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February 21, 2014

Ice Ball Machine

by Kayoko Akabori

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 […]

February 10, 2014

Ordinaire, My Neighborhood Wine Shop (Oakland)

by Kayoko Akabori

I’ve lived in the Grand Lake district of Oakland for four years now, and we’ve never had a proper wine shop. Popular restaurants like Camino dot Grand Avenue, along with nail salons, bike shops, a wonderful book store, Oaktown Spice Shop — but if I ever wanted a bottle of wine, I would have to […]

January 22, 2014

Chinatown, Bangkok Pt. 2: T & K Seafood

by Johnny Lopes

In the first post of this series Chinatown, Bangkok, I covered a little family run cockle and mussel stand. I mentioned, “Two stalls hawking some of the finest seafood around,” and promised to follow up with an additional post. While it’s been nearly a year, I’d like to post my experiences now of the neighboring stall: T & K Seafood. […]

January 15, 2014

Sweet Nostalgia: A Translation

by Florentyna Leow

I’ve been thinking a lot about food and nostalgia. I always think about food, but lately I’ve been interested in the way people discuss and remember food — things we eat, things we used to eat, and the memories associated with various kinds of food. Much has been written on the subject of food and […]

January 1, 2014

Hello 2014!

by Kayoko Akabori

After a seriously insane final few weeks of 2013, I’m SO ready to dive into the new year. Literally. Yoko and I, our partners, along with Atelier Dion, and my brother, are off to Hawaii for five days of sun, sleep and sea. See you on the flip side! I love you all and hope […]

December 25, 2013

Merry Kurisumasu

by Kayoko Akabori

Merry Christmas everyone! I just woke up from yet another nap. I am sorry I have been neglecting thee, but after a full recovery day from this crazy last month, I will be fully devoted to you again. I actually got a tree this year, for the first time in about 20 years. It was very last […]

December 13, 2013

The Forest Feast Cookbook is Coming!

by Kayoko Akabori

The renowned Forest Feast blog is about to become a book! Erin Gleeson, my good friend and long-time Umami Mart contributor, launched The Forest Feast after moving back to California from NYC a few years ago. Living deep in the woods in the Bay Area, Erin fused together her passion for photography, illustration, and fresh, simple […]

November 4, 2013

Umami Mart Pop-Up Now Open (San Francisco)

by Kayoko Akabori

San Francisco, we have arrived! Umami Mart opened inside The Perish Trust last Friday November 1 and we’ll be here through the holidays. This is truly a dream for us — to share our wares with the big City by the Bay! Our friends Kelly and Rod, owners of The Perish Trust, came to us with […]

October 16, 2013

Lazyass Cookin’: Goya Champuru

by Kayoko Akabori

I don’t know what’s going on in your neck of the woods, but what is going on with the weather in the Bay Area?!?!? We are experiencing really schizophrenic weather patterns — it will go from warm to cold in an instant. Take today, Tuesday 10/15. It was quite chilly in the morning, then we […]

October 14, 2013

Umami Mart Heads to San Francisco!

by Kayoko Akabori

We have some very exciting news: Umami Mart will be popping up in San Francisco for the holidays! Our friend Kelly Ishikawa and Rod Hipskind, owners of The Perish Trust, came to us a couple of months ago with a proposal to pop-up in the back of their shop. Yoko and I couldn’t believe the […]