August 16, 2016
This past Saturday we celebrated our four-year anniversary in Oakland. And as we have done every year since opening, we threw ourselves a huge birthday party. I don’t really keep track of my own birthdays anymore because celebrating Umami Mart birthdays seems so much more of an accomplishment, especially as our community grows year by […]
July 25, 2016
It’s that time of year again, Matsuri time! Umami Mart turns 4yo this year and our annual fiesta will be jam-packed and rowdier than ever. It’s Oakland’s Party of the Year! Our Matsuri, this year on Saturday 8/13, is always our way to celebrate our birthday and honor our community – our favorite people! We love all of you who have been […]
August 20, 2015
Umami Mart is all grown up. Although she’s only 3 years old, the lifespan of a business seems to whiz by and feels like it goes by in dog years. So it feels more like she actually just turned 21. It makes sense, as year 3 brought us our very own license to sell beer […]
July 27, 2015
Wow guys, THREE YEARS!!! Can you believe we have been open in Old Oakland for three whole years???!?!?! From bare walls to Skankynavian chic, Yoko and IÂ are so proud and happy to have been able to share our passion for food and drink culture with all of you. Thanks so much for all your support! […]
April 6, 2015
We can not tell you how fun it has been at Umami Mart since we’ve started selling beers and sake. We are America’s first Japanese beer shop! And you ain’t seen nothin’ yet, ya’ll. Getting our license to sell alcohol was our biggest hurdle, and now that it’s here we plan to do this right. We’re […]
February 9, 2015
Let me start off by saying that I think Abura-ya is the most exciting dining experience in the Bay Area in the last few years. By “exciting” I mean: doing something spectacularly new and genre-bending — all deliciously, and not one bit bank-breaking. Abura-ya specializes in Japanese fried chicken, but it is so much more […]
January 19, 2015
As Yoko and I are putting together our events calendar for the year, we are so excited to include our 2nd annual JAPAN BEER FEST during SF Beer Week. Once again, we’ll be collaborating with our awesome neighbors The Trappist, who will be providing over 15 beers on tap and bottled. If you remember the […]