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Sumi Saikawa
Sumi's Kitchen In Sydney
location_on Sydney
local_activity classes: Japanese Cooking • Cooking • Baking and Desserts
4.9 (107)I was born in a Zen temple in Kobe Japan, which was an amazing environment to grow up in as a little kid. I was always in the kitchen to help make shojin ryori with mum (Temple cooking) for as long as I can remember for the temple. This was where my curiosity and fascination of food came from especially its part to play in culture and role it plays to keep the body and mind healthy.
From there, I graduated from university and worked as a dietitian in Japan for many years before meeting my husband and coming to Australia. My husband and I immigrated to Australia over 27 years ago now where we have made ourselves a family with 2 (not so young anymore) children. Now, I run lots of health oriented - cooking classes including "shojin ryori" for people living in Australia and Japan from all stages of life from the elderly to children.
My meal style: I try to give to initiative to prepare the foods even in a busy life. I appreciate the foods and I try to make food which will make me be happy.
Classes
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Reviews
(107)
Michelle de Vries • Nov 2023
Sumí was fantastic. I highly recommend this class. It was well organised, easy to follow along and a lot of fun making the dishes and then enjoying them for lunch.
Rita Savanah • Oct 2023
Thank you Sumi for a wonderful learning experience. From the moment we arrived we felt comfortable in your kitchen. Not only did we learn the art of cooking Japanese food we also learned about Japanese culture. The food was delicious as was the company. Highly recommend .
Rita and Séan.
Georgia Wilson-Williams • Sep 2023
Sumi was an incredible host and teacher as we learnt how to prepare a delicious vegan & gluten free zen meal. The lush location in St Ives, and her friendly pups, added to the atmosphere of the day too. The experience was unique, with thorough explanations of the traditions and nutrition of the food we were preparing as well as physical recipes to take home. Sumi is knowledgeable, prompt and friendly. A highlight was learning about kelp stock, & sharing the class with other foodies who we worked and ate alongside. Thank you Sumi for a lovely Sunday of learning!
Tom Smith • Aug 2023
The entire experience was enjoyable from start to finish. Sumi was well organised and a great guide.
Michelle Li • Aug 2023
2 ClassBento workshops attended
My girl and I booked this class to celebrate daddy’s birthday. It’s fabulous!
Rachel Simkover • Aug 2023
Amazing class! Instructor was knowledgeable and a great host. We had a lot of fun and left inspired.
Felicia Suteja • Jun 2023
Sumi was an amazing teacher and answered many of our questions. Her home felt very peaceful, my mum and I really enjoyed our class :) The tea ceremony at the end of our wagashi making class was really memorable. The wagashi and tea were delicious as well! I would definitely recommend her classes for people who would like to try something fun in a relaxing environment.
Sofia Yusman • Jun 2023
Sumi was excellent in explaining how to make wagashi, the materials provided was great and has everything. Would recommend the class to anyone interested in traditional Japanese sweets.
Leanne Freel • Jun 2023
Brilliant teacher, very interactive and a beautiful home. The course was very interesting and so much fun. I would definitely recommend this for anyone interested in learning more about cooking
Raveena Taurani • Mar 2023
Sumi is an excellent teacher! I had such a great learning experience attending this class. All the materials were laid out before I arrived and even though I arrived early, she made me comfortable enough to come inside and sit. We learnt so many amazing dishes like Sushi, Miso Soup, Burdock Root Stir Fry, etc and I got enough time to practice on my skill to make a sushi roll. Great value for money as you get involved in the entire cooking process right from the start. Sumi is kind, patient and extremely knowledgeable. So grateful I could attend her class! Thank you so much for such a great Sunday!
Sarah Summers • Mar 2023
A beautiful few hours with a great group of people and lovely teacher. A blend of watching and learning and shared cooking. Wonderfully arranged from start to finish. Highly recommend.
Emily Antcliff • Feb 2023
Sumi was a lovely host and my husband and I really enjoyed such a personalised class. A great balance of teaching and hands on experience. We would love to come back and try all her classes!
Naomi Blair • Feb 2023
Sumi is a great teacher and her house is a calm environment with Japanese affects. The food was so yummy and pretty simple to recreate at home
Annalissa Roy • Nov 2022
3 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Sumi was a lovely host, clearly explaining each part of the meal and techniques. The notes will help me try this style is cooking again, especially the details about exactly which ingredients I need and how to prepare them.
Mark Rutter • Nov 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Sumi was a good teacher. She was warm and personable, explained the structure of the class, what she and we would be doing, the different ingredients, and how to prepare and cook them.
Attending the class in Sumi's home was enjoyable and comfortable. Her kitchen and dining area was large enough for the group size.
The range of Japanese, vegan, gluten-free dishes was excellent and the number of dishes was management in the time we had.
The other people in our class were varied in their backgrounds, knowledge, and ability. We enjoyed learning with them.
It was a good experience to sit down together and eat the lunch we had just made. The flavours were delicious.
We would recommend the class to anyone. You don't need to be vegan or gluten-free to enjoy it. It was good value for money.
