Review: Yushoi Snacks - Snapea Rice Sticks (UK)

A big thank you to Calbee who sent me a few sample packs of their new Yushoi snack range that is being launched in the UK (and is made in their new factory in Wales). The Yushoi Snapea Rice Sticks are a healthier alternative to fried crisps - they have less than 99 calories per pack, are made with green peas and rice, and are high in protein and fibre. The whole range is free of artificial colours, flavours, or MSG and is nut and dairy free too - making it suitable for vegetarians and vegans. 

There are four flavours in the Yushoi range; Sweet Chilli & Lemon, Soy & Balsamic Vinegar, Smoked Salt & Szechuan Pepper, and Lightly Salted.

The snacks are a unique pea and rice based snack that is baked not fried. Each pack is made up of distinctive pea pod shaped puffed snacks that look as if they will have actual peas inside them (they don't!). The texture is light and crunchy and the background flavour does have a hint of delicious green peas.

Sweet Chilli & Lemon: These have a gorgeously zingy combination of chilli with a subtle hint of lemon. The chilli heat has a little kick to it but there are also hints of garlic and onion that creates a unique flavour that I really enjoyed.

Lightly Salted: These have the highest pea content and are made with 74% green peas (the other flavours have 68%), which seemed to be reflected in the greenish colouring. The flavour here is the most natural and pea-like too with a mild sweet pea flavour combining well with the lightly salted flavouring.

Smoked Salt & Szechuan Pepper: These are really tasty, with hints of garlic, onion and oriental spices that creates a distinctive and vibrant taste. The overall flavour is both smokey and sweet which gives these a barbecue type flavour that is very moreish.

Soy & Balsamic Vinegar: Despite the strong competition, this was my favourite flavour from the Yushoi range. It's such a unique twist on standard salt and vinegar snacks. The combination of the salty soy sauce and sweet balsamic vinegar, coupled with the earthy pea background flavour, is absolutely delicious. I can't wait until these are available in bigger packs!

The Yushoi range will hopefully be available instore soon. Follow @YushoiSnacks and #StockOurSnacks for the latest news!

New Instore: Japan Centre - Aero Matcha Chocolate & More

A few finds from a recent visit to the Japan Centre store in Piccadilly Circus, London.

Aero Mini Matcha Milk Chocolate: A few days ago I posted a slightly negative review of the new Aero Mousse chocolate bar that was released in the UK recently. It's a tasty enough chocolate but the flavour is completely boring and forgettable. In contrast, it seems that Nestlé Japan are keeping things a whole lot more interesting with these new Matcha flavoured Aero chocolates.  I couldn't resist picking up a bag of these and I hope to have a review soon. £3.98p at Japan Centre (for 20 pieces).

Nestlé Aero Mini Strawberry Cocoa: There was also a strawberry version available too described as individual wrapped pieces of sweet strawberry and cocoa infused bubbly chocolate. Apologies for the horrible photo (the shelf was too high for me!). £3.98p at Japan Centre (for 20 pieces).

Nestlé Crunch Mini Matcha: This Nestlé Crunch combines their well known combination of crispy pieces of puffed rice in chocolate, except that here the sweet white chocolate is flavoured with matcha green tea. £3.98p at Japan Centre.

Nestlé Crunch Mini Strawberry Milk: There was also a Strawberry flavoured variety available. I would really love to try this one too! £3.98p at Japan Centre.

If you've tried any of these chocolates then I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! I only picked up a pack of the Aero Mini Match but I'm regretting not buying a couple of the others too. Which one would you go for? 

Meiji Apollo Strawberry Chocolate Cones (Hello Kitty Edition)

I'm having a few technical problems at the moment so here are a few photos only. I'll update it later today (hopefully) with a review!

Review: Frito-Lay Takoyaki Tei (Japan)

Frito-Lay Japan is known for releasing a whole raft of interesting flavours and snacks. I was lucky enough to try their Cheeseburger Cheetos a few years ago, but since then they've had such snacks as; Christmas Tree shaped Doritos (with a Corn Cream Stew flavour) and have just released Salty Shrimp Cheetos. The flavours, and packaging, always seem so fun and appealing. I received the Frito-Lay Takoyaki Tei corn puff snacks in the latest OyatsuBox - a Japanese subscription box. The flavour and shape here is based on the popular Japanese fast food snack Takoyaki - little dumplings of fried octopus in batter that are topped with sauce.

"Fried Octopus Balls" might not sound like the most appetising flavour but I'm going to start this review by stating that these are the tastiest puffed corn snacks I've had in a long time. Each corn puff has a light and crunchy texture and is covered with the delicious takoyaki seasoning with onion powder, and hints of vinegar and soy sauce. The flavour is a combination of sweet, salty, and tangy elements to create a truly delicious snack. It's not really fishy tasting but it reminds me a bit of fried seaweed, with a similar type of sweet and salty flavour. I loved the flavour so much I almost inhaled the whole bag in one sitting and had to force myself to stop and take a photo. I'm seriously tempted to order a few more bags from Japan!

