DATE WITH THE DOYENNE Private Sushi Class by Yuki Gomi

Meet Japanese chef, blogger, author and your new instructor, Yuki Gomi. Growing up in the idyllic mountains close to Mount Fuji, inspired by her mother’s cooking, from an early age Yuki was awakened to the possibilities of Japanese cuisine. Following her studies at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, she trained under a master noodle chef, before moving to London and beginning to teach Japanese home cooking classes. In this once-in-a-lifetime sushi-making masterclass, Yuki invites you into the private kitchen of her London-based home in Crystal Palace. Functional, minimalist, but also homely, Yuki’s impressive white kitchen has been designed by her architect husband as her, and your, studio A large marble tiled island dominates the room the center - this is where Yuki creates her recipes and where you’ll be masterfully creating sushi.To begin, the award-winning chef shares an overview of what she’ll be teaching in her MasterClass: fundamental sushi cooking techniques and the surprising ease with which sushi can be made at home from just a few locally sourced simple ingredients. Yuki will be happy to recommend Japanese grocery stores, fishmongers and tips for buying ingredients there, so that you can easily source the ingredients yourself. Echoing the simplicity of her overall cooking approach, many of Yuki’s tools are borrowed from everyday life: you’ll soon learn that a hairdryer is perfect for cooling sushi rice or that Katsuo dashi (Japanese fish stock) can be made using a cafetiere – no expensive equipment needed.After learning how to professionally plate and serve your sushi, sit down with Yuki at her table to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Sipping on sencha tea and feasting on your homemade delicate pieces of Japanese art, feel free to pick Yuki’s brain on Japanese food culture and dining. She’ll be more than happy to share her expertise. In addition to walking away with expert knowledge on how to make sublime sushi at home, a signed copy of Yuki’s book “Sushi At Home” accompanies the class for each guest. An engaging and intimate sushi workshop with such a highly acclaimed sushi aficionado makes for an unforgettable, rewarding culinary experience. No doubt you’ll be itching to host your own sushi dinner party to show off your newly acquired sushi-making skills.