As the top food destination across Japan, Osaka has quite a reputation to uphold.
However, if you ask anyone who’s ever visited Osaka, you’ll get the same type of answer: Osaka is the place to go if a good foodie trip is what you’re seeking!
Home of the globally popular takoyaki and okonomiyaki, Osaka is a stomping ground for many more traditional Japanese dishes. If you’re looking to take it a step further and have a unique food experience, why not try one of the highly recommended cooking classes in Osaka?
Japanese cooking classes have skyrocketed in recent years, becoming one of the top contenders for a unique and cultural experience that is both affordable and exciting for people of all ages.
Japanese cooking classes are rather special because the hosts and teachers are genuinely professional and passionate about what they are teaching. And, of course, there is no such thing as learning too much about the unique and deeply elaborate history and culture of Japanese food.
Looking for a complete way to experience Japan? Have a look at one of the best cooking classes in Osaka below!
1. Ramen and Gyoza Cooking Class in Osaka
Ramen is a top contender for one of the best meals you can get yourself in Japan. It’s got a long-winded history that’s both complex and amazing, and you’ll find that each prefecture offers its own version of ramen.
However, shoyu is up there as one of the most classic types of ramen.
In this class, shoyu ramen is what you will be taught to make by Yoko-sensi. Yoko-sensei is a food expert with more than 5 years of culinary teaching and has taken on thousands of students from all around the world.
Apart from learning how to prepare your own shoyu ramen, you will also learn how to make gyoza, which are juicy pan-fried dumplings with fillings. Many ramen restaurants offer gyoza as a side dish, as these two traditional foods often go hand in hand.
Highlights:
- Learn how to cook authentic Japanese shoyu ramen from an expert
- Learn how to roll and pan-fry the perfect gyoza dumplings
2. Osaka-Style Okonomiyaki Cooking Class
Okonomiyaki is a popular Japanese street food that can be eaten anywhere in Japan. It is known for its sweet and savory taste, healthy and delicious fillings, and availability anywhere in Japan from street vendor stalls to dine-in restaurants.
Not many know are aware, but okonomiyaki is considered to hail from Osaka! This moorish savory pancake was invented just before WWII and shot into the public’s eye right afterward.
It’s essentially a savory pancake made from flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, and a protein which is usually pork or seafood.
Whilst it does sound quite simple, blending the perfect batter and cooking it to perfection requires quite a bit of skill – a skill that you can learn in this Osaka-style okonomiyaki cooking class!
Experience the intricacies of how to make this iconic Osaka dish under the tutelage of Yoko-san, a multi-lingual tour guide and cooking instructor who boasts more than five years of teaching under the belt.
In this class, not only will you be taught the craft of Osaka okonomiyaki, but you will also get to learn how to make homemade miso soup as well as two additional traditional Japanese side dishes.
Highlights:
- Learn how to cook one of the most famous and traditional Osaka dishes
- Learn how to make a miso soup and two traditional Japanese side dishes
- Enjoy dessert after class
- Take home printed recipes so you don’t forget!
3. Osaka Cooking Class: Wagyu Roast Beef with Wasabi Sauce
For a fusion take on Japanese cuisine, this cooking class combines the renowned premium Japanese Wagyu beef and puts a little spin to it.
Roast beef is said to have origins in Europe, and the majority of recipes do not call on the use of Wagyu.
However, Yoko-sensei artfully combines the culinary skillset of roasting with premium local ingredients to create a one-in-a-million dish: Wagyu Roast Beef with Wasabi Sauce.
This class is as exciting and fun as the recipe sounds, as the experienced Yoko-sensei will take you through how to carefully prepare each ingredient and cook the final roast to perfection.
Yoko-sensei will also teach you how to make the perfect homemade miso soup as well as two accompanying side dishes. After you’ve finished, sit back and enjoy dessert as you wrap up the class.
Highlights:
- Cook a ‘traditional’ roast beef using premium Japanese wagyu beef
- Learn how to make traditional homemade miso soup as well as two Japanese side dishes
- Learn from a world-renowned culinary teacher
4. Colorful Maki Sushi Making Class in Osaka
Preparing and rolling sushi is perhaps one of the most exciting ways for you to be introduced to cooking Japanese cuisine. Not only is sushi a delicious food that is so easy to love, but the process of making it is fun and requires only the basics of kitchen skills.
In this cooking class, Yoko-sensei opens up her Osaka kitchen to anyone who wants to learn more about Japanese cuisine as well as learn how to make colorful maki sushi. Maki sushi is the type of rolled sushi that you typically see in sushi restaurants.
Learn from an experienced cooking instructor how to roll the most perfect sushi using simple and easy-to-find ingredients that you’ll easily be able to locate back at home. Additionally, you will also learn how to make traditional miso soup, a few traditional side dishes, and, last but definitely not least, a Japanese omelette, i.e., tamagoyaki.
Highlights:
- Learn how to roll authentic colorful maki sushi
- Learn how to cook traditional homemade miso and Japanese side dishes
- Learn from an experienced culinary instructor
- Finish off strong with a sweet dessert at the end of the class
5. Miso Making Workshop in Osaka
Miso is a staple ingredient of Japanese cuisine. Sitting atop amongst heavyweight Japanese ingredients such as dashi, soy sauce, and mirin, a Japanese person simply cannot say their pantry is complete without miso taking front and center.
If you’re looking at learning how to cook Japanese, this masterclass in making miso would serve to be a fantastic foundation for your future Japanese cooking endeavors.
Miso is an ingredient packed with umami, yet it is only made with a few simple ingredients: soybeans, salt, and koji.
During this two-hour class, renowned culinary teacher Yoko-sensei will teach you how to make your own miso from scratch. In between the cooking lesson, she will also impart her knowledge on the historical and regional facts about miso, teach you about the science of using koji, and discuss the importance and significance of miso in Japanese cooking.
At the end of the class, each person would have made 500 grams of miso, ready to be taken home and fermented over the next few months.
Highlights:
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- Make certified authentic miso from scratch
- Learn from an experienced world-renowned culinary teacher
- Learn the history and cultural significance of miso as well as other ingredients
Osaka is the birthplace and origin of many popular traditional Japanese dishes, and you will be in safe hands should you decide to take a cooking class here with any of the renowned cooking instructors.
From the original Osaka favorite, Okinomiyaki, to the nationally celebrated food of sushi, you are spoilt for choice in terms of cooking classes here.
We hope you enjoyed our list of the top five best cooking classes in Osaka. Let us know if you decide to join any – we’d love to hear about your experience!
Wanna learn other dishes in Tokyo and Kyoto? Check out our lists of the best cooking classes in Kyoto and the best cooking classes in Tokyo.
If you want to try more food experiences in Osaka, we highly recommend you to also read our posts about the 9 best food tours in Osaka!