Grocery Gems Review: Frito-Lay Takoyaki Tei

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Worth a try if you can find them.
Purchased: Available at Oyatsu Cafe.
Price: $2.99 (approx £1.97).

Review: OyatsuBox Japanese Subscription Box!

It seems like it's been ages since I last featured any Japanese snacks so I was delighted to receive the latest Japanese subscription box from OyatsuBox. I previously featured an OyatsuBox review in March last year which was filled with a selection of awesome Japanese products from iconic brands, such as Kit Kat, Pocky and Hi-Chew.

OyatsuBox Subscription details:

OyatsuBox is a monthly subscription service, which posts direct from Japan, and costs $25.00 (around £16.45) per month with no extra delivery charges. There is no fixed contract and the subscription can be cancelled at any time. Each box is packed full of the latest Japanese snacks, candy, and exclusive items. Every OyatsuBox also includes a Japanese Capsule Toy! For more info: www.oyatsubox.com. 

Here's a quick look at what I received in this months OyatsuBox:

Takoyaki Tei: Made in Japan by FritoLay, this Takoyaki Tei is a large bag of soft fluffy puffs of corn with a classic Japanese flavour. "Takoyaki" are actually little balls of fried squid and batter topped with a traditional takoyaki sauce. I loved the flavour of these round ball shaped snacks, they have a delicious sweet and tangy taste.

Puccho - Kumamoto Strawberry: I'm already a fan of Puccho, which are deliciously chewy and fruity sweets, so I was delighted to find this large pack of Kumamoto Strawberry in the OyatsuBox. This is a special edition, made using strawberries from the Kumamoto Prefecture and features their super cute mascot Kumamon.

There are two different Puccho flavours in each pack; Creamy Milk Strawberry and Fresh Strawberry. Both are quite similar but they are utterly delicious and addictive. It's impossible to have just one! Each sweet has a unique chewy texture with a lovely creamy and sweet fruity flavour.

Kanro Parikore Gummy- Peach & Grape: The name "Parikore" comes from the sound made when biting into these unique gummies - they have a crunchy outer layer covering a soft and chewy middle. I've never tried this brand before so I'm looking forward to reviewing this bag of mixed Peach & Grape flavoured candies.

Pocky Midi Strawberry: Oh my, I was so delighted to see these in the OyatsuBox. I'm already a Pocky fan, but these Pocky Midi Strawberry are really special.

Inside the box there are three individually sealed bags of Pocky, each with four midi sized sticks. Pocky Midi are slightly smaller than regular Pocky sticks but are covered with over twice the amount of chocolate. In this case the covering is a deliciously sweet, and fresh tasting, strawberry flavoured chocolate. I think these are now my favourite Pocky of all time - they're so delicious!

HanaKappa DIY Jelly: Many of the online Japanese candy stores, such as OyatsuCafe, stock these types of DIY candy kits, and this is certainly an interesting one. It lets you make your own bubbly, foamy jelly snack. HanaKappa is described as "a Japanese river creature with a flower growing on his head". My kids are very excited about giving this unique kit a try!

Morinaga Ramune Soda Candies: The packaging of these candies is so cute - it's made to look like a traditional Japanese soda bottle. Inside it's filled with ramune soda (basically lemonade) flavoured candies that are a bit chalky in texture but are surprisingly melt-in-the-mouth and tasty.

Morinaga Hi-Chew Mini: I'm also a fan of Hi-Chew sweets, and I always look out for new ones when I visit Japanese grocery shops. My favourites are the Mango or Peach Hi-Chew. I'm looking forward to trying out this handy pack of Mini  Hi-Chew which contains four flavours; Strawberry, Apple, Grape, and Lemon.

Tohato Chocobi: I've previously reviewed Tohato Caramel Corn, sweet puffed corn snacks, and I've always wanted to try their star shaped version. They're a bit like eating a cereal as a snack. This Tohato Chocobi box contains chocolate flavoured star shaped corn snacks. The box reminds me a little bit of the white chocolate Pokemon version from the OyatsuBox I received last year. 

Don-Koeda Chocolate: Probably the only chocolate bar I've ever seen that has a picture of a cigar smoking character on the front! Apparently this figure is a well known Japanese fashion celebrity - Don-Konishi. The chocolate itself is made by Morinaga and is filled with the crunchy combination of chocolate biscuits, rice puffs and almonds.

