Umami Mart

Yoko and I first met bartender Tomokazu Kai in 2010, when we helped present an event with Suntory Whisky called the Tokyo-SF Bartender Salon. The event was held at Prizefighter bar in Emeryville and was meant to bring bartenders from Japan and the Bay Area together to present and talk about cocktails and bartending techniques. […]

*We asked our friend, Mr. Tomokazu Kai of Heuga Bar in Gifu City, “What types of towels and products do you use to clean your bar?” Mr. Kai, ever the thorough and serious bar professional, responded with this eloquent statement. Thanks Kai-san! Written by TOMOKAZU KAI Translated by YOKO KUMANO For cleaning the bar, I […]

Here’s a column idea that’s been brewing for a while: asking bartenders in Japan about their techniques, methods and current cocktail trends. Our first bartender is Mr. Tomokazu Kai, winner of Suntory’s 2011 Cocktail Award. Kai-san bartends at Heuga Bar in Gifu prefecture, and we had the pleasure of meeting him back in February for […]

Here is Part Deux in our Tokyo-SF Bartender Salon Series. Meet Monsieur Tomokazu Kai, bartender at Heuga Bar in Gifu, Japan. Mr. Kai won the 2011 Suntory Cocktail Award, and his prize was a trip to SF and NYC. Gifu is a way’s away from Tokyo, a city just north of Nagoya, but clearly it is […]