Since we didn't have the cash for a vacation this break, we decided to do one "big" activity together in Tokyo. Sean suggested that we do a sushi class and after some research we decided on the sushi class that a small cooking school in Tokyo offers. The class was from 11-2 and there were six people including us - a couple from New Zealand and a mother and daughter from Singapore.
The class was great mostly because of the teacher who was not only adorable and friendly, but very informative. She started off by explaining a little about the history and the different types of sushi and then gave us a workshop demonstration about how to make our own miso soup from scratch.
Then we started in on preparing the rice which involved mixing in exact amounts of vinegar, sugar and salt - we used small scales to do this. We had to mix everything together while the rice was still hot and while Sean mixed, I had to use a fan to cool the rice down rapidly so that it would stay "shiny" and thus create a better presentation at the end. To prepare each bit of rice for the fish, we measured out 19-20 grams and then molded it in a special way in our hands. This part was the trickiest and I never really got the hang of it. After that, we wrapped all of our rice bits in plastic wrap so they wouldn't dry out.
The second part of the class involved making traditional sushi rolls which was a lot of fun. First we spread out rice on a piece of seaweed which was on top of a bamboo mat. Then we added toppings (fish, cucumber and egg) and rolled everything together. Again, this called for a bit of technique that was harder than it appeared when our teacher did it. After that, we used very sharp knives to cut the rolls into pieces.
Finally, we put everything together and arranged it on a plate along with miso soup, soy sauce, wasabi, ginger and sake. We each got to try nine different types of sushi including three types of tuna, squid, salmon and some others that I don't remember the names. It was a great lunch and so much food that I couldn't finish everything. We had a great time and would definitely go back to attend the other class that she offers - how to do a bento box.
Oh my gosh I wish I'd known about this class when I was in Tokyo last year!! And I looooove my bento box and want to do that class... maybe next summer I should try to plan a 24 hour layover in Tokyo in order to take the class :)