Sake and Shochu Gumi
Event Recap

Gumi Appreciation Night

Last Saturday marked our first Gumi Appreciation Night! After nearly 10 years of Sake Gumi, 5 years of Shochu Gumi, and 1 year of Whisky Gumi, it was high time that we got all you crazy Gumi nuggets in here at the same time to party like its 1999. And...

Otokoyama “Man's Mountain” Sake (December 2024)

Otokoyama Brewery in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. Photos by Yoko Otokoyama or Man’s Mountain sake has always been iconic. Often associated with being dry, I wanted to dig deeper to understand its origin, and if indeed, it has to...

A White Christmas Two Months Late

What: Mid-winter ryokan getaway tripWhere: Seiryuusou ryokan, Shimonita, Gunma Prefecture (about 3 hours from Shinjuku station)When: Saturday February 9 to Sunday February 10, 2008Why: Thaw out, eat, wash away the grub of TokyoThe food:In general, the food was unpretentious...

Tokyo DisneySea Food Report

Unfortunately (fortunately maybe), I don't have the pictures to prove it - but I ate three meals just to confirm that Disneyland and its affiliates (DisneySea in this case), regardless of which shore it's on, serves food so mediocre that it sides on bad.I ate the following:Lunch...

Swan Song for Bartavelle: A Fundraiser

Join us for an afternoon of food, drinks, and friends to celebrate Bartavelle and our cherished small business community. Only 100 tickets available, buy tix now! As you know by now, our beloved East Bay cafe Bartavelle has closed in the iteration as we have known and...

Event Recap

Awamori Festival

It was a exceptionally warm and sunny day in Oakland for our first ever Awamori Festival in August. It was a success! After spending five days in Okinawa with Yoko back in February, I brought back a suitcase full of bottles and...