TokyoTreat is a subscription service that delivers Japanese snacks and candies straight to your nom-nom place every month. They offer three different price points: a Small box of five to eight snacks costs $14.99, a Regular box with 10-12 items runs $24.99, and insatiable types can spring for the Premium box boasting 16-18 items (along with a drink and bonus collectible) at $34.99.
Here’s a rundown of what you can expect when ordering from TokyoTreat and -- most importantly! -- what we thought of this month’s Premium box.
THE SNACKS
The TokyoTreat website promises their snack boxes won’t be the ubiquitous chocolate Pocky or Hi-Chew you can now get at Target and Walmart: “ We are talking about the highly seasonal Sakura Kit Kats, freezable Country Ma’am cookies, LOOK sweet potato chocolate, Honey Butter Chips and many other rare snacks! Most of these snacks are not available outside Japan due to two reasons: limited quantity and the regulated distribution channel.” Basically, this means you’ll get special, seasonal treats at the time you’re craving them, instead of months later.
TokyoTreat provided iDigitalTimes with a Premium box. It contained a well-rounded sampling of sugary sweets, chocolate and savory snacks, and we also appreciated the mix of larger and single-serve items. There is also a detailed booklet that details each of the items included, as well as some fun information.
Most of the items left us all munching contentedly and reaching for more, with the exception of a couple items we knew going in were going to be a bit odd, like the Cream Stew Ramune drink. Our writers described it as tasting like “chicken,” “butter” and “gravy.” But hey, we knew it was a stunt food going in, and we had fun with it. It was a good inclusion that gave us a few laughs.
Oh, and we would be remiss if we neglected to mention our bonus collectible, an orange Mokeke! Isn’t he cute?
We enjoyed most of the items on offer, but these were our favorites:
-- Christmas Edition White Milk Caramel Corn
-- Bireley’s Soft Candy
-- Cola Ramune Candy
-- Shimi Choco Corn (Christmas Edition)
-- Tomato Pretz
-- Christmas Edition Corn Potage Umaibo
The Premium box is great for sharing, enough to sate a group of 6-8 as a snack and still have some left over the following day. Individuals ordering for themselves would probably be fine with a small box, but if you’re planning to share with a friend or two, consider one of the larger options. It’s also worth noting the bigger options (at least, judging from our box), seem to include more of the exotic/oddball offerings, like the Komekko Scallop Flavor crackers and Cream Stew Ramune in our box. We can’t say we liked the taste of either of these two items, but we certainly enjoyed watching each other try them! All in all, our Premium box yielded more hits than misses.
CUSTOMER SERVICE / EASE OF USE
TokyoTreat’s ordering process is straightforward, and shipping is included in the price. Even international shipping is free, which may be a scale-tipper for snack lovers residing outside the U.S. Boxes ship from Japan once a week.
If you want to ever pause or cancel your subscription, it seems TokyoTreat will make it easy to do so. Subscription plans come in three sizes: three-, six- and 12-month plans, billed monthly (not all at once). These plans will auto-renew if you do nothing, but you can cancel any time.
Yep, that means you can order one box, then cancel your subscription entirely without being charged for the remaining months. On the company’s support page, a rep says, “We’ve made cancelling hassle-free so that you can try our subscription service without any stress.” In other words, even if you subscribe for a year, if you’re not happy, you’re not locked in.
PROS AND CONS OF THIS MONTH’S TOKYOTREAT SNACK BOX
Pros:
-- Good mix of full-size, sharable snacks and single-serve portions, with more hits than misses.
-- Decent value: Prices don’t seem that far off from what you’d pay for these products at a local import grocery.
-- Nice to have a booklet with a description of each item.
-- Collectible toy was nicer than expected.
Cons:
-- Sure hope you like corn, because you’ll be eating lots of it.
-- More English-language ingredient info would be helpful for those with food sensitivities or dietary restrictions.
-- Would be nice to offer subscribers the option to upgrade / downgrade box each month.
-- No way to preview what’s coming in your next box.
All in all, we’d heartily recommend trying out TokyoTreat, particularly if you live in an area without a Japanese grocery store. It’s a great way to get a curated selection of darn tasty items you might otherwise never come across, and the ability to cancel your subscription lessens the intimidating commitment factor. If you’re interested in subscribing to TokyoTreat, click here.
