Our Japanese cooking classes: more than just sushi
April 4th, 2023
No country does a better job than Japan when it comes to producing healthy AND delicious food that everybody craves. However, cooking Japanese recipes alone is not easy for beginners.
First, you need to decipher all the foreign-named ingredients you've never used before if you're lucky enough to source them all.
You still need to apply unfamiliar cooking techniques even before understanding the finer details, leaving you unsure whether you're doing it correctly or not.
Additionally, if you follow a halal, kosher, or vegan diet, it's even more challenging as cooking with alcohol (mirin and sake) and seafood stock (dash) is found in everything you love.
After spending a day in the kitchen you are giving up, thinking "It's cheaper to eat out. Too much hassle."
And that's where we come in to rescue you. Whether you're a pro or a novice, we'll guide you through every step, share tips, and advise you at the right moment. Here are our Japanese classes that we offer.
1. Ramen Classes
It's our new winter curriculum (raise your hand đââď¸ if you want to boil broth for all day in summer?). Focus is on making the perfect broth and toppings from scratch, so you can assemble iconic ramen in no time using any store-bought noodles. We are determined to leave nobody behind due to dietary requirement so we offer 3 options.
Original Class: Using pork or chicken plus lots of alcohol, just as the Japanese do
Halal Class: Using halal chicken, beef and seafood (only 2 sessions)
Vegan Class: Relying heavily on alcohol, fermented and dehydrated ingredients to achieve the same taste sensation. (only 2 sessions)
2. Japanese Tapas & Salad Class
Looking for easy and healthy ways to prepare everyday meals? Want to add more vegetables to your family's diet, but they're reluctant to eat them? Short on time during the weekdays? Join us for nutritious and tasty Japanese one-plate meals, perfect with a glass of wine! Our load-shedding-friendly recipes are an added bonus.
3. Poke & Sushi Class
Frustrated for paying high prices for tiny amounts of salmon in sushi, poke, and sashimi? Join our class and learn how to work with whole salmon fillets to save time and money. We'll cover everything from purchasing to cutting, prepping, and long-term storage, allowing you to make endless amounts of delicious poke and sushi.
4. Knife Skills Training
In 2022, we launched a knife skills training program that focuses on what's essential for home cooks to prepare their favorite meals. This class combines both Western and Asian techniques to address common challenges, including cutting thin dough uniformly for making noodles, filleting sashimi fish, and cleanly cutting sushi rolls, as well as everyday cutting needs.
Invest in your knife skills and elevate your cooking game forever with just five hours of training. We also provide simple but OMG recipes to help you use up the veggies resulting from your cutting practices.
Next Steps
To decide which class is best for your goal, read the details of each class.
For entertainment: Poke & Sushi or Ramen classes
For everyday cooking: Japanese Tapas or Knife Skills Training
After selecting a class, check the schedule. We offer 20 classes while Rany is our only instructor, so plan well in advance. We release a four-month schedule to assist you.
Lastly, group classes geographically. For instance, Korea and Japan share lots of ingredients and techniques (no wonder as they are closer than Johannesburg to Durban), as do Vietnam and Thailand.
By taking multiple classes from the same geographic area in a relatively short time, your understanding of ingredients and techniques will compound, increasing your confidence, and reducing the need to purchase new ingredients. Aim for 3-4 classes per year to become a true master of your favorite Asian dishes. We hope this helps you to start your taste journey to the East with us. đĽ°
