One of the joys of working in Old Oakland is Chinatown. We're only steps away to a wonderland of dirt-cheap eats and one-stop grocery shopping. It has taken us over a year to mine through its dense 4x3 block radius, consisting of...
By Anna de Castro Just when I thought February in NY could not get any dreamier (and by dreamy, I mean cold, slushy, and awaiting 6-8 more inches of snow), word came that a Bay Area favorite was making its way east,...
San Francisco Beer Week 2014 took place February 6th-16th, celebrating the Bay Area craft-beer scene with events, dinners, talks, and good times. We hosted Japan Beer Fest with The Trappist, a stellar beer bar located around the...
I've lived in the Grand Lake district of Oakland for four years now, and we've never had a proper wine shop. Popular restaurants like Camino dot Grand Avenue, along with nail salons, bike shops, a wonderful book store, Oaktown Spice Shop -- but if...
Nestled deep in the OG fabric of San Francisco, Kingdom of Dumpling is the quintessential down to earth dumpling spot. I originally discovered this place a few years ago after a visit to my dentist, whose office is on Noriega Street in the Sunset district. After...
UPDATED 11/19/13, 8:47pm We get a lot of phone calls about where to buy shochu in the Bay Area. I love talking to people about this -- as you know, we are here to spread the shochu gospel here at Umami Mart. So here's a...
U M A M I: What is it? What does it taste like? Is it Japanese cartoon character? We get a lot of inquiries about the definition and concepts of umami at our Oakland shop, so we decided to team up with John over at...
San Francisco, we have arrived! Umami Mart opened inside The Perish Trust last Friday November 1 and we'll be here through the holidays. This is truly a dream for us -- to share our wares with the big City by the Bay! Our...
We have some very exciting news: Umami Mart will be popping up in San Francisco for the holidays! Our friend Kelly Ishikawa and Rod Hipskind, owners of The Perish Trust, came to us a couple of months ago with a proposal...
An annual treat. HOUSE OF PRIME RIB 1906 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94109 T: 415.885.4605
I had so much fun illustrating this map of all the farmers markets in Silicon Valley for the current issue of Edible Silicon Valley magazine. My local market is the Mountain Goat/4 corners (see it? Click here for a bigger image...
From the refreshing mugi (barley) varieties to musty imo (sweet potato) that demand your full attention, shochus are always the choice of drink for me. I fell in love with shochu while I lived in Tokyo. From oolong-hai's to oyuwari imo (sweet potato shochu with hot...
Whenever I go to Sushi Kuni alone for lunch, I always sit at the sushi counter in front of Kuni. It's usually packed with Apple employees and the staff are usually all running around like a bunch of crazed chickens -- so even if...
Shochu tends to be the drink of choice around here on Umami Mart, but we know that it's still pretty unfamiliar terrain. Yoko and I firmly believe that there is a place for shochu in the States, but it may take...
Went to Hard Water the other night, Charles Phan's newest eatery located along the scenic Embarcadero in San Francisco. It's such a rarity to go out and join the HOT SF scene. But it must be done, once in a blue moon!...
We are SUPER EXCITED to host a pop-up by Ippo Ramen this First Friday 4/5. Proprietor Steve Yee will be here starting at 6pm, ready to cook up some noodles to serve you his ramen. His simple menu consists of three...
Two years after the Tohoku disaster in 2011, memories have faded and conversations about the incident, and what we can learn from it, are rapidly disappearing from the media. As time widens the gap between...
This post is so delayed, but better late than never for such an epic guide to tacos in California. After being open seven days a week during the holiday season, Yoko and I took a much needed 10-day break. Hooray! Yoko traveled to Tokyo,...
One of my favorite places for a sunset cocktail in San Francisco is the historic Cliff House. First opened in 1863, it sits on the site of the Sutro Bath House ruins overlooking Ocean Beach. Go early for a walk around Lands...
Awabi (abalone) is a luxurious clam. When it is eaten raw, it tastes faintly like the sea, but its crispy texture is what stands out the most. It is delicious, but almost impossible to find on sushi menus as they are...
