August 2, 2012
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS??? Umami Mart’s big grand opening is tomorrow night! The doors will officially open at 6pm sharp, and we’ll be having a special kagamiwari ceremony at 6:30pm, which is a tradition of breaking open a cask of sake. It symbolizes the start of a new beginning. Woohoo! This will not be a dry event. […]
July 25, 2012
Hello! Sorry I haven’t been blogging much, but I wanted to update you on how the shop is coming along. Our big opening day will be next Friday 8/3! Waaaaa! We’re slaving away here every day and have put everyone we know to work. Ha! No seriously, all of our friends and families are involved […]
July 4, 2012
I love this time of the year when farmers markets set up during the evenings downtown. There’s nothing better at the end of the day than a stroll through the market, basket in hand, the smell of fresh fruit and herbs in the air. I met Jack after work at the market and we gathered […]
June 27, 2012
After all this talk of fancy dining, 4-star service, Le Bernardin and the lack thereof, I’m bringing it all back to what we’re all about: SOUL. Umami Mart is all about love and sharing and laughter and how food plays a great role in that in our lives. Yoko and I had an errand to […]
June 25, 2012
I am ecstatic to announce that Yoko and I will be opening a real-deal brick and mortar store in Oakland, California!!! This all happened very quickly for us and these last few weeks have been filled with meetings, many trips to the hardware store, more meetings, and lots of painting. The construction will come soon […]
June 7, 2012
We all have those comfort dishes that are close to our heart, and transport us back to childhood when biting into whatever it may be. For me, a bowl of chicken udon from Gombei always makes me tear up with nostalgia. Originally a little diner-style eatery in San Jose’s Japantown, Gombei has been a Bay […]
May 31, 2012
We’re proud to present an event with Cask (a delightful beverage shop in SF) and Suntory (proprietor of Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu whiskies), for an intimate seminar on Japanese whisky and tasting for Father’s Day. WHEN: Sunday June 17 at 1pm or 5pm WHERE: Local Edition, a swank new underground bar in SF, located on […]
May 30, 2012
When it comes to matters of eating out, I am pretty inflexible. Since I will travel long distances for good food, I get pretty upset if I don’t get what I had originally intended. By nature, I am quite stubborn (classic Taurean trait), and I am even more so about what I eat. So when […]
May 15, 2012
Do you guys all know my pops? His name is Kunio, and he is a sushi chef. Classically trained as a tempura chef, he was offered to transfer to Los Angeles where Inagiku, the Tokyo restaurant he worked at, was opening a location in the iconic Bonaventure Hotel. So, the Akaboris all ended up in […]
May 10, 2012
Mr. Thad Vogler needs no introduction. He is a leading barman in the Bay Area and beyond, who opened Bar Agricole in San Francisco in 2011. Named after agricole rum (rum made with 100% raw cane sugar), Thad has put his heart, soul, personal philosophies, and many years of experience into the restaurant — which […]