The Kamenoko Tawashi is one of the most ubiquitous household cleaning tools in Japan. Invented in 1907, these durable handmade scrub brushes are used to clean pots and pans, kitchen sinks, bathtubs, floors, dirty boots, and anything else that can use a heavy-duty scrubbing. Aside from its functionality, this iconic Japanese scrubber has a fascinating backstory: Its origin arose from a […]
Author Archives: Sarah Han
April 14, 2017
The Umami Reader: The Japanese Wiener Obsession
– Hot diggity dog, check this out! Kayoko is quoted in a recent article written by Jonathan Kauffman for the San Francisco Chronicle on Japanese hot dogs. Kauffman reached out to Umami Mart for any tidbits we could give on the All-American-meets-Japan food mash-up, which has recently been showing up on more menus in San Francisco […]
April 7, 2017
The Umami Reader: Here’s How You Shouldn’t Eat Soup Dumplings
– 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 […]
April 5, 2017
Bay Eats Japan: April 2017
Welcome to 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 future. San Francisco […]
March 31, 2017
The Umami Reader: Drake Learns Not to Eat Crappy Sushi in Amsterdam
– Seventeen-thousand disappointed Drake fans in Amsterdam learned 75-minutes into waiting for his Monday-night performance that the rapper would not be playing after all. The reason for Drake’s abrupt cancellation: bad sushi. TMZ reports that he got a case of food poisoning so bad that he had to get medical treatment. Fans were angry and started throwing shit […]
March 24, 2017
The Umami Reader: The Art of Handmade Soba
–  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 […]
March 21, 2017
Snack Break: Bhugay’s Katsu Burger
Bhugay’s Katsu Curry. I first noticed this hole-in-the-wall back in November, while riding my bike home from Umami Mart. Located on 14th Street at Jefferson, in Downtown Oakland, its beguiling, decidedly non-Japanese name had me wondering. A little Googling led to more information: Bhugay’s Katsu Curry was opened last September by a chef-owner named Bhugay, who also […]
March 17, 2017
The Umami Reader: The Death of Lucky Peach
– Some sad news for fans of Lucky Peach: The six-year-old food media company created by Peter Meehan and David Chang announced that it will soon close up shop. Lucky Peach will put out one final book (about eggs) in April, and the magazine will put out its last regular issue in May, and close out with a double […]
March 10, 2017
The Umami Reader: Japan’s Pizza Hut Cats Are Back!
– In 2014, Pizza Hut Japan created a cat-tastic ad campaign. “Pizza Cat!” was a fictional Pizza Hut location run by an all-cat staff. The ads featured Tencho, Hime, Dora, and Detch “working” (aka doing cute cat stuff) at a Pizza Hut. Last month, Pizza Hut Japan brought back the Pizza Cats to promote coupons via their new mobile […]
March 7, 2017
Bay Eats Japan:Â March 2017
Welcome to 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 future. San Francisco […]