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Host: Midori

Kyoto, Japan

USD
$104 per person

Japanese cooking class in Kyoto with a local chef

Host offerings
  • Cooking studio
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Midori

Midori has been cooking and researching Japanese and South East Asian cuisine for over three decades and is a wealth of knowledge on Japanese cuisine. She grew up in Akashi city where she learned traditional Japanese cooking from her grandmother. In 1995, Midori decided she wanted to share her cooking skills with others and started cooking classes in Kyoto. She then ran cooking classes in Singapore before returning back to her beloved Kyoto. She opened a lovely cooking studio close to the magical Gion district. Here she teaches Japanese locals about South East Asian food, and international travelers about homemade Japanese food. Midori believes sharing her passion for food is a wonderful way to connect with people and their culture!

What to expect

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: (1-6 guests) Midori will welcome you with smoked tea, a classic Japanese tea and wagashi, traditional confections typically eaten with tea. She will then introduce you to traditional Japanese ingredients used to prepare a homemade Japanese meal - soy sauce, mirin, sake, and miso. Feel free to ask her about any ingredient and learn about the recipes that bring those ingredients to life! Later you will sit down and share a traditional home-style Japanese meal, which may include dishes such as miso soup, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) or takoyaki (octopus ball) or gyoza (dumpling) or teriyaki chicken, served with onigiri (rice ball).

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join Midori in her cooking studio for a traditional Japanese home cooking demonstration. You can choose one of the five set menus she offers. Midori teaches you Japanese dishes with simple and easy recipes that can be easily reproduced at home.You will watch Midori prepare local dishes using seasonal and traditional ingredients. Your cooking demonstration lasts about an hour after which you will sit down to eat together. Over the meal, you will talk about Kyoto's best restaurants and Midori will give you shopping recommendations. It is a fun and relaxing cooking demonstration, just like being at a friend's house.

Notes: Midori can accommodate halal, kosher, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. Please inform her of your allergies and dietary restrictions in advance while booking your Kyoto cooking class online. She also offers set menus, so don't forget to mention your preference when making your online booking. This experience is also great for families with children!

Languages spoken: English, Japanese

Sample menu

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.
  • Please select ONE from the menus below when making a booking. All menus are served with welcome Japanese sweets, seasonal vegetables and tea
  • Menu 1: Teriyaki Chicken (teriyaki chicken or fried tofu steak, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 2: Maki Sushi (maki sushi, tamago yaki, 1 seasonal vegetable, miso soup)
  • Menu 3: Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 4: Takoyaki (Octopus ball, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 5: Gyoza (pan fry dumplings, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 6: Vegan or Vegetarian (choose one of the above menus which can be made vegetarian or vegan)
  • Menu 7: Pork Tonkatsu (pork cutlet, rice ball, seasonal vegetable, miso soup)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

The experience with Midori was very good, as she is very experienced running her own cooking school not only in Kyoto but other parts of South East Asia. She is very professional, and very serious about the way she is running her kitchen and class. Please feel free to ask more about ingredients you don’t know, as she will be delighted to explain in detail about all ingredients used in Japanese cooking. I asked her about Japanese silky tofu and she showed me a very quick and simple recipe to accommodate it as a snack! My favourite dish was chicken teriyaki - it was very very good!

Sophie, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (7)
Midori was so welcoming and kind to us during our visit. Her warmth made the experience so much fun and we learned a lot about Japanese cooking. All of the dishes we created were delicious. Midori speaks beautiful English and talked us through some of the other plans for our trip and even was able to make a few calls for us to help us overcome a language barrier. Thank you to Midori for a wonderful memory!
- Mara T June 18, 2019
Perfect way to spend the afternoon exploring Nishiki Market and evening cooking Japanese style homemade meals.This was such a wonderful and genuine cultural experience. Midori-San is very welcoming and enthusiastic in sharing about the local Kyoto food and lifestyle. I learned how to cook gyoza, takoyaki, and okonomiyaki from scratch. I especially enjoyed listening to MIdori-san's culinary journey as chef between Japan and Southeast Asia. Her story was very inspirational. She also took the time to help me plan and arrange the remainder of my trip's meals and activities. I can't wait to revisit Japan and Midori-san's cooking studio!
- jmewan April 26, 2019
What a wonderful afternoon. Not only was the cooking experience enjoyable it was great to be able to spend time with an English speaker to understand local culture and customs ( Midori does not speak good English but her friend who was with us all day was an excellent linguist). Being vegetarian in Japan is not easy but our recoiled reflected our dietary needs and we given useful tips on what to do in restaurants...
- Harvey April 17, 2019
Midori was an amazing host - very inviting and incredibly helpful. She gave us lots of tips and secrets to Japanese cooking. She also gave us lots of advice about Kyoto helping us make the most of our time. We have taken away lots of treasured memories (as well as some great recipes)! It was a fantastic evening for the whole family.
- lexags November 13, 2017
Midori was an amazing host - very inviting and incredibly helpful. She gave us lots of tips and secrets to Japanese cooking. She also gave us lots of advice about Kyoto helping us make the most of our time. We have taken away lots of treasured memories (as well as some great recipes)!
- Alexa November 05, 2017
midori was an amazing host! we had to change the date that was fixed due to some health issues with our baby, and midori was very flexible and understanding. she even called to check on the baby and she gave us a feeling of a local mother taking care of us. the class was very clear and easy, the dishes were very tasty. after the class midori took us to nishiki market for a tour that was interesting and tasty. we surley recomend this expirience!
- Elad Pesoa October 24, 2017
Was very good
- Etty April 23, 2017
Read More
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Midori

$104 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $104 $104 $104
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $104 $104 $104
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-7:00pm

Meet Midori

Midori has been cooking and researching Japanese and South East Asian cuisine for over three decades and is a wealth of knowledge on Japanese cuisine. She grew up in Akashi city where she learned traditional Japanese cooking from her grandmother. In 1995, Midori decided she wanted to share her cooking skills with others and started cooking classes in Kyoto. She then ran cooking classes in Singapore before returning back to her beloved Kyoto. She opened a lovely cooking studio close to the magical Gion district. Here she teaches Japanese locals about South East Asian food, and international travelers about homemade Japanese food. Midori believes sharing her passion for food is a wonderful way to connect with people and their culture!

