I used to live in Azabujuban for four years during my 20s. Sadly I don’t get to go there that often anymore as I live farther away. I love Azabujuban so much because there are so many great restaurants and cool shops there...
A new cocktail bar opened in Copenhagen in the spring of 2012. The creation of the bar had been in the making for years. The owner is a friend of mine, who is an impressively ambitious and creative entrepeneur building bars around...
We visit Yokohama Ramen Nakamura-ya, a restaurant in Tokyo that serves ie-kei style ramen.
In the spring of 2012 I suddenly felt the urge to not spend a depressing summer in Copenhagen. Previous years had been a mixed pleasure of monsoon rain, heavy floods, grey skies and Antarctica beach temperatures. I seriously needed a shot of California. Coincidentally the...
Though I created such a scene when I wrote about a certain four-star restaurant some time ago, I must write about my experience at Eleven Madison Park. Why? Because it was above and beyond my expectations, and made me fully understand Daniel...
Push yourself. Every challenge makes you better. Or as I learned, making a fool of yourself at a run-of-the mill ramen shop prepares you for the big boys. I recently traveled to Japan, where I had 21 bowls of ramen in...
I spent my summer of 2012 in California, my favourite place in the world -- after my couch (ok, maybe Japan comes in as a close second). It was a pure blast, from the moment I landed, designed and help build out the Umami...
The Forest Feast is on vacation this week! The Mr. and I are in Oaxaca for a few days for our friends’ wedding. This place is so colorful and incredible! Today we went to the outdoor market and sampled some local...
On the very special occasion that a visitor from Japan would bring Toraya to our home in Cupertino, I would actually be excited about eating. I was a very picky, skinny child, but whenever my mom busted out the Toraya I...
Two weeks ago, I picked up Anders aka Mr. Skankynavia from LAX. It was a bit of a drive from the Bay Area, but a little vacay for both of us before we began the crazy build-out of our Oakland shop. We both...
I love this time of the year when farmers markets set up during the evenings downtown. There’s nothing better at the end of the day than a stroll through the market, basket in hand, the smell of fresh...
After all this talk of fancy dining, 4-star service, Le Bernardin and the lack thereof, I'm bringing it all back to what we're all about: SOUL. Umami Mart is all about love and sharing and laughter and how food plays a great role in...
I recently became a permanent resident of this country, and to celebrate my newly acquired freedom, we went to Le Bernardin. Though I know a lot about food, I haven't been to many top-notch restaurants because I end up bitching about its flaws. If you...
Matsunami Ramen was my first stop in Tokyo after a 9-day long trip of a lifetime to Darjeeling, India (more on that later). I was in Darjeeling and Tokyo on business but I was able to squeeze in a lot of culinary...
CH and I have relocated to Rio for work (and personal pursuits) and finally, we now live in the tropics. But this is not the Amazon, not even close. The Amazon rain forest is thousands of miles away. In this particular neighborhood in Rio, literally...
We all have those comfort dishes that are close to our heart, and transport us back to childhood when biting into whatever it may be. For me, a bowl of chicken udon from Gombei always makes me tear up with nostalgia. Originally a little...
When it comes to matters of eating out, I am pretty inflexible. Since I will travel long distances for good food, I get pretty upset if I don't get what I had originally intended. By nature, I am quite stubborn (classic Taurean trait), and I...
Crab. Now who doesn't have a thing for crab? Sri Lanka is a tiny island hanging off the tip of southeast India where there is an abundance of juicy seafood. People probably eat more fish than meat. And yet, it's...
I want Washio's Awamori Wasabi-wari to be world famous, so I've gone ahead and named it "The World Famous Awamori Wasabi-wari." It's been out there on...
A few months ago, I designed a ceramic mug shaped like a monkey's head, for rum-based cocktails... and no, it wasn't for selling in stores. I don't think it would be very consumer-friendly. Yet it had a purpose -- the only tiki bar in Copenhagen, Brass...
