I have no shame, the invitation for Kayoko’s farewell party said it started at 6:00 — and I knew Yamahomo was cooking, so I was the first to arrive! It gave me a chance to scout out all the wonderful dishes that he slaved over for all of us. And it also gave me the opportunity to take some photos of everything before the party animals dug in. (I took photos of mostly everything, I think I missed a few things like the homemade guacamole and veggie dip — I must’ve started eating and got distracted.)

Just look at this spread, compliments of Yamahomo:
Bacon wrapped dates:

Pastry cups filled with Swedish meatballs & potatoes:

And pastry cups filled with a special cream cheese and dill mixture:

Mini-chicken burgers:

Pigs in a blanket (with kielbasa, not hot dogs!):

Salmon avocado tartar (my personal fave):

Homemade sushi!!

Once the party was underway, Chef Yamahomo started cooking his homemade gyoza (potstickers):

When he plated and served them, everyone screamed in delight. Partygoer Erin had the line of the night: “This is the weirdest f**ing party I have ever been to.” What can we say? We Umami’s love our food!

If you think that’s weird – who would’ve ever thought a gourd would be the highlight of the night:

What a great way for all of us to send off Kayoko…it was also nice for many of us to meet face-to-face since we have all read each other posts. Even two-time blogger (okay, maybe three) Mel made a special trip back to NYC for the bash!

Just when you thought you couldn’t eat enough (at least those of us who were there from the beginning), Yama presented his famous mille layer cake — to die for!

As the night went on, more fun was had…kimonos started breaking out — what in the world??

What a beautiful bride she will be:

And then you knew it was getting crazy when Yamahomo started walking about in heels!

Keep eating and writing, Kayoko — get the west coast branch of Umamimart up and running! Bon voyage and safe travels!

And thanks to the host with the most — it was all incredibly delicious!