Japanese Cooking with Naomi

Workshop schedule:

Saturday December 8, 4:30pm-8:30pm Sorry, workshop is full!	Immersion Experience #1	$95.00 ~~$125.00~~
Saturday January 26, 4:30pm-8:30pm Sorry, workshop is full!	Immersion Experience #1	$95.00 ~~$125.00~~
Sunday January 27, 4:30pm-8:30pm 6 spots available	Immersion Experience #1	$95.00 ~~$125.00~~	Sign up now
Saturday February 9, 4:30pm-8:30pm Sorry, workshop is full!	Immersion Experience #1	$95.00 ~~$125.00~~
Sunday February 10, 4:30pm-8:30pm Sorry, workshop is full!	Immersion Experience #1	$95.00 ~~$125.00~~
Saturday March 2, 4:30pm-8:30pm 4 spots available	Immersion Experience #1	$95.00 ~~$125.00~~	Sign up now
Saturday March 9, 4:30pm-8:30pm 6 spots available	Immersion Experience #1	$95.00 ~~$125.00~~	Sign up now
Saturday December 1, 6:00pm-8:30pm Sorry, workshop is full!	Taste Of Experience #1	$75.00 ~~$95.00~~
Saturday February 2, 6:00pm-8:30pm 6 spots available	Taste Of Experience #1	$75.00 ~~$95.00~~	Sign up now
Default Title Sorry, workshop is full!	Kids and teens: Cooking and Culture #1	$75.00

If you would prefer to book your culinary experience over the phone or would like to book a private group experience please email us at info@inmykitchen.ca

All experiences are informal, warm and welcoming. IMK experiences are suitable for families, we recommend children are a minimum of 11 years old.

Immersion experiences are a 4 hour experience. Includes a light snack upon arrival, approximately 2.5 hours of "in the kitchen" time, learning the recipes and participating in making 9-10 dishes, a full dinner shared together, and a booklet of recipes and in-depth culinary info.

Taste of experiences are a 2.5 hour experience. Includes a light snack upon arrival and then you get to sit back and relax as Naomi walks you through each recipe step by step sharing her family stories and culture along the way. You do have the opportunity for a few hands-on elements in Naomi's Taste of class.

Cooking with Naomi: Exploring Japanese Flavours

Naomi is from the Kansai region, where the people are very particular about if a food has Umami (the savory of the five basic tastes). If a food does not have Umami, it gets passed over! When asked what her focus is with her cooking, Naomi’s response is: “I aim to achieve Umami in every single dish”.

Naomi's menus are about exploring flavours. Standard Japanese flavours are combined in unique ways to develop new and inspiring dishes. Naomi will decipher the Japanese labels on the ingredients and show you exactly what to buy and where.

Through Naomi's experiences you will have the opportunity to learn about a diverse range of Japanese ingredients at the same time learning about Japanese culture and life growing up in Japan.

Pet alert : No pets
Location : Naomi's Kitchen is in her work/live space studio in one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods: Mount Pleasant.

Immersion Experience #1

The flavour combinations Naomi will show you in this menu may be applied to a variety of different proteins or vegetables allowing you to pick what is fresh and in season. The proteins and vegetables at the experience may be different than what is on the menu below.

Small Plates:

Marinated Avocado
Sashimi Naomi style
Daikon salad with plum dressing

Yakitori and Grilled Vegetables with Dengaku sauce:

Chicken Yakitori
Shitake Brie
Vegetables
Chicken Tsukune (Japanese chicken meatball)

Yaki Onigiri Otchazuke

Grilled rice ball with broth

Dessert

Shiratama (little mochi balls) parfait

Taste Of Experience #1

Okonomiyaki Party

Onigiri Making

A fun ice breaker to get things going, you will learn to make what all Japanese kids first learn at elementary school: Onigiri (rice balls or in this case rice triangles)

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake made with flour and cabbage containing a variety of ingredients. Okonomi means "how you like" and "yaki" means "grill". This is a great experience for both, the adventurous palate and the more conservative palate.

