Umami Kushi

Have you heard of Okazu Pan before? I hadn’t until a few months ago. Okazu Pan originate in Japan and are known as small grab and go bread. They come with many different savory fillings and are great for eating by hand! Umami Kushi is a local place dishing up these little buns of heaven. They started in a kitchen and partnered with local establishments to sell their products – this is how I first tried them. They sell their fresh buns to one of my favorite coffee shops – Coffeeholics! In April though, they opened up a brick and mortar storefront right next to their existing kitchen space in Rainier Beach. If you aren’t paying attention, you will miss it! But if you head north or south on rainier avenue, you will see a large yellow signed that says “market” that is a small convenient store – they are located next door!

Back to their Okazu Pans – they are made fresh daily in house and have a variety of flavors to choose from – beef, pork, vegan, and more! They also dish out fresh beignets – but you can currently only get those on the weekends. You can get a 3, 6, or bakers dozen pack and they come dusted with their powdered sugar blend – by dusted I mean very generously dusted. Their beignets are like little pillows of deliciousness. Light and fluffy with just enough powdered sugar to be sweet, but not too much that you feel like you’re teeth are going to rot! Definitely stop by on the weekends to get your hands on these beignets, because you will not regret it…but you might regret it if you don’t grab some! They also occasionally will have beignets and ice cream -so make sure to ask them when you stop in! They take a fresh beignet, slice it, fill it with a scoop of fresh ice cream and dust if with powdered sugar. They are the perfect combination of warm and cold.

I am getting distracted by their delectable beignets, but back to their Okazu pan. Like I mentioned above, they have so many flavor options that you are sure to find one you will enjoy. My personal favorites are the Beef Curry, Kimchi Pork, Adobo Chicken, Jerk Chicken and BBQ Pork, but to be honest there is not a flavor I have tried that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed. Their storefront does carry a larger variety of flavors than the locations they deliver and sell to, so for the full offering keep that in mind! You can also check out their website here to order online and check out their menu. Their flavors may change based on seasonality and availability! Some of their other flavors include: Tamago Sando (this is a Japanese egg salad), Lentil, Smoked Salmon, Avocado, and Hot Dog. These buns are great for a savory breakfast, lunch, or snack so definitely check them out if you’re looking to try something new!