Love + Umami VA

08/30/2026

Jubilee Top Chef was SO much fun last night and definitely challenged us to cook on a completely different scale. We didn’t take home the win, but so many people came up to tell us they loved our food and connected with our story, passion and creativity, and that meant so much to us 🫶🏼

Ultimately, we were there for an amazing cause. As an educator who grew up in the Bronx, NYC, I love what Jubilee Family Development Center does for young people in our community and genuinely wish I had something like it growing up. Thank you to everyone who supported me while I somehow got to compete alongside actual chefs with culinary degrees and accolades 😂

Special shoutout to Ace, our intern who helped us survive all the Top Chef prep and is now officially working with us on weekends, and Ari + Anna for coming out to support us last night! ❤️‍🔥

NOW THIS WEEK: We’re keeping it light because we’re actually taking Labor Day weekend off to visit friends and family we promised we’d see this summer… plans that were made before Love + Umami took over our lives 👀

MONDAY: Riverdale Village 11 AM-2 PM + Legacy at Linden Park Apartments 5-9 PM. Don’t think about lunch or dinner while savoring the rest of your weekend! 😩

TUESDAY: Chatham Farm Market 3-7 PM. One of their last markets of the season so come shop local!

WEDNESDAY: Golden Cactus Brewing Midweek Market 5-8 PM with Kevin AND Three Roads Brewing - BURG 6-9 PM with me(Amy)! Sorry for the later start, but I teach on Wednesdays and need a minute to decompress before I go yap for another three hours 🫡

Then we are off for Labor Day weekend. See y’all this week! 🤞🏻

08/26/2026

Last pop-up of the week and we sold out with an hour to spare 🥹🤞🏻

I came straight from teaching and didn’t even make it into the tent before people were stopping me, recognizing me and telling us how much they love our food. Still wild to me because I’m not a chef but just a girl who loves cooking for people she loves, with a husband who eats so good he decided we needed to share it with everybody else 😂

Every hardship this month has tried us, but somehow we keep coming out stronger. Thank you for continuing to show Love + Umami so much love! 🫶🏼

And in completely separate great news… if you saw Kevin today and thought he seemed a little happier than usual, you were right. His car has been located and we’re in the process of getting it back!! 🙏🏻

WE LOVE YOU ALL! Taking a break to prepare for Jubilee Top Chef this Saturday. Schedule will be dropping on here on Sunday! 👀

08/25/2026

Thank God Kevin doesn’t check this page because I’m trusting all of Facebook with this apparently 😂

We have a pop-up in Roanoke in September right around Kevin’s birthday, and of course I teach class that day. So he automatically gets stuck doing a bunch of the prep and getting the tent going without me, and then I’ll come straight over as soon as class is done 😂

BUT honestly… if Kevin has to work on his birthday, at least we’re doing it somewhere he can participate in one of his favorite activities: DRINKING. 🍺😂

And one of the really cool DJs we’ve become friends with is playing a set at the brewery that night, so it feels like the perfect excuse to turn the whole pop-up into a little birthday party for him. So really, we’re giving the man exactly what he wants for his birthday: good music, something to eat and permission to drink at work.

I also want to put together a raffle with gift cards, goodies, experiences, whatever fun things we can get from some awesome local Roanoke businesses. I’m hoping to use what we raise to treat Kevin to a very well-deserved massage because when I tell you this man has been carrying Love + Umami on his back… I mean it. Literally and figuratively 😂

He works so freaking hard to keep this little thing of ours moving and with all the chaos life has thrown at him lately, I really want to do something nice for him and let him be the one getting taken care of for once 🥰

SOOO Roanoke, I need your help planning this thing. Who are your favorite local businesses that I should reach out to for raffle goodies? Tag the Roanoke businesses you’d be excited to win something from so I can start making my list!

I also need your best birthday cake and simple decor recommendations like balloons and stuff. Preferably someone who delivers because campus is an hour and a half from Roanoke and I’ll already be speeding to the pop-up the second class ends 😂

And again, because I cannot stress this enough…
DO. NOT. TELL. KEVIN.

08/23/2026

Okayyyyy sorry this weekly schedule post is coming in late, but yesterday absolutely took us out 😂

We put all our marbles in one basket for yesterday’s event. We prepped over 100 lbs of protein, rented a U-Haul, and even bothered our friend/fellow local business owner to let us take over her fridge with our restock…

AND WE SOLD TF OUT 😭🙏

The most bowls Love + Umami has EVER pumped out in a single day. All Kevin and I needed to pull it off was approximately 2 hours of sleep so naturally, we came home and slept for 12 hours.

Still no word on Kevin’s car, so he’ll be stealing mine this week. Between being a one-car household, me transitioning back into teaching mode and Jubilee Top Chef this Saturday, we’re scaling things down a little.

Catch our rice bowls + tiramisus this week 🍚🍰

📍 MONDAY | Legacy at Linden Park Apartments | 5-9 PM

📍 TUESDAY | Chatham Farm Market | 3-7 PM

📍 WEDNESDAY | The Rivermont Farmers Market | 3-7 PM

Then it’s time to lock in for Jubilee Top Chef👩🏻‍🍳🔥

08/19/2026

Next Saturday, we’re CHEFFING it up 👩🏻‍🍳🔥

We’re stepping away from our usual pop-up menu and bringing something special to the Jubilee Top Chef competition! You already know we’re coming ready to give everyone ALL the umami 😤❤️‍🔥

🎟️ Buy your tickets through Jubilee’s original post and we’ll see y’all next Saturday!

