Have you discovered Umami Mart yet?
It’s okay - we hadn’t either, until we were browsing through the unique oddities in The Perish Trust and noticed a glowing white room in the back of their dimly lit shop. Modern and chic, Umami Mart stands out in their space, and is a veritable treasure chest in their offering of traditional Japanese barware and kitchen tools. 7 years ago friends Yoko and Kayoko started a blog, Umamimart , a “food + drink blog reporting from all over the galaxy”. Along with a team of talented writers, they explored sustainable food movements, traditional Japanese cocktail tools and techniques, and unique food packaging. What started as an online wish list of their favorite products evolved into a brick and mortar store in Oakland, which opened its doors in 2012. They extended their reach and opened their Divisadero pop-up shop in November of last year. Connoisseurs of all Japanese kitchen items, Yoko and Kayoko return to Japan once a year to hunt for new products. However their style is not to just attend trade shows, but also to immerse themselves in modern bar culture to get a feel for what is new and happening on the scene. Their focus for the Divisadero store circles around Japanese cocktail tools and techniques, virtually unchanged since the 1900s. Yoko explained that tools for making cocktails used to be much smaller, but that Americans have since changed their style to include bigger materials. However Japan maintained the use of small pieces, and these tools are making a comeback in the west. Stop on by and learn more about Japanese kitchenware and cocktails! Their pop up store at 728 Divisadero is open from 11 - 7pm Tuesday through Thursday, and 12 - 6pm Friday through Sunday.
It’s okay - we hadn’t either, until we were browsing through the unique oddities in The Perish Trust and noticed a glowing white room in the back of their dimly lit shop. Modern and chic, Umami Mart stands out in their space, and is a veritable treasure chest in their offering of traditional Japanese barware and kitchen tools. 7 years ago friends Yoko and Kayoko started a blog, Umamimart , a “food + drink blog reporting from all over the galaxy”. Along with a team of talented writers, they explored sustainable food movements, traditional Japanese cocktail tools and techniques, and unique food packaging. What started as an online wish list of their favorite products evolved into a brick and mortar store in Oakland, which opened its doors in 2012. They extended their reach and opened their Divisadero pop-up shop in November of last year. Connoisseurs of all Japanese kitchen items, Yoko and Kayoko return to Japan once a year to hunt for new products. However their style is not to just attend trade shows, but also to immerse themselves in modern bar culture to get a feel for what is new and happening on the scene. Their focus for the Divisadero store circles around Japanese cocktail tools and techniques, virtually unchanged since the 1900s. Yoko explained that tools for making cocktails used to be much smaller, but that Americans have since changed their style to include bigger materials. However Japan maintained the use of small pieces, and these tools are making a comeback in the west. Stop on by and learn more about Japanese kitchenware and cocktails! Their pop up store at 728 Divisadero is open from 11 - 7pm Tuesday through Thursday, and 12 - 6pm Friday through Sunday.
