Umami Mart

Since opening in 2015, Sequoia Sake Brewery has been a gem in the heart of the Bay Area. Located just south of Portrero Hill, founders Noriko Kamei and Jake Myrick use their space as a full-scale sake brewery, as well as a venue to host sake tastings. Here they brew all six of their nama (unpasteurized) […]

The Knockout. You may be familiar with this bar if you’re a fan of Barry Jenkins, as it made a cameo in 2008’s Medicine For Melancholy. Or perhaps you’ve attended such dance parties such as Oldies Night, Booty Basement, or Smithfits. Meet Beth. Longtime friend and my favorite advocate for San Francisco. Join her on Tuesday evenings […]

Do you want to go where everyone knows your name? The Phone Booth is a well-loved neighborhood dive found at 25th and South Van Ness in the Mission. It’s a place I affectionately referred to as my living room, because it was where I could watch a Warriors game and listen to Rihanna at the same time. Meet Liz. […]

I sat down and had coffee with Troy Bayless, the co-owner and bar manager of Holy Mountain, a bar tucked upstairs from Hawker Fare restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District. Troy’s an interesting guy and I had a lot fun talking to him about what he’s been up to and what Holy Mountain is all about. I’ve always known you as the guy […]

A labor of love has finally been realized after nearly two years in the making: a Japanese-style bathhouse and restaurant in San Francisco! Opened in the Tenderloin neighborhood by husband and wife team Sunny Simmons and Caroline Smith, Onsen is a relaxing oasis in the middle of the city, in a location that was once an […]

Make yourself the ultimate autumn-flavored drink with Pumpkin Bitters. This seasonal infusion is made by Workhorse Rye, a San Francisco-based distiller. Using five different types of organic heirloom pumpkins from La Tercera Farms, Workhorse Rye roasts and macerates them with a melange of spices and flavorings, including sage, chamomile, rosemary, rooibos, green cardamom, cinnamon, cacao, and vanilla. Together, these flavors are all infused […]

This week, The Michelin Guide released its much-anticipated list of awardees of its coveted stars. As of this year, the Bay Area has six three-star (the highest grade) restaurants and a total of 55 starred restaurants across the region. Three new one star-winners are notable to us at Umami Mart because of their Japanese focus, or, in one […]

I’ve heard a lot about Cassava in the last few years and finally made it over to the Avenues in Outer Richmond for the Japanese breakfast. To my knowledge, it is the only traditional Japanese breakfast offered in the Bay Area, and absolutely worth the trip. Cassava opened in 2012 (just like Umami Mart!) by […]

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Welcome to our new column, Bay Eats Japan, where we’ll alert you to newly and soon-to-be opened Japanese restaurants and bars in the Bay Area. As we’ll be listing new places, a mention is not necessarily a recommendation. Use this as a handy way to keep track of new spots you might want to try in the […]