May 30, 2016
Kayoko and I test every product we place in the store. We have to love it, use it, and find a place for it in our kitchens. This means that while it needs to look good, it also has to be easy enough for me to understand within the first five minutes of opening the […]
March 18, 2016
On Saturday, March 19, from noon-3 p.m., we’ll be hosting a free coffee tasting with our friends Red Bay Coffee. Founded in 2014 and based in the Fruitvale District of East Oakland, Red Bay sources single-origin beans that they roast in small batches. The tasting will feature samples of the three Red Bay coffees we carry at Umami Mart – […]
March 17, 2016
Last year, we sold out of our limited-edition porcelain travel mug designed exclusively for Umami Mart by Studio Arhoj. We got so many emails and walk-in customers asking us – sometimes begging us – to bring it back. One customer wrote, “It is my favorite mug and I cannot find it anywhere on your website. Do you […]
August 27, 2015
Back by popular demand, we’ll be hosting our second free tasting with Tokyo-based Horiguchi Coffee! Join us this Saturday at Umami Mart from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. to taste three Horiguchi coffees: the popular Flower and Juicy #2 blend and two single-origin brews, Ethiopia from Yirgacheffe Kochere and Kenya from Thiriku Farmers Co-Op. Buy a bag […]
June 16, 2015
We are thrilled to host a complimentary coffee tasting this Saturday with Horiguchi Coffee, a roaster from Tokyo. Founded in 1990, Horiguchi is a craft roaster that sources beans from Colombia, Tanzania, Panama and Ethiopia. With three cafes in Tokyo, Horiguchi prides itself on using only premium beans; utilizing advanced roasting technique. Two blends will be available to […]
February 23, 2015
We are really enjoying the kissaten (cafe) lifestyle here in Japan and we have visited several in Tokyo and Fukushima during our travels. Unlike Starbucks or other branded coffee shops, kissaten are a place to unwind, have a smoke, sip a cup of joe and perhaps order a pressed sandwich. They are all unique and […]
January 25, 2013
*Nahoko Morimoto is a Tokyo-based photographer. Her work has been featured in Brutus and Vogue Japan.
December 14, 2012
Over the last decade the cocktail renaissance has spread across the country and helped turn bartending from a mere side-job for college students and aspiring actors into an honorable profession. It has also resurrected previously unknown names like Jerry Thomas and Harry Johnson by turning them into prophet-like figures, and their recipes have become gospel […]
October 4, 2012
I used to live in Azabujuban for four years during my 20s. Sadly I don’t get to go there that often anymore as I live farther away. I love Azabujuban so much because there are so many great restaurants and cool shops there – both old and new. I like to check out new places […]
October 1, 2012
Happy October! The air is a bit crisper, the leaves, brighter. What better way to get ready for the colder months than to cozy up with coffee and tea? We’ll be celebrating the mighty bean and tea leaf all month, with warming posts on the subject, and a sale over at the Umami Mart Shop, […]