Host offerings
A Tokyo native, Makiko lives in a beautiful, spacious townhouse in the residential neighborhood around Komazawa Olympic Park. Makiko is a kind, warm-hearted person who loves people and hosting dinner parties for her foreign friends. Makiko values fresh, seasonal food ingredients sourced locally and uses traditional Japanese ingredients such as ume, shiso, and myoga in her dishes which render a distinctive flavor to your food. Learn about ingredients essential to authentic Japanese cooking and see how they are transformed into creative, beautiful and flavorful dishes. Makiko was one of the first people to take care of foreign families who were sent to Japan for work, a couple of decades ago. She was responsible for helping foreigners get accustomed to the Japanese way of life and introduced them to Japanese culture, customs and shopping. She is a wealth of knowledge about Japanese food and culture, and looks forward to sharing it with travelers.
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 (2 - 10 guests) Makiko will pick you up at the station in her car or a taxi and drive you five minutes to her home. You will be served a cup of refreshing tea as you sit down in her living room and hear a rundown of the menu for the day. Your Japanese feast with Makiko may include dishes such as colorful chirashi-sushi with a plethora of Japanese ingredients and tuna avocado salad on chicory leaves or sea bream sashimi and chicken teriyaki or vegetable ohitashi, steamed and marinated eggplant in miso broth and Nishiki tamago (sweet cooked egg). Your menu may vary depending on the season. Makiko’s home is child friendly and she would be happy to host little foodies!
Cooking experience (2 - 10 guests) Join Makiko in her kitchen for a hands-on cooking lesson of traditional-inspired, homemade Japanese dishes. Makiko will explain the cooking process in detail and share important tips about Japanese cooking that are not taught in recipe books. The cooking portion of your experience will take 1.5 – 2 hours depending on the number of people in your group. After the dishes have been cooked, you will sit down together at her dining table and enjoy the feast you helped prepare.
Market visit (2 - 10 guests) Makiko will meet you at Sakurashinmachi station on Tokyu Denentoshi Line. Together you will walk to a local supermarket and learn about important Japanese foods and ingredients that locals use in their everyday cooking. Makiko is an expert on Japanese cuisine so feel free to ask her anything about Japanese food and ingredients.
Notes: Please note this experience is only available on Sundays for an evening experience.
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007f9c6ad13040>
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 | |
---|---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | Not offered | $4,500 | $3,600 |
Cooking Experience + Meal | Not offered | $5,500 | $4,400 |
Market Tour | Not offered | $4,000 | $3,500 |
Market Tour + Cooking Experience + Meal | Not offered | $6,500 | $5,200 |
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. |
Lunch | Dinner | |
---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | 6:30pm - 08:30pm | |
Cooking Experience + Meal | 5:00pm - 08:00pm | |
Market Tour | 3:30pm - 04:30pm | |
Market Tour + Cooking Experience + Meal | 3:30pm - 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.