Chinatsu Ayai • Nov 2022
We had a great time not only make beautiful Japanese sweets but also chatting with beautiful nature view.
The teacher is so nice and kind. I highly recommend this class to enjoy the Japanese sweets and culture.
Juultje Loo • Nov 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
What a great class! Sumi is great tutor and knowledgeable dietician. Health based, fabulous recipes and very helpful on what ingredients to use. Thank you very much.
Yoshiko Maezima • Oct 2022
Thank you so much for your wonderful teaching of the traditional Japanese Sweets Class. The tea ceremony was also very interesting. I enjoyed the class very much and highly recommend this class to anyone
Dawn Uchida • Oct 2022
8 ClassBento workshops attended • 6 reviews
This was a wonderful class. The Japanese dishes Sumi taught us tasted so clean and nurturing. I never realised vegan Japanese cooking could be so delicious! She was a great teacher, explaining everything well and answering all questions. Highly recommend this class and hope to be back again.
Sophie Ferguson • Oct 2022
So much fun- we loved our morning with Sumi. So knowledgeable and tasty. Can’t wait to use these recipes in our home cooking.
Caroline Hill • Aug 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended
We were warmly welcomed by Sumi. She was very knowledgeable and explained Nerikiri Wagashi. She was kind and patient teaching us as we made our own Japanese sweets which we then enjoyed with matcha. She explained the tea ceremony and we served tea to each other. Highly recommend for a lovely relaxing afternoon learning about Japanese sweets and culture.
Linda Mitchell • Aug 2022
Amazing experience and we learnt a lot. Sumi took the time to explain a lot of interesting aspects of the food and cuisine, demonstrated things clearly and helped along the way. The food we made was absolutely delicious and beautiful!
Carolina Siufi • Aug 2022
We really enjoyed the whole experience. The teacher was very helpful and the food was absolutely delicious. Can't wait to start cooking at home.
Victoria Bismire • Aug 2022
4 ClassBento workshops attended • 4 reviews
Absolutely loved the class, Sumi is very friendly and very informative. I would not have thought it possible to learn make such exquisite wagashi in one afternoon, but under her guidance they appeared as if magic. Thank you Sumi!
Elaine Lim • Aug 2022
3 ClassBento workshops attended
Sumi is very knowledgeable and detailed in explaining the steps by steps.
You get to enjoy the nerikiri wagashi at the end with a tea ceremony too. Super fun class.
Susan Young • Jul 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Lots of Fun, with my first Class Bento class!
Sumi was a welcoming, friendly host and very well prepared. She provided good notes, including recipe and colour pictures which were helpful.
Very clean equipment and working space. Good use of time throughout the session.
Really loved the hands on shaping and colouring of each of the 3 wagashi sweet designs we made, especially for the Winter Season!
The demonstration and instructions were quite straightforward, not too difficult to follow.
The end results were also very pretty, so fresh and delicious.
The simplified matcha green tea ceremony at the end of the session, using some traditional tea ceremony implements, was also really fun experience and provided another interesting window into appreciating Japanese ceramics and culture.
Going home, I felt quite confident that I will be able to find the correct ingredients and make more of these sweets myself at home. And also hopefully experiment with making new shapes.
A great afternoon overall!
Thank you, Susan Y
Gabriella Kovacs • Jul 2022
Sumi was very accommodating when I needed to reschedule the first class I booked. On the day of the class she provided us background information on sweet making in Japan, which gave us cultural insight into the practice. Her house was well set up for the class, and Sumi was a wonderful host who always ensured we had enough tea to enjoy throughout the session. She patiently guided us through the steps of constructing the sweets, and ensured that we all left with treats to take home. My partner and I often struggle with crafty/fiddly tasks, so we were both surprised by how easy it was to construct the sweets when we were guided by Sumi. The paste was made by hand so it was tastier than other Japanese sweets I have tried. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone who is interested in Japanese culture, veganism or sweet making in general.
Nita Byrne • Jul 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Very informative and enjoyable class
Sumi was very patient and helpful
Venu was really great
Lori Bernstein • Jul 2022
Such a lovely class! Sumi was amazing and the tea ceremony was fabulous! Would definitely recommend
Jo-Anne Ho • Jun 2022
2 ClassBento workshops attended
The Japanese sweet making class was an enjoyable experience for our girls day out. We all had fun weighing, rolling, moulding and colouring the paste into delicious tasting sweets in a relaxed environment. Sumi was patient and her instructions easy to follow. She guided and helped us when we needed it. The tea making ceremony rounded off a fun and relaxing experience.
Cheryl Wong • Jun 2022
Sumi was very patient and explained the steps of making the ingredients and sculpting the Japanese sweets very clearly. She explained and demonstrated how to make the bean paste and taught us how to form and sculpt the Nerikiri. There were some interesting techniques and tools used and overall the experience was fun and calming. It almost feels like your in Japan during the 2 hours of the class. Overall, it was fun and a good insight into Japanese culture and Japanese tea ceremony.
Rachel Macdonald • Jun 2022
We had a great time in Sumi’s class. Perfect length and great instructions. Thank you.
