Happy October! The air is a bit crisper, the leaves, brighter. What better way to get ready for the colder months than to cozy up with coffee and tea? We’ll be celebrating the mighty bean and tea leaf all month, with warming posts on the subject, and a sale over at the Umami Mart Shop, […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
September 28, 2012
Upcoming Event: UmamiLab #1: Ramen Shop Noodle Test #6
As you may have heard, there’s a highly anticipated ramen shop coming to Oakland. Our good friends Sam, Rayneil and JJ are the masterminds behind Ramen Shop (that’s right!), opening in Rockridge. The opening is still a few months away, and they are hard at work on their space (formerly the Japanese restaurant Tachibana), and […]
September 24, 2012
Forest Feast: Zatar Flatbread
Zatar (sometimes za’atar) is a Middle Eastern spice made up (usually) of a blend of salt, sumac (a tart red dried fruit powder), sesame seeds and thyme. I roll out some store bought pizza dough (from Trader Joe’s) and drizzle it with lots of olive oil. Then sprinkle with a good amount of zatar and a […]
September 14, 2012
Upcoming Event: Sip + Shop: Shochu Tasting
Throughout the years, we’ve been asked to present more events highlighting shochu. Well, here’s the event that you’ve all been waiting for! Generously sponsored by Takara, we’ll be tasting four different kinds of shochu: imo (sweet potato), mugi (barley), kome (rice) and soba (buckwheat). WHEN:Â Thursday 9/20 from 6-8pm WHERE: Umami Mart 815 Broadway Oakland, Pop-Up […]
September 4, 2012
Upcoming Event: Yaki-Onigiri for First Friday (OAK)
That’s right, we be grillin’ balls this Friday! Our good friends Koichi, Ryoji and Steven of YATAIYA will be making yaki-onigiri (grilled rice balls), and serving them alongside some house-made tsukemono (pickles). They are irresistible, smoky flavor-bombs! If we’re lucky, they’ll have other fun munchies on the grill as well. Come welcome Autumn with us! The grillin’ starts […]
August 27, 2012
Sip + Shop: Sake Tasting This Thursday (OAK)
That’s right, we’re hosting a FREE sake tasting at the shop this Thursday. If you’ve ever wanted to learn the differences between a nama, junmai, and ginjo, now is your chance! WHAT: We’ll be serving various types of sake at different temperatures to compare the differences in taste and structure of the sake. WHEN:Â Thursday 8/30 […]
August 22, 2012
UMAMI MART OPEN
Photos by Erin Gleeson We did it! With the loving support from our friends, family, and community, Yoko and I have opened Umami Mart, a retail shop in Oakland, CA, specializing in kitchen + barware from Japan. The idea for starting a brick-and-mortar shop really derived from necessity. We had been running our online shop for […]
August 20, 2012
Forest Feast: Umami Mart Fiesta
Last weekend on a warm Sunday evening in the woods we hosted A Forest Fiesta in honor of the recent opening of the Umami Mart shop in Oakland.  Guests who came were contributors and supporters of Umami Mart and all brought amazing things to share. Mike made some amazing pao de queijo aka brazilian cheese bread (I need to try this recipe!);Kishi brought his delicious […]
August 15, 2012
Event Recap: Umami Mart Grand Opening Party
Photos by Erin Gleeson After weeks of painting, building, going to Home Depot five times a day (ugh), sleepless nights, banh mis for breakfast/lunch/dinner, pestering our friends and families (are you done with that project yet? Can you cut wood for us? Can you polyurethane the floors?) — UMAMI MART HAS LANDED! To celebrate, we […]
August 14, 2012
Upcoming Event: Macarons with Moto (OAK)
Guess what? MOTO is coming to Umami Mart! How lucky we are! Our resident macaron maestro will be here with us this Thursday night, armed with his little pillows of sweet macarons that he has finally mastered over the last few years. Remember Yamahomo vs. Ladurée? He has come a long way, and today, MOTO […]