Umamiventure

Umamiventures are organized monthly, traveling far and wide to find good, cheap grub off the beaten path.

March 22, 2011

Umamiventure #32: TCHO Chocolate Factory (SF)

by Kayoko

TCHO

Photos by Travis LoDolce.

The history of chocolate-making in the Bay Area runs deep. Ghiradelli, Scharffen Berger, and Guittard are some of the big names in chocolate that started here, and the community of smaller, more artisinal chocolatiers continues to grow. Clearly, San Francisco is a place for chocolate-lovers; and for the die-hards, a
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February 23, 2011

SOLD OUT! Heads Up – Umamiventure #32: TCHO Chocolate Factory (SF)

by Kayoko

TCHO Umamiventure

My first introduction to TCHO chocolates was in 2007, working in New York City. My friend Fumiko, who worked closely with Silicon Valley techie innovators, handed me a bar and told me that it was the next big thing in chocolate.

She was right.

Started by the founders of Wired magazine, TCHO is
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February 4, 2011

Umamiventure #31: Sutton Cellars Vermouth Lab (SF)

by Kayoko

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All photos by Yoko Kumano unless otherwise specified.

On a warm, sunny day in San Francisco, 23 guests and I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Sutton Cellars Winery for an afternoon Vermouth Class, where we learned about its history, evolution, production methods, and different taste profiles and components. The man behind the podium (er,
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January 11, 2011

SOLD OUT!: Umamiventure #31: Sutton Cellars Vermouth Lab (SF)

by Kayoko

Updated 1/28, 9am PST: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! Stay tuned for February’s Umamiventure!

Sutton & soda

Updated 1/28, 9am PST: THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT! Stay tuned for February’s Umamiventure!

When I first read about Carl Sutton’s vermouth in the NY Times last year, I was immediately intrigued. Now, we’re in the Bay Area, where the wine
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December 7, 2010

Umamiventure #30: Four Barrel Coffee Cupping (SF)

by Kayoko

Umamiventure #30: Four Barrel Coffee Cupping (SF)

Umamiventure #30 was indeed a memorable affair, and much more than what any of us expected. It was a night of Serious Coffee Schooling– from the bean picking process, to roasting, to tasting– all courtesy of Four Barrel
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November 10, 2010

SOLD OUT – Heads Up! Umamiventure #30: Four Barrel Coffee Cupping (SF)

by Kayoko

DSCN9108

Update (Thurs. 11/11, 12pm PST): EVENT SOLD OUT!!!

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Wow THIRTY Umamiventures, can you believe? Pretty damn awesome, considering the very first one was in 2007, on a trek out to Flushing, Queens for quite possibly the best dim sum in New York City.

I’m living in the Bay
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October 26, 2010

Umamiventure #29: Bitters Tasting with A.B. Smeby Bittering Co. (NYC)

by Kayoko

smeby_bitters_04.jpg

Photos by Erin Gleeson.

On a balmy, quiet Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn, we had the distinct pleasure of sitting down with Louis Smeby, founder of A.B. Smeby Bittering Co., for a tasting of his extensive line of bitters. When we all settled down in Quarter Bar‘s charming back yard, there was one
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September 20, 2010

Heads Up – Umamiventure #29: A Bitter Cocktail Hour with Louis Smeby (NYC)

by Kayoko

A.B. Smeby Bittering Co.

Bitters, bitters, bitters. I remember my first encounter with a bottle of Angostura was at The Royal Oak in Williamsburg about four years ago. I asked the bartender, “What the hell is that?” as he added a few drops into a mixing glass. He then tirelessly tried to explain to me
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September 17, 2010

Umamiventure #28: San Tung Restaurant (SF)

by Kayoko

Umamiventure #28: San Tung Restaurant (SF)

Sometimes, I pick a place for an Umamiventure just to regroup with friends, their friends, and loyal Umamimart readers. That’s what these trips are for, afterall: to meet + eat. Choosing a place, however, it is never an easy
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August 22, 2010

Heads Up – Umamiventure #28: San Tung Restaurant (SF)

by Kayoko

Confession: This Umamiventure has been created solely for the purpose of sating my own obsession for San Tung‘s chicken wings.

San Tung is no secret in the SF dining community– it’s got like 1700 Yelp reviews and is a mob scene at all hours of the day. My dear friends
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