Umami Kushi: Celebrating Culture One Okazu Pan at a Time

“What’s okazu pan?” you might be wondering. They’re Japanese buns filled with savory fillings, breaded with panko, and deep-fried to golden perfection. If you haven’t heard of them, you’re not alone! That was once the case for Umami Kushi chef and owner Harold Fields, who first encountered okazu pan at a train station bakery in Japan. To this day, he recalls that fateful first bite of a beef curry okazu pan and the thought that immediately followed: “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever had.”

That first bite led Fields to slinging okazu pan in the South End since 2011, initially making them out of his home and selling them to local South Seattle coffee shops. It wasn’t long before Fields began to see lines out the door at these shops. Not for the coffee, but for his okazu pan.

“I made it a point to only sell to South End coffee shops at the time because I wanted to provide something unique that would almost make people come to the South End to see how beautiful it is,” said Fields, who has lived in Rainier Beach since 2008.

But how did Fields — originally from Chicago — begin selling Japanese buns in South Seattle in the first place?

Fields and his wife Yoshie were living in New Orleans in 2005. While the couple was visiting Yoshie’s hometown of Yokohama, Hurricane Katrina struck their home and forced them to remain in Japan.

“We were in a state of peril and shock,” said Fields, who came to discover a new perspective while living in the Japanese countryside. “The discipline, kindness, and resilience of the people I met there gave me hope that things would be okay.”

From there, Harold and Yoshie leaned in to making the most of their extended stay.

“We were always eating,” Fields reminisced. “It introduced a level of pride and great appreciation for not only the food itself, but how it was prepared for the consumer to enjoy it in an intentional way.”

This intentionality captivated Fields in a way that reinvigorated his passion for food. 

“How do I want my customers to eat and experience my food?” he thought.

That question has carried Fields all the way to today, and he still works meticulously to perfect his technique. Armed with a passion for okazu pan and love for the South End, the stage was set to open his own shop. Nestled in Rainier Beach just off Rainier Avenue, Umami Kushi first opened its storefront in 2016 as a Black-owned café and Seattle’s only shop specializing in okazu pan.

Walking in, customers are met with several treats for the senses: the scent of freshly prepared okazu pan, the sounds of songs from Fields’ favorite anime playing in the background, and sights of the café’s colorful aesthetic brimming with a dynamic expression of culture.

“This is what the South End is all about,” expressed Fields, who aimed to create a space where customers can share in the same culture, curiosity, and joy that he feels.

Umami Kushi’s rotating selection of okazu pan delivers in the taste department, too. Their beef curry okazu pan is an Umami Kushi flagship and the flavor that started it all. Each bite is a journey. Biting into the delicately crispy panko exterior gives way to the bun’s pillowy plushness before revealing the flavorful, slightly-sweet Japanese curry within.

And that’s just one flavor! Fields keeps more than a dozen flavors on tap each week. Some are Japanese favorites like beef curry and yakisoba. Some pay homage to his time in New Orleans, like gumbo and dirty rice. And some flavors might mark the first time anyone has been bold enough to serve them in okazu pan form: like Filipino adobo, Korean kimchi tofu, and Puerto Rican mofongo.

Umami Kushi is a place for sweet tooths, too — they also serve beignets with a decadent chocolate sauce, a variety of beverages in a Japanese-style vending machine, and a selection of imported snacks.

On a visit to Umami Kushi, you won’t find a traditional menu, but you will discover something delicious. Whether it’s a returning favorite or new flavor on the block, Umami Kushi has a special way of making sure each visit is a unique experience.

Visit Umami Kushi at 9099 Seward Park Avenue South, open Wednesday through Sunday. Umami Kushi currently operates a pop-up location in Madrona, too! Find them inside Molly Moon's Ice Cream through April 1, 2025.