You and Naomi will explore different flavour combinations for Okonomiyaki. Ingredients ranging from bacon, tenkasu (crumbled tempura batter), mochi, ebi (shrimp), pork, torororkombu (dried seaweed), corn, shiso…the list goes on! Through the creation of your own Okonomiyaki you will learn about the various Japanese ingredients, how to combine them to maximize your flavours and be immersed in the Japanese culture particularly the Kansai region where Naomi is from.

Naomi pairs this dish with Japanese beer, as traditionally served in Japan.

Pan fried yakisoba rice

This is an original dish, and a specialty of Naomi’s.

*Taste of experiences generally do not have a hands on element, please note that in Naomi's Taste of experience there is some hands on participation required.

Kids and teens: Cooking and Culture #1

Okonomiyaki Party

In this culinary adventure kids will explore a new culture and new flavours with ex-pro soccer player Naomi. Your children/teens will learn to make onigiri, okonomiyaki and pan fried yakisoba rice. The Okonomiyaki ingredients will be selected for a younger palate but some of the more unique ones available for the more daring. During the 2 hours Naomi will share her Japanese culture, stories about growing up in Japan and the ins and outs of cooking with Japanese flavours. This experience is the same menu as our Taste of #1 experience (below) but with a more hands on approach.

This is a private group experience for up to 6 people ages 11 and up (one adult is requested to be in attendance). A great birthday party idea! Depending on location, Naomi is available to come to your own home if preferred. Please note all 6 spots need to be purchased regardless of how many are in your group.

Details:

Price: $75 per person

Duration: 2 hours

To book: Please email info@inmykitchen.ca

Bio:

I was born in Kyoto, Japan to a Japanese Father and a Jewish, Canadian Mother. I came to Vancouver for University. After graduating, I went back to Japan for 10 years and played professional soccer and returned to Vancouver in 2016.

I now help people to manage their pain or up their athletic performance by teaching proper movement and correcting body alignment. I have a live/work space studio where I cook for friends and operate my training studio.

When did you learn to cook?

We rarely ate out as a family. My mother prepared most of the food I ate growing up. She primarily cooked and prepared Japanese style meals that she learned from my father's side of the family. However, most of my basic Japanese cooking skills I learned at elementary school in Japan.

What other cultures have influenced your cooking?

Not really a culture, but the “free-style” dishes, (similar to Otsumami) I encountered daily at small eateries in Japan, inspired me to become creative with my flavours. In addition to the Otsumami style dishes, my mother had a large influence on my cooking style. She was influenced by macrobiotic cooking so I was surrounded with very healthy food and ingredients. I have always valued “clean” food and cooking and eating not only for taste but also to nourish and fuel the body.

How do you express your love for cooking ?

I was so fortunate to grow up in a culture that valued sophisticated flavours. However, I believe food is much more than how it tastes. It is a wholesome enjoyable experience you share with the people you are with. I express my love for cooking and my culture by cooking my style of Japanese cuisine for my friends and family.

Do you have a cooking philosophy?

Learn the basics well, after that it's up to your imagination to create.

What guests are saying about Naomi's culinary experience:

The In My Kitchen experience for me was fantastic. Having spent many years living in Japan, I thought I knew a lot about Japanese food and culture. Naomi opened my eyes up to many aspects of the cuisine and customs that I wish I had known before. I left Naomi's home with a bunch of new recipes that I've already prepared more than once for friends and family.

Janice C.

"Naomi was an amazing host! Her love of food and passion for flavours really came through in her recipes and we learned lots of tips and tricks about cooking Japanese cuisine. My sister and I and the two other guests had a great time - it was a fun, relaxed, really unique experience. As we left, not a block from Naomi's home, we were all already talking about buying ingredients and recreating the dishes!"

Jamie K.

"Naomi's class was a delicious experience! So delicious that I've already re-created some of the recipes myself. A fun and yummy night out."

Ravneek F.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1954/9303/files/nbio.jpg?16484957784633594569

Naomi

Japan

“I believe food is much more than how it tastes. It is a wholesome, enjoyable experience you share with the people you are with.”

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