Cookies! They are not just something we eat. This site uses cookies so we can provide you the best user experience and deliver advertising and offers that are relevant to you. To read more about our cookie policy, including how to change your cookie settings, please read our Privacy and Cookie Policy. By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our cookie policy.
I accept
VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Emi

Tokyo, Japan

$60 10% off

$54

USD per person

Traditional Japanese cooking class with a local

Host offerings
  • Apartment
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Emi

Emi is passionate about cooking traditional Japanese home-style dishes. After years of learning from three renowned chefs, she became a culinary expert who can prepare almost any authentic Japanese or Washoku dish. A Tokyo native, Emi enjoys meeting travelers and learning about other cultures. She adores food from every corner of the globe but is also passionate about Japanese cuisine and teas, in addition to cats, photography and hiking! She has a deep interest in nutrition science and values using the freshest, top quality ingredients. Your healthy and well-seasoned meal is guaranteed to be fresh and colorful, using more than 20 ingredients. Emi serves her meals on fine dining tableware, cutlery and utensils, so have your cameras ready for a fun photo journey of Japanese cuisine.

The Harry Potter Museum in Tokyo is about a 20 min walk from Emi's apartment!

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: (2-3 guests) You will be served authentic Japanese food in the Teishoku style, characterized by the use of several vegetables as side dishes and a meat or fish as the main. Your meal may include a main from a choice such as gyoza (potstickers), udon with shrimp tempura, ginger pork, teriyaki chicken, chicken karaage or slow cooked grilled fish as the main. Your main is accompanied by miso soup, rice and a side vegetable like nimono (slow cooked vegetables and meat with soy sauce and other traditional ingredients), marinated vegetables or stir fried egg and vegetables. You will end your meal with a Japanese dessert and green tea. Emi may not join you for the meal but you will get the chance to converse about food and culture as you cook. Emi offers sake as an optional alcohol add-on.

Message Emi directly after your booking is confirmed to discuss the menu - she is more than happy to customize menus for you. Please note if you are vegetarian Emi is happy to accommodate your request but note that the menu for the group may change accordingly.

Cooking experience: (2-3 guests) Emi will meet you at the Nerima station and together you will walk to her home where she will welcome you with mugi-cha (barley tea). Join Emi in her kitchen where you will learn to make 3-5 authentic Japanese dishes from scratch. If you're interested in cooking gyoza or udon with tempura, please let Emi know in advance. Your cooking class will last 1.5 – 2 hours during which you will learn about traditional Japanese food and culture from this local expert.

Notes: Please note that after your cooking class + meal experience, Emi will take you to a supermarket before dropping you off at Nerima station. At the supermarket, Emi will share more about Japanese chocolates, seasonings, ramen soups, seasonal fruits etc. She will also help you buy any ingredients that you’d like to take back home, such as miso paste, organic sesame, ramen, different kitkat flavors (a popular choice!) etc.

Please note that this experience is not suitable for children of 9 and under.

Languages spoken: Japanese, English

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 choose ONE main from the below choices. Emi cannot do different mains for all, so the whole group needs to choose the same main dish. They all come with a side dish + rice + soup + dessert
  • MEAT main: Gyoza
  • FISH main: Fried salmon with hijiki seaweed and edamame or Udon noodles with shrimp tempura*
  • VEGETARIAN main: Slow cooked nimono of seasonal vegetables or Vegetable gyoza
  • Dessert: Seasonal fruit
  • *If you choose Udon noodles, you will have a side dish and dessert, no rice and miso soup will be served.

