Umami Mart

Hola from Tulum, Mexico! It has been an unforgettable trip: snorkling with turtles, hiking around ruins, biking around town, beach bumming. And eating! This photo of my shrimp, oyster and octopus coctél (cocktail) was taken at a local seafood joint. The avocado was neon green! And can’t forget the saladitas (saltine crackers). It was one […]

Remember when Yoko posted that pornlicious article about how to make ikura-don (salmon roe over rice), topped with a raw egg? Well, one night, she invited me over for dinner and she made ikura spaghetti!!! What a gluttonous noodle feast in a bowl. The al dente pasta had been lightly sauteed with garlic and tossed with […]

My partner Washi recently got a job as a salaryman. This may not seem that odd until you consider the fact that he is living in Berkeley, California and to qualify as a salaryman, you are usually employed by a Japanese corporation. I will miss his face behind the bar at Ippuku. And I will […]

There was an egg festival in my bowl of rice the other day. I placed a raw egg yolk on a mound of ikura (salmon roe) on top of my steaming hot bowl of rice. The orange hues are sexy and appetizing, glimmering in my bowl. No matter how many times I have ikuradon (ikura […]

Spaghetti alla Chitarra prepared by chef Dan Kluger at The Core Club. He is now the chef at ABC Kitchen in NYC. Photo by Erin Gleeson.

I’ve been reading on many Japanese blogs that people are stuffing sticky rice inside a whole chicken, which absorbs all the good stuff from the bird, and makes a very nice sticky rice accompanying a perfectly roasted bird. I was going to roast the whole bird, but realized I would be the only one who […]

By Kenji Miura Shiokara is a fantastic savory condiment to your favorite glass of shochu. This particular shiokara is made with surume ika (Japanese Common Squid or Pacific Flying Squid). INGREDIENTS 5 fresh squid 2 tbsp salt METHOD 1. Clean the squid. (Here’s how via Kyoto Foodie) 2. Cut the legs and ears (the triangular portion […]

*Nahoko Morimoto is a Tokyo-based photographer. Her work has been featured in Brutus and Vogue Japan.

Dish by Chef Scott Anderson. Photo by Erin Gleeson

I was in Miami for Thanksgiving, listening to salsa music while eating turkey, which was great. Last Thanksgiving, I had a steak in Fort Lauderdale, but this year we had a very traditional Thanksgiving meal, with nontraditional music accompaniment. Since Thanksgiving Day’s meal looks the same no matter how fancy, or tasty it may be, […]