May 17, 2011
All photos by Yoko Kumano and Vanessa Bahmani, I’ve been running Umamimart for over four years now (since February 2007), bringing together people from all over the world to share their personal experiences through food and drinks. It has gone through several manifestations, and has seen many writers come and go. Umamimart now consists of […]
May 13, 2011
Recently, I had a ramen epiphany in San Francisco. It was at Ken Ken Ramen, a tiny operation that pops up in the Mission every Thursday and Sunday, at The Corner (a coffee shop/ restaurant space). Robert Patterson, who grew up in Japan, no longer wanted to travel all the way to San Mateo (or […]
May 4, 2011
Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, and many of you will be sloshing down the compulsory Margaritas and tequila shots, which in no way would I want to stand in the way of. But if you’re an adventurous drinker like I am and want to try something new (but no less fitting of the festivities), you […]
March 21, 2011
PREFACE Martha, You Want Me Last week was intense. News reports on the Sendai Quake was getting worse by the hour and the number of victims had already exceeded that of the Kobe quake in 1995. It is still increasing. Radiation has been detected in spinach and milk. The Japanese government is slow in communicating […]
March 14, 2011
Before I go into this week’s tear-jerking post, I am fortunate to tell you that all my peeps in Japan are fine, but my thoughts are with everyone who is affected by the earthquake. This is truly awful, sad, and devastating for all of us. Japan may be well-equipped to handle the situation technologically, but […]
March 11, 2011
“Where the hell are we? Did we miss it?” I ask as we drive further and further away from the city center. Geary Boulevard is still bustling, but we’re way past Japantown now, and the storefront signs are getting harder to read. Besides, why would a restaurant like Kappou Gomi be all the way out […]
February 28, 2011
My MO-obsession (baking with rice flour) has returned, and this time, it’s the MOcaron. Now that I know exactly what to do when it comes to macaron-making, substituting almond flour with other ingredients is not that hard. Having said that, I had no idea whether rice flour would work. Since the first recipe I used […]
January 17, 2011
I am from a town so rural, you wouldn’t believe it. Although Japan is portrayed as a metropolitan, clean, and simple city to Westerners, that’s not how real Japan is all about. Whenever I say I am from Japan, first thing people usually ask is, “are you from Tokyo?” This is pretty stupid, since it’s […]
December 16, 2010
Hey everyone, Kayoko here again, sitting in for Yoko this week. I’m pretty broke these days, and haven’t been eating out much. Plus, it’s cold out– I mean, the Bay Area isn’t as cold as London/ Tokyo/ Copenhagen/ NYC, but still, it’s pretty chilly for us Californians (low hi 52ËšF/ low 42ËšF, today. Sorry Snow […]
November 15, 2010
PREFACE Yamahomo vs. Ladurée (Part 1 & 2) Yamahomo vs. Ladurée (The Battle Continues) Yamahomo vs. Ladurée (Trial 4, 5 & 6) Yamahomo vs. Ladurée (Matcha Macarons) I know, I know, I have to revisit the Flødeboller Battle, but it takes too much effort so I diverted to macarons this week. You may be sick […]