Traveler reviews

4.83 (12)
(Google translated) Marvelous. Emi is a sweetheart, with my partner we speak Spanish, we thought it would be a bit complicated for us since the class is in English. We used Google translate and Emi welcomed us happily, she used the translator too to communicate with us and even learned a few words in Spanish. The food was delicious, he very kindly taught us how to prepare it by making us participate in the preparation. I give it a 10000000/10. If you want to learn Japanese cooking, this is your moment, don't hesitate and go!! Greetings Emi, if we go to Tokyo again, without a doubt we will go again to cook more things, and we will prepare the Gyozas in Chile!
- ausura March 16, 2023
Emi was a great host! She made it fun for us by teaching us step by step and having us carry out her instructions. We made udon with tempura and it was delicious! I had a lot of questions about Japanese food etiquette that she answered with pleasure. If you're looking for a fun night to learn about Japanese food/ culture and eat some yummy food, you should totally book this cooking class :-)
- Laura H January 22, 2023
I was able to go with my brother and we had the best time. We cooked Yakisoba and Emi did a wonderful job of explaining the process and showing each step clearly. Emi is a very nice, patient, and helpful teacher who I would highly recommend for any cooking level or age!
- ThatJessica January 16, 2023
To begin with Emi was friendly with great communication and provided easy to find her instructions. She then escorted us to her beautiful and clean home. We made delicious gomai, rice, miso soup and the most delicately flavoured salmon! This is a menu that is absolutely reproducible at home which is a key element for us when attending classes! We had a little spare time so Emi kindly toured us around her local supermarket so we could pick up delicacies we wouldn’t otherwise have known about! It was wonderful chatting to Emi about culture and life in Japan, and we would highly recommend this class! Thanks Emi!
- FreudianTraveller November 01, 2019
We had a wonderful time with Emi during our stay in Tokyo ! The cooking part was great but it was nothing compared to the human experience we lived during these few hours chatting and laughing with Emi. We recommand it thousand times! Thanks again for having us!
- titesha971 May 01, 2019
The cooking class with Emi was lovely and such a treat to experience while in Tokyo. We learned all about Japanese food traditions as well as cultural insights, like why rice is always served on the left. We got to experience the intricate techniques of folding gyoza along with some delicious flavor combinations like toasted sesame spinach. Emi is very sweet, easy to talk to and is very informative! We really enjoyed our cooking experience with her.
- Erika S April 01, 2019
If you love Japanese food, you will love learning to cook it with Emi. My husband and I had a private class with her yesterday. We knew as soon as we met her we were in for a treat. Emi is a delightful woman. She welcomed us by making us green tea. We learned that Japanese food is all about the presentation,- how to make it look inviting. While we were preparing it, we talked about the ingredients and Japanese food in general. We also talked about Japanese caligraphy, culture and festivals. We learned about so much more than cooking. Having prepared and cooked the food, we sat down to eat a delicious lunch of miso soup, chicken and green onions with sesame flavoured spinach, and a sweet treat, finished with a glass of sake. We were surprised to find two and a half hours had flown by, while we were getting to know an interesting and very different side of Japan. It was a wonderful experience that we would highly recommend to everyone.
- 306Jess April 01, 2019
My partner and I enjoyed an excellent private cooking class with Emi and learnt some great Japanese home cooking recipes. If you enjoy cooking and Japanese food, this is a great class to take and you’ll bring home some skills to recreate the recipes.
- Lou April 01, 2019
This class was amazing. I attended with my partner. Emi was incredibly friendly and loved teaching us about Japanese culture and learning about Australian culture. Her English was very good which made her easy to understand. We made our own gyoza, and can not wait to make it at home.
- Alyssa M April 01, 2019
Spent the night cooking up gyoza, miso soup and spinach with crushed sesame seeds for dinner. She was knowledgeable about the dishes and the traditions around dining etiquette.
- Travelingbozo April 01, 2019
We had such an interesting evening with EMI! She is really nice and taught how to cook 4 dishes from scratch. She was really patient with us and answered every question we had about food and Japanese culture in general. The recipes are easy to reproduce at home as well, we are looking forward to try! We would definitely recommend Emi to anyone looking to experience Japanese home cooking with a Japanese native!
- Georgina P February 01, 2019
She explained in English the ingredients and we all got involved in diving, chopping, straining and Cooking Japanese Chicken Karaage, Daikon Soup and Sesame seed coated Spinach. Very lively experience and fun cooking with EMI-san.
- Oreo January 01, 2019
Read More
54bfcee7 8718 40b0 8df0 40faff31959c

