Anders (fellow UMAMIMART writer), Rene and I went to Pinafore, a maid cafe in Tokyo, last Sunday. Here’s the report. ANDERS:It’s funny how you as a foreign tourist constantly walk around in Tokyo expecting to be shocked, appalled and freaked out by the weirdness of the Japanese. Maybe it’s the over-hyping guide books, maybe it’s […]
Author Archives: Yoko Kumano
September 14, 2009
Umamiventure #19 Double Whammy: Din Tai Fung (Tokyo)
Simultaneous LA and TOKYO Din Tai Fung Umamiventures! The Umamiventure coming up to Din Tai Fung in LA, was the catalyst for this Umamiventure in Tokyo which will be held on Sunday, September 27 at noon. Founded in 1969, Din Tai Fung is known world-wide for its xiao long bao (soup dumplings). The Japanese go […]
September 8, 2009
Hokkaido JUNKtion: Breakfast in the Company of No One
Hakodate is a pretty lonely town. When you walk through the morning market or ichiba (Hakodate’s version of Tsukiji), shopsellers show their desperation as they shove sample pieces of melon and corn in your face. It’s hard to say “no” to their persistence, but just saying no was the only option, if we wanted to […]
September 6, 2009
Hokkaido JUNKtion: Oujousushi (Hakodate)
Hakodate is famous for its fresh seafood, so eating sushi was necessary. Being total newbies to the area, we chose a sushi restaurant that was listed in our JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) guide magazine. About a 10 minute walk from Hakodate JR Station, Oujousushi is located on a desolate stretch of road next to a […]
September 4, 2009
Hokkaido JUNKtion: Lucky Pierrot WHALE Burger
One of the best things about Hakodate, Hokkaido was that there were no McDonalds. This seems very odd, considering Hakodate isn’t such a tiny city. But not so odd, when you know that it has its own home-grown fast food chain Lucky Pierrot that could take over the world, just like McDonald’s, if it wanted […]
September 3, 2009
Hokkaido JUNKtion: Hakodate Soft Serve
My partner and I took a mini-honeymoon to Hokkaido this week with one mission – to eat our way through the Northern land famous for squid, crab, salmon and dairy. We ate so much that I will blaze through our eats in a series of posts centering on the photos I took. Adventures in Japan […]
August 26, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: MANGETSU Redux
I posted about Mangetsu’s Mugi-toro Don the other day, Tokyo JUNKtion: Mugi-toro Don at MANGETSU, and promised to get back to UMAMIMART with more coverage on Mangetsu since one post was just not enough. You will probably see me at Mangetsu one to three times a week during these past two months (I was introduced […]
August 24, 2009
Japanify: Preparing Kanpyo
Kanpyo is a curious food – shaved calabash gourd. You can buy kanpyo dehydrated in white strips. You must prepare the dehydrated strips and marinate them to get them ready for the most common kanpyo dishes like futomaki rolls and side dishes. I wanted to make unohana – a mixture of tofu pulp and vegetables, […]
August 16, 2009
Hegisoba: Soba Made With Funori
My partner recently went to Niigata-prefecture in Japan for the weekend. He brought back a gift of hegisoba for me. At first glance, hegisoba looks just like the cheapo 178 yen soba I buy at the local supermarket, but upon closer inspection, there seems to be more grainy specks of black and grey. Hegisoba is […]
August 11, 2009
Tokyo JUNKtion: Summertime Party at Washio
One of the best things about Tokyo is its haphazardness. In addition to being able to drink outside, their zoning and permit laws seems to be pretty lax, allowing for makeshift parties outside – literally on the street. If a car tries to squeeze by, well… it’ll just have to wait until all the drunkards […]