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 […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
August 30, 2016
Mikkeller Tasting Room Now Open in Oakland!
Oakland just got a little bit hipper (if that was at all possible) – we now have our very own Mikkeller bar! Opened in the former Trappist Provisions space, the tasting room and bottle shop is a charming ode to all things Mikkeller. Mikkeller launched as a beer brewery in Copenhagen in 2006. They are an innovative company […]
August 8, 2016
Happy Hour: The Western
It is really difficult to create cocktails using sake as a base. Sake tends to be subtle and the nuances are often lost when other spirits are combined into the drink. So it takes a genius who understands these subtleties to come up with a cocktail that allows the sake to shine on the palate. Our friends […]
August 1, 2016
Event Recap: Intro to Making Syrups with Emily Han
We had such a great time with Emily Han, who spent a Sunday afternoon showing us how to make syrups. Her newest book Wild Drinks and Cocktails, is chock-full of inventive yet simple recipes for shrubs, infusions, syrups, and more. Emily is an herbalist and nature lover who opens readers up to a world of herbs and […]
July 25, 2016
Upcoming Event: 4th Annual Umami Mart Matsuri!
It’s that time of year again, Matsuri time! Umami Mart turns 4yo this year and our annual fiesta will be jam-packed and rowdier than ever. It’s Oakland’s Party of the Year! Our Matsuri, this year on Saturday 8/13, is always our way to celebrate our birthday and honor our community – our favorite people! We love all of you who have been […]
July 6, 2016
Happy Hour: Umeboshi Splash!
My best friend Sara wrote a book and it just came out! It’s called Never Ever and it is a young adult fiction novel recreating the story of Peter Pan. I just finished the book yesterday and I must say that it is brilliant! It is the perfect pool-side summer read, or a way to spend […]
June 27, 2016
Event Recap: Sakqueso!
Sakqueso!, just as the name suggests, was an event we put on pairing cheese with sake. It was loads of FUN! We invited Keisuke Akabori to create a five-course menu and Tim Sullivan of Hakkaisan Brewery to come and pair the dishes with their sakes. Sake and cheese pair very well, wouldn’t you know, since […]
June 16, 2016
The Umami Mart Bottle System Now Online!
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for… drum roll please… our Japanese beers and sakes are officially online! This is a project we’ve been working on here at UMHQ for the last few months and we can’t wait to share this with you. Remember when we opened the Bottle System at Umami Mart in […]
June 13, 2016
Exquisite Gems from the Sea at Ginpachi Sushi (Niigata)
One of the great joys of importing barware from Japan is that we not only make annual visits to the factories in Niigata but we also get to stop into Ginpachi, a local sushi-ya in Sanjo City. Yoko and I now know that Ginpachi is closed on Mondays – one year we visited Niigata on a Monday […]