Review: April 2017 Tokyo Treat Box

Happy 2nd Anniversary Tokyo Treat! With it being they're 2nd Birthday they have made some changes to they're subscriptions plans which at the moment I'm not 100% convinced about but I shall wait until May before I make my final judgement.

The box, booklet and plans have all changed to some degree but what is even better is the cost has stayed the same!

The New Box:

The box has actually changed quiet a bit compared to the previous style although apparently the box is bigger? Which I don't see myself as the previous box was a cube shape where as this one appears to have shrunk down quite a bit.

The colour has stayed the same which is great as it stands out from other boxes but the design on the box has changed rather than being the Tokyo Treat Mascot and other doodles its now drawings of different Japanese food and drink. To begin after seeing the new box I wasn't 100% sure if I liked the change as I really liked the old design although after receiving my box I really like the new drawings on the inside as it makes a good back drop for taking photos of the treats.

The New Booklet:

The booklet has also changed this year with the Mascot also leaving the design which is a real shame because I was really fond of the old design,

The booklet also now opens front to back rather than back to front so that people don't get confused on where all the information about the treats are. That being said the design of the treat page has also changed which I don't really like as the pictures of the items are a lot smaller as well as the text.

Changes to Plans:

So there has been some ever so slight changes to the subscription plans with the costs staying the same but the number of items increasing. Rather than being 13/17 Full Sized snacks we are guaranteed 18 snacks in the Premium box. 

What I have done is copied the costs from my first ever review and next to them in bold I have written the amended details so that you can see the changes;

Small:

$14.99 USD/month - Same Cost
5/7 Full Size Japanese Candy and Snacks - 8 Full Size Japanese Candy and Snacks Dagashi Bag (4 Snacks + 1 Umaibo)
Up to 1lbs in weight

Regular:

$24.99 USD/month - Same Cost
8/12 Full Size Japanese Candy and Snacks - 13 Full Size Japanese Candy and Snacks Dagashi Bag (4 Snacks + 1 Umaibo)
1 DIY Candy Kit - No DIY Candy Kit
Up to 1.5lbs in weight

Premium:

$34.99 USD/Month - Same Cost
13/17 Full Size Japanese Candy and Snacks -18 Full Size Japanese Candy and Snacks Dagashi Bag (4 Snacks + 1 Umaibo)
1 DIY Candy Kit
1 Drink
1 Special Item (i.e special drink, premium DIY Kit, High quality toy)

They have also added a new Dagashi Bag which includes 4 random snacks and 1 Umaibo snack which are what we call penny sweets so they are cheap little snacks that don't cost very much. These little bags are included in every box whether small, regular or premium which is great.

Items Received:

Dagashi Bag/Wagashi:
This cute little bag of Dagashi treats is a new addition to the box moving forwards. It is a great addition to the box although this is replacing some of the bigger sized snacks we used to get which I'm not to keen on but these are still nice little treats to try.

Main Box:

Ghana Milk Chocolate (5/5)
For such a simple chocolate bar this was really nice and I mean really nice there was just something about the taste of the chocolate that made it really yummy and so sweet as well.

Pureral Peach Gummy (5/5)
I love a good gummy sweet and I really love it when they include something in the monthly box although these didn't have a very jelly centre like on the image they still tasted amazing and had a real strong peach flavour.

Chip Star Small Lobster Bisque (5/5)
Mmmmmmmmmm these are so good! I love it when they include Chip Star crisps in the boxes because they never fail to disappoint and are always some sort of fish flavour and this months they have included Lobster flavour. I've never eaten Lobster before but they taste amazing and are kind of like pringles in the UK.

Caramel Chocoball (5/5)
The packaging on these little box of chocolates is so cute. I'm not sure what the bird is to represent as I don't read Japanese but he's still cute. Best why to describe these if you are from the UK is that they are like Poppets and I LOVE poppets so these were definitely a hit with me and the partner.

Mini-Kari Corn Puffs - Light Dashi Flavour (3/5)
They may look like super small thick quavers but I can assure you they do not taste of cheese that's for sure and at the time I had no idea what Dashi even was so I assumed from packaging it was fish flavoured and that it was and very smelly but I did like them!