Emi

$60 10% off through Aug 31
$60
10% off through Aug 31
$60
10% off
through Aug 31

$54

USD per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Free cancellation up to 48 hours in advance
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $60 $54 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 $9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $60 $54 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 $9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm 5:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Emi

Emi is passionate about cooking traditional Japanese home-style dishes. After years of learning from three renowned chefs, she became a culinary expert who can prepare almost any authentic Japanese or Washoku dish. A Tokyo native, Emi enjoys meeting travelers and learning about other cultures. She adores food from every corner of the globe but is also passionate about Japanese cuisine and teas, in addition to cats, photography and hiking! She has a deep interest in nutrition science and values using the freshest, top quality ingredients. Your healthy and well-seasoned meal is guaranteed to be fresh and colorful, using more than 20 ingredients. Emi serves her meals on fine dining tableware, cutlery and utensils, so have your cameras ready for a fun photo journey of Japanese cuisine.

The Harry Potter Museum in Tokyo is about a 20 min walk from Emi's apartment!

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: (2-3 guests) You will be served authentic Japanese food in the Teishoku style, characterized by the use of several vegetables as side dishes and a meat or fish as the main. Your meal may include a main from a choice such as gyoza (potstickers), udon with shrimp tempura, ginger pork, teriyaki chicken, chicken karaage or slow cooked grilled fish as the main. Your main is accompanied by miso soup, rice and a side vegetable like nimono (slow cooked vegetables and meat with soy sauce and other traditional ingredients), marinated vegetables or stir fried egg and vegetables. You will end your meal with a Japanese dessert and green tea. Emi may not join you for the meal but you will get the chance to converse about food and culture as you cook. Emi offers sake as an optional alcohol add-on.

Message Emi directly after your booking is confirmed to discuss the menu - she is more than happy to customize menus for you. Please note if you are vegetarian Emi is happy to accommodate your request but note that the menu for the group may change accordingly.

Cooking experience: (2-3 guests) Emi will meet you at the Nerima station and together you will walk to her home where she will welcome you with mugi-cha (barley tea). Join Emi in her kitchen where you will learn to make 3-5 authentic Japanese dishes from scratch. If you're interested in cooking gyoza or udon with tempura, please let Emi know in advance. Your cooking class will last 1.5 – 2 hours during which you will learn about traditional Japanese food and culture from this local expert.

Notes: Please note that after your cooking class + meal experience, Emi will take you to a supermarket before dropping you off at Nerima station. At the supermarket, Emi will share more about Japanese chocolates, seasonings, ramen soups, seasonal fruits etc. She will also help you buy any ingredients that you’d like to take back home, such as miso paste, organic sesame, ramen, different kitkat flavors (a popular choice!) etc.

Please note that this experience is not suitable for children of 9 and under.

Languages spoken: Japanese, English

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 choose ONE main from the below choices. Emi cannot do different mains for all, so the whole group needs to choose the same main dish. They all come with a side dish + rice + soup + dessert
  • MEAT main: Gyoza
  • FISH main: Fried salmon with hijiki seaweed and edamame or Udon noodles with shrimp tempura*
  • VEGETARIAN main: Slow cooked nimono of seasonal vegetables or Vegetable gyoza
  • Dessert: Seasonal fruit
  • *If you choose Udon noodles, you will have a side dish and dessert, no rice and miso soup will be served.

