We’re in Japan at the moment and there are luxurious, sparkling boxes of chocolates everywhere being sold for “White Day”. Huh? Oh yah, that’s right, it’s the day, one month after Valentine’s Day, when men give women chocolates. HUH??!?!? It’s true. In Japan, it is tradition for the ladies to gift chocolates to the men […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
February 19, 2014
Postcard from Tokyo
We made it! After a restless 16 hours of travel — I read this month’s New Yorker (excellent expose on Amazon and its monopoly on the publishing industry) and Vanity Fair (The Hollywood Issue! Rupert Murdoch’s marital betrayal!) cover to cover, whilst listening to Howard Stern — Yoko and I have touched down and are […]
February 14, 2014
Postcard from Joshua Tree
I just got back from a four night/ five day trip to Joshua Tree and Los Angeles, for some much-needed R+R (or lack thereof). In Joshua Tree, Johnny and I enjoyed the stark landscape of rock, dust and sky — surrounded by those oddly grotesque, caterpillar-like trees. Fyi, there are many of these trees scattered all […]
February 6, 2014
Throwback Thursday: Umamiventure #1
I realized yesterday that Umami Mart will turn seven years old this month. WOOOOO! That’s seven years of banter, restaurant reviews, recipes and… more banter! The fun never stops on Umami Mart, and although we’re all seven years older (and a bit more, ehem, wiser), I’d like to think that we’ve retained our sometimes grotesque, […]
January 24, 2014
Upcoming Event: Japan Beer Fest (OAK)
We are ECSTATIC to announce our first partnership with The Trappist, our wonderful neighbor, and one of the Bay Area’s most revered beer bars. The Trappist specializes in Belgian, European and American microbrews, and its menu contains pages of specialty beers on tap and bottles. We had one of our first Bay Area Umamiventures here, […]
January 20, 2014
Movie Monday: Animal House
I just watched Animal House for the first time last night. What a clever movie! There were many iconic scenes that I had heard about through the years, and it was clearly a pioneer of the perverse fratboy-themed storylines that Hollywood keeps reusing today. But there was an underlying darkness despite the silliness that comedies […]
January 13, 2014
Izakaya Hideko: Taberu Rayu Tofu Salad
My parents hosted a shinnenkai (New Year’s party) last night and it was a fantastic feast! As usual, Hideko and Kuni battled it out in the kitchen for cooking space, laughing and making fun of each other along the way. Who will make the best dish of the evening? This competitiveness has harshened lately, as Kuni has […]
January 10, 2014
Casa de Kei in Kauai
Let’s be real: when my brother Keisuke said he would join us for our First Annual Kauai Trip, I hoped (really hard) that he would cook for us. Ah hell, we all did. Have you seen Casa de Kei? His midnight creations are totally bananas — creative yet approachable; high art meets B-kyu (aka comfort food). […]
January 8, 2014
Postcard from Kauai: Shaved Ice Master
It took us five days to finally get to our first shaved ice experience. Not because we didn’t try! Everyday would begin with wishful exclamations like, “Let’s get shaved ice today!” But the stars never aligned — the lady in town closed after two hours of service because she was “out of ice.” She cursed […]