Tokyo Cook

Hidden inside Sougo, a shojin (vegetarian) restaurant in Roppongi, you'll find this small cooking school run by chef Shinichi Yoshida and cooking instructor and sommelier Yoko Goto. Classes are taught by celebrated local chefs in English and mostly focus on particular styles of Japanese cooking like shojin ryori (vegetarian Buddhist temple cuisine) or kaiseki ryori (a multicourse style of dining with roots in Japanese tea ceremony). You’ll hear about the culture and history surrounding the dishes you’re learning to make, with plenty of time devoted to breaking down traditional ingredients and techniques. The school offers a variety of courses and styles, from a 2½-hour class focused on popular Japanese dishes like chawanmushi and tonkatsu to six-hour sessions that include an early morning chef-led trip to Tsukiji Fish Market to courses on sake and food pairing—all of them include a full meal plus drinks and dessert. The school offers private instruction, as well, for those interested in tailoring a class specifically to their interests.