Umami Mart

I am really into pulverizing food lately. In addition to my daily dose of fruit smoothie in the morning, I’ve also been experimenting with finely chopped foods. Chopping things can only be a pleasure if you have a really sharp knife, which is why I’ve been religiously sharpening my knifes this past month. If you don’t […]

Heat saute pan with olive oil, add napa cabbage, sauté for 30 seconds. Add mentaiko (spicy cod roe), chili flakes, and half of the shirasu (baby anchovies). Once slightly cooked, add pasta, stir and plate. Garnish with microgreens, shirasu, mentaiko and fried ginger (slow-fry ginger in olive oil until color and all liquid evaporates; ginger […]

On my recent trip to Japan, Kuni and I went to a kona-ya (flour shop) in Ikebukuro, Tokyo called Hokutou Seifun. They hold soba and udon noodle-making classes on the second floor of their storefront. Our fingerless noodle master was dedicated to his craft. HOKUTOU SEIFUN Minami Ikebukuro 1-15-22 Toshima-ku, Tokyo T: 03-3971-7131

In seven years of Umami Mart, there has not been a single post about dashinomoto! As the editor and founder of this international food blog, I am… ashamed. Dashinomoto (aka fake dashi aka MSG) is the backbone of LAZY Japanese home cooking. Yoko and Harumi Kurihara would not approve. But COME ON, sometimes, I don’t […]

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, […]

Come out for the 2nd edition of the Ippo Ramen pop-up here at Umami Mart. Last month, the ramen sold out in record time — 56 bowls in 56 minutes. You know what that means… get here EARLY if you want a bowl. Seriously. Steve will be serving his signature ramen with shoyu, miso and […]

I love canned fish. When I was little, I would eat canned sardines in miso sauce by the spoonful. Like ice cream! Haha. During my year living in Italy, I learned how to make this dish: pasta with canned tuna, onions and tomatos. So easy! In Italy I also discovered the increased quality and flavor […]

Cao lầu is a noodle dish comprised of pork, mint and noodles and is native to the town Hoi An in Vietnam. *Johnny Lopes is based in San Francisco and traveled through Southeast Asia for two months. See what he ate during his three-country tour on his Flickr feed.

My first-ever visit to New York was with my sister and it flew by. It’s been four years since we travelled together and she’s always so much fun — we do a lot of laughing, shopping and, of course, eating. This time was no exception as we raced through the city to meet our friends […]

We are SUPER EXCITED to host a pop-up by Ippo Ramen this First Friday 4/5. Proprietor Steve Yee will be here starting at 6pm, ready to cook up some noodles to serve you his ramen. His simple menu consists of three choices: shoyu, miso and shio (salt) broths. He makes everything except the noodles by hand, […]