Blog

Guess what? Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 13th! We have you covered for last-minute gifts, like gift cards... ... Or a very special Sake Gumi gift subscription – our monthly sake club delivering two bottles to Mom's...

After many months of waiting... and waiting... our most popular glassware styles are back in stock! Order now before we run out again! These glasses are perfect for cocktails, beer, sake, or iced tea. Hard Strong Diamond Cut...

Emiko Kaji of Nikka Whisky loves drinking Yoichi Single Malt during the cold winter months, preferably in front of a roaring fire.If you enjoy a peaty whisky, this bottle is for you. Aged in sherry and bourbon barrels, Yoichi...

Just in time for Mother's Day, our popular Chips mugs are back in stock! And we've brought in not one, but two new glazes!Made in Aichi prefecture, these weighty porcelain mugs feature an earthy, unglazed base, with a roomy, angled handle...

Every May, we celebrate the women who are in the center of our industry, whether that's for drinks, design, or Japan. We take every opportunity to highlight the people who are making a difference in their professions – and with Mother's Day around the corner, it's a good time to champion the ladies....

If we were in Japan right now, Yoko and I would shut down Umami Mart for a week and spend our days hanami-ing – picnicking under sakura (cherry blossom) trees with bentos and sake with friends, joyful that spring is here while blossoms flutter all around. Just look at...

Sake Gumi is our monthly sake subscription service with 150 members throughout California. Join today! This month at Umami Mart, we are waking up to spring. That means many...

This month at Umami Mart, we are waking up to spring. That means many of the things that inspire us this month come from things that make us bright-eyed and bushy tailed. No we aren't referencing Easter... but we are celebrating green tea and cherry blossoms. The brewer...

After two weeks of non-stop rain, the skies have cleared, and I'm beginning to see wild flowers blossoming on my usual hike in the El Cerrito hills. The birds are chirping loudly and the dogs on the trail are certainly happy to be out after being cooped up. Certainly, spring is...

Earlier this week, we held our 3rd Annual Sake Dinner with Camino. With two dinner under our belts, Camino's Allison and Russ, Kayoko, and I consider this dinner a tradition. The thing that stood out for me the most this year was...

Since 2012, Kayoko and I have been going to Kiraku in Berkeley for celebrations and impromptu nights out. We are consistently wowed by chef-owner Daiki Saito's creations. Before moving to the Bay Area, he worked at a French restaurant in Tokyo for 10 years. The food at...

This month at Umami Mart, we are featuring our closest collaborators and friends in the restaurant and bar world in the Bay Area. Our month-long celebration coincides with our annual Camino Sake Dinner (this year will be our third!)...

Our Hard Strong Hotel Bar Martini glasses and Gold Boston Shaker is on sale starting today through Wednesday, March 21st! Get the tools you need for a posh cocktail at home, like you're at CDP, for 25% off!  ...

While I can hang at any old dive bar for a beer and a shot, I do have a penchant for upscale hotel bars. By this, I mean that the bar sparkles and the bartender is attentive (yet unobtrusive), well-groomed, and refills my water glass all night. The lady next...

Hinamatsuri at Umami Mart has become one of our favorite events of the year – it is a joyous opportunity to come together with our friends and community to celebrate Girl's Day! It's so meaningful to see young women come year after year – all a bit older,...

Chris Lane, former bar manager of Ramen Shop, asked us to import these mixing glasses three years ago, and they have been a huge hit ever since – used at bars from SF to NY. It's stout, sturdy, and looks sexy on any...

Ramen Shop in Rockridge, Oakland is our go-to for cocktails, noodles, and an overall good time. We first met J.J. and Sam, two of the owners, on a trip to Japan in 2011, where J.J. lived for many years apprenticing under a ramen chef.  Back in Oakland, J.J.,...

We've been waiting for years now to be able to say: JAPANESE WHISKIES + SHOCHUS ARE AVAILABLE AT UMAMI MART!  It was a long process to get our license, and we persevered to bring you a range of whiskies and shochus from Japan....

We're excited to announce our Third Annual Sake Dinner with Camino on Sunday, March 25th! This is one of our favorite events of the year – how could you pass up a night of drinking sake alongside...

Camino restaurant in Oakland and Umami Mart go way back. Yoko first wrote about the restaurant in 2010! Then, I began bartending there a few nights a week, where it was the first time I used a jigger for measuring. It was a revelatory moment in...