Cooking Class - Classic Japanese Comfort Food

Sofia

11 Dec 2022

Incredible experience with Chef Melissa! The food was great and we had so much fun.

Maya

13 Oct 2022

This was an amazing experience. I got it for my brother for his birthday and he said it was the best gift he's ever been given. Chef Melissa was so fun, as well as precise, and I learned so much about the dishes and left with a full stomach :)

Liliana

27 Jul 2022

Chef Melissa provided us a thoughtful, generous, and delicious event. We were welcomed into a lovely setting featuring beautiful ikebana floral arrangements created by her. Chef Melissa shared some of her expertise through guided instruction and interesting explanations, with plenty of laughter along the way. Also a sommelier, she told us about sake as we enjoyed sipping what we had brought. The food was amazing - lovely presentation, delicious. One of the treats of the evening was picking fresh herbs, greens and flowers from Chef Melissa's hydroponic stand and incorporating them into the designs and flavors of the dishes we created together. We had a wonderful time together guided by her expert-fully presented activities. Ultimately, we experienced Japanese comfort food in its glorious, vegetarian wholesomeness ? Our tastebuds are still dancing and will be jazzed up for time to come. Our imagination is fueled with enthusiasm to try our own interpretations of what chef Melissa taught us.

Hilmar Lehnert

25 Jul 2022

Just awesome.

Hilmar Lehnert

25 Jul 2022

What a fantastic evening! We had so much fun. We learned a lot , from the right way to hold the knife, to chopping all the way to make a good balanced dish. The Chef shared the secrets of Umami!! We laughed, we cooked and we ate more we should have. The atmosphere was highly professional, but comfortable for every skill level. The table was set with beautiful flower arrangements

Lisa

11 Jun 2022

We had a wonderful experience with Chef Melissa!! She was so patient, understanding, and a great instructor, even when I made a mistake!! This was our first time taking a cooking class and she definitely set the standard high! Chef Melissa even made our night more special by taking the time to get an extra dessert to celebrate my husband's birthday! Definitely A++

Jenny

02 Jun 2022

Chef Melissa was an incredible instructor! My partner and I were given gifted this experience and it was top tier: the recipes Chef Melissa created were all wonderful, accessible for beginners, wonderfully tasty, and she was always available to help us truly learn the recipes rather than just providing instructions. She made the class fun with her open herb farm, preparation of all the ingredients, and was generously willing to improvising for any food restrictions. We are hoping to book another class soon; we truly felt like we connected with her and the other attendees!!

Melissa

26 Mar 2022

Chef Melissa has such great energy and we loved her passion for food and teaching. She was very accommodating towards dietary restrictions and created a cozy and hospitable environment for us to learn from her. Would highly recommend to anyone!!

Kelly

20 Mar 2022

My husband and I had a great time learning new Japanese creations from Chef Melissa! Her home was so inviting and was the perfect setup for an intimate cooking class. Everything turned out delicious and we definitely will be trying these recipes on our own!

Isaac

16 Feb 2022

I highly recommend the Classic Japanese Comfort Food class with Chef Melissa. We learned how to make a three-course meal which includes Okonomiyaki, miso ramen, and matcha crepe. I enjoyed tremendously both the cooking activities and the delicious finished product. Chef Melissa is a wonderful host for this memorable event. The class is well planned ahead and organized so that once the cooking is complete, we could all relax and enjoy the company.

katie

13 Feb 2022

Chef Melissa was wonderful! She is knowledgeable, hospitable, and friendly. The meals were delicious and unique and she taught you how to easily recreate them at home. She was accommodating to me and my guests dietary restrictions. I walked away with some great cooking tips. What a fun experience! I would highly recommend her class.

Isabel

19 Dec 2021

Amazing experience, incredible food and super friendly chef! It was worth every penny and we were super satisfied with the meal and the teacher. Highly recommend if you like gifting experiences!

david

24 Jan 2023

Chef Melissa is fantastic. Extremely friendly, inviting, knowledgeable, and encouraging. She made our experience better then I could have imagined. She is very dedicated to her craft, in all ways encompasses what a chef should be. We will definitely return. thank Melissa!!

Kerry

23 Jan 2023

We loved our class with Chef Melissa! She was so warm, welcoming and knowledgeable!

