The UM Reader
November 25, 2016
The Umami Reader: This Bong Menorah Guarantees 8 Nights of Hanukkah Munchies
– You’re going to have some intense munchies this Hanukkah should you partake in rips from this glass bong Menorah. The Gravs Lab Menorah features eight smaller stems and one large stem that you can light and hit all at once. To quote a commentor on Facebook, “Mazel cough!” (Forward) – If you’ve spent much time in a Korean […]
November 18, 2016
The Umami Reader: Watch This Dog Help Prepare Thanksgiving Dinner
– Ever wish your dog could help out around the house? Well, here’s a video showing you how to get your pooch to help you prepare your Thanksgiving dinner! (Joseph’s Machines) - Thanksgiving is my favorite food holiday because I will forever associate it with the huge annual feast my Korean-American family would throw. Plates of kimchi, kimbap, egg […]
November 11, 2016
The Umami Reader: We Can’t Stress Eat + Drink for the Next Four Years, Can We?
– This has been a depressing week and our country’s collective waist-lines are worse for the wear. A Google search for “stress eating election” came up with tons of articles about eating and drinking (in some cases, drowning) our emotions, from coping mechanisms to deal with emotional eating to healthy-ish foods we should’ve been stuffing into […]
November 4, 2016
The Umami Reader: Yes, Racism Against Asians in the Restaurant Industry is a Thing
– This week, Cochon555, the founders of the modern day whole-hog movement and cooking competition proved they need to brush up on their cultural sensitivity. Cochon, who claim its their mission to “educate chefs” on the importance of quality ingredients and responsibly raised proteins, posted a cringe-worthy photo from its “late-night Asian speak-easy.†The picture, taken on October 28 at the […]
October 28, 2016
The Umami Reader: World’s Largest Noodle Bowls
– This week BuzzFeed Food covered Dong Thap in Seattle, Washington, a Vietnamese restaurant that purportedly sells the “World’s Largest Bowl of Pho.” Made up of three pounds of rice noodles and meat, along with three liters of broth, this massive bowl of pho is definitely a gut bust. But last week, I came across the above […]
October 21, 2016
The Umami Reader: Everyone’s Favorite Ramen Movie is Back in Theaters!
– Ask any food fanatic about their favorite movies and undoubtedly Tampopo will be on their list (if not #1). Juzo Itami’s delightfully playful 1985 “ramen western” tells the story of Tampopo, a woman on a mission to turn around her failing roadside noodle shop with the guidance of two truck drivers – an unlikely pair of ramen ronin. Janus Films […]
October 14, 2016
The Umami Reader: Would You Eat Pooping and Puking Dim Sum?
– Dim Sum Icon in Hong Kong has become famous for its vomiting and pooping dim sum. The restaurant – themed around the Sanrio character Gudetama – make buns shaped and then filled with chocolate or custard to look like the personified lazy egg yolk is getting sick when customers poke the buns’ orifices. Gross? Yes. Delicious. Possibly. Would I eat it? Most definitely. […]
September 30, 2016
The Umami Reader: Pork Bun vs. Typhoon. Pork Bun ALWAYS WINS
– A 53-year-old Taiwanese woman won the hearts of food lovers around the world this week when she decided, “Typhoon and broken umbrella, be damned – I’m eating this pork bun!” Associated Press photographer Chiang Ying-ying captured the woman, a fruit stand owner, eating her pork bun in the midst of Typhoon Megi, a powerful storm that rocked Taipei […]
September 23, 2016
The Umami Reader: Anthony Bourdain Loves Popeye’s Mac and Cheese
– This week, Anthony Bourdain appeared on Reddit for an AMA (Ask Me Anything), where he revealed his deep love of Popeye’s mac and cheese. “I have an unholy and guilty attraction to fast-food macaroni and cheese. During the morning I get these horrendous cravings for Popeye’s mac and cheese, and, uh, I will often disguise myself to […]