Mayuko's Little Kitchen — Local services in Tokyo

A while ago, I did Mayuko's night tour in Tokyo, and it was an unforgettable experience.

Mayuko is not only incredibly warm and friendly but also a truly knowledgeable and passionate host. From start to finish, she made us feel welcomed and immersed us in the depth of Japanese culture and cuisine.

The tour took us to hidden gems—authentic local restaurants that most tourists would never discover on their own. These were not the typical overhyped, touristy spots but places that showcased the heart and soul of Japanese culinary traditions. She guided us to cozy yakitori restaurants serving perfectly grilled skewers, lively izakayas offering exquisite seafood dishes, and even a traditional fishermen’s restaurant serving an array of pescatarian delights. Each stop highlighted the diversity and richness of Japanese cuisine, leaving us amazed at the variety of flavors and techniques.

Mayuko's attention to detail extended beyond the food to her impeccable drink pairings. At each of the three stops, she introduced us to a different drink, each perfectly complementing the flavors of the dishes we were enjoying. From refreshing sake to unique Japanese craft beverages, the combinations elevated the entire dining experience.

We also learned that Mayuko is an accomplished chef who runs highly sought-after cooking classes. Unfortunately, we couldn’t secure a spot as they were fully booked well in advance. If you’re planning to visit Tokyo, I’d highly recommend booking her classes (as well as this tour) early, as they are the perfect complement to the food tour.

This is a 10/10 recommendation and a must-do if...

My partner and I took Mayuko’s Sushi roll and Okonomiyaki class during the early part of our trip in Japan. It was a wonderful, intimate and authentic experience in Mayuko’s kitchen with her assistant. The group was small - about 6 people, and such a good friendly group! Mayuko greeted us warmly, facilitated introductions among the group, and served matcha, teaching us how to make and drink matcha the Japanese way. We all shared in following her steps for prep, drinking tea and enjoying each other’s company and followed her wonderful and very skilled teaching on how to properly prepare and make sushi - she even explained the differences in the types of sushi roll! - how to make miso soup - explaining the types of miso - and how to prep and cook DELICIOUS okonomiyaki. The miso was one of my favorites, as I only ever made it from a package. We made it from scratch and it tasted restaurant quality if not better!! She’s a great teacher - it’s one thing to follow a recipe, but you learn so much more, including technique, when you do it together with an expert. After this experience, I feel like I can try this at home, and she shared a helpful recipe document after with ingredients and names of things I can buy at an Asian supermarket. Finally, the table setting was gorgeous, and it felt like a feast among friends. I enjoyed the time at the end to just eat and talk together. (As a bonus, she served us homemade plum wine). Thank you so much for such a lovely experience - truly a highlight of my trip, and a...

We purchased our voucher for Mayukos cooking class in 2019 but could not come to Japan until October 2023 and she was so nice to extend our voucher until then. That was only the first of uncountable great impressions we got from Mayuko and her cooking class. She is such a lovely, warm, funny person and that made us feel extremely comfortable from the beginning. We had great companions from Switzerland, Australia and Canada that made the class also really fun. We made Karagee, Miso soup and Okonomiyaki and it was nothing but delicious and with Mayukos explanations so easy to make! Everyone was included for the preparations and we did everything together so it was great to create such a delicious meal together. Mayuko sent us the recipes after and a lot of recommendations for restaurants in Tokyo and she even made a reservation for us at her favorite Sushi restaurant we never would have gotten to if not for her help. We loved the cooking class and love Mayuko as the lovely, funny, caring person she is. She does everything she can, that she would not have to do to make her cooking class participants happy. Just that was totally worth our trip to Japan - Thanks SO MUCH, Mayuko!!! If you want to learn how to prepare delicious traditional Japanese dishes you have to go to Mayukos...