies to review, providing an honest opinion on each product. ありがとう ♡
I felt like being a bit of a rebel, so I asked ZenPop to join their Ramen Revolution!
Although a little late—’the revolution’ took place last month—everything went well in the end. Santa apologised very much for the delay, but due to a heavy snowstorm he was late with the delivery . . . Do we forgive him? How can we not when we are good ‘children’ and always love what he brings us? Especially when he literally warms us up with gifts like these!
Take a good look, you’ll also see the snowstorm was no joke . . .
CUP NOODLE GYOZA BIG FROM NISSIN
What better way to start a tasty experience with a big cup of noodles? This time Nissin offered an interesting combination of ramen and gyoza that is quite rich in flavour. The gravy gyoza-style soup allows you to savour the Chinese chives and the umami of the meat, while making you feel the flavour of the garlic. Well, that really kicks in! I’m not going to lie, it was a bit strong for me, but I think that by adding myself a nice bowl of rice I would have enjoyed it more—always follow the ZenPop team’s suggestions!
MENZUKURI YUZU & KOSHO KAORU TORIPAITAN FROM TOYO SUISAN
A lighter cup made so by the tori paitan soup (鶏白湯), which is a white chicken soup flavoured with yuzu & pepper combined with non-fried noodles, bok choy, and bamboo shoots. The resulting appeal of the ingredients mixed together and the freshness of this dish make it something to try to feel at peace with yourself. After all, isn’t that how everyone should feel? And I don’t know about you, but the bamboo shoots are reason enough to convince me to give it a shot!
NISSIN NO ASSARI ODASHI GA OISHII DONBEI AGEDAMA SOBA FROM NISSIN
Did you know that Soba noodles have a special meaning in Japan when it comes to the New Year? On Ōmisoka (大晦日)—namely, New Year’s Eve—Japanese make their reflections on the past year right before starting the new one, and they do so while eating a bowl of hot soba noodles called Toshikoshi Soba (年越 し蕎麦), or year-crossing noodle. Now, I haven’t done this on New Year’s Eve, but I can see why Japanese people like to keep this tradition, and I assure you that having a soba full of tasty ingredients like this is a nice way to do it!
AJIYOKA TAI TONKOTSU RAMEN HAKATA FROM MARUTAI
This cup of Hakata ramen (博多ラーメン) comes from the Hakata district in Fukuoka, and it is made with tonkotsu soup, thin noodles, and an original seasoning oil mixed with roasted sesame and green onions. I was really curious to try it, but I’m afraid the pork-bone tonkotsu broth wasn’t for me . . . It definitely has a distinctive flavour, but the bones just didn’t do it for me. It’s a personal taste, of course, so some of you might enjoy it more than I did.
SOUP HARUSAME HAKATA MIZUTAKI FU YUZU KOSHO FROM ACECOOK
Apparently, people of Fukuoka—especially Hakata—are very fond of their noodles, and they know how to make you appreciate them, too! How can you remain indifferent to such a gorgeous type of glass noodles? They are called Harusame (はるさめ), and this one from Acecook is prepared in a Hakata-style (博多). Do you love chicken soup and vegetables? Great, then together with the yuzu pepper and the smooth texture of these noodles you’ll get a unique experience!
CUP STAR BBQ CHICKEN FLAVOR FROM SANYO SHOKUHIN
“I’m Batman!” Fine, you got me, I’m not, but this cup is Batman! Ok, you’re right, Batman is ON this cup, and you have to admit that this limited edition packaging is simply the cutest! And the contents don’t disappoint either. In fact, I’d say this is one of the most delicious BBQ Chicken flavours (バーベキューチキン味) I’ve had the pleasure of savouring, made even more enjoyable thanks to the tomato and veggies mixed in the sauce. Plus, let’s face it, the kamaboko with Batman’s mark on is just the coolest addition!
MARUUMA WANTAN CHUKA SOBA FROM ACECOOK
And to make this box even more special, here comes the Chinese-style soba (中 華そば)! If the soy sauce soup—made of chicken and pork broth with dried bonito flakes—is already enough to make you salivate, the stuffed wontons (ワンタン) are also a feast for the eyes, and believe me when I say they will be for your stomach as well! Can we agree that Asian cuisine is indeed full of unique flavours and pleasurable discoveries? I knew we would be on the same page!
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Aren’t you craving some ramen now?
Good, because there’s a cute Pokémon-themed ramen pack available this month!
You should also know that ZenPop is now offering a brand new Japanese Snack Box filled with more than 18 sweet & savoury snacks, including a unique ramen and a drink.
What are you waiting for? Gotta catch’em all!
Click here to get $6 off your first box
by using the code SIN at checkout 🤍
Psst, stay tuned for another unboxing next week, it’s different from everything you have seen so far and it might spark your creativity 😉
About Silvia
Through her creativity and blogging, Silvia has met people from different industries and collaborated with them on various projects over the years. Her strong passion for reading and her fascination for different cultures and languages have led her to develop a keen interest in the East-Asian continent. Off to see her? Follow the colourful book road . . . ♡
They all look very tasty, I’m really glad I came to visit you right when you were sent this pack! 😋
I always look forward to your Zenpop reviews because I know you’ll create something amazing, both with images and content! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!
Hehe, you were so lucky, Fran! And thank you so much, I really appreciate your words and I’m really happy you always love my posts so much 💜
I’m happy to see your new introduction, because Ramen is always my favourite food😋
I want to try that soba noodles, it looks delicious and I’ve never tried it before, did it taste like a 醤油 soup?
And I like the 鶏白湯ラーメンso much! Especially which is with yuzu and pepper combination sounds tasty✨
P.S. I personally love your photos background so much, such a great vibe ❄️
I’m well aware of your passion for ramen, Abbie, so I knew you’d have quite a reaction to this unboxing! 😉 And the soba you are referring to is buckwheat noodles with bonito stock soup. Also, I am so glad that you enjoyed my photos and that they gave you a great vibe, that’s what I was hoping for ❄️
Thanks for answering my question💜✨Bonito stock soup sounds like flavourful😋
食べてみたい🍜
Omg the Batman one… I would LOVE to taste that!
It was truly delicious! And what about the cuteness of the packaging? This ramen was a pleasure for both eyes and palate 😍😋
I actually love some ramen, these look really fun and tasty. My sister makes this salad with ramen noodles and its delicious. Happy Eating!
I remember you once mentioned this about your sister, and I am sure she might enjoy some of these delicious noodles, too 😊
Now, that you have my stomach grumbling and mouth salivating… LOL
I enjoyed your descriptions of the various ramens and would probably like more than half of them. Neat tradition with the Japanese New Year’s Eve soba
Then my job here is done! 😉
I find many of their traditions fascinating, so I’m always happy when others show appreciation for them as well.
Thank you Silvia for the lovely review as always and it’s amazing that you have actual photos of the ramen when cooked! Lovely photos! Thank you so much!
Have a good day!
I am very happy to hear that you loved the photos so much!! I really wanted to show how these tasty instant ramen noodles look once cooked, I think they look even more tempting 😋🍜
Thanks for stopping by the blog, I hope the new year has started great for the whole team!
I had no idea that there were so many different kinds of ramen. I love that one of them has Batman on it.
Isn’t it nice to have such a wide choice? I have to say that Batman’s ramen really made me happy to eat it 😁
YES to that second one- I want to eat that right now! That alone is making me want to subscribe. The fourth one too looks so good- I don’t know if I’d like a pork based broth either, but it LOOKS good lol. And yes to that barbecue chicken cup as well. Now I just have to decide if I want to subscribe to rmen or a snack box. 🙂
Greg, I honestly had a feeling the deliciousness of these ramen cups would make you say yes to a subscription, haha! You could either try the new snack box that also has one ramen in it, or you could grab them both at the same time—why, yes, I’m speaking from personal experience 😜. However, you should know that ZenPop offers subscription plans that also allow you to order just one pack, you only need to choose the 1 month subscription plan and turn off automatic renewal (otherwise you will be automatically charged on the 2nd of each month). I’m telling you this in case you feel more comfortable with trying both boxes first and see which one you prefer to subscribe to for a longer plan. Just check the current theme boxes on the website, and don’t forget to use code SIN at checkout so that you can get a $6 discount! 😉
Thank you! I think that’s probably what I’ll do (and I’m not gonna lie, that ramen box is the one I’ll probably try first)!! I will definitely use your code as well. 🙂
This whole post makes me drool 🤤
Then you should try some, Vanessa, the ramen they send makes for quite a delicious experience! 😋
I definitely want to try! It usually takes moooonths for packages to reach in our area, but I’ll check this one out 😉 Thanks Silvia <3
The wait is worth it + you even have a discount you can use now 😉
I took a look at Zenpop’s site — they are so cool and with such a variety of boxes too!
I know, right? Their boxes are all appealing 😍
They all look delicious.
I recommend trying some of them, they are really tasty 😋