Tired of resorting to instant ramen for dinner? Sign up for Tadaku, a new kind of cooking class run by chefs from Spain, Germany, France and Morocco (among others), where you learn how to make traditional home-cooked meals from these countries. What’s so special about it? Tadaku has one thing that sets it apart from other classes – it is hosted at the chef’s house. Also, unlike most cooking classes in Japan, every class is in English. We went along to try out the course called A French Winter Menu...
When we arrived at the house in a quiet part of Hiroo, we were warmly greeted by Julie, a French mother of two. She moved here about two years ago after her husband was transferred for work, and started working for Tadaku when she met the company's founder at a party. Not only does she get to teach Japanese people about French cuisine and culture, but she also learns about Japanese culture through her students.
Divided into small groups, we made a variety of French dishes designed to see us through the colder months, including winter root vegetable soup, griddle-fried duck breast, honey and ginger-sautéed carrots, and a chocolate and raspberry tart. To create the quintessential French meal, these were served with a green salad, baguettes, wine and coffee. The dishes weren't too hard to make, but with Julie's help we were able to add that subtle French X factor.
This particular lesson cost ¥5,600 per person, but other lessons start from ¥3,000. Keen to try it out or perhaps become a host? More information at www.tadaku.com.
