Umami Mart

It’s time to raise a pint or three! SF Beer Week begins on Friday, February 6, and this is the ultimate guide for the true beer aficionado. This isn’t for people who say they like beer and proceed to order what may as well be carbonated grain-flavored water. This is a special time for folks who […]

As Yoko and I are putting together our events calendar for the year, we are so excited to include our 2nd annual JAPAN BEER FEST during SF Beer Week. Once again, we’ll be collaborating with our awesome neighbors The Trappist, who will be providing over 15 beers on tap and bottled. If you remember the […]

We are beyond excited to announce yet another collaboration event with our neighbor The Trappist. Baird Beer, a brewery from Numazu, Japan will be visiting for one night only, taking over 10 taps at the Trappist! Mr. Bryan Baird himself will be here from Japan, along with John, who works at the brewery as well. […]

San Francisco Beer Week 2014 took place February 6th-16th, celebrating the Bay Area craft-beer scene with events, dinners, talks, and good times. We hosted Japan Beer Fest  with The Trappist, a stellar beer bar located around the corner from Umami Mart in Oakland. showcasing ten craft brews from Japan, and the day’s specialty, Pastramen. It was a humid and […]

All day to do as I pleased, all night to gorge on cheese: this was my MLK weekend mantra. It was the start of the Winter Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center, so Chris was away meeting luminaries of the gourmet world while I puttered about at home, varying my errands with cooking projects […]

We are ECSTATIC to announce our first partnership with The Trappist, our wonderful neighbor, and one of the Bay Area’s most revered beer bars. The Trappist specializes in Belgian, European and American microbrews, and its menu contains pages of specialty beers on tap and bottles. We had one of our first Bay Area Umamiventures here, […]

My husband, Chris, has an unusual vice: buying refrigerators. “You’re so patient with me,” he says as he slices open another big box. The zip-zip-BRAP sound of cardboard flaps separating is one I’ve come to associate with the rearrangement of our living quarters. Perhaps it would be normal to have four refrigerators in a sprawling […]

Last year we hosted a Hannukah party with Erin of The Forest Feast, and her husband Rabbi Jon, in our first year of business in Oakland. It was a peaceful evening, and the first time I ever lit a menorah! The event was meaningful to us and we decided to make it an annual event. […]

Categorically speaking, a flip is a cocktail in which a whole egg is deployed, the reason being to impart a richness, body, and a silky texture to a drink. Because of how rich these drinks are, they are considered more appropriate during the chillier months (unless you’re like a certain photographer for The PDT Project, […]

A simple blend of Byrrh (a fortified aromatized wine similar to a sweet vermouth with quinine), Crème de Cassis (a black currant liqueur), and soda water, the Byrrh Cassis was among a number of light aperitif style cocktails that were in vogue in Europe during the early 20th century, especially during the spring and summer […]