Umami Mart

– Oy vey, Time Out London got some people down in the dumps about a recent video on Xiao Long Bao, or soup dumplings. The video on how to eat soup dumplings was posted on Facebook on March 28 with the caption, “Love popping spots AND eating dumplings? Combine the two with exploding soup dumplings […]

One of the first craft beer brewers in Japan is Kizakura Co, a Kyoto-based brewery that’s one of Japan’s top sake producers. Kizakura started making beer back in 1995, using the same clear, pure water they’ve been using to make their sake. And in some cases, the water is not the only overlapping ingredient between their […]

Kyoto is a bit stuffy for my taste. Literally, it gets SO HOT in the summer, I can’t deal. Plus, it’s a bit dainty compared to the gruff streets of Tokyo and Osaka, which is more my style. Kyoto is where to go if you want a slice of old world Japan – with all its temples […]

Looking to add new flavors to your tried-and-true recipe repertoire? May we suggest our latest offerings? Haku Black Garlic Shoyu and Haku Matsutake Shoyu are premium soy sauces full of flavor and complexity that’ll take ho-hum dishes to new places they’ve never been before. Brewed in Kyoto, Japan by master shoyu makers, both varieties are […]

Our Haku Shoyus have been getting lots of attention. Last week, New York Magazine‘s Grub Street included the Sakura Cherry Blossom Shoyu in its Edible Gift Guide, calling it “the rosé of soy sauce.” And Luke Tsai of the East Bay Express gave the trio of shoyus from Kyoto a shoutout in his Eat This Gift list. […]

My trip to Kyoto was awesome for many reasons. Temples, new friends, raw nature, or scenes like this one, just three boys feeding hawks like a flock of seagulls. Despite its rural look this is in the heart of Kyoto. And there was this: My couchsurfing host just happened to live within walking distance of […]

We are having a blast in Japan, gallivanting through Gifu, Kyoto and Osaka. This trip, we’re not even stopping off in Tokyo, so we can concentrate on all the riches of these western regions of Japan. Kyoto was hot and sticky, and we found cool reprieve at our friend Masayo’s restaurant, Kiln. It has been […]

It’s no secret that I have a massive man-crush on Ramenate, a ramen blog written by a guy named Nate. For the longest time I didn’t know his name and thought the blog was pronounced ramen nah-tay, like French. He’s one of the rare bloggers whose writing holds my interest regardless of the subject matter […]

My wife and I are dressed to kill. The guards are looking us up and down. My hands are sweating. I enter awkwardly remembering last minute to bow, even though I’m not sure who these people are greeting us at the door. We walk further in and meet Eriko, the multi-lingual and chic Italian counterpart […]

Since seeing Michael Romano’s collections of Japanese knives (many were around $1,000, but some were custom made and cost him $5,000, which he displays, never uses) at one of the programs I organized last fall, I determined the need to graduate from my Global knives. I mean, I like them– they are basic and cuts […]