What to expect

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: (1-6 guests) Midori will welcome you with smoked tea, a classic Japanese tea and wagashi, traditional confections typically eaten with tea. She will then introduce you to traditional Japanese ingredients used to prepare a homemade Japanese meal - soy sauce, mirin, sake, and miso. Feel free to ask her about any ingredient and learn about the recipes that bring those ingredients to life! Later you will sit down and share a traditional home-style Japanese meal, which may include dishes such as miso soup, okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) or takoyaki (octopus ball) or gyoza (dumpling) or teriyaki chicken, served with onigiri (rice ball).

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Join Midori in her cooking studio for a traditional Japanese home cooking demonstration. You can choose one of the five set menus she offers. Midori teaches you Japanese dishes with simple and easy recipes that can be easily reproduced at home.You will watch Midori prepare local dishes using seasonal and traditional ingredients. Your cooking demonstration lasts about an hour after which you will sit down to eat together. Over the meal, you will talk about Kyoto's best restaurants and Midori will give you shopping recommendations. It is a fun and relaxing cooking demonstration, just like being at a friend's house.

Notes: Midori can accommodate halal, kosher, vegetarian and vegan diets, on request. Please inform her of your allergies and dietary restrictions in advance while booking your Kyoto cooking class online. She also offers set menus, so don't forget to mention your preference when making your online booking. This experience is also great for families with children!

Languages spoken: English, Japanese

Sample menu

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.
  • Please select ONE from the menus below when making a booking. All menus are served with welcome Japanese sweets, seasonal vegetables and tea
  • Menu 1: Teriyaki Chicken (teriyaki chicken or fried tofu steak, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 2: Maki Sushi (maki sushi, tamago yaki, 1 seasonal vegetable, miso soup)
  • Menu 3: Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 4: Takoyaki (Octopus ball, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 5: Gyoza (pan fry dumplings, onigiri (rice ball), miso soup)
  • Menu 6: Vegan or Vegetarian (choose one of the above menus which can be made vegetarian or vegan)
  • Menu 7: Pork Tonkatsu (pork cutlet, rice ball, seasonal vegetable, miso soup)
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

The experience with Midori was very good, as she is very experienced running her own cooking school not only in Kyoto but other parts of South East Asia. She is very professional, and very serious about the way she is running her kitchen and class. Please feel free to ask more about ingredients you don’t know, as she will be delighted to explain in detail about all ingredients used in Japanese cooking. I asked her about Japanese silky tofu and she showed me a very quick and simple recipe to accommodate it as a snack! My favourite dish was chicken teriyaki - it was very very good!

Sophie, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (7)
Midori was so welcoming and kind to us during our visit. Her warmth made the experience so much fun and we learned a lot about Japanese cooking. All of the dishes we created were delicious. Midori speaks beautiful English and talked us through some of the other plans for our trip and even was able to make a few calls for us to help us overcome a language barrier. Thank you to Midori for a wonderful memory!
- Mara T June 18, 2019
Perfect way to spend the afternoon exploring Nishiki Market and evening cooking Japanese style homemade meals.This was such a wonderful and genuine cultural experience. Midori-San is very welcoming and enthusiastic in sharing about the local Kyoto food and lifestyle. I learned how to cook gyoza, takoyaki, and okonomiyaki from scratch. I especially enjoyed listening to MIdori-san's culinary journey as chef between Japan and Southeast Asia. Her story was very inspirational. She also took the time to help me plan and arrange the remainder of my trip's meals and activities. I can't wait to revisit Japan and Midori-san's cooking studio!
- jmewan April 26, 2019
What a wonderful afternoon. Not only was the cooking experience enjoyable it was great to be able to spend time with an English speaker to understand local culture and customs ( Midori does not speak good English but her friend who was with us all day was an excellent linguist). Being vegetarian in Japan is not easy but our recoiled reflected our dietary needs and we given useful tips on what to do in restaurants...
- Harvey April 17, 2019
Midori was an amazing host - very inviting and incredibly helpful. She gave us lots of tips and secrets to Japanese cooking. She also gave us lots of advice about Kyoto helping us make the most of our time. We have taken away lots of treasured memories (as well as some great recipes)! It was a fantastic evening for the whole family.
- lexags November 13, 2017
Midori was an amazing host - very inviting and incredibly helpful. She gave us lots of tips and secrets to Japanese cooking. She also gave us lots of advice about Kyoto helping us make the most of our time. We have taken away lots of treasured memories (as well as some great recipes)!
- Alexa November 05, 2017
midori was an amazing host! we had to change the date that was fixed due to some health issues with our baby, and midori was very flexible and understanding. she even called to check on the baby and she gave us a feeling of a local mother taking care of us. the class was very clear and easy, the dishes were very tasty. after the class midori took us to nishiki market for a tour that was interesting and tasty. we surley recomend this expirience!
- Elad Pesoa October 24, 2017
Was very good
- Etty April 23, 2017
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $104 $104 $104
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $104 $104 $104
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-7:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

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.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.