Blog

Code Name Mixology Laboratory (Tokyo)
May 9, 2016
Mr. Shuzo Nagumo is a mad scientist behind the bar. With a twinkle in his...
Umami Map: Where to Get a Cocktail in Seattle
September 29, 2015
There is a renaissance of sorts happening in Seattle and cocktail culture will not be left behind! Here are four bars we visited and would highly recommend.
Richmen Redux: Ramen Shop’s NEW Noodle-Making Machine from Japan
August 31, 2015
The Lexus of ramen noodle machines used at Ramen Shop in Rockridge, Oakland.
China Diaries: Discovering Speak Low Bar in Shanghai
July 6, 2015
As you may know, Google does not work in China. Savvy travelers would know to...
Umami Map: 24 Hours in Osaka
May 28, 2015
Growing up, I would visit Japan about once every two years or so. It would...
Bar Owl in Niigata City
May 25, 2015
When we mentioned to Mr. Akio Watanabe, owner of Bar EST! in Tokyo that we...
Tokyo JUNKtion: Entering the Womb at Bar Caesarean
May 7, 2015
The name Caesarean derives from all things related to Caesar, the Roman general whose actions...
Akio Watanabe of Bar EST! (Tokyo)
April 2, 2015
Looking back on our trip to Japan in February, the most memorable cocktail was at...
Meet Masako Ikegami of Bar Shake (Ginza)
November 10, 2014
We met the gracious Masako Ikegami in 2010, before we opened our shop in Oakland,...
A Visit to Heuga Bar in Gifu City
July 21, 2014
Yoko and I first met bartender Tomokazu Kai in 2010, when we helped present an...
Adventures in Nakano: Hitomi Bar
April 12, 2014
Male bartenders in Japan are full of themselves. There, I said it. From the few...
Skankynavia: Brass Monkey (CPH)
May 23, 2012
A few months ago, I designed a ceramic mug shaped like a monkey's head, for...