Umami Mart

10:44 AM Amy: Lady–STOP THE PRESSES! I found Mexican food in New York yesterday and it was off the fucking hook! 10:45 AM me: omg where Amy: KIOSKO PIAXTLA258 Graham Ave.Brooklyn NY.Tel. 718 388 29 57Open Lunch & Dinner11 am to 9 pm so fucking good 10:46 AM the carna asada and the carnitas are […]

Eater reports the shutting down of the old school, million-year old East Village Italian sweet shop institution. Stay strong Venny! Don’t let them get you down! Just put out some mouse traps and call it a day! I have said it before, and I will say it again: FUCK THE DOH. Here’s my post on […]

kayoko (1:51:48 PM): tell me about that steak you had at Diner amira (1:53:19 PM): ahh kayoko (1:51:53 PM): Matt said it was awesome amira (1:53:21 PM): sure amira (1:53:30 PM): absolutely the best steak I’ve had in the States amira (1:53:35 PM): Better than Peter Lugers kayoko (1:52:08 PM): WOW amira (1:53:42 PM): because […]

Here’s a fancyfun activity for next Monday night at the ever-enchanting Kyotofu in Hell’s Kitchen- a 7 course shochu pairing dinner! Shochu is a Japanese barley liquor- basically Japan’s version of vodka. Explore all the wacky varieties with different dishes! Mention Umami Mart when you make a reservation, and get $10 off your spot! I’m […]

Many say that Dinosaur is the best bbq in town- nestled deep into the northwest corner of Manhattan, borderline Harlem/Morningside Heights, under the rumblings of the West Side Highway. It’s quite a trek, which made for the perfect Umamiventure. I made a reservation for 10 people on a Sunday night. THANK GOD. When we got […]

Kalustyan’s is spice heaven. Around since 1944, it’s a mecca of Indian and Middle Eastern ingredients- a small space jammed tight with thousands of different spices, nuts, dried fruits, beans, rice, salts, blahblah. And for all you condiment freaks, they have a wall devoted to the weirdest sauces from all over the world. They don’t […]

Troy is a dear friend who lives and works in Brooklyn- he only comes out into the city on special occasions (good for him!). He recently went on a gourmet market splurge around Brooklyn, picked up a bunch of delightful foodstuffs, and stayed in and cooked with his lucky bf Corey. Considering how much we […]

Veniero is an East Village institution- una pasticceria (pastry shop) that makes the best cheesecake in the city. I say this with certainty. I’m reading that it’s been in the same building since 1894, owned and operated by the Veniero family the entire time!!! Now that is incredible. There’s even a sign on the corner […]

I took a day off last week to hang out with a friend who was visiting from Tokyo. There’s something really special about wandering around the city like a tourist when you’re supposed to be working- you see NY in such a different light (it’s called daylight-on-a-weekday light). We were on our way to Chinatown […]

Minca, Setagaya, Rai Rai Ken – there are suddenly many of Japanese ramen joints hopping up in the city. Ramen’s best aspects are:1. It’s easy2. It’s cheap3. It’s quick I’ve been to some of the famed ramen restaurants, and to this day, I haven’t been impressed by any of them at all. I’ve read quite […]