Step into Yuko's cozy home in a peaceful Nara neighborhood for a private, 2.5-hour immersive cooking and dining experience, where you'll learn to prepare traditional dishes unique to this historic region. Yuko will guide you through the art of making pressed sushi with seafood and vegetables (and using persimmon leaves, a local favorite), crafting a flavorful bowl of Miwa somen noodle soup, and creating a delightful soybean flour dessert. Yuko offers a cup of aromatic roasted green tea to complement the flavors of Nara’s cuisine.
During your hands-on Japanese cooking class in Nara, Yuko shares her passion for Nara’s culinary traditions, teaching techniques and stories behind each dish. After cooking, sit down with Yuko to enjoy the meal you’ve prepared together, paired perfectly with the roasted green tea. After the class, you'll be provided with recipes so you can recreate these delicious dishes at home. This is more than a cooking class - it's an invitation to experience the heart and soul of Nara’s food culture.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Oshizushi (pressed sushi including persimmon leaf)Soybean dessertMiwa somen noodle soupYuko is a passionate home cook and Registered Dietitian who has combined her love for cooking and traveling to create memorable experiences for visitors to Japan. Residing in a peaceful residential neighborhood in Nara, she welcomes guests into her warm and inviting home to share the art of Japanese cuisine. Together with her husband, Isao, she ensures that each guest feels at ease, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere akin to visiting an old friend. Your host speaks limited English, but communication is easy when sharing a love for food.
While Yuko's English is conversational, her warm hospitality and hands-on approach to teaching ensure a delightful and engaging cooking experience. Through her classes, she aims to showcase the rich culinary traditions of Japan and the cultural beauty of Nara, inspiring her guests to carry these experiences with them long after their visit.
"We had so much fun with Yuko and learned so much! She welcomed us into her beautiful home, taught us about local cuisine, and led us in a completely interactive activity that culminated in a delicious lunch of local specialties that we had cooked together! We enjoyed the meal in a beautiful traditional Japanese room, decorated with, among other lovely objects, ikebana made by her husband.
If you are daunted by the fact that her house is not in Nara proper, never fear: it’s just a few stops away by the convenient local train.
This experience is totally worth the effort it takes to reach her house.
Our menu: pressed sushi with various fillings, sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, somen noodles in lovely dashi broth, egg roll (tamago), and a delicious dessert very like flan, but made with roasted soybean flour.
Yuko speaks good English so you will understand her instructions quite easily if you are American.
Yuko also made some wonderful recommendations for local attractions that we would not have discovered otherwise. She is a great ambassador for this region."
