ZenPop

ZenPop is a fun way to get exciting and tasty Japanese products sent to your door every month. They are based in Osaka so you’re guaranteed to receive only the best and authentic items, and they offer free shipping to the UK – yay!

They currently have a range of different subscription boxes available such as:-

Ramen Pack – 7 bowls of authentic and delicious Japanese noodles
Stationery Pack – 10 cute and high-quality items, including 3 writing tools
Sweets Pack – 15 kinds of weird and wonderful Japanese sweets and snacks
Ramen & Sweets Mix Pack – 2 or more bowls of ramen and at least 6 sweets and snacks

Every month, each pack has a different theme to keep things interesting and for September, I decided to try out the Ramen Pack which is themed Savory Spice – yum!

The box took around 3 weeks to arrive and there were no customs charges to pay.

There’s a very detailed leaflet in English with all the products and advice on how to prepare them.

Here’s what I received:-

Smoky & Spicy Sio Cup Noodle

Based on a renewed formula of a popular original flavour called Shio (salt) back in 2003, this new version marries together the best of smoky and spiciness for a truly unique ramen experience! It has hints of Black Pepper and Smoked Olive Oil which work really well and there are small pieces of minced chicken, cabbage, potatoes, scrambled eggs and red bell pepper too.

Akasaka Eirin Sura Tamen

Made under the supervision of a luxury Chinese restaurant in Tokyo named Asakaka Eirin, this special noodle features a steamed non-fry process which gives a softer texture that goes really well with the soup in the pot. It has a hot and sour type of flavour which I really enjoyed!

Kitsune Udon

Kitsune Udon is described as a warming comfort food in Japan, and they’re right – this is such a cosy and quick and easy meal to make and enjoy on a cold evening. It features a simple bowl of Udon noodles in a classic dashi stock, topped with agedofu (sweet fried tofu). The tofu soaks up the broth and the hearty chewy noodles make it a really satisfying bowl of food for lunch or dinner.

Menshokunin Tantan Men

For a healthier option, try this! Wholewheat flour is added to the non-fried noodles in this pot for a lighter but still delicious meal. These noodles perfectly match the appetizing savoury soup broth which is both rich and spicy, and yet has a nice creaminess to it which comes from the sesame seeds. Very tasty.

Negi Miso Ramen

I love spicy foods and this one is definitely recommended if you like your heat. The ramen here is in a thick miso-based soup with roasted Negi-yu. For additional spice, Doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) is added for even more flavour and heat, and there are lots of scallions on the top to complement it all. I really liked this one!

Sendai Spicy Miso Ramen

Sendai City in Miyagi, Tohoku, is well known of their popular spicy miso ramen and this instant version is a great way to experience all of that flavour in one easy to prepare pot. With Sendai miso, a spicy red miso, your tastebuds will enjoy the heat for a traditional taste of northern Japan.

Double Wasabi Yakisoba

The last product in this month’s ZenPop ramen pack is a special one indeed as it’s a Double Wasabi Yakisoba! This new edition of the popular noodle dish is made with two different types of Wasabi; Hon-Wasabi (Japanese native Wasabi) and Horseradish, the more common known Wasabi. This combination is bursting with flavour and spice!