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...
As Yoko and I are putting together our events calendar for the year, we are so excited to include our 2nd annual JAPAN BEER FEST during SF Beer Week. Once again, we'll be collaborating with our awesome neighbors The Trappist,...
When MUJI came to us last year to put on a collaborative event together, Yoko and I did not not hesitate to say YES. A leading retailer in Japan, MUJI has been around for decades, outfitting people's homes, kitchens, wardrobes and backpacks full of...
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all are well-rested and ready to start another RAD year with Umami Mart. We won't take you for granted! There are lots of projects in the pipeline, and we hope you will all enjoy everything we throw at...
Four friends find themselves in a secluded VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) on the North Shore of Oahu. They thought paradise was at arm's length, but they were wrong. One by one each thirty-something is lured by the mysterious, irresistible charms of the tropical...
We are very sad to announce that we will be closing our San Francisco outlet inside The Perish Trust. It's been an amazing year here and we are so grateful to Rod and Kelly of The...
As 2014 nearly comes to a close, I wanted to recap one of our favorite events of the year, our Jicca Pop-Up! Tori-chan is a good friend of Yoko's from Tokyo, who opened up her own restaurant called Jicca last year. We...
It's Hanukkah next week! You know what that means... our festive and cozy annual soiree with Erin Gleeson of The Forest Feast and Rabbi Jack! As always, we'll have plenty of He'Brew beer and latkes; and just like last year, we'll...
Louis Anderman is a scientist. Born from a true passion for bitters, Miracle Mile Bitters Co. started out as a hobby (just like us!), as Louis concocted potions from days of yore, right in his kitchen. Miracle Mile now leads the west coast bitters revolution...
The holidays are coming and we are hosting a few exciting events to get you all in the moooooooood. First up, a Shrub & Co. Meet 'n Greet! Started in Atlanta, Shrub & Co. owners Deborah and Juan made their way...
Another summer, come and gone. Erm, another fall, come and gone. It's starting to get chilly here in the Bay Area so I thought I would bring back some summertime warmth and celebration and blog about our 2nd annual Umami Mart...
The Food Republic recently declared yuzu as America's next big THING. Well, duhhhh! Umami Mart readers, writers and shoppers have been privy to this whimsical citrus for a long while now so we're not lifting any eyebrows at these sort of dramatic announcements. That...
An easy recipe for yuzu marmalade. A dollop of this marmalade tastes like a just-picked yuzu burst in your mouth!
We met the gracious Masako Ikegami in 2010, before we opened our shop in Oakland, at the Tokyo-SF Bartender Salon we helped host at Prizefighter. A few bartenders from Japan who had won the coveted Suntory Cocktail Award, presented cocktails and exchanged tricks of...
Flor de Izote, or yucca flowers, are edible and delicious. This recipe combines the blossoms with chorizo to make a new take on breakfast.
We are beyond excited to announce yet another collaboration event with our neighbor The Trappist. Baird Beer, a brewery from Numazu, Japan will be visiting for one night only, taking over 10 taps at the Trappist! Mr. Bryan Baird himself will...
Fall has arrived in Tokyo and with it an indefatigable sense of nostalgia, or natsukashisa. My time in this country might be coming to a close (maybe not... I'm working on it) and some blasts from the past have re-entered and re-exited my life like...
Here at Umami Mart, we are always geeking out on very specific subjects. Whether it's shochu, shio-koji or baking the perfect macaron, we usually trek farther and deeper into the realms of food/drink subject matter and then, we blog about it....
We are so excited to announce this special event with you all. A night with Shrub & Co.! Started in Atlanta, Shrub & Co. owners Deborah and Juan made their way west last year and landed right here in the East...
Last February, I went to Jicca in Tokyo and had this seemingly unassuming dish. I've mainly had raw nagaimo (Chinese yam) julienned or grated in all its gooey glory. But at Jicca, it was seasoned with some serious magic. Lightly grilling this nagaimo brought out a...
