Blog » Reflection

Here we are, 10 years after opening our doors at 815 Broadway, August 3, 2022. How sweet are we???  It all feels like a million years ago but know that our adventures are only beginning. Ten years is certainly...

It was over six years ago on August 3, 2012, we opened our doors in Old Oakland. We had no idea what we were doing – but we had a solid crew that contributed their blood, sweat, and tears to our DIY build out. We had no idea...

Umami Mart started as a food blog back in 2007 by a ragtag group of food lovers around the world who gave an unique, unapologetic perspective.

When we first launched Umami Mart in 2007, we were a wee food and drink blog. I informed NYers about secret ramen spots, Yoko mused about weird foods in Japan, Anders updated us about the latest on controversial food packaging, Erin uploaded

Sometime last week, Dave Chang of Momofuku fame declared ramen dead (in the States). You can read his diatribe in its entirety over at Lucky Peach, but he makes several ludicrous claims there, including, "Access to instantaneous information from the Internet has...

On a game trip to Sacramento in 2001, Lakers coach Phil Jackson called Sacramento a cow town. He also said Kings fans were “semi-civilized” and “redneck in some form or fashion.” Later that season, when Sacramento was matched against the Lakers in...

I realized yesterday that Umami Mart will turn seven years old this month. WOOOOO! That's seven years of banter, restaurant reviews, recipes and... more banter! The fun never stops on Umami Mart, and although we're all seven years older (and a bit...

Apologies for my long absence, my life has been a bit chaotic. As you know, I teach cooking classes to Japanese ladies (some gents), and temaki sushi-making class for Americans. The sushi class is pretty consistent since I follow the same routine for each session,...

Sometimes when I eat out I’ll come across a dish so awful, I occasionally fantasise about bringing the bowl to the kitchen, pouring the contents into the sink and then storming out of the shop, leaving glitter and rainbow dust in my midst....

The early 90s... I was distancing myself from my Sandylion stickers while making multiple trips to the Wherehouse to make sure that I got tickets to see Radiohead at the Edge in Palo Alto. It was a confusing time, but it shaped me. Foodwise,...

I'm in a flurry of packing at the moment. Actually, Yoko and MOTO had to come over and help me pack since I just can't seem to get it together. The movers come tomorrow and my days of single living are about to become a...

Our first year as Umami Mart in 3D has zipped by. We opened our doors at 815 Broadway on August 3, 2012, and what a year it's been! It seems like only yesterday that Yoko and I were having one of our weekly meetings at...

It's been three months since I went to Vietnam. For an entire week, Johnny and I scootered around Saigon, and then a few days down the Mekong Delta. It was an unforgettable trip, that I have yet to recount here. Once I get all the...

Conbinis are everywhere in Japan. Lawson, 7-Eleven, AM/PM, Yamazaki Daily, to name a few. You throw a rock, and you would probably hit three conbinis simultaneously. Well, let me tell you, that only happens in urban Japan. I grew up in Wakayama,...

*For the next week, we will be celebrating conbini culture on Umami Mart, in preparation for the opening of U-MART on Tuesday 6/25. Check back every day for a new Conbini Cabaret article. Umami for life! -KA The first time in my life I stepped...

More and more these days, I'm starting to feel like a grown-up. I don't know if it's the fact that I am a business owner, or if it's the hipster kids who walk around without a care in the world (who I can't connect...

Aid, Kitchen passed away on Wednesday, December 19, 2012. She was 12 years old. Since she was adopted (refurbished model), the exact date of birth is unknown. The cause of death is paralysis. The bowl is completely stuck on the base, and no matter what...

Happy New Year. 2013 has started with a perfect sunrise in Japan. Hopefully it signifies that the rest of the year to be bright and shiny. 2012 was filled with happenings: from Taylor Swift changing boyfriends 18 times, to Gangnam Style to Sandy craziness to...

In the spirit of getting back into writing and sharing my thoughts more often on Umami Mart, I want to tell you the story of how Johnny and I met. It was the summer of 2011. I had been going on dates throughout the year,...

Here's something I dragged out of my photo archives. It's from my trip to Kerala, India back in 2007. We spent two days and one night in the backwaters on a houseboat -- probably one of the most glorious experiences of my life! One thing...