Umami Mart

During midsummer, tradition is to have unagi (freshwater eel) on specific days. The days are called doyou no ushinohi (土用の丑の日) to provide a nutritional treat, as well as to help survive the hot season. Unagi carries a lot of “stamina” nutrition, such as vitamins A and B-complex. The ancient Japanese diet, like today, was mostly vegetables […]

Whenever I go to Sushi Kuni alone for lunch, I always sit at the sushi counter in front of Kuni. It’s usually packed with Apple employees and the staff are usually all running around like a bunch of crazed chickens — so even if I really want to indulge in some nigiri sushi or makimono, […]

The Japanese dish hambagu derives from the Hamburg steak. Hamburg steak is the patty of a hamburger. Hamburg Steak were usually served with a side of potatoes in Germany. The Americans put the Hamburg steak in bread — hence the hamburger. The Japanese appropriated the Hamburg by serving it with rice, of course. Eventually the Japanese […]

Yakitori is the perfect food: delicious, dainty morsels that come in a variety of ingredients and flavours which you keep eating and ordering on repeat. And on skewers. What is it about skewers that enhances the taste of grilled meat and veg a thousandfold? Bincho has been a firm favourite amongst Londoners since it opened […]

I have memories of gyoza from when I was in kindergarten. My grandma would invite my mom and aunts to her house — and they would wrap dumplings all day. My cousins and I would run around, play in the pool and take Oreo and orange juice breaks throughout the day. When the sun began […]

Duck has always been a bird I’ve been meaning to explore. Its rich, luscious fat always makes me feel like I’m indulging in something reserved for a special occasion. I always dream about the duck fat potato chips that Hopscotch in Oakland fries up to perfection. Those definitely make me feel special, and happy to […]

Mame gohan (beans and rice) with English sweet peas, organic radish, negi (green onions) and katsuo bushi (bonito flakes). INGREDIENTS Serves 2 1 cup short grain rice (washed) 1 1/8 cup dashi or water 1 cup shucked and blanched English sweet peas 1/2 cup cut and blanched organic radishes 1/2 cup katsuo bushi 2 tbsp thin […]

I have a confession to make: I am not a fan of potlucks. I’ve always found it to be a lot of pressure and kind of take them too seriously. But bringing a home-cooked dish to a party is not only financially practical for the party host and guests, but also supposed to be FUN, […]

Ebi Chili is the best example of a dish that has been Japanified. It was originally created in the 1950s by a Chinese immigrant in Japan, taking cues from Sichuan-style cooking. It’s a shrimp dish that has a little spice and a little sweetness, perfect for the Japanese palate that typically can’t handle serious heat. […]

The craze for sweets in Japan is so peculiar. There’s always, “This Year’s #1 Dessert!” which will inevitably be forgotten about next year. Sweets like macarons and other delicate pastries are kicked up a notch or two once they enter Japan land. Its level of sophistication is nothing you will see here in the States. […]