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: Masayo

Kyoto, Japan

USD
$86-$160 per person

Traditional Japanese cooking with a local expert in her cafe

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

Meet Masayo

A Kansai native, which includes the Kyoto and Osaka regions, Masayo was born and raised in Osaka and moved to Kyoto with her family eight years ago. She and her husband decided to buy and renovate an old, historical house into their family home in Kyoto. Adjacent to her home is a cafe that Masayo runs and hosts cooking classes at. Masayo is a professional chef who attended one of the most famous culinary schools in Japan and has been teaching cooking for over two decades. Her mother inspired her passion for cooking but what really drove her to hone her cooking skills was her desire to delight her husband with beautiful and delicious dishes. Masayo harvests almost all her vegetables from a close friend's organic farm in Kyoto. She takes prides in using the freshest, highest quality ingredients from seaweed to bonito sourced from local producers. Experience traditional Japanese food, culture and Japanese life with a professional cook in her cafe. Please note that Masayo sometimes may have a friend join your experience as a translator.

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: (2-6 guests) Masayo will welcome you into her beautiful cafe with a warm smile and a cup of Japanese tea. Hear about your menu for the day as you enter a traditional tatami room where you will dine on your meal. Your homemade Japanese feast may include traditional Japanese meat dishes such as chicken meatballs with teriyaki sauce or chicken karaage, ginger pork, Japanese egg rolls, an organic vegetable salad, miso soup, rice and dessert. Feel free to let Masayo know if there are any specific Japanese dishes that you would like to try. Please note that vegetarian options are not available.

Cooking experience: (2-6 guests) Join Masayo in cafe kitchen for a hands-on cooking experience. Masayo will teach you to make a traditional Japanese meal from scratch, using fresh, seasonal produce locally sourced in Kyoto. You will make Obentou (lunch box) that consists of a meat main dish, rice, and two side dishes. Meant to be tasty, healthy and eye-catching, Obentou is an important part of Japanese food culture. Learn Japanese cooking techniques of chopping, marination and stir-frying from an expert before enjoying the Obentou meal you helped prepare on beautiful Japanese dishes.

Notes: Masayo specializes in meat dishes so does not offer a vegetarian only menu.

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.
  • Choice of main: Chicken teriyaki, chicken karaage or ginger pork with rice
  • Vegetable side: Fresh organic salad or grilled Japanese vegetables
  • Side: Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) with dashi
  • Soup: Miso soup

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
We really enjoyed our lunch. Our host was very friendly and although her English was limited we were able to communicate easily. The house and garden are beautiful as is the area where her home is located. We had two older travellers with us who found it difficult to sit on the floor, chairs were provided.
- Lesley V April 07, 2024
9240b487 dcb8 4812 900b 7c68e1fc637e

Masayo

$86-$160 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $108 $86
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $160 $140
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $108 $86
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $160 $140
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:30pm-2:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 12:30pm-2:30pm

Meet Masayo

A Kansai native, which includes the Kyoto and Osaka regions, Masayo was born and raised in Osaka and moved to Kyoto with her family eight years ago. She and her husband decided to buy and renovate an old, historical house into their family home in Kyoto. Adjacent to her home is a cafe that Masayo runs and hosts cooking classes at. Masayo is a professional chef who attended one of the most famous culinary schools in Japan and has been teaching cooking for over two decades. Her mother inspired her passion for cooking but what really drove her to hone her cooking skills was her desire to delight her husband with beautiful and delicious dishes. Masayo harvests almost all her vegetables from a close friend's organic farm in Kyoto. She takes prides in using the freshest, highest quality ingredients from seaweed to bonito sourced from local producers. Experience traditional Japanese food, culture and Japanese life with a professional cook in her cafe. Please note that Masayo sometimes may have a friend join your experience as a translator.

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: (2-6 guests) Masayo will welcome you into her beautiful cafe with a warm smile and a cup of Japanese tea. Hear about your menu for the day as you enter a traditional tatami room where you will dine on your meal. Your homemade Japanese feast may include traditional Japanese meat dishes such as chicken meatballs with teriyaki sauce or chicken karaage, ginger pork, Japanese egg rolls, an organic vegetable salad, miso soup, rice and dessert. Feel free to let Masayo know if there are any specific Japanese dishes that you would like to try. Please note that vegetarian options are not available.

Cooking experience: (2-6 guests) Join Masayo in cafe kitchen for a hands-on cooking experience. Masayo will teach you to make a traditional Japanese meal from scratch, using fresh, seasonal produce locally sourced in Kyoto. You will make Obentou (lunch box) that consists of a meat main dish, rice, and two side dishes. Meant to be tasty, healthy and eye-catching, Obentou is an important part of Japanese food culture. Learn Japanese cooking techniques of chopping, marination and stir-frying from an expert before enjoying the Obentou meal you helped prepare on beautiful Japanese dishes.

Notes: Masayo specializes in meat dishes so does not offer a vegetarian only menu.

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.
  • Choice of main: Chicken teriyaki, chicken karaage or ginger pork with rice
  • Vegetable side: Fresh organic salad or grilled Japanese vegetables
  • Side: Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) with dashi
  • Soup: Miso soup

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
We really enjoyed our lunch. Our host was very friendly and although her English was limited we were able to communicate easily. The house and garden are beautiful as is the area where her home is located. We had two older travellers with us who found it difficult to sit on the floor, chairs were provided.
- Lesley V April 07, 2024
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $108 $86
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $160 $140
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 Not offered $108 $86
Cooking Experience + Meal
 Not offered $160 $140
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:30pm-2:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 12:30pm-2:30pm
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.