A Visit to the Umami Mart

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The very next time you are in the East Bay, or Oakland, or better yet, near Kaiser Hospital at 40^th near Broadway. You must stop here!


My travel buddy, Mr. Mike discovered Umami Mart at 4027 Broadway in Oakland.


Here is an "About Us" from their website:


Since 2012, we have been an independently owned small business, headquartered in Oakland, CA, striving to bring joy through quality products from Japan. Our shop is a space to discover something new about Japanese cuisine and culture through its kitchen tools, barware, and drinks; while the blog is a space to share recipes and knowledge. Read more about the evolution of Umami Mart here.

About Yoko Kumano After spending 5 years as a salary woman in Ginza, Yoko moved back to the Bay Area to open Umami Mart with Kayoko. In addition to being a Kikizakeshi (sake sommelier), she also takes the photography for Umami Mart. Her other passion is beekeeping.

About Kayoko AkaboriKayoko started the Umami Mart food blog in 2007 at her cubicle desk in midtown Manhattan. After working in the New York art world for six years, she moved back to the Bay Area where she bartended at Camino restaurant to pay the bills while getting Umami Mart off the ground with Yoko. She loves karaoke and onsen.


If you have any questions about us and the shop, please drop us a line!


We stopped by on Wednesday, on our way to Tokyo! Kind of. We decided to learn more about Japanese whiskey, then have dinner in Oakland Chinatown. Tokyo will wait until April.


The store itself is quite interesting, with many different types of products. But what stands out is the enormous selection of sakes and Japanese whiskeys. In back, there is a small, but cute and inviting six-seat bar area with a Mixologist. One tiny sign said there is a 45 minute limit at the bar! Fortunately for us, nobody else was there. Each person is expected to order something from the bar. And groups of ten must make a reservation.


We each tried three different Japanese whiskeys, a total of six. Mike's favorite was an Akkeshi Single Malt Japanese whiskey, Peated. All ingredients are from Hokkaido. My favorite was a milder, "sweeter" Kanosuke Japanese Single Malt Whiskey, 2022, which was excellent on the rocks. But at $250 a bottle, I probably will not buy one! They suggest most pours (2 oz) be served neat. I guess I am a relative whiskey lightweight.


But I must tell you we had one of the most enjoyable visits. It will portend of things to come when we hit Tokyo in April. And I am certain we will be back for a visit to Umami Mart.

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