Traveler reviews

4.83 (12)
(Google translated) Marvelous. Emi is a sweetheart, with my partner we speak Spanish, we thought it would be a bit complicated for us since the class is in English. We used Google translate and Emi welcomed us happily, she used the translator too to communicate with us and even learned a few words in Spanish. The food was delicious, he very kindly taught us how to prepare it by making us participate in the preparation. I give it a 10000000/10. If you want to learn Japanese cooking, this is your moment, don't hesitate and go!! Greetings Emi, if we go to Tokyo again, without a doubt we will go again to cook more things, and we will prepare the Gyozas in Chile!
- ausura March 16, 2023
Emi was a great host! She made it fun for us by teaching us step by step and having us carry out her instructions. We made udon with tempura and it was delicious! I had a lot of questions about Japanese food etiquette that she answered with pleasure. If you're looking for a fun night to learn about Japanese food/ culture and eat some yummy food, you should totally book this cooking class :-)
- Laura H January 22, 2023
I was able to go with my brother and we had the best time. We cooked Yakisoba and Emi did a wonderful job of explaining the process and showing each step clearly. Emi is a very nice, patient, and helpful teacher who I would highly recommend for any cooking level or age!
- ThatJessica January 16, 2023
To begin with Emi was friendly with great communication and provided easy to find her instructions. She then escorted us to her beautiful and clean home. We made delicious gomai, rice, miso soup and the most delicately flavoured salmon! This is a menu that is absolutely reproducible at home which is a key element for us when attending classes! We had a little spare time so Emi kindly toured us around her local supermarket so we could pick up delicacies we wouldn’t otherwise have known about! It was wonderful chatting to Emi about culture and life in Japan, and we would highly recommend this class! Thanks Emi!
- FreudianTraveller November 01, 2019
We had a wonderful time with Emi during our stay in Tokyo ! The cooking part was great but it was nothing compared to the human experience we lived during these few hours chatting and laughing with Emi. We recommand it thousand times! Thanks again for having us!
- titesha971 May 01, 2019
The cooking class with Emi was lovely and such a treat to experience while in Tokyo. We learned all about Japanese food traditions as well as cultural insights, like why rice is always served on the left. We got to experience the intricate techniques of folding gyoza along with some delicious flavor combinations like toasted sesame spinach. Emi is very sweet, easy to talk to and is very informative! We really enjoyed our cooking experience with her.
- Erika S April 01, 2019
If you love Japanese food, you will love learning to cook it with Emi. My husband and I had a private class with her yesterday. We knew as soon as we met her we were in for a treat. Emi is a delightful woman. She welcomed us by making us green tea. We learned that Japanese food is all about the presentation,- how to make it look inviting. While we were preparing it, we talked about the ingredients and Japanese food in general. We also talked about Japanese caligraphy, culture and festivals. We learned about so much more than cooking. Having prepared and cooked the food, we sat down to eat a delicious lunch of miso soup, chicken and green onions with sesame flavoured spinach, and a sweet treat, finished with a glass of sake. We were surprised to find two and a half hours had flown by, while we were getting to know an interesting and very different side of Japan. It was a wonderful experience that we would highly recommend to everyone.
- 306Jess April 01, 2019
My partner and I enjoyed an excellent private cooking class with Emi and learnt some great Japanese home cooking recipes. If you enjoy cooking and Japanese food, this is a great class to take and you’ll bring home some skills to recreate the recipes.
- Lou April 01, 2019
This class was amazing. I attended with my partner. Emi was incredibly friendly and loved teaching us about Japanese culture and learning about Australian culture. Her English was very good which made her easy to understand. We made our own gyoza, and can not wait to make it at home.
- Alyssa M April 01, 2019
Spent the night cooking up gyoza, miso soup and spinach with crushed sesame seeds for dinner. She was knowledgeable about the dishes and the traditions around dining etiquette.
- Travelingbozo April 01, 2019
We had such an interesting evening with EMI! She is really nice and taught how to cook 4 dishes from scratch. She was really patient with us and answered every question we had about food and Japanese culture in general. The recipes are easy to reproduce at home as well, we are looking forward to try! We would definitely recommend Emi to anyone looking to experience Japanese home cooking with a Japanese native!
- Georgina P February 01, 2019
She explained in English the ingredients and we all got involved in diving, chopping, straining and Cooking Japanese Chicken Karaage, Daikon Soup and Sesame seed coated Spinach. Very lively experience and fun cooking with EMI-san.
- Oreo January 01, 2019
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $60 $54 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 $9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $60 $54 Not offered
Alcohol
 $10 $9 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:30am-1:30pm 5:00pm-8:00pm
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 for free up until 48 hours before your experience. 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.