Eat Out


November 11, 2010

Japanify: Mad Hunt for Tan Tan Men

by Yoko Kumano

Still on a quest to find excellent tan tan men in the Bay Area. Tan tan men is ramen with ground beef and cilantro, in a spicy hot soup– I used to eat it all the time in Tokyo. Here’s a bowl I had last week at Himawari Ramen in San Mateo. Descent, but my […]

October 14, 2010

Best of UM: Umamiventure #24: Guerilla Ramen Night (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

By Wen Originally posted on April 21, 2010 *This Umamiventure report, a love letter to ramen from the old world to new, is written by special guest writer Wen, originally posted on her blog, We Eat Everything. All photos by Wen. A recent New York Times article about exploring Tokyo via its ramen shops left […]

September 23, 2010

Baja Fish Tacos at Taqueria La Familia (Berkeley)

by Kayoko Akabori

These are probably the best Baja/Ensenada-style fish tacos I’ve had since the epic Fish Taco Crawl in San Diego last year (Umamiventure #21). The FISH TACOS neon sign just kept screaming out at me whenever I drove past this little joint, on a busy strip where Berkeley and Oakland meet. I always order the fish […]

September 17, 2010

Umamiventure #28: San Tung Restaurant (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

Sometimes, I pick a place for an Umamiventure just to regroup with friends, their friends, and loyal Umamimart readers. That’s what these trips are for, afterall: to meet + eat. Choosing a place, however, it is never an easy task– the restaurant must be delicious, relatively cheap (ideally $20 per person) and can handle a […]

August 12, 2010

Ramen Night, Part Deux (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

Back in April, we had a very special Umamiventure— Marcel (we call him that here), a dude who has been making ramen out of his home for the last year and a half, invited Umamimart over to try it. Fifteen of us showed up and gathered in his living room as he toiled away in […]

August 11, 2010

Happy Hour: Savoy Cocktail Book Night (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

Paystyle is out this week– after his series of recaps on Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, he’s burnt out and taking a personal day. It is Sloth Season after all, and we all deserve a break from Umamimart reporting. He suggested I fill in this week for Happy Hour as a guest writer. […]

August 5, 2010

Bivalve Love: Hog Island Oyster Co. (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

No one loves oysters more than Umamimart. Ok, maybe that’s a presumptuous statement to make on the I N T E R N E T, but I really really really love the bivalve, and most of my colleagues here do too. It’s my favorite food, and it will most definitely be at my L’ultima Cena. […]

July 28, 2010

Boot and Shoe Service: Pizza! And So Much More (OAK)

by Kayoko Akabori

When Jade’s comes into town, it usually means trouble. Trouble in the form of drinking too much, going out for extravagant meals, and not remembering where all your money went the next morning. She’s the ultimate enabler. So… Jade’s in town. Mix that with Yoko and Washi right up the street, and I’ve got a […]

July 22, 2010

Umamiventure #27: The Trappist (OAK)

by Kayoko Akabori

Met up with fellow Umamimartians last week at The Trappist, a Belgian beer bar in “Old” Oakland, downtown. I made SF folks come out to the East Bay– and they actually did! On a school night! Such trickery. The thing is, The Trappist is so much more than just a specialty beer bar. Oh, so […]

July 16, 2010

Packaging Whore: The Salumi Cone @ Boccalone (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

Mortadella, prociutto cotto, and prociutto crudo slices… in a CONE. This is how we’ll be eating meat in the future. How about steak (medium rare please!) in a cone? Hot dog in a cone? Slab bacon in a cone? Hmmm… I think I’m onto something. This reminds me of… this. Anyway, LOVE THIS. Look at […]