Host offerings
Yoshiko worked as a tour guide for many years before she started teaching Japanese cooking at home. Proud of the cooking techniques she learned from her mother, a wonderful home cook, Yoshiko enjoys sharing her mother's recipes and cooking skills with others. She also enjoys creating and experimenting with new menus. Yoshiko values using fresh and natural Japanese ingredients and enjoys using a variety of ingredients in the healthy Japanese food she prepares. In her spare time, Yoshiko enjoys playing in her band and golfing. She lives in Takarazuka, a town located a quick 20 minutes by train from central Osaka, known for both its hot springs and its all-female Takarazuka Revue, a musical theater-troupe.
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal (1 - 4 guests) Yoshiko will pick you up in her car at the station and drive you 10 minutes to her home. Join her at her dining table for a meal that will definitely include at least one dashi-based dishes such as dashi maki egg roll, miso soup or teriyaki chicken. In addition, you will get to try Yoshiko’s creative specialties such as tofu gratin or steamed salmon and vegetables with a creamy sesame miso sauce. Feel free to let her know your preference from the sample menus below. The experience ends at Yoshiko's home.
Cooking experience (1 - 4 guests) Learn to prepare 4-5 Japanese home style dishes from scratch during this Osaka cooking demonstration in Yoshiko’s kitchen. Yoshiko will start by showing you how to make dashi stock, the Japanese foundation that most dishes are based on. You will learn how to use dashi instead of water when cooking Japanese dishes to bring out the umami flavor of each dish. You can expect the cooking portion of your experience to last about an hour before you sit down to enjoy the meal you helped prepare. Yoshiko will share printed recipes with you so you can recreate the dishes you learned back home. Please note the experience ends at Yoshiko's home. Yoshiko is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in Osaka. If you choose the optional alcohol add-on, Yoshiko serves plum wine (or local beer if requested in advance).
NOTE: Please let Yoshiko know which of the four menu options below you would like to cook at least three days before your experience. If she does not hear from you, she will cook Option 1 (Mother's taste).
Notes: Yoshiko picks her guests from Kawanishiikeda station on the JR Takarazuka line. If there are more than 4 people in your group, Yoshiko requests that additional people take a taxi and follow her home. Also, please note that the experience ends at Yoshiko's home. After your experience is over, you need to make your way to the station on your own. Yoshiko can surely help arrange for a taxi that you can use to get to the nearest station, it will cost you approximately ¥2000, which needs to be paid directly to the driver.
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007f592d8205b8>
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.
Pricing (per person)*
| 1 person | 4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking Experience + Meal | $7,500 | $7,000 | Not offered |
| Alcohol | $500 per person | ||
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Experience + Meal | 10:30am - 01:30pm | 4:30pm - 07:30pm |
Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.