Let’s bring that Top Chef title home 🏆🔥

Jubilee is excited to showcase the second of four chefs competing in this year’s Top Chef! Love + Umami VA is a mobile food vendor and caterer launched in March 2026 by husband-and-wife team Amy and Kevin.

For Amy, cooking has always been a language of love. What began as cooking for friends and family grew as she shared her creations online and people began asking for recipes. In 2023, Amy entered the K-Food Cook-Off hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and placed third, giving her confidence that her cooking could resonate beyond friends and family. After moving to Lynchburg, Kevin encouraged her to take that passion further, and Love + Umami was born.

By day, Amy teaches chemistry at a local college, bringing a scientific approach to flavor, technique, and experimentation. Kevin, with experience launching and managing food businesses, leads operations and logistics. Together, they reimagine familiar dishes with bold flavors inspired by cuisines across Asia, creating food that is approachable, creative, and comforting while respecting the flavors that By day, Amy teaches chemistry at a local college, bringing a scientific approach to flavor, technique, and experimentation. Kevin, with experience launching and managing food businesses, leads operations and logistics. Together, they reimagine familiar dishes with bold flavors inspired by cuisines across Asia, creating food that is approachable, creative, and comforting while respecting the flavors that inspire them.

Love + Umami can be found popping up at breweries, wineries, and community events throughout Lynchburg and surrounding areas, and partnered with Hill City FC for the 2026 season. Just months after launching, they have also gained local recognition with features in The News & Advance and WDBJ7.

We can’t wait to taste Amy and Kevin’s dishes for the first time ever as a Top Chef competitor next Saturday evening, August 29th, at Jubilee! Only a few tickets are still available for Top Chef! Please call Jubilee at 434-845-0433 or visit http://www.lynchburgtickets.com/topchef to purchase tickets. We hope to see you next Saturday at Top Chef!

08/17/2026

Amy’s back to teaching all day, so I’m holding down the pop ups solo 🫡

Come keep me busy so I don’t have to pick up her calls 😂📞🍚

08/17/2026

🙏🏻🙏🏻

08/16/2026

People say when it rains, it pours, and this past week really tested that.

On Tuesday, I lost a professor at the college where I teach who had become an important mentor to me. I’m still trying to process that loss. Then Thursday, Kevin’s car was stolen, and later that same day I ended up in the ER. It’s been a lot in a very short amount of time. But yesterday reminded us just how loved we are 🥰

We showed up not feeling 100%, and y’all showed us so much love, grace, and patience. People checked on us, prayed for us, and somehow we still sold out with TWO HOURS left! 🤩

An hour ago it was pouring, and now the skies are already clearing. I’m taking that as our little reminder today that this too shall pass. I’m thanking God for giving Kevin and me the strength and resilience to keep going through the hard things, and here’s to clearer skies and a brighter week ahead for Love + Umami!

And it’s my LAST big week before my full-time teaching load kicks back in!

📺 MONDAY | WDBJ7 • 11am-2pm • 2807 Hershberger Rd NW

We’re popping up outside the studio OPEN TO THE PUBLIC + WE’RE ON THE NEWS AT 4PM TOMORROW!!! Come grab a bowl and maybe make your WDBJ7 debut with us 😂📺

P.S. If anyone can screen record our segment so we can send it to our parents, we’ll love you forever!!!

🧠 TUESDAY | Olde Salem Brewing Company • 5-8:30pm • 21 E Main St
Kevin hijacks my car for the night to brings y’all rice bowls to pair perfectly with trivia night + Olde Salem’s beer lineup🍚🍺🧠

🌭 WEDNESDAY | Golden Cactus Brewing • 5-8pm • 214 5th St. SW
SURPRISE SHAWTY! THE WEENIES ARE BACK. One night only because Roanoke keeps asking for the Umami Hot Dogs 😂

Thursday + Friday we rest… and I need our one remaining car to get to work 🥲

🎉 SATURDAY | West Station Block Party hosted by Big Lick Brewing Company, Golden Cactus Brewing and NokeFest • 12-10pm

Big Lick parking lot. Rice bowls. Desserts. Be there. 🍚

And then… ONE WEEK UNTIL Jubilee TOP CHEF! Nervous, excited, but so ready. ❤️

Send a message to learn more

08/15/2026

Congrats Anna Reynolds for being the FB winner of our giveaway!! Message us to claim your gift certificate 🥳

If you didn’t win today, we’re launching an exclusive merch raffle soon 👀

08/14/2026

I don’t think I’ve ever posted this much in one day, but so many of you have reached out asking for an update 🫶🏼

Unfortunately, Kevin still hasn’t gotten his car back. We’ve contacted everyone we can think of, and right now, no one has any idea where it is.

On top of everything, I ended up in the ER last night. I’m feeling mostly better this morning, just a little groggy from the meds and definitely taking it easy today. It’s been a rough 24 hours for our little family, so thank you so much to everyone who has checked on us, offered to help, and kept us in your prayers. We really, really appreciate it! 🙏🏻

As for Love + Umami, we’re going to slow down a little this weekend. We only have one set of equipment now, and Kevin and I are both not quite at 100%, so Three Roads Brewing - BURG Summer Jam tomorrow will be our only pop-up.

Thank you for giving us a little grace while we get ourselves back together. We’ll see y’all at Three Roads tomorrow 😋