Join Noriko in her spacious kitchen for your hands-on Sapporo cooking experience. Noriko will teach you how to cook an authentic, homemade Japanese meal from scratch, using fresh, seasonal produce locally sourced in Hokkaido. Learn Japanese cooking techniques of chopping, marination and frying from an expert before enjoying the meal you helped prepare on beautiful Japanese dishes. Your cooking class will last about 1-1.5 hours before you sit down to share the meal you helped prepare.
Noriko lives in a quaint, clean, and comfortable home in a suburb just outside the city center. You will be warmly welcomed with a seasonal beverage as you watch her add the finishing touches to your meal. Noriko is keen to share her knowledge of food and different cuisines so feel free to ask her questions about the food. Join Noriko in her upstairs dining room for a homemade authentic meal that showcases Japanese traditions with an international twist. Your menu will include dishes such as shabu-shabu (Japanese hot pot with a variety of meat and vegetables) and chirashi-sushi (a rice bowl with fresh salmon, tender fried chicken, green peppers, and the occasional mapo tofu!)
Noriko will pick you up from the Jieitaimae station on the subway Nanboku line. Her car fits up to 4 people. Please discuss alternate transportation options ahead of your experience if you are booking for 5 or more people.
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.
Shabu-shabu of local meatChirashi-sushi (a rice bowl with fresh salmon, tender fried chicken, green peppers, and the occasional mapo tofu!)Noriko grew up influenced by her gastronomic mother who taught her to cook anything and everything by the age of 15. She then lived in Switzerland and the US where she learned French and Italian cooking and received diplomas in food studies. A professional cook, Noriko also loved learning other cooking techniques from locals around the world - she is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to cooking and enjoys experimenting with other cuisines like Thai and Chinese. Noriko now coordinates food events as one of her jobs. In her spare time, she also teaches her foreign friends how to cook Japanese food (and is an expert on helping them find ingredient substitutes that can be used when they want to recreate Japanese dishes at home!). She believes there is no better way to connect with people from other cultures than around the table and feels joy when she can learn new things about culture through food. Visit her home, experience a delightful homemade Japanese meal, and learn about Japan in a way that you won't be able to experience at restaurants.
"Noriko was an amazing host. She provided a perfectly balanced experience including demonstrations of how to prepare her dishes, insights into Japanese culture and amazing food. She has a beautiful home and family. We are very thankful to Noriko for sharing everthing with us."
"A wonderful time spent learning about Japanese food and culture with a very knowledgeable and warm host."
