Umami Mart

The Gohan Society is a non-profit organization bridging together US and Japan through food. Their programs are quite intricate and very educational.  For example, they had a series on “how to use fish” courses, targeted to professional chefs, from filleting the whole fish to fresh eel butchering to ike-jime. The students, from Wilie Dufresne (WD […]

Field to Table: The Role of Vegetables in Japanese Diet Monday, October 25 @ 6:30 pm Japan Society NYC Do you remember my post on Kajitsu, THE BEST vegan restaurant? Chef Nishihara just received TWO STARS from Michelin 2010! Just so you know, Eleven Madison only got one star, and Del Posto– which just received […]

Just got back from a long weekend in NYC. The trip killed me. I ran around all day, tried to see everyone, ate and drank myself into a tizzy, and literally collapsed in exhaustion. It made me feel old. That said, it really is an incredible city for eating. Like anywhere, there are some major […]

I don’t like vegetables that much. I am not keen on vegetarianism. I am not that into organic vegetables. I hate cooking for vegetarians since I have no idea what to do. Though I buy quite a few items at the Greenmarket, I don’t even care  if they are soaked in chemicals– I taint my […]

I forgot how fun Hibachi is! I was recently invited to a 12 year old’s birthday dinner at Ginza in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Although he looks slightly terrified in the photo above, he really had a great time! Photo © Erin Gleeson

You know it’s true: it’s damn near impossible these days to find a good sandwich. What’s up with that? I mean seriously, it should NOT be that hard to make a decent-tasting sandwich. I blame Subway’s $5 Footlong entirely– they’ve made it impossible for the public to have any standards when it comes to the […]

For those who are itching to go to Japan but can’t afford the trip or don’t have the patience for that 14-hour flight,  Japan Society is offering the next best thing: j-CATION!  It’s a 12 hour mini experience of Japan and Japanese culture without leaving NYC.  From  game show-style contests, music, film, and a variety […]

A bourbon expert once told me that the defining ingredient in a cocktail is bitters. PDT clearly takes this very seriously.

Wine bar meets patisserie? Yes, please! Especially when it involves Pichet Ong.  Imagine a place where you can sit either with a book and cappuccino in the afternoon or with friends and Cabernet in the evening. Reminiscent of a mini Parisian brasserie, the walls are decorated with antique mirrors and the leather booths are cozy. […]

Umamimart finally relaunched last month. We made it! It’s now, I hope, faster and easier to navigate for ya’ll– and of course, so much prettier. Although we’re still tirelessly trying to work out the kinks, I think this move marks a new era for Umamimart. Heck Yah! To celebrate, I made a pitstop to NYC […]