tools and techniques


May 30, 2016

Hario V60 Iced Coffee Maker: Cold Brew, Shorts, and Summer

by Yoko Kumano

Kayoko and I test every product we place in the store. We have to love it, use it, and find a place for it in our kitchens. This means that while it needs to look good, it also has to be easy enough for me to understand within the first five minutes of opening the […]

April 11, 2016

Japanify: How to Make Matcha

by Yoko Kumano

The first time I learned how to make matcha was from my grandmother, Baba-chan, in Tokyo. I was in second grade when she first showed me how to make matcha. I quickly forgot about it when I moved back to California in fourth grade. Oddly enough, while I was listening to industrial music in my […]

September 22, 2014

Casa de Kei: How to Clean + Season Cast Iron Like a PRO

by Kayoko Akabori

My brother Keisuke, aka Casa de Kei, is a pro. He went to culinary school, paid his dues as sous chef at Spago in Beverly Hills, and is now working alongside our father (also a chef) at Sushi Kuni restaurant in Cupertino, CA. He came over this weekend and we worked on some “kitchen projects” […]