Kristin

22 Jan 2023

We had such a great time cooking with Chef Melissa! She was so welcoming into her home and made the whole experience fun. It was really nice learning some new techniques, making delicious dishes to enjoy, and socializing with her and the other guests. We'd absolutely love to cook with her again.

Andrew

21 Jan 2023

Such a great class from a wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable chef. She was so welcoming and warm and our evening was filled with laughter and delicious food. The recipes were fantastic and we’re looking forward to making them again at home. I’d highly recommend any class taught by chef Melissa. Don’t miss out!

Jack

21 Jan 2023

I got this cooking class as a gift for my sister and her boyfriend. They absolutely loved it and asked me to keep an eye out for any other classes Chef Melissa is teaching! The recipes were delicious and Chef Melissa was extremely helpful in learning how to make dumplings!

Max

16 Jan 2023

Chef Melissa is the best! We had so much fun learning (and drinking) and the food was delicious. Highly recommend if you like laughing and good food (I know, tough sell).

Tatum

13 Jan 2023

my boyfriend and I had an amazing experience! We loved every second! Chef Melissa was so welcoming, funny, and knowledgeable. We made some incredible sushi and had an ever more wonderful experience. please do one of her classes I could not recommend it more!

Jordan

02 Jan 2023

Chef Melissa was so great! My girlfriend and I had an amazing time. She was very accommodating to all allergies and was able to offer a ton of great options. Extremely friendly and knowledgeable, would book another class with her anytime!

Brianne

31 Dec 2022

Chef Melissa was excellent! She was very talented, friendly, and excited to share her knowledge with everyone. She welcomed us into her home and made us feel comfortable right away. She made sure we all understood the key techniques and how to make everything, and also provided us with the recipes so we can make these dishes at home. Great experience overall and would highly recommend!

Jane

23 Dec 2022

Melissa welcomed us into her home and brought us through a really fun lighthearted culinary experience. It was my mothers 60th birthday and she really made every effort to make the evening the best celebration possible. We began with great knife skill lessons and got to test our knowledge on avocado, cucumber, mushrooms & fish. We learned where to purchase all the ingredients we weren't familiar with as well which was great. The tofu bags were so simple and delicious I will absolutely be making those on my own. We focused on hand rolls/sushi/maki variations the rest of the evening which really filled us up! We were stuffed before the class was even over. She texted us beforehand and suggested bringing to-go containers which was so smart! The ingredients were all so fresh and the top quality was so apparent. Melissa had everything laid out and prepared before out arrival and provided a PDF after the class explaining everything we had talked about and all the ingredients we went over. She had an in-house greenery grower and even packed me up a goodie bag of fresh clipped greens! It was truly a 5 star personal chef evening. I couldn't have asked for a better chef to make my mothers birthday a night we will never forget. Thank you!!

Amrita

11 Dec 2022

What an awesome experience! I learned so much and had a blast. Chef Melissa was extremely friendly and was so much fun to cook with. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking for a fun and informative evening.

Leah

04 Dec 2022

Melissa was very knowledgeable and super friendly - we enjoyed our evening very much and feel confident that we can make dumplings on our own now!

Jeremy

13 Nov 2022

Thanks for welcoming us into your home and sharing all the cool gadgets. We enjoyed learning the folding techniques for wantons and potstickers.

Vy

28 Oct 2022

Melissa is an amazing host! We felt so welcomed in her kitchen and learnt so many useful tips. We enjoyed cooking with her!!

Jasmin

18 Sep 2022

Chef Melissa was amazing! So personable and down to earth! My wife And I had a remarkable and memorable experience. We learned so much and are so excited to put our learnings to the test and make the worlds best dumplings due to chef Melissa’s guidance. This was a very cozy meal and she made us feel like family! Looking forward to supporting Chef Melissa’s cooking beautifullee journey!

Ginny

09 Sep 2022

As someone who loves to cook, I really wanted to learn more about Asian Cuisine and Chef Melissa was the perfect teacher! It was so much fun and we learned so many techniques. The dumplings were better than I have had in any restaurant EVER ! It was so wonderful learning about the different ingredients and where we can get them. Chef Melissa is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. I highly recommend this experience and will plan on attending some of her pop up events in the future. Great gift idea!

Samantha

03 Sep 2022

Our class with Melissa was fantastic! She was hands on and hospitable. The food came out amazing and we will definitely take the recipes/ideas/techniques into our kitchen going forward. We would recommend her to anyone!

