Awabi (abalone) is a luxurious clam. When it is eaten raw, it tastes faintly like the sea, but its crispy texture is what stands out the most. It is delicious, but almost impossible to find on sushi menus as they are so hard to obtain due to strict California laws. On the Northern California coast, […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
February 1, 2013
Postcard from Nahoko: Kebab + Me (NYC)
*Nahoko Morimoto is a Tokyo-based photographer. Her work has been featured in Brutus and Vogue Japan.
January 28, 2013
Upcoming Event: Home is Oakland, Home is Japan by Aya Brackett
Our next photo exhibition will be by the lovely and talented Aya Brackett in a show titled Home is Oakland, Home is Japan. Professionally, Aya’s food photography has been published in The New York Times, Monocle and Bon Appetit, and for this show, Aya has chosen select pieces that reflect domestic moments in California and […]
January 23, 2013
Grease Box Lunch Box Every Wednesday
Lunch boxes by our great friend Lizzy, proprietress of Grease Box, a mobile kitchen here in Oakland, will now be available at Umami Mart every Wednesday. Lizzy makes delicious, finger-lickin’ awesome soul food, that does not skimp on the flavor or love. For example, today’s lunch includes jalapeño hot wings, crispy pork belly, millet biscuit, carrot […]
January 14, 2013
Upcoming Event: Quick Pickles + Canning with Kelly Geary
Based in Brooklyn, NY, Kelly Geary is the founder and chef for Sweet Deliverance, a thriving subscription program where she prepares healthy, delicious home-cooked meals out of her CSA shares. All with fresh and organic produce, she charts out each meal for the week, for her too-busy-to-cook customers — anything from salads and soups to […]
The Forest Feast: Roasted Brussels Sprouts
There were some brussels sprouts scattered in my CSA box this week and it inspired me to come home and make an oldie but goodie: roasted brussels sprouts with golden raisins and turkey kielbasa. Swap out the kielbasa for tofu sausage or onions if you’d like a veggie version of this dish. You can just as […]
January 9, 2013
Okonomiyaki vs. Akashiyaki Throwdown
Back in December, on the eve of our 10-day break, I threw a fun okonomiyaki bounenkai at my place to celebrate the end of the year. Remember when I deemed 2012 as the Year of the Okonomiyaki? Well, it seemed only fitting to end it this way. And when Jay and Rie suggested they bring the goods for […]
January 2, 2013
Zosui for the New Year
There is nothing like zosui (rice porridge) to soothe a year of overeating + drinking. Recipe here.
December 28, 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2012 has been one hell of a year for us. It started with some awesome events, like the Tokyo-SF Bartender Salon at Prizefighter, Ramen Night at Sutton Cellars, and a Japanese whisky tasting with Suntory for Father’s Day. Then holy cow, we opened a shop in Oakland! Designed by the talented Dane Anders Arhøj! It […]
Great UM Noodletown: Edo Soba by Tsujita
We finally made it into Tsujita for lunch during our trip down to LA over the summer. You know, when they actually serve ramen… Yoko and I had ignorantly gone there for dinner once, all excited to try their tsukemen (dipping ramen). But they don’t serve noodles at night! BAH! How silly, to call yourself […]