Giant Caplico - Chocolate Bomber: It was quite hard to take a photo which adequately captures this one, as it's actually a large ice cream cone shaped snack. It's described as a wafer filled with a delicate and fluffy chocolate. This limited edition "Chocolate Bomber" version is made of two layers of white and milk chocolate, topped with a covering of dark chocolate. It sounds awesome! The packaging is covered with characters from YouKai watch, a popular Anime series.

Gashapon - Japanese Capsule Toy: Finally the capsule toy included in the OyatsuBox. I was surprised by just how large this Japanese capsule toy is - especially compared to the flimsy toys we get in UK capsule machines. Inside I found a very solid and well made (and big!) keyring featuring a character from Naruto.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this vibrant and colourful selection of Japanese snacks and candies - it would certainly make a very special present to brighten up someones day! I was especially delighted with the Pocky Midi Strawberry, Takoyaki Tei, Hi-Chew Mini, and Puccho Kumamoto Strawberry, aswell as discovering many brands that are new to me. 

What do you think of the OyatsuBox selection? If you're a subscriber then I'd love to know of it in the comments below.

For more details:

OyatsuBox website: www.oyatsubox.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OyatsuCafe

Twitter: https://twitter.com/oyatsucafe

PR Samples.

Oishi Fun - Japanese Candy & Snack Box

Oishi Fun is a surprise subscription based candy & snack box, that ships direct from Tokyo, Japan. Each month Oishi Fun send out a box crammed full of different treats and goodies, often with limited edition and seasonal products included too. The boxes cost $25 (around £15) and unlike some other subscription boxes, you don't need to sign up for a set number of months - the subscription can be cancelled at any time. More details: http://www.oishifun.com

It was exciting to be asked to review the October Oishi Fun box, and once it arrived, I was staggered by just how many items were crammed into the medium sized box (it was like the Tardis in there!), including some awesome Halloween and kawaii items. There were plenty of full sized products along with lots of individual sweets and snacks. I've already decided to sign up for a few more boxes because the selection was just amazing and I can't resist the lure of these limited edition items. Check out the photos below for all the items. A little warning here - there are a LOT of photos!

Lotte Koala Halloween Pack: I'm going to jump straight in with the seasonal items that I was delighted to find included in the box. Lotte Koala are little biscuits with a chocolate fillings. This limited Halloween pack is not just cute packaging as the little biscuits are also printed with Halloween images. I've been eyeing this up on Facebook recently so I was thrilled to find it in the Oishi Fun box. I'll have a review up soon!

Kit Kat Pumpkin Pudding Bake-able: These look like the same Pumpkin Pudding flavour that I reviewed last year HERE but this time they are also bake-able. Take a look at my review of these baked Kit Kat HERE and you'll get the idea! As such a limited and coveted item (these sold out really fast last year), I was very surprised to see them included in the Oishi Fun box! Having such limited edition items really puts the Oishi Fun box ahead of other subscription boxes in my opinion. 

Halloween Treat Bag: There were also more sweets and chocolates included in a little cello treat bag put together by the lovely people at Oishi Fun. I loved the Halloween cello bag used  here - it's so cute. 

Inside were even more Japanese treats. I couldn't quite believe just how many were in this little bag, and amazingly there was another Kit Kat Pumpkin Pudding in here! There were also two Halloween themed lollipops (these are so cute!), some Hello Kitty sweets, Banana Milk Caramel and other candies.

A very scary looking gum. Okay, so here's the spooky thing - this gum has gone missing. I know it was in the box earlier today, but when I went back to write this review... it's gone. I have a feeling I'll find it on top of my pillow one day. It's seriously creepy looking but perfect for Halloween. Once I find it I'll update with more details!

Calbee Jagarico Crunchy Potato Sticks: These crunchy Jagarico potato sticks are so tasty, they have a deliciously buttery and salty flavour.

Tirol Chocolate Mix 9 Pack: This is an adorable box of nine different chocolate each with a unique flavour, including; Strawberry Jelly, Hot Cake, Coffee Caramel and White Cookie Crunch. I was so surprised to find this is in a subscription box, it's just fantastic!

Glico Collon: These were also wrapped in a cello gift bag (which you can see in the top left corner of the above pic) - it was lovely to find these individually wrapped items in the Oishi Fun box. 

Baby Star Ramen Chips: These are a classic Japanese snack that have been around for many years. They're chicken flavoured dry ramen noodle chips - I'm looking forward to trying them.

Kanro Puré Fruit Gummy: I've been wanting to try this range for quite a while. There were two different flavours included in the box; Lemon and Grape. 

Umaibo Pizza and Umaibo Corn Potage: Umaibo snacks are really tasty corn snacks that come in lots of different flavours (see my previous review HERE).  I always make sure to include a few different varieties whenever I order from my favourite online Japanese stores. However, I've never tried the Corn Potage flavour before so I was pleased to find these in the Oishi Fun box.  

Riska Choco Snack: These are chocolate biscuits in a long tube shape. I haven't tried these yet but they look like a sweet version of the above Umaibo snacks! :)

Glico Watering Kiss Mint: This is an interestingly named gum! Going by the packaging this one is pear flavoured but if you know more about this product then feel free to leave a comment below!

Morinaga Milk Caramels & a Popcan Disney Lollipop: I've reviewed the Morinaga Milk Caramels before HERE - they're deliciously creamy, soft caramels. The lollipop is so cute because it's shaped with two ears like Mickey Mouse. It looks like something that would be quite expensive to buy.

Meiji The Chocolate: Two individually wrapped Meiji chocolates. 

Even more Japanese candy!: And these are the rest of the smaller candies that were in the box. There are several different jelly based sweets, mini chocolates from Lotte and Meiji, a Fujiya grand nut and just too many other sweets to mention. There are actually a few chocolates missing from the picture above which gives you an idea how much was in the box! 

There was even this cute little kawaii cat in the bottom of the box (I seriously don't know how Oishi Fun managed to fit everything in). This cuddly cat is actually a small bag as there is a long strap that unfolds from the back and it has a little pouch too. Just adorable!

Overall, I'm extremely impressed with all the items in the Oishi Fun box. Not only is it stuffed full of exciting products, but it also has the feel of a gift that has been packaged up and sent by a friend. This is not something I've come across with any other subscription box before and I really can't wait to see what goodies the next Oishi Fun box will include! On the basis of this October box, I think the Oishi Fun box would make a fantastic gift too. 

Subscription Box Details: Oishi Fun

Rating: 10 out of 10 - I'm signing up!

Price: $25.00 each month (just over £15).

Delivery:  Free shipping. Parcels are sent out on 15th of each month.

More details: http://www.oishifun.com/faq

Hyper Japan 2014 & my mini haul!

This weekend I visited Hyper Japan for the second year in a row. I had a great time last year with my eldest son and this time my youngest wanted to come along too. Once again the Tofu Cute store (above) was one of the highlights for me, but we also enjoyed meeting the various characters around the event (Mario & Luigi for example), and trying out Shaved Ice for the first time!

Lots of Hello Kitty cuteness to be found - I was good and resisted buying anything Hello Kitty related.

There's always so much adorable stationary, including a vast array of stickers.

I'm not sure what the fascination is with poop shaped stationary though! There were poo erasers, sharpeners, pens, in lots of pastel colours...

My boys are both big Nintendo fans so unsurprisingly we spent a lot of time in the large gaming zones. They even got to play a game that was only recently announced for release - Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. It looked really good. I didn't take too many photos in the gaming area as it was always so busy and very crowded. The nearby Nintendo Store had loads of fun merchandise (above), all quite expensive though.

I wish I could have spent more looking at the beautiful kitchenware, unfortunately this was the closest I got! Maybe next time. 

We tried Shaved Ice for the first time and it was totally delicious and refreshing, perfect on a hot and humid afternoon. The ice is shaved so thin it's melts in the mouth instantly and the added fresh fruit and syrups were gorgeously flavoured. We also ate Chicken Katsu Curry and a chicken noodle dish from one of the food stalls, but I found this type of food to be very over priced and disappointing in taste. I had the same experience last year so maybe I'm just unlucky with the stalls I picked. 

And of course there was lots of cool Japanese candy and chocolate to look at. A new Snoopy Pocky!

I could spend days just looking at this stuff but here's what I bought in the end - my Hyper Japan mini haul:

There was lots of Pocky to choose from but in the end I went for this Berry Carnival flavour as it seemed the most unusual and is certainly one I've never seen before. I could have bought lots of different Kit Kat flavours but after lots of indecision I eventually chose this Raspberry flavour from their "adult sweetness" range. I was also very excited to finally get my hands on the Meiji Rich Banana 70% bar. This is one I've been wanting to try for ages and I can confirm it's extremely tasty!

I couldn't resist picking up a few sweets too. The Puccho Cola and Soda flavours are ones I've tried before but the Puccho Pyramid Blue Soda Candy Balls are new (top of the photo above). They have awesome triangular shaped packaging.

In the end I did buy a little bit of stationery too, there was just so much temptation. The syringe pens are filled with colourful liquid and are very odd I admit, but funny at the same time. I figured I can't have too many notepads and these mushroom ones are just so bright and fun. 

My Hyper Japan round up seems quite shopping obsessed but there were lots of other cool Japanese events that we enjoyed. There were wrestling fights, singers, dancers, karaoke, cosplayers everywhere, kawaii dress up, and lots more :)