Mohnish

11 Aug 2022

Loved the cooking class. Chef Melissa was super fun and gave lot of great tips. The food was of course delicious.

Marie

27 Jul 2022

She’s the best! Highly recommend her!

lisa

19 Jul 2022

A wonderful class, great food. These dishes will become regulars on our weeknight menu.

Robert

29 May 2022

We had a great time taking this class. Melissa is a great teacher and an excellent chef. We learned so much about the art of making dumplings and can recommend this class to everyone who is interested in learning how to make them. Melissa will make sure you will feel at home immediately.

Thomas

21 May 2022

Cooking with chef Lee was so enjoyable! The ambience was great and her personality was outstanding! She was able to show us different flavors of herbs, how to chop herbs, and the different types of knives and equipment used in the kitchen. Was a very good experience and felt right at home. She is an amazing chef! Thank you for your class, chef Lee!!!

Alexandra

21 May 2022

Chef Melissa was so fun to have this class with. She does a great job making the experience very interactive and educational while keeping it light and enjoyable. The food was great and we can’t wait to use the skills we learned to start making sushi at home. This made a great gift for my husband who kept saying how much fun he had!

Andre

20 May 2022

We had an absolute blast with Chef Melissa! We left with full bellies and full spirits. The whole experience was extremely informative and accessible, and we left feeling confident we could try making dumplings on our own!

florent

15 May 2022

We had a lovely evening with Chef Melissa and the other guests, food was amazing and ambiance was great, we are already looking at her other classes ! Thanks a lot for the class.

Brianna

07 May 2022

We had such a great time with Chef Melissa! We learned so much about sushi and all of the recipes she showed us are possible to do at home as well. Can't wait to cook sushi on our own!

Suzanne

21 Apr 2022

Melissa was fantastic. She has an impressive resume and is a great instructor. You can tell she is passionate about cooking and bringing people together to make memorable experiences. This was gift to my mother-in-law from her daughter and (2) daughter-in-laws. She adored the experience as did we. Melissa went that extra step and lit a candle, sang happy b-day, and even gave her a cool gift. The food exceeded my expectations and the best part is I now have the knowledge and skills to whip up those amazing dumplings and a pot of wonton soup.

Sheri

09 Apr 2022

Great class! Chef Melissa was so much fun and personable. I was initially nervous as I attended the class alone, but I was immediately at ease when I met Chef Melissa!

Kim

08 Apr 2022

Chef Melissa was so friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. We had a wonderfully delicious time!!!

Norma

12 Mar 2022

Chef Melissa was great. She taught us so many techniques, including knife skills and for different styles of sushi. My son and I left feeling confident that we could do this at home with our family and friends. Everything was delicious. She made sushi making completely doable for a home cook, something I thought would not be possible. I definitely recommend this class!

Sergio

30 Jan 2022

Melissa's sushi class was fantastic! I had fun and learned so much about making sushi. She was also very personable and sociable. She told fantastic stories about her culinary experiences. I will be doing more classes with her in the future.

Alex

29 Jan 2022

Melissa and her sushi class were both really fantastic! We had fun, laughed a lot and learned some useful fundamentals about sushi making. The Sushi was so yummy, it will be hard to order out anytime soon. We would absolutely and highly recommend this experience to others and in fact are hoping to try a dumpling course with her in the future!!! Great night out.

Abigail

24 Jan 2022

Chef Melissa was amazing! We had so much fun learning, and the food was so so good! We’re excited to try out our new skills at home.

Brianna

23 Jan 2022

This was my second time booking with cozy meal and Chef Melissa made it a great experience. Anyone can show you how to make the meal, but her energy, humor, and gratitude is what stood out. There were only four students, so she took the time to really teach us, help with any questions, and laugh with us. Everything was organized and prepared when we got there, and her apartment is beautiful. She showed us proper knife techniques, the differences between the ingredients, how fold the dumplings correctly, and served us wonton with her homeade broth that was made beforehand. She even gave us homeade stickers to take home :) Definitely recommend Chef Melissa!

Emily

23 Jan 2022

We took the dumpling class and it was a wonderful experience! Chef Melissa was warm and welcoming, and she made it a fun and engaging experience. She is very knowledgeable and taught us a lot of great tips along the way. We would love to take another one of her classes!

