dumplings


June 11, 2015

MOTOism: Italian Shumai

by Moto Yamamoto

(Disclaimer: I did NOT see any of the shadows when I was taking these photos. Sorry about this. My pics are usually bad, but these are extra bad…) I love coming up with weird fusions. You will be surprised at how cultural combos work very well, such as the Natto Sandwich, Ramen della Carbonara, Natto […]

May 22, 2015

Postcard from Shanghai: Shengjian

by Yoko Kumano

*Yoko is in China for 10 days! And with no access to Facebook or Instagram, she is sending us photos the old school way — via postcards. We’ll be featuring these snapshots from Yoko in Chengdu and Shanghai all week here on the blog. Enjoy! – Kayoko Breakfast today was at the neighborhood hot spot […]

June 23, 2014

Umami Mart Map: The Chronicles of Nagoya

by Yoko Kumano

Instead of reaching there via a Wardrobe route, Nagoya is about a two-hour bullet train ride from Tokyo. It is the third most populous city in Japan, with 2.3 million people living within 11 square miles. Car geeks may know Nagoya as Toyota HQ. Gamblers may take note that it is where pachinko was born. […]

May 7, 2014

Lazyass Cookin’: How to Boil a Dumpling

by Kayoko Akabori

Have I seriously never posted anything about frozen dumplings? That’s crazy! Frozen dumplings have been my #1 go-to lazyass meal for years now. I used to buy the bags in the frozen food aisle at Chinese super markets, with their bright color-coded bags for bitter melon or chive and shrimp varieties (usually made in Thailand). […]

March 24, 2014

Umami Map: Oakland Chinatown

by Kayoko Akabori

One of the joys of working in Old Oakland is Chinatown. We’re only steps away to a wonderland of dirt-cheap eats and one-stop grocery shopping. It has taken us over a year to mine through its dense 4×3 block radius, consisting of restaurants, noodle shops, meat shops, pastry shops, trinket shops, electronic shops, meat shops, […]

November 20, 2013

Snack Break: Kingdom of Dumpling (SF)

by Melissa Gordon

Nestled deep in the OG fabric of San Francisco, Kingdom of Dumpling is the quintessential down to earth dumpling spot. I originally discovered this place a few years ago after a visit to my dentist, whose office is on Noriega Street in the Sunset district. After a routine cleaning, I stuck around to explore the neighborhood […]

June 6, 2013

Japanify: Gyoza Pt. 1 (Prep + Wrapping)

by Yoko Kumano

I have memories of gyoza from when I was in kindergarten. My grandma would invite my mom and aunts to her house — and they would wrap dumplings all day. My cousins and I would run around, play in the pool and take Oreo and orange juice breaks throughout the day. When the sun began […]

January 24, 2013

UM Recession: Ikaho Onsen

by Yoko Kumano

I woke up on January 1, 2013 ready to shred on the tatami mats at my husband’s parent’s house in western Tokyo. After a great workout I took a walk and saw Mt. Fuji in clear view. It was a memorable Jan 1 already. At 12 o’clock, my in-laws and I all piled into a […]

September 12, 2012

Skankynavia: California Workin’ + Chowin’

by Anders Arhoj

In the spring of 2012 I suddenly felt the urge to not spend a depressing summer in Copenhagen. Previous years had been a mixed pleasure of monsoon rain, heavy floods, grey skies and Antarctica beach temperatures. I seriously needed a shot of California. Coincidentally the ever food-obsessed Umami Mart team decided to open a shop […]

August 1, 2012

2 Days in LA

by Kayoko Akabori

Two weeks ago, I picked up Anders aka Mr. Skankynavia from LAX. It was a bit of a drive from the Bay Area, but a little vacay for both of us before we began the crazy build-out of our Oakland shop. We both love LA — the sunshine, the celebrity, the botox. L. Ron Hubbard […]