We are so excited to finally announce a proper soiree for Erin Gleeson's new cookbook, The Forest Feast! The book was published in April and has been selling like hotcakes at our shops. It was far and wide the best seller for...
When Kayoko and I started choosing glassware for the shop, we wanted simple and functional glasses that would also look beautiful in any kitchen. With that in mind, we knew one of our mainstays would be the Hard Strong Stacking glasses manufactured by Japan's...
This event is SOLD OUT! Umami Mart + Ordinaire + Selection Massale welcomes JICCA from Tokyo! We are so happy to present a night of spectacular food, wine and FUN (!) with our friend Tori-chan of JICCA (pronounced gi-kkah), visiting Oakland...
We are having a blast in Japan, gallivanting through Gifu, Kyoto and Osaka. This trip, we're not even stopping off in Tokyo, so we can concentrate on all the riches of these western regions of Japan. Kyoto was hot and sticky, and...
Yoko and I are on our way to Japan again! This time to Gifu prefecture to check out ceramics, knives and other fun stuff to bring back with us for ya. We'll be also stopping off in Nagoya, Kyoto and OSAKA!...
On my last night in Hong Kong, my friend S asked one of her Chinese gourmet friends for recommendations to a good place. We met up with her at Tim's Kitchen, a Michelin-starred modern Chinese restaurant on Hong Kong Island. We spent most of the...
Homemade mustard is the best, both for cost and taste. Plus, it is almost impossible to fail. Try this step-by-step customizable recipe for making mustard.
This women-only event is a collaboration with the Women & Whiskies program and is sponsored by Campari. A portion of the proceeds of ticket sales will go towards Dress for Success, a non-profit organization providing women with professional attire to develop...
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...
Frozen housemade Chinese dumplings have been my #1 go-to lazyass meal for years now. Here's how I prepare and eat them when I'm feeling lazy and hungry.
Make these Japanese pickles in under 20 minutes. Bonus points because you can count the number of ingredients it requires on one hand!
One of the things we wanted to do when we were in Hong Kong was to try some vegetarian temple food. So my friend S took us to a modern vegetarian restaurant in the Chin Lin Nunnery and Nan Liang Gardens on Diamond Hill in...
It's no secret that I have a massive man-crush on Ramenate, a ramen blog written by a guy named Nate. For the longest time I didn't know his name and thought the blog was pronounced ramen nah-tay, like French. He's one of the rare...
"I talked to a local old man who turned me on to a place around the corner, Po Jai. I remember it [from] when I was groggy and wandering. It was the place with the cops and locals. He told me to order his favorite, khao...
My #1 tip for how to learn more about wine: spin the bottle around and look at the back label. See the name of the importer? If you liked the wine, you'll probably like the importer. 
In November, we snuck in to San Francisco and popped-up in The Perish Trust for the holidays. But it's now April, spring is in bloom, and we're still here! We'll actually be staying in San Francisco until the new year, so on April...
It's been forever since we've organized an Umamiventure in its purely old-school, meet-up spirit. Remember, when I would randomly announce an event, a little bit out of the neighborhood, and we would meet up at said location no matter how long it...
As you all probably know by now, Hong Kong is a locus of culinary delights. Every little shop, however much it may be a hole in the wall, will offer something special. On this short trip, we made a point of only having Chinese food...
Our main objective for our trip to Japan (besides noodles and ekiben) was to visit the many factories where they make the bar and glassware we select for Umami Mart. We wanted to go straight to the source, and meet the people behind the products....
A quick and easy recipe for a refreshing carrot and daikon salad with a satisfying crunch and a spicy kick.
