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October 9, 2013
Upcoming Event: Koji Workshop with Sonoko Sakai
Koji is a rice mold that has been used in Japan to ferment sake and shoyu for hundreds of years. Recently, shio-koji (salt koji) has been discovered as a miracle cooking ingredient that pumps up the umami factor to any ol’ dish. We’ve talked a lot about shio-koji on Umami Mart in the last year – it’s all […]
September 30, 2013
The Ramen Shaman: Ezo Fukurou Visits America
I may have missed the recent LA Ramen Yokocho Fest due to an unavoidable trip to Ohio, but I lucked out into finding out about Mitsuwa Market’s Hokkaido Festival in Torrance. It was this past weekend and the next best thing to actually being in Hokkaido — which I was, just a few months ago. I’ve […]
September 23, 2013
Iberian Tattie: Hello Edinburgh!
By Marta Bernal Valencia Last year I decided it was time for me to reinvent myself. It sounds daunting, but if you settle on some goals, it’s a vibrant experience! I lived in Madrid for the last seven years, working in the sales department of a successful publishing house. Everything seemed okay, but I wanted […]
September 16, 2013
Furochan Eats: Sapporo’s Soup Curry is a Joy Forever (Until You Finish Eating It)
“I hate Tokyo.†S’s face was perfectly serious. “Sapporo is so much better — less people, nice weather, great seafood, lots of snow… and Tokyo sucks during the summer.†I’ll never hate Tokyo but you can’t argue with a Sapporo boy on that last point. Hokkaido is one of the best places to be during […]
September 11, 2013
The Swedish Chef: Saffron Mussels
Mytilus edulis, also known as the common mussel, is a medium-sized edible “marine bivalve mollusc†in the family Mytilidae, or simply, mussels. I sure most of you have had Moules-frites when in France, but the dish is actually from Belgium, and dates back as far as the 1700’s. Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, […]
September 6, 2013
The Ramen Shaman: Jiro (Kabukicho, Tokyo)
This was one for the ages. Jiro is legendary. It’s spawned a slew of imitators, one of which crossed an ocean. Many think it’s an entity unto itself, like tsukemen, rather than a type of ramen. I’ve known about Jiro since the very beginning of my ramen journey and although I’ve visited a few jiro-kei (aka […]
August 26, 2013
Kayo’s Kitchen: Final Days of Janky Eating
I’m in a flurry of packing at the moment. Actually, Yoko and MOTO had to come over and help me pack since I just can’t seem to get it together. The movers come tomorrow and my days of single living are about to become a faint memory. I am 33 years old and have lived […]
August 22, 2013
One Year of Umami Mart Oakland
Our first year as Umami Mart in 3D has zipped by. We opened our doors at 815 Broadway on August 3, 2012, and what a year it’s been! It seems like only yesterday that Yoko and I were having one of our weekly meetings at the original Hopkins Buffet, wondering how we could find a […]
August 16, 2013
Haenyo: Diving for Sea Creatures on Jeju Island
By Vanessa Lee Jeju is a volcanic island approximately 240 miles south of Seoul. It is otherwise known as the Hawaii of Korea, as well as Korea’s capital for unusual theme parks — including Love Land, which closely resembled a Good Vibrations shop on steroids. It is considered a destination of choice for Korean honeymooners, […]
August 7, 2013
Smoked Salmon Stop-Off Along the Russian River
Last week, Johnny and I randomly went to Russian River. We hadn’t seen each other much for the past few months, since the conbini planning and build-out, so Yoko gave me the weekend off and I booked a cottage in Guerneville, a town along the Russian River. Neither of us had ever been to Russian […]