Mei Soong • Jun 2022
10 ClassBento workshops attended • 7 reviews
Very good class and Sumi was very patient with us. Thoroughly enjoyed the class. Delicious
Heezee Lu • Apr 2022
I love the course and it helps me to be mindful while creating the dessert. Relaxing and exciting at the same time under our experienced teacher, Sumi San. Thank you and highly recommended especially the face to face experience.
Mary Trevisan • Apr 2022
I attended Sumi's class as part of a small private group booking. Sumi is a very gracious host and a good teacher. She is a clear communicator who had all of the supplies we needed ready to go. We all learnt a lot from the class and we are all keen to use our new skills at home.and to attend further classes in Japanese sweet making
Everything from the venue to the supporting materials to the lesson and tea ceremony was fantastic. I highly recommend this class.
Isaac Leung • Apr 2022
Saikawa-san is an expert in her craft, and she patiently walked us through the techniques and process of creating the Japanese sweets.
Due to the time constraints of the class, we walked through the theory for creating the materials, and also had a demonstration of the preparation of nerikiri, rather than going through the full process of actually preparing the bean paste from the raw materials, but the instructions in the provided sheet were clear and concise.
While canonical wagashi preparation involves the use of a number of specific tools, this class utilised more common tools, focusing on techniques that allow the preparation of wagashi for home cooks.
The workshop was held at the host's home, which has a rather large kitchen area, just right for the number of people in this intimate workshop. Also present were Haru and Aki, who were very cute and enthusiastic dogs.
Halina Rubenstein • Apr 2022
Great teacher, very informative and a intimate class of 4 people made for a great afternoon.
Shera Bucchianeri • Nov 2021
Amazing class Sumi is the best Everything was sooo delicious She made sure we had what we needed before class & offered substitutions as needed, which was very sweet. Highly recommend!
Naomi Naiza-Webb • Oct 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Fantastic class, I loved that we cooked in real time and had a full meal to serve at the end of 1.5 hours. Food was absolutely delicious.
Hannah Gray • Oct 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
This was such a great class! And oh my goodness the food was absolutely delicious.
Thanks Sumi I had a lot of fun
Joseph Paul • Sep 2021
Loved it - thanks so much Sumi, will be joining more classes for sure. The food was delicious too.
Scott Venables • Jun 2021
Sumi was an amazing host and teacher. It felt like walking in to a traditional Japanese home and we were made very comfortable immediately.
The place was spotless and covid friendly.
Sumi’s passion for Japanese food was evident and she loved teaching us the traditional way of how to cook vegan Japanese food, and also other options to alter it for those who would be comfortable to have meat proteins. It was hands on, interactive and fun! Lots of great pics were taken. It was lovely to sit at the end with Sumi and eat the food we made as a group and learn more about her time in Japan and Australia and what led her to running this course. 5 STARS!
Sarah Andrews • May 2021
We had a lovely morning with Sumi. She is super knowledgeable about Japanese ingredients and made the class really fun and interactive. We had a beautifully presented lunch at the end of the class and we all learnt a lot. Thank you Sumi!
Nicola Rai • Apr 2021
A relaxed vibe and knowledgeable teacher. I learnt more than I expected and I am keen to put it into practice. I would certainly do another class with Sumi to learn more about how to make Japanese dishes here in Australia.
Analise Bauchinger • Apr 2021
Thank you, Sumi. My mother and I really enjoyed the cooking class. Everything was great.
Carla Rowe • Apr 2021
Sumi is an excellent teacher. We had a wonderful time learning how to cook with her. All the recipes were delicious! We will definitely be making these at home. Thanks for a great time Sumi
Stefania Kikuchi • Apr 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Sumi teacher was great and very helpful during the workshop. All materials were provided! And got to eat what we cooked. Lovely place, easy to find car parking and lots of fun. スミ先生お料理教えて下さってありがとうございました
Mann Bookluck • Mar 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended
Relaxing setting with easy to follow style of cooking, the reward is a tasty Japanese banquet to finish off the class. Thank you Sumi it was an enjoyable session.
Sophie Wainwright • Mar 2021
Overall an amazing experience Sumi is a lovely teacher with so much knowledge of the Japanese culture and food.
All good was amazing, her place is beautiful & we enjoyed an amazing lunch after lots of cooking.
Would recommend, a great weekend activity! Also recommended other great Japanese experiences across Sydney.
Thanks so much
Kerrilyn Stratford • Feb 2021
2 ClassBento workshops attended • 2 reviews
Loved the class. Sumi was very well prepared, presented the recipes clearly with good instruction. The dishes were delicious and I look forward to making them for friends and family.
Ruth Blades • Jan 2021
Sumi’s class was amazing. We took a friend as a birthday gift and we all had a great time. Sumi has a very interesting background and was clearly very passionate and knowledgable about food, we came away feeling confident to recreate the dishes at home, and source good ingredients thanks to Sumi’s tips. Her kitchen is beautiful and a great setting to cook and have a delicious lunch in. Thank you Sumi
