Sake and Shochu Gumi

Recipes for Daybreak Ume Shiso Furikake

We are obsessed with this furikake by our brother Casa de Kei, who collaborated with Daybreak Seaweed Co. on this special edition mixture blending tart ume, earthy shiso, umami rich seaweed, and roasted sesame seeds. Yoko starts her day by sprinkling this furikake on a bagel or her morning oats....

Don't Make Me Blush - The Flirtini

Hi everybody!  We've had a fantastic time with our later summer bar hours - finally, our guests are able to make it by our bar for a quick one, two, or three on their way to dinner or just after. While we were enjoying our supreme reign as the top...

Lazyass Cookin

Shio Konbu Cabbage Salad

Behold: the laziest of all Lazyass Cookin' recipes I've ever written in the 15 years of this column. This salad is going to make the most uninspired cook weep with joy. I sure did. And with the summer heat coming up, when the last thing you want to do is cook...

Japanese Gin Cocktail Recipes by Chris Lane

Gins from Japan are all the rage at the moment, within the country and abroad. We've lined up a stellar collection of some special gins and are so excited to announce our second Zoom cocktail event, Summer of Japanese Gin, with our great friend Chris Lane,...

Japanify

Yaki Onigiri BBQ

My signature dish for a BBQ has always been Yaki Onigiri (grilled rice balls). It's usually something no one else is bringing, and everyone loves them, from the out of towner in-laws to the cousin's anti-social tween. My mom taught me how to make onigiri. I...

Lazyass Cookin

Okonomiyaki Party

Ah, the summertime - here we are, can you believe it? There's something about the heat that makes me crave a gooey okonomiyaki, filled with cabbage and pork belly, oozing with Kewpie mayo and sauce. Crack open a cold beer or get a glass of shochu on...

Ask Sushi Kuni

Kuni's Kitsune Soba

Many of you know that my father Kuni is a chef. Classically trained in Tokyo, he worked in several Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles and the Bay Area before opening his own, Sushi Kuni, in 1994. There, my father made the sushi and my mom Hideko...

Happy Hour

Happy Hour: The Mother-In-Law Cocktail

I found this cocktail inside Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails book that we carry at Umami Mart. Aptly named the Mother-In-Law cocktail, it is indeed a stiff enough drink to prepare you for a visit with the in-laws. There's nothing...