Manga Spice Cafe: A Review

Anyone who's ever met me can tell you that I have a very geeky side to me that I rarely like to show to most people. I'm a big time fan of Japanese culture, food, and yes, manga artwork. In fact, my favorite movie of all time is Casshern.

So, when I got my paws on a Manga Spice Cafe subscription, I was bound to have a lot to say about it. Here's the scoop on this subscription, and why I'm hooked.

So, what's Manga Spice Cafe?

Manga Spice Cafe is a subscription box that bills itself as one of the first manga maid cafes that gets delivered right to your door. The subscription has a set of curated manga books around a theme, a pamphlet featuring a beautifully drawn anime maid explaining what's in the box along with a background on each of the manga books given, and a nice set of Japanese snacks.

In other words, you get all the supplies to enjoy a delicious Japanese-style meal and a good manga-reading session all in cute package.

Let's talk about the manga!

In my Manga Spice Cafe package, I got three titles of manga: To Your Eternity, Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers, and In/Spectre. All of the books were the first of their series, which I'm thankful for, since I haven't read them yet.

As the delightful maid in my pamphlet let me know, each of the manga chosen was a series centered around the theme of mystery—and each was produced by a famous up-and-coming mangaka in Japan.

The other side of the pamphlet had information about all the delicious snacks I got to try. So, if you have food allergies, you're in luck—they give you all the information you need to avoid foods that might not be the best for you.

Speaking of food, I got to try out all the goodies, too. Here's the scoop on each item, and what really got me hooked...

Ramune!

Any anime fan, especially any anime fan who's been to a convention, has tried Ramune soda. It's also known as "marble soda" since the way you open it involves pushing a marble that keeps the soda airtight down into the bottle.

The flavor Manga Spice Cafe got me was actually my favorite—Raspberry. Needless to say, the soda almost immediately vanished. They got great taste, and it was perfectly refreshing.

Annnnd it's gone!

Speaking of Ramune being refreshing, you know what paired wonderfully with it?

Pocky!

Raspberry Ramune is enough to put a smile on my face most days of the year. However, they paired it with something that just made my week—Pocky!

Now, I'm not sure if you've ever tried Strawberry Cheesecake Pocky, but it's phenomenal and it was inside my Manga Spice box. When you pair its creamy richness with the Raspberry Ramune, it's incredible. Like, any anime fan needs to give this a shot at least once.

They also included a small packet of Glico's Milk Cream Collon cookies, which were round little straws that were filled with a sweet cream. To me, they tasted like crème brûlée—and yes, they paired perfectly with the drink, too!

At this point, I wasn't quite sure whether or not Manga Spice was actively trying to pair foods, but then I realized I may have had dessert first...

Ramen!

As a Japan culture fan, I can honestly say that ramen is one of my vices. I love me some noodles, especially when they aren't that gross "Top Maruchan" brand you get in regular grocery stores. But Nissin? Well, that's about as authentic Japanese as instant ramen gets.

This particular flavor was Seafood Flavor—and yes, it has a very authentic taste. Now, anyone who's had Seafood Nissin can tell you that it pairs wonderfully with a couple of things...most obviously, nori seawed.

Speaking of seaweed, they also included one other treat for my adventurous palate to try...

Chips!

Yep! Nori flavored seaweed chips! Now, admittedly, this may have been a bit too adventurous for a lot of folks to try—but holy cow, they would have been missing out! These chips had the same texture as Pringles, less grease than any chips I tried stateside, and also had a uniquely savory flavor that was incredible.

I really, REALLY loved the chips!

These chips were downright addictive, and though I regularly visit specialized grocery stores so I can discover new snacks from Japan, I have not come across these yet. These tasted so good on their own...and with the ramen I had for lunch, they were downright sinful.

At this point, it dawned on me that the snacks Manga Spice Cafe chose were chosen to mesh well together—and that they were absolutely masterful at pairing foods in ways that blended well together.

The Verdict...

Manga Spice Cafe currently rests as the best manga-centric subscription service I've seen, hands down. Getting this as a subscription would be an incredible gift—and yes, it's one I intend on giving to myself now that I've given it a shot.

What really impressed me the most, aside from the food pairings, was the fact that the crew behind this project clearly did a lot of work and research when it came to curating their box. It shows, big time, and the quality is unbeatable because of it.

If you love manga written by award-winning mangaka, or if you just happen to enjoy trying exotic snacks from Japan, Manga Spice Cafe has what you're craving. It's an experience you'll look forward to time and time again.