Blog

Instant Kitakata Ramen
February 21, 2021
I eat a lot of instant ramen. I've cut down a lot – I used...
Where to Get Japanese Noodles in LA
October 2, 2017
I am a junkie - a noodle junkie. It is my favorite food and carb...
Sake Gumi Social: Hiroshima Tsukemen Night @ Ramen Shop
September 20, 2017
One of the best parts of being in Sake Gumi is attending our Sake Gumi Social...
The 2017 Bay Area Ramen Boom Report
September 19, 2017
In Japan, they call any big, nationwide trend a boom (ブーム). For example, right now...
Bay Eats Japan: April 2017
April 5, 2017
A list of the latest and upcoming Bay Area Japanese restaurants, including new ramen in Burlingame, sushi + omakase in San Francisco, and shochu in Oakland.
The Umami Reader: Try This Instant Ramen Hack
December 16, 2016
How to make your instant ramen taste better, the benefits of psychedelic mushrooms, psychedelic honey hunters, rock climbing to find medicinal herbs, more.
The Umami Reader: Everyone's Favorite Ramen Movie is Back in Theaters!
October 21, 2016
Tampopo is restored and is in theaters, Ichiran opens in Brooklyn with its "flavor concentration booths," the beauty of a Japanese highball, and more.
You Need This in Your Life: Bacon and Egg Mazemen from YUJI Ramen
October 10, 2016
Living in Japan, I'm not used to spending a lot of money for ramen. But while in NY, I shelled out $20 for a bowl of ramen and I would do it all over again.
Bay Eats Japan: Oct 2016
October 4, 2016
Welcome to our new column, Bay Eats Japan, where we'll alert you to newly and soon-to-be opened Japanese restaurants and bars in the Bay Area.
The Umami Reader: David Bowie's 1980 Sake Commercial Is Creepy and Awesome
August 26, 2016
Food news and videos from the internet: David Bowie's 1980 sake commercial, prison ramen, Asian Snack Food Smackdown, and how the tech boom affects dining.
Itani Ramen's Gyoza Machine (and Recipe!)
May 16, 2016
The gyoza machine from Japan is a solid steel uni-tasker that produces at least 10 gyozas per minute – up to 750 pieces per hour!!!
Take-Chan Niboshi Ramen in Tokyo
April 5, 2016
The best bowl of ramen we ate on our last trip to Japan was in the...