Umami Mart

–  If you’ve had freshly-made soba, you know that the difference between dried and fresh buckwheat noodles is astounding, but even then, you might not know the amount of work that goes into making these noodles. To get an idea, watch this short film about Seattle-based chef Mutsuko Soma of Kamonegi, who makes soba in the traditional Japanese way. Every […]

There are ingredients that I always keep in stock in my kitchen; they are my daikoubutsu (favorite foods). Without them I feel like I have no fall-back option when sipping on sake or wine. Two of these ingredients are avocado and nuts. I regularly incorporate both into sauces, dips, and salads. They are really handy when […]

It’s a cool, cool summer. At least in the Bay Area, where we’re getting fogged-in a bit this week. Still, when summertime comes around, we’re all about eating chilled foods, like Hiyashi Chuka, Cold Tofu Salad, Cha-Soba, and Nikumiso Udon. Our two new Studio Arhoj Summer Bowls are perfect for tucking in to cold dishes. Their […]

For the past few years, I’ve been hoping to get into an Oreno restaurant in Tokyo. Established in 2011, their mission is two-fold: 1. Serve dishes prepared by Michelin-starred class chef, at one-third the price you would pay in a high-end restaurant; 2. Food costs make up 60% of expenses. To make up for the […]

Japan is noodle crazy. Each station in each town of each prefecture have their own noodle specialty. Being noodle fiends ourselves, Kayoko and I researched some of the regional noodles of Niigata prefecture before setting foot there last month. As soon as we arrived, we noticed a lot of ramen and soba. We wanted to […]

We made it! After a restless 16 hours of travel — I read this month’s New Yorker (excellent expose on Amazon and its monopoly on the publishing industry) and Vanity Fair (The Hollywood Issue! Rupert Murdoch’s marital betrayal!) cover to cover, whilst listening to Howard Stern — Yoko and I have touched down and are […]

On my recent trip to Japan, Kuni and I went to a kona-ya (flour shop) in Ikebukuro, Tokyo called Hokutou Seifun. They hold soba and udon noodle-making classes on the second floor of their storefront. Our fingerless noodle master was dedicated to his craft. HOKUTOU SEIFUN Minami Ikebukuro 1-15-22 Toshima-ku, Tokyo T: 03-3971-7131

In seven years of Umami Mart, there has not been a single post about dashinomoto! As the editor and founder of this international food blog, I am… ashamed. Dashinomoto (aka fake dashi aka MSG) is the backbone of LAZY Japanese home cooking. Yoko and Harumi Kurihara would not approve. But COME ON, sometimes, I don’t […]

A gleaming school of herring greeted me upon my arrival on U.S. shores yesterday. After landing from Tokyo, my first errand after dropping off my bags at home was a visit to my local fish monger (Monterey Fish Market). Winter is a cornucopia of goodies for seafood. Crabs, oysters, salmon roe and herring are just […]

Sakura-ebi kakiage at Nunotsunesarashina in Tsukiji, my favorite soba spot when I lived in Tokyo.