Umami Mart

We are SUPER EXCITED to host a pop-up by Ippo Ramen this First Friday 4/5. Proprietor Steve Yee will be here starting at 6pm, ready to cook up some noodles to serve you his ramen. His simple menu consists of three choices: shoyu, miso and shio (salt) broths. He makes everything except the noodles by hand, […]

Two years after the Tohoku disaster in 2011, memories have faded and conversations about the incident, and what we can learn from it, are rapidly disappearing from the media. As time widens the gap between March 11, 2011 and the present, I wonder how I can stay connected to the issues that arose from the […]

In August, Tomo gifted us a daruma to celebrate the opening of Umami Mart. It is tradition to draw in one eyeball when you receive it while making a wish, then fill in the other when the wish comes true. Our wish was to sign a lease in six months. And we did it! We […]

We had a fun, bustling opening last month for our friend Aya Brackett‘s photography show opening. Titled Home is Oakland, Home is Japan, 12 of Aya’s photos are on exhibit on the back walls and nook of Umami Mart. Professionally, Aya’s food photography has been published in The New York Times, Monocle and Bon Appetit — for this show, Aya has […]

Yoko and I are showing our true, girly colors by celebrating Hinamatsuri (Girl’s Day) at Umami Mart! We had to do it — Yoko’s mom spent over a decade making a traditional ohinasama (ornamental doll) display with five tiers (!) that we felt we absolutely must showcase. Girl’s Day in Japan lands on March 3 every […]

With winter roots and wild mushrooms in abundance, January was a perfect time to invite Kelly Geary to Umami Mart for a Quick-Pickling and Canning event. Author of a the book Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for the Modern Kitchen, Kelly was visiting California from Brooklyn to showcase her Sweet Deliverance jams, […]

Based in Brooklyn, NY, Kelly Geary is the founder and chef for Sweet Deliverance, a thriving subscription program where she prepares healthy, delicious home-cooked meals out of her CSA shares. All with fresh and organic produce, she charts out each meal for the week, for her too-busy-to-cook customers — anything from salads and soups to […]

Photos by Jazmine Livingston On a cold December night, just days before Christmas, we hosted Peko-Peko for a night of HOT noodles! Sylvan and Hayato showed up with two big boxes of hand-pulled udon, plus roasted duck and leaks for garnish. And a huge pot for boiling the noodles! It was a wonderful event, full […]

It’s chilly out! Come by on Thursday for a bowl of udon, hand-pulled by Sylvan Brackett of Peko Peko. He will most likely be serving the soup with roasted duck and mushrooms. Sylvan’s udon are some of the best I’ve had in the Bay Area. Don’t miss this! WHAT: Peko Peko pop-up @ Umami Mart, […]

Popuphood is turning 1yo! We’re so thrilled to be a part of this great community for its first anniversary. To celebrate, we’re throwing a wine party! Our good friend Cory is the co-proprietor of Selection Massale, an East Bay-based wine distributor, focused on discovering wines by smaller, organic producers in Europe. We love Selection Massale’s […]