Cecily

22 Jan 2022

Melissa was an incredible coach and the night was one of the best times we've ever had. She gives practical sushi tips for the home cook which makes it seem possible to make sushi at home all the time. From the ambiance to the food to the company I can't imagine a better way to spend an evening. Best sushi we've ever had!

Abby

22 Dec 2021

Chef Melissa provided such a warm and wonderful experience! The authentic ingredients and thought she puts into her client experience is unmatched! We will be certainly schedule a large group session in the future!

Megan

21 Dec 2021

Chef Melissa was amazing! My family and I took the Sushi Making Essentials class and had a blast! Chef Melissa thought of everything and made the class very easy to follow and fun to interact with. We learned so much - knife skills, sushi rolling, and how to make our new favorite, Temaki! I cannot recommend one of Chef Melissa's classes more!!

Andy

08 Dec 2021

I had Melissa cook for my family as a Christmas gift and we all had a blast! We wanted a French Theme so Melissa gave us a bunch of options including different dessert ideas. We ended up picking a classic French seafood bouillabaisse and sticky toffee pudding! Melissa was well prepared and asked us many questions to make sure we had everything we need in order to cook properly. If we didn't have something, she would bring the tools that we didn't have. She gave each of us an assignment and taught us the proper way of cutting ingredients, measuring, techniques, and history. It was all done with humor and fun! Melissa is very patient with high energy and passion. The end results was the best Bouillabaisse my family ever tasted and we all made with the help of Melissa! The sticky toffee pudding was fantastic too. My 11 year old nephew even helped put the frosting on top. I highly recommend Melissa for a fantastic time and learning experience!

Adam

06 Dec 2021

Melissa is a dynamo of energy, charisma and great knowledge. She understands the food and beverage world in combination better than most people out there. Moreover, Melissa can communicate deep knowledge in a way that is relatable, insightful and engaging. Her election of recipes and beverage pairing can be unique and eye opening. i recommend Melissa as a teacher and speaker. She will amaze you

Claire

06 Dec 2021

I hired Melissa for a private cooking session since I grew up in Asia and have always wanted to learn how to make authentic Asian comfort food after I moved to the US. Before the class, Melissa ensured that we would have all the equipments and ingredients, which made our class go very smoothly. During the class, Melissa was very patient to guide me through the whole process, shared about the history behind the dishes, and taught me some basic techniques. I learned so much from her class. Melissa is very tentative and extremely fun to cook with, and of course the meal (we made okonomiyaki the Japanese pancake and potstickers) was just delightful and delicious. I highly recommend her class.

Kristen

06 Dec 2021

Don’t hesitate to book an in home cooking class with Chef Melissa! You pick the menu to suit your guests. Melissa keeps the cooking fun and easy, teaching the how and why of measuring, mixing and baking. With three sons and my husband, we made Parmesan monkey bread and moist chocolate cupcakes with marscapone frosting. Delicious. Everyone got involved and had a great time. Planning a dumpling class for Spring.

Andy

06 Dec 2021

I had Melissa cook for my family as a Christmas gift and we all had a blast! We wanted a French Theme so Melissa gave us a bunch of options including different dessert ideas. We ended up picking a classic French seafood bouillabaisse and sticky toffee pudding! Melissa was well prepared and asked us many questions to make sure we had everything we need in order to cook properly. If we didn't have something, she would bring the tools that we didn't have. She gave each of us an assignment and taught us the proper way of cutting ingredients, measuring, techniques, and history. It was all done with humor and fun! Melissa is very patient with high energy and passion. The end results was the best Bouillabaisse my family ever tasted and we all made with the help of Melissa! The sticky toffee pudding was fantastic too. My 11 year old nephew even helped put the frosting on top. I highly recommend Melissa for a fantastic time and learning experience!

Connie

06 Dec 2021

My kids had the best time with Melissa during the dessert class. Melissa came to our home and was great with the kids. She was professional, friendly and patient and we love her hands on approach. They made mini apple pies and cupcakes. The kids had fun mixing, cutting the apples, rolling out the dough for the crust and decorating the cupcakes. We had Melissa come close to the holidays and she brought the cutest holiday sprinkles for the cupcakes. Everything was delicious and the kids can't wait for their next class with Melissa!

Danielle

02 Dec 2021

My