Pocky Rich Matcha (5/5)
As mentioned in my last review which was very heavy Matcha themed and I was slightly scared that I wasn't going to like half of the treats but to my surprise I actually did so to see something Matcha in this box was brilliant and especially with it being Pocky as well.

Honey Soy Sauce Rice Cracker (4/5)
This was a weird one for me as i didn't really think it tasted of Honey and Soy when I opened the packet I actually thought it smelled of bacon and eggs haha. Taste wise it kind of tasted like it as well but I liked the texture of the rice cracker compared to some we get in the UK.

Pokemon Chocoalte Wafer (5/5)
Exactly what it says on the packet (if you can read Japanese) a simple wafer biscuit filled with a yummy chocolate filling and cute Pokemon sticker although I had no idea who it was as I haven't seen any of the new ones. I always think with these its a shame that they didn't make them in to a sort of shape rather than a simple square shape.

Sakura Design Coca-Cola (3/5)
So you may ask why I have given this beautiful bottle of Coca Cola a 3? And the reason being is because I thought it was actually Sakura flavoured and not just a limited edition bottle of normal coke whoops. Saying that though the bottle is amazing and so pretty. The coke its self actually did taste different compared to the UK's.

Scone Rich Cheese Flavour (5/5)
OH MY OH MY! BEST ITEM IN THE BOX! These were INCREDIBLE! Sorry for all the capital letters but my these were so good by the same company who did the BBQ ones that I received in my first ever box but these are a cheese flavour and were just amazing like UK Nik Naks but 100% better.

Baskin Robbins Chocolate Love Potion #31 (5/5)
I love Baskin Robbins Ice Cream so when they announced these were being included with in the box I got super excited as I have never seen these chocolates before anywhere. As my partner mentioned these taste like Turkish Delight and in a way they do or a raspberry flavour with a liquid centre.

Re-ment Sakura Sweets Blind Box

Coris Candy Apple Soft Candy DIY (5/5)
If you have been reading my reviews for the last year you will be fully aware by now that I HATE DIY KITS with a passion and it's very rare that I come across one that I do indeed like and this was one of them, Simple enough to set up and tasty to eat that's for sure.

This little kit is basically making your own toffee apples on a stick! Although I kept getting sprinkles everywhere but the gooey sauce to dip the chewy candy in was so sweet.

Thoughts On The Changes:

So my initial thoughts on the changes to the new box were great however since receiving my box and re reading the changes to the plans I can see that I read these wrong. With being a premium subscriber I thought I would be receiving the Dagashi as an extra on top of the 18 full sized treats and snacks but now I can see that the 5 items in the bag are part of the 18 which I have to say I don't like.

The reason I don't like this is because now we have 13 full sized treats and 5 small sized treats which makes the box feel smaller and like there is less items which isn't helped by the change in box size as well. I do think the bags are a good idea but I don't like the fact that they replace the bigger items.

Before I had my box in front of me I wasn't sure If I really liked the changes to the style as I was rather fond of the old design although the backdrop now does look really cool for when taking photos of the snacks for the blog.

Overall I am still really happy with the box I received as the variety of snacks is great, all things I haven't tried before and the spoilers for next months box look AMAZING! So I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

If you would like to read any of my Tokyo Treat reviews from 2016 then please click on the "Tokyo Treat" or "2016" labels in the labels column on the side.

Thank you for reading. I purchased this with my own money and was NOT paid to review this by Tokyo Treat.

March/April: Books I've Read

So I may have missed my end of March book's I've read post and that is simply because I was naughty and didn't read a whole book last month I only read half of a book whoops. The month kind of ran away with me so I thought I would join March's and April's posts together instead.

Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

So I originally started reading this back in March after I finished her quick read book. The reason I choose to read this was because its been sitting on my shelf for nearly 3 years since I moved in to the flat and there is already 2 sequels to the book out so thought I better get a move on.

I have to admit when I was reading the first chapter I wasn't 100% sure if I was actually going to like this book or not but as the story progressed and a few chapters in I began to find myself falling in love with Polly and the characters around her. There is one really sad part in this book that I totally didn't see coming at all but it did spice up the story and made things change for the characters.

Summer Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

After I read the first book in this series I just couldn't not start the next one after how it ended! I finished the first one and the next day I picked up the second book and read a good 8 chapters which is totally unlike me!

