Review: TokyoTreat Subscription Box
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A month ago, we reviewed Sakuraco, a subscription box service built around region-specific Japanese treats. We loved it. The company that makes Sakuraco, Ichigo, also sells a variety of other boxes, including one built around popular Japanese sweets and snack foods. They apparently liked what we said about Sakuraco, because they sent us a box from another brand, and we pigged out like the little piggies we are.
TokyoTreat subscription snack box service
Just like with Sakuraco, TokyoTreat comes in a colorful box with a whole mess of treats crammed into it and a colorful booklet that explains what each snack is and offers some insights into Japanese culture. This month’s theme was “Summer Matsuri Flavorfest,” and the tidbits were about Japanese summer festivals.
Whereas Sakuraco focused on traditional confections and was centered on a specific region, TokyoTreat is less artisan and more contemporary in its flavor selections. There were sweets, chips, and all sorts of goodies that would be at home in a konbini or supermarket, with less reliance on the theme than with Sakuraco. The booklet was really impressive, though I think the Sakuraco booklet imparted more knowledge. For those with dietary restrictions, each treat is listed with its allergens and whether or not it is suitable for vegetarians.
Though less thematic than Sakuraco, the treat selection of TokyoTreat is nonetheless unique. We’ve tried several other snack boxes and go to convenience stores all the time, yet we hadn’t seen the majority of these items before. Some were good, some less good, and some were pretty wild.
The delicious snacks
Some of the snacks really stood out for their bold flavors and great taste. These were the ones we found to be tasty yet “normal” enough that just about anyone could enjoy them.
KitKat Gold Caramel - even though we live in Japan, we’d never seen this flavor before, and you get an entire bag of them! Distinct caramel taste without being sticky. The caramel was definitely sweet and a bit artificial-tasting, but pairing it with regular KitKat in a 50/50 configuration created a perfect balance. We kept the rest of the bag in the fridge until I had a bad day. Then they disappeared.
Chocolate Cookies - like a chocolate version of Country Ma’am, one of my favorite cookies, these were soft and tasty with chocolate filling. Chocolate on chocolate. Love it. Would like an entire box of just these.
Edamame Chips - salty and crunchy chips flavored like edamame. Eriko liked this best out of everything in the box.
Kakigoori Gummies - sugary sweet gummy that looks like a pile of shaved ice. Sweet, cute, unique, and delicious. Fun snack. Great inclusion. The child in your life will enjoy these.
The so-so snacks
Other snacks in the box were okay, though they sort of landed in that in-between zone where they weren’t delicious enough that we’d try them again and weren’t weird enough that we’d want to run and tell people about them.
Manneken Waffle Cookies & Cream - Manneken is a popular brand of packaged Belgian waffle. This one was intended to taste like Cookies & Cream. It did have both waffle and cookies&cream flavors, but do those tastes really need one another? I think I'd rather have a regular waffle and a Black Thunder separately. It was also a little dry.
Cheese Cream Pancake - this little soft pancake sandwich was good, but small. The cheese cream was more cream than cheese, but thick. I wouldn’t say it was as good as a standard pancake sandwich, but if, like us, you’ve had plenty of those, this one was interesting.
Ramune Mochi - two balls of mochi covered in sugar with a bubblegum flavor. Eriko says, “One is enough.” Nice and soft. Good for kids.
7 Stick Choco Cream - these chocolate waffle sticks were stale. Probably the most disappointing thing in the box.
Cool Down Candy - not so much flavor. It’s supposed to taste cold, but doesn’t. Not much orange or apple flavor either. Middle-of-the-road hard candy, and I happen to be a hard candy connoisseur, so it takes a lot to impress me.
Marshmallow Streamer - yup; that’s a marshmallow. Can’t argue with that.
The crazy snacks
Japan has a certain reputation when it comes to… well, everything. When I’m ordering a box of Japanese treats, I’m hoping to get some really wild flavors that other countries simply don’t have. We’re hard to impress given that we’ve tried just about every snack in this country, but these managed to surprise even us.
Super Sour Vinegar Chips - these sour chips were very Japanese and very sour. Contain vinegar and taste like it. Probably too sour for most people, but not for us. We loved them. "Good for summer," said Eriko. This is the kind of thing you want in a box like this. Not gonna find it just anywhere. Glad it was in there.
Seven Spice & Mayo Karinto - SO SPICY. And taste a bit of mayo. But also sugary. These are good, but if you don't like spice, they will definitely be too much for you. I, however, love karinto (which is usually quite sweet) and love spicy, so these were among my favorite things in the box. The right kind of crazy for a Japan subscription box. I will now be looking for them everywhere.
Yakisoba Bites - these little crunchies are basically dried bits of yakisoba, a noodle dish that is one of the best drunk/hangover foods from 7-11. The crunchies were delicious. Great yakisoba taste. Only problem was how small the package was. Don’t be scared off by the idea of a noodle-flavored crunch snack. Kids and adults must enjoy this - I demand it.
Don Don Yaki Kimchi - little, puffy, pillowy cereal pieces flavored like kimchi. Like the yakisoba treats, the idea of a kimchi snack may scare some people off, but shouldn’t. They essentially tasted like Bugles. The kimchi taste was so light, it was almost nonexistent. We really liked these. Would eat an entire bag during a movie.
Hiyashi Ramen - I don’t know if this one’s really crazy, but if you don’t live in Japan, you’ve probably never had cold ramen and have no idea what hiyachi chukka is. In summer, we have often had hiyashi chukka, which is a cold noodle dish topped with cucumber, tomato, egg, and ham. If you don’t have those things to add to it, this is just a package of instant noodles. But it goes on the crazy list because Americans reading this are like, “Cold ramen? Wuuuuuuuuut??”
Conclusion: is TokyoTreat worth a try?
A subscription to TokyoTreat is $32-$37 per month, depending on how long you subscribe. That’s the exact same price as Sakuraco, and less than other monthly boxes like Bokksu and TokyoSnackBox. Compared to those others, this is a great deal. But compared to Sakuraco? I’m not quite so sure.
TokyoTreat definitely contains more of the wacky bright colorful fun that many overseas customers are likely looking for. But Sakuraco had more delicious treats, a better booklet, and an artisan theme that left us overall feeling like we’d gained some knowledge and gotten an experience we couldn’t get anywhere else. It’s true, this one contained a rare KitKat, but there are entire boxes of KitKats one can order (albeit more expensive ones). To beat Sakuraco, TokyoTreat would need to be really wild, but as you saw, only a few of the choices were truly crazy to us.
If you’ve never ordered a Japanese snack box before and want one for the novelty, go with TokyoTreat and save money over the other similar brands since I honestly have trouble remembering the difference between them in terms of treat selection. If you’re getting a gift for a child or to bring to a get-together where a lot of children will be present, go with TokyoTreat over Sakuraco. But if you’re an adult, live in Japan, or want something that’s a bit more fulfilling, go with Sakuraco, which is the one we’d choose if we were to get another box.
If you decide to sign up for TokyoTreat, why not use our affiliate link? You can try a trial box or subscription of 3, 6, or 12 months - the longer you subscribe, the cheaper it is! Here’s the link:
