We've been event-crazy here at Umami Mart. We've put on one event every week in June and we are not slowing down! We've hosted sake events several times at Umami Mart HQ (in Oakland), but on June 10th we took the show on the road...
In November, we snuck in to San Francisco and popped-up in The Perish Trust for the holidays. But it's now April, spring is in bloom, and we're still here! We'll actually be staying in San Francisco until the new year, so on April...
By Anna de Castro Just when I thought February in NY could not get any dreamier (and by dreamy, I mean cold, slushy, and awaiting 6-8 more inches of snow), word came that a Bay Area favorite was making its way east,...
San Francisco Beer Week 2014 took place February 6th-16th, celebrating the Bay Area craft-beer scene with events, dinners, talks, and good times. We hosted Japan Beer Fest with The Trappist, a stellar beer bar located around the...
U M A M I: What is it? What does it taste like? Is it Japanese cartoon character? We get a lot of inquiries about the definition and concepts of umami at our Oakland shop, so we decided to team up with John over at...
Umami Mart's Oakland HQ turned one year old this last month. What a wonderful year it's been! To celebrate (as we do), we threw a big matsuri (festival) in the street -- Broadway hasn't seen anything like this! We gathered many of our food-tastic...
From the refreshing mugi (barley) varieties to musty imo (sweet potato) that demand your full attention, shochus are always the choice of drink for me. I fell in love with shochu while I lived in Tokyo. From oolong-hai's to oyuwari imo (sweet potato shochu with hot...
Umami Mart is a place where ideas and people come together, take charge and create magic. This is true for the blog, the online shop, and our brick-and-mortar space in Oakland, CA. When writers, friends, friends of friends, customers, food + drink enthusiasts, and...
We learned, we drank and we ate all things ume during our Umeshu Class last Sunday. During the two-hour session, we learned about the history of ume and umeshu, how to make it and ate an array of dishes that highlighted ume. Along side sips of...
On a lovely spring day, we hosted an event focused on seed season and gardening. One of our most popular items at Umami Mart are the Asian vegetable and fruit seeds by the Kitazawa Seed Company -- so we knew that many people in...
Photos by Josh Urich, The Joy of Drinking We did it! We signed a lease! After six months of free rent with Popuphood to see if we could "make it" in Old Oakland, we have proven to the world, and to...
How often do you see babies on the front page of Umami Mart??? Well, it was bound to happen at some point. Look at her, she's adorbz! It is quite rare for either Yoko or myself to show our true girly colors,...
We had a fun, bustling opening last month for our friend Aya Brackett's photography show opening. Titled Home is Oakland, Home is Japan, 12 of Aya's photos are on exhibit on the back walls and nook of Umami Mart. Professionally, Aya’s food photography has...
With winter roots and wild mushrooms in abundance, January was a perfect time to invite Kelly Geary to Umami Mart for a Quick-Pickling and Canning event. Author of a the book Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for...
Photos by Jazmine Livingston On a cold December night, just days before Christmas, we hosted Peko-Peko for a night of HOT noodles! Sylvan and Hayato showed up with two big boxes of hand-pulled udon, plus roasted duck and leaks for garnish....
Just a little over two months ago, my good friend in Tokyo sent me this short email: "Hey, I know Umami Mart isn't a music venue, but would you be interesting in hosting a show for a friend of mine?"...
I met Erin Gleeson during our freshman year of college in Santa Barbara. She would walk around campus with colorful wraps on her head, always a smile on her face. She always glowed with a certain magical charm that we all wanted, but could...
It all started with a vision. Three guys, slaving away at Chez Panisse for years, decided to open a ramen shop in Oakland. Hot damn! The East Bay needs nothing more than a GREAT ramen shop, and the Food Gods know it. They...
Did you know that a bee's lifespan is based on the distance it has flown? One bee lives to fly about a total of 500 miles. This is just one of the many things we learned from Betsy and Miguel of
Photos by Erin Gleeson After weeks of painting, building, going to Home Depot five times a day (ugh), sleepless nights, banh mis for breakfast/lunch/dinner, pestering our friends and families (are you done with that project yet? Can you cut wood for...
