Top Kyoto Cooking Classes - page 2

Loved, loved, loved this! There is something quite special about having your hair done and getting dressed in the most beautiful kimono by experts. I wish I could experience that every day! The tea ceremony was also great, being walked through each step. Would highly recommend this experience if you are in Kyoto.

Beautiful glimpse into traditional arts of tea ceremony and calligraphy. We witnessed the purification of the tea, ate wagashi (Japanese sweet) and whisked our own matcha. I enjoyed learning about calligraphy. It requires much more grace than I possess but I was allowed to practice a character until I felt confident and made a final one on nice paper to take home as a souvenir. Being invited to wear a kimono made this experience even more special, and afterwards the they allowed us to wander around Kyoto in our kimonos for the day. It was overall a truly lovely experience! Staff was very friendly and informative. I highly recommend!

This experience was a highlight of our 12-night Celebrity cruise to Japan. Our group looks for ways to learn about the culture of the places we visit while also learning how to make some of the food we love back home. The English speaking tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. She acted as the interpreter for the chef we worked with, which I was concerned about at first, but was not an issue at all. We learned how to make ramen (we each had a chance to choose our own broth), gyoza and fried rice, then enjoy our creations as a hearty lunch. The restaurant/location of the experience was down an alley that we would not have been able to discover on our own, which made the entire excursion feel that much more exclusive. Don’t be scared of the “local feel” of the location - it’s not a professional, sterile kitchen, but one that is a local favorite of the people who know how ramen should taste! If you are someone who likes to recreate dishes when you return home, this is a must-do for you! Ramen, gyoza and fried rice are all relatively easy to make upon your return home and using the skills learned in class can be applied in your own kitchen with little need for additional equipment (although if you want to make the ramen noodles from scratch, you might have to invest in a noodle press). This is a 5-star experience that I would recommend to new and experienced chefs.