Umami Mart

Don’t we all have that certain staple food, drink or condiment in our lives that is devastating when it cannot be found in the kitchen? For some, it is Sriracha, or cream for their morning coffee. Or a cold can of beer. For Johnny, it’s Kashi cereal (GMO-free only) or Mountain High plain yogurt. For me, […]

Remember when Umami Mart used to be really raunchy and we used to talk about all our 20-something woes? It was so fun. We would bitch and moan about what we felt were Very Important Topics. Well, we’re 30-somethings now and while life is not more exciting, things have certainly changed. We’re grown-ups! Which doesn’t […]

Aid, Kitchen passed away on Wednesday, December 19, 2012. She was 12 years old. Since she was adopted (refurbished model), the exact date of birth is unknown. The cause of death is paralysis. The bowl is completely stuck on the base, and no matter what I’ve tried, it won’t dislodge. In another words, her brain […]

Sorry for my long absence. I’ve been quite busy, as we were preparing to move into a new apartment, so cooking time for me was pretty limited for a while. Now I am finally settled (well, after a day), and I am ready to start cooking. Our kitchen in Chelsea was nice, but it was […]

Now, Umamimart has never really been “in” on the “scene”. We don’t really get invited to hip opening events or get star attention from restaurants when dining. We have never paid too much attention to those kind of things — we just like to talk about food and drinks — whether it be gross, pretty, […]

Happy New Year!  I can’t believe the holiday season passed so quickly, and now we are in 2012.  Soon we will be bitching about the hot summer. I was in Japan for the holidays, and had quite a few good food moments. I am really thankful to iPhone since I can now take pictures anywhere […]

The silicone steamer craze has been in full force in Japan since 2010. With the economy tanking continuously since 2008, single men and women who have never tried their hand at cooking have taken solace in kitchenware that promise quick and easy recipes. My friend from Tokyo who visited me last year, gave me my […]

Since seeing Michael Romano’s collections of Japanese knives (many were around $1,000, but some were custom made and cost him $5,000, which he displays, never uses) at one of the programs I organized last fall, I determined the need to graduate from my Global knives. I mean, I like them– they are basic and cuts […]

Matt and I were sitting at our favorite bar, Hotel Del Mano in Brooklyn, when the bartender mumbled something about the Japanese. We were both a bit bewildered (we were the only Asians at the bar), but then he placed a clunky copper contraption in front of us. He told us that it was from […]

The day has come: my mother’s horrible ABOMINATION of a coffee maker has finally broken down. YESSS! It shut down on her the other morning, which finally gave me a chance to break out the cute little Hario drip coffee maker that I bought in Japan last year. (I still perceive myself as a house […]