Umai Crate is a monthly subscription box that brings you exclusive Japanese noodles every month. The subscription costs $25 per month, and you’ll get 7-8 noodles, plus bonus items like gachapons, collectible chopsticks, and more.
Umai Crate is from the same makers that brings you the Japan Crate and Doki Doki Crate.
The box is almost the size of a windowsill planter, and it’s packed with yummy noodles!
DEAL: Take $3 off your first crate. Use coupon code HELLO.
This is the December edition of Umai Crate. This booklet contains articles about ramen and noodles!
There are also some fun recipes – this one dresses up FF XO Sauce Flavor and Toe Noncup Kitsune Udon.
The booklet also has a list of everything in the box, including the bonus item. I like the way each noodle pack description has a little IKEA-style pictograms showing the preferred preparation method. It helps us pick which ones to cook at home and which to take with!
The Old Ocean Ramen was replaced with a Nissin HK Cup in Spicy Seafood.
Everything in the December 2016 Umai Crate.
Bonus! Chopstick Holder: Um, people set their chopsticks down? I seriously never put my utensils down when eating ramen, I’m terrible!
FF XO Sauce Flavor: This one is funny – it comes with a fork inside, as well as the noodle brick, seasoning packet, and the weird XO sauce packet. This was not heavily flavored, but practical for a desk lunch!
Nissin HK Cup in Spicy Seafood: These salty, smelly noodles are packed with seafood & veggies – sardine, clam, bonito, cuttlefish, green onion, cabbage, corn, red bell pepper, white pepper, garlic! Hard to find in the US!
Nissin Demae Seafood Ramen Noodles: These aren’t too fishy or heavily flavored; they’re what you might expect of Nissin! If you want these fishier, they need dressed up with more fish or fish cake.
AceCook Super Big Ramen Tonkotsu
This giant ramen was work friendly – just add boiling water. The pork-based broth was a little creamy, mild, and definitely comforting. It had little bits of I think wild rice, or something crinkly and black! It was tasty, filling, and warming. And super big!
Samyang Spicy Chicken Ramyun: Umai Crate warns you in the booklet that these are EXTRA HOT!
And indeed, they’re absolutely searing. To ensure that we burned our tongues, my husband didn’t drain the broth (or just didn’t read the instructions). These are supposed to be a dry noodle. They are spicy, chewy, and we say BRING THE PAIN (send more hot noodles please!).
NonCup Kitsune Udon: These mild, pleasantly flavored noodles have a little bit of a flat shape!
My kids love noodles and my son said he refused to eat them. And then ate the entire bowl. They have a mild bonito flavor.
Mamee Chef Lontong: Oooh, Malaysian! This one comes with a seasoning packet, a non-dairy creamer packet, and a lontong paste packet. Chewy, creamy, with a beautiful flavor. This was the highlight of the box! I hope they send more like this one!
Most of these noodles are rare in the US – you can find them if you have the right shop, but they’re often expensive or you have to buy them by the case. We really like this subscription, but for my personal tastes, they could tone down the seafood selections!
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