Things you can buy at Umami Mart include: a Japanese pickle press, a razor-sharp paring knife encased in a handsome wooden sheath, a packet of shiso seeds, and an assortment of shiny jiggers and cocktail shakers (some of them gold-plated) that can only be described as “baller.”
Every item in the shop is carefully curated and a potential conversation piece. Every item reflects the impeccable taste of the owners, Kayoko Akabori and Yoko Kumano, who have turned a food and drink blog — and a shared passion for Japanese food culture — into a real-life brick-and-mortar shop at 815 Broadway in Old Oakland.
So when Umami Mart, their store dedicated to Japanese barware and kitchenware, opened on August 4, there was good reason for Bay Area cocktail mavens and Japanese foodstuffs enthusiasts to rejoice.
Kayoko Akabori (left) and Yoko Kumano. Credits: Erin Gleeson A display of teapots at Umami Mart. Credits: Luke Tsai “Ghosts” — ceramic talismen for the kitchen — on display at Umami Mart. Credits: Luke Tsai