I am so glad that I decided to read this book next as I have completely fell in love with the characters and they're stories. Even though things get really tough again for Polly in this book and everything seems to be falling down around her. I am just so happy to see her pick herself back up and get it going again. Also I am so glad Neil was still in the story I love that little bird.

There is a 3rd book in this series but it's a Christmas story so therefore I am going to leave this until November time to read along with the next Rosie Hopkins sweet shop story. I cannot wait to see what happens next for both of them but it doesn't feel right reading a Christmas book in spring although saying that after the way this book has ended I really want to read the next one.
                                         

Harry Potter: Page to Screen 

"I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading" is the quote that always comes to mind when ever I pick up this book because its huge and full of so much detail. Again another book that has been sat on myself for nearly 2 years. When I was given it for my birthday I was over the moon but it was just so much to read that I would often flick through it and read bits here or there.

I finally decided that this month I would take on the mamouth task that is reading this book and actually started from the beginning this time. The book its self is beautiful full of so many sections, interesting facts, photos and designs that made the film but it was difficult to read due to the size compared to normal books and the weight of it as well.

I haven't actually managed to finish it this month but I have made a dent in it so hopefully by the summer I will have finished it. So I shall keep you up to date on my progress each month.

I am actually so surprised this month that I managed to read two 400 page books as for me just reading at the best of times is a real struggle so to actually read two of them is a real achievement for me. I think it does really help if you get engrossed in the story.

Disneyland Paris September 2017 Series: Shows and Parades

Can you believe we are in April already? And that as I actually post this it is exactly 5 months until I will be going to Disney for my Birthday holiday and the 25th Anniversary.

In this months post I am going to share with you the parades and shows that we want to see and experience during our visit. I am so happy I've found out that "Forest of Enchantments" is going to still be on when I go which is great because I missed it last time and I heard that it was back over the summer ending in September but the end date wasn't announced.

Disney Park:
With the anniversary already in full swing and the actual Birthday of the park happening tomorrow you will see a lost of new shows and parades that weren't there before. I was lucky enough to get to see Magic on Parade and Disney Dreams one last time before they ended which I am so pleased about.

Mickey Presents Happy Anniversary Disneyland Paris
One of two new shows being performed on the Disney Royal Castle Stage daily which features Mickey and all his friends wishing Disneyland Paris a Happy Anniversary. I have deliberately not watched any videos for this show as I want it to be new and fresh for when I go although I have seen photos which look great and filled to the rim with characters its a show I am very excited to see.

The Starlit Princess Waltz
Show number two being performed on the Disney Royal Castle Stage daily features what it says in the name being a special Princess Waltz which also features they're Princes from the photos I have seen. This reminds me of the Christmas Princess show that was performed there when I went in 2015 although this is special for the anniversary. Same as above I haven't watched any videos only seen photos which look incredible they're special dresses are amazing and so sparkly.

Disney Starts on Parade
Bye Bye Disney's Magic on Parade! After 5 years its finally time to say good bye to an end of an era and welcome a new Parade to the Main Street of Disneyland Paris.

I am very skeptical about the new parade and not because of the floats or the characters they have chose to represent but its the music, I have watched a little bit of the parade just so I could hear the music together with the parade as we were provided with a sneak preview a few months back and I wasn't convinced and I have to admit I'm still not now.

Disney Illuminations
And bye bye Disney Dreams! Same as Disney's Magic on Parade after 5 years its time to say goodbye and hello to Disney Illuminations.

I think the problem I am having with these two shows is that they were the first ones I saw in Disneyland Paris back in 2014 when I first ever visited so they hold a special place in my heart and special memories. I know a lot people have been to Disney so much more than me and have seen the parades evolve over time.

I have watched half of Illuminations online when Disneyland Paris live streamed it across to Facebook and I have to say what I have seen looks amazing with all the new projections looking clearer than before and the new lights and fireworks but I'm just still not sure so will probably be another instance when seeing it in person might help me change my mind.

Forest of Enchantment
I am so excited to finally get to see this after missing it the first time around. I am even more so excited because it features my two favourite Disney Movies being Pocahontas and Tangled along with Tarzan, Jungle Book and Brave featured as well.

Its a musical show featuring songs from the above classics and I cannot wait to sing along and see some of my favourite characters come to life, especially Pocahontas.

Walt Disney Studios:
So there isn't actually many things going on in the Studios that I want to see this time around as I've done them before, they have closed or more for children but with that exception I am really happy that Mickey the Magician is back for a second stint as it had a break for a couple of months.

Mickey the Magician
Even though this show is all in French it is a must see for anyone visiting the parks regardless if you understand it or not. The show features Mickey Mouse as he try's to become a great magician featuring some characters we all know and recognise from our favourite movies.

I am just so excited to finally see this!

So there we go all the shows and parades that we want to watch during our visit. With there only being 6 and some of them only being 10 to 20 minuets wrong we will definitely managed to get all of these seen!

I'm not sure what post I'm going to do next it wont be meal plans as I want to wait till these are booked and confirmed first as to not jinx it.

Places I've Eaten In So Far This Month!

I cannot believe how many times I have been out for food this month and we are only a week and a bit in to April. Usually I go out for a meal once a month at the most but sometimes not even that but the last few weeks have been so busy catching up with friends and the simplest thing to do is go for food.

Smokehaus - Bristol City Centre
We actually stumbled across Smokehaus one Thursday evening when we had originally decided to go somewhere else but because it was one of the first hottest days of the year we couldn't get in to any of our original choices. After walking around for a good half hour nearly giving up hope we came across here and checked it out online before making the decision to venture inside.

It actually used to be an all you can eat buffet which wasn't very good at all so it was nice to see the place completely revamped. The decor inside was amazing all the different lights and fairy lights on the roof gave it a real nice ambiance.

After having our hearts set on burgers this is what we decided to go for with a side of onion rings and mac n cheese as this is something that me and Joel just love. The food came really quick and the portion sizes were huge, the burger it self was a really nice size and good quality meat which is always a bonus.

We didn't take a look at the dessert menu this time around as we were so full but I did have the most amazing Oreo Milkshake!

 Chiquitos (Two Times)
Two times you ask? I love this place but I wouldn't usually visit here 2 times with in the same week.

One of my trips was with my best friend as she was down in Bristol and gave me a chance to meet her lovely boyfriend. The reason we chose here is because it has a gluten free menu making it easier for her to pick something to eat rather than faff about in other places.

On my first trip I had one my favourites a classic spicy chicken chimichanga which comes on a bed of chips with sour cream, salsa and guacamole to put on top. For dessert I opted for the golden nugget cheesecake as on my last visit they had ran out and it was amazing jam packed with golden nuggets and honeycomb with a little pot of warm chocolate sauce.

My second trip was with my dad and his partner we were originally meant to be going to his but plans changed and they offered to take us for lunch which was nice. Chiquitos for us is the go to place as we all love the food and its somewhere we have been going for a while now although he did say we didn't have to go there I wasn't bothered as I love the food.

For food this time I had the chicken and ribs which comes with onion rings and corn on the cob as I hadn't had this in a while and to this day I still think they are some of the best ribs I've had. For dessert yes I did have the golden nugget cheesecake again as it was so good the first time around that I had to have it again whoops!

The Burger Joint - Bristol City Centre (Clifton)
I've only ever been to The Burger Joint once and that was for my Birthday back in September 2015 and its not that I didn't enjoy coming here but where it is located its a little hard to park up that way but as it was such a lovely day and it was my Brothers girl friends birthday the day before we decided to take the long walk from the centre to go get some food.

She is allergic to Gluten so it was important that where we went offered something she could eat and it was great as they had a booklet with everything she could and couldn't eat in which was really handy. What I love about this place is that you simply fill in the tick sheet and they go off and make your burger making it so simple.

This time around I had a venison burger topped with smoked cheese, onions, mushrooms and pulled pork which was amazing with a side of chips and onions rings. I didn't actually manage to eat all of my food which was a shame because my stomach felt a little off but when I did have I really enjoyed.

No dessert on offer here but I did have a mint areo milkshake as I have been obsessing with anything mint flavoured recently! On our long walk back down we did stop off for a cheeky cocktail which was amazing!

And tonight I am actually of to Nando's with my good friend from collage Jem for a catch up before she heads off to Camp in the US for a while. This will be my last meal out probably for a few months as I have little money left now whoops!

Where have any of you eaten recently that you have really enjoyed?