Male bartenders in Japan are full of themselves. There, I said it. From the few “star” bars we visited during our trip to Tokyo, I felt miffed by the arrogance and general unfriendliness of the bartenders. What is up with that? Where is the hospitality? People say that you have to keep going to these […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
April 7, 2014
Adventures in Nakano: Yakitori at Shimon-ya
One of the most memorable nights I had in Tokyo was an adventure in Nakano, a hip neighborhood in Tokyo. We met up with our friend and Umami Mart writer Will, aka The Ramen Shaman, along with Eri, who suggested a yakitori joint called Shimon-ya. Eri, editor of Ecocolo magazine, brought along her entire staff, […]
April 4, 2014
Kodoku no Gurume (Solitary Gourmet)
I’ve been watching a lot of Kodoku no gurume, a show from Japan. It is about a salesman in Tokyo named Goro who goes out to eat. That’s it. That’s the premise of the show. But his meals are centered around B-kyu cuisine, Japan’s comfort foods. So we follow him around town while he eats yakitori, […]
April 2, 2014
Japan’s Kit Kat Kraze
When something takes off in Japan, it gets huge. For a hot minute. People have no qualms with waiting in a long line for hours, out in the butt-ass cold, to get their hands on the newest HOT food trend from abroad that they saw on the morning news. Whether it’s bamkuchen, Krispy Kreme donuts, […]
March 27, 2014
Umami Mart Now Hiring!
We’re slowly growing our team. It’s an exciting time for us here at Umami Mart! We’re looking for someone bright and attentive to work with us at our Oakland headquarters. Please read the job description below and drop us a line if you’re interested; or please forward to a friend! Cheers, Kayoko + Yoko Umami […]
March 26, 2014
Upcoming Event: Umami Mart SF Launch Party
The Bay Area has been so good to us. First, we opened our flagship store in Oakland in 2012 — to our surprise, people were into our Japanese kitchen and barware shop! Then, back in November, we opened up as a pop-up shop inside The Perish Trust, in San Francisco. Yoko and I anxiously opened […]
March 24, 2014
Umami Map: Oakland Chinatown
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 4×3 block radius, consisting of restaurants, noodle shops, meat shops, pastry shops, trinket shops, electronic shops, meat shops, […]
February 24, 2014
UMSF Closed for Renovations
Our San Francisco location inside The Perish Trust will be closed through March for renovations. Please visit us in Oakland or online! Green tea Kit Kats shall arrive at any moment now, for your munching pleasures.
February 21, 2014
Ice Ball Machine
We went to Hoteresu the other day, Japan’s premiere restaurant show. Like any convention at Javits or Moscone Center, the massive spaceship of a building had been filled with food and drink companies, appliance mega-conglomerates and tableware producers, displaying their newest products and inventions for all of us brainwashed consumers. Like a well-oiled machine, Hoteresu […]