Umami Mart

Hi everyone, Kayoko here, filling in for Yoko’s column today. Yoko has set the bar quite high for tips, techniques and recipes on Japanese cooking, so I really thought hard about what I would be writing about. I browsed through all my Japanese cookbooks and magazines for ideas, and even consulted with some folks about […]

I posted about Mangetsu’s Mugi-toro Don the other day, Tokyo JUNKtion: Mugi-toro Don at MANGETSU, and promised to get back to UMAMIMART with more coverage on Mangetsu since one post was just not enough. You will probably see me at Mangetsu one to three times a week during these past two months (I was introduced […]

One of the best ad campaigns I have seen in Japan is for Kewpie’s Tarako (Cod Roe) Pasta Sauce. These ads have been running for the past three years and have created a branding craze for Kewpie dolls dressed up as tarako. Check out these ads bordering on creepy and kawaii (cute).

Mentaiko and sesame oil are meant to be together forever. I realized this when I first tried Mentaiko Gohan (Rice) at one of the izakayas I frequent. Luckily, the ingredients were so simple that I could recreate the dish to a T at home. It has since become my ultimate comfort food. Ingredients: 1 generous […]