I’ve written plenty about Tsujita. It is easily the best ramen shop in LA (both their hakata-style tonkotsu and tsukemen dipping ramen) and is, in my opinion, the best shop in America. But since opening in the fall of 2011 there has been...
Come out tonight for the grand unveiling of U-MART, the Bay Area's first conbini. We can't wait for you to meet our new fridge!!! Details on the PARTY OF THE YEAR here. See you tonight! GET EXCITED.
All of our projects here at Umami Mart are a team effort. Kayoko and I have millions of ideas everyday that don't get past the four walls of Umami Mart. From producing a TV show to buying a building, some ideas have faded while others...
I went to college in the States after I graduated from high school in Japan. I learned how to speak English and how to eat two portions. After a year, I gained 30 pounds. I didn't feel so guilty when living in the States but...
A few weeks ago, one of my professors went off on a tangent while lecturing: “I was looking through a text book which read, ‘Japanese are nature-loving people.’ As if other people don’t love nature! I don’t know where you’re from, but many places also...
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...
Conbini is a shortened word for "convenience" which is referred to when talking about convenience stores in Japan. Littered around on any street corner in most cities, conbinis are like a typical corner store, or bodega -- but from the future. They...
Welcome to a special edition of Kayo's Kitchen: Live from Hopkins Buffet! For those who follow our Instagram, you may have asked yourselves, "Where is the Hopkins Buffet?" Well, it's Yoko's house of course! God forbid she should name her place...
We learned, we drank and we ate all things ume during our Umeshu Class last Sunday. During the two-hour session, we learned about the history of ume and umeshu, how to make it and ate an array of dishes that highlighted ume. Along side sips of...
By Marta Bernal Valencia Last month, my English friend Elaine and I agreed to meet in Tarifa, a small town in Cadiz, Spain. It’s the southernmost point of continental Europe, very famous for its amazing beaches. If you are keen on wind and kitesurfing,...
*Kid Skwid is a sous chef at Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills. On his rare days off, he enjoys riding his bike around LA and going to the beach. Follow him on Instagram (@kidskwid5) to see his gourmet breakfasts at Casa de Kei.
In seven years of Umami Mart, there has not been a single post about dashinomoto! As the editor and founder of this international food blog, I am... ashamed. Dashinomoto (aka fake dashi aka MSG) is the backbone of LAZY Japanese home cooking. Yoko and
Our shop is located right next to Oakland's Chinatown, where I spend a lot of my time. This is sort of a dream for me, I've always wanted to be near a Chinatown, whether in NYC or in the Bay Area -- so I could...
I have memories of gyoza from when I was in kindergarten. My grandma would invite my mom and aunts to her house -- and they would wrap dumplings all day. My cousins and I would run around, play in the pool and take Oreo and...
It all started out so innocently, like any of Yoko's casual ideas: "Why don't we add a konbini to the back of the store???" A konbini inside Umami Mart?!?!?! This will go onto the wall of Genius Yoko Ideas, on par with:...
Recently I took a trip to Southeast Asia, starting off in Thailand. I decided to make the trip up as I went. I didn't even have a place to stay when I first arrived -- a challenge when you land at 10pm. But my...
As you've seen from my previous posts, my current apartment has a nice-sized balcony, which gets wonderful sunlight. I make the most out of this luxury by hosting barbeque dinners, and make my own dried mushrooms and umeboshi. When you have...
I have to admit, I had been dreading redoing the floors for the shop. We all knew it had to be done -- the reality was that once we signed the lease, we were no longer a pop-up. The shop had to "grow up." Without...
Once upon a time in the Crescent City, there was a culinary institution and hotel named the La Louisiane Hotel and Restaurant down Iberville Street in the French Quarter. La Louisiane, as it was know to the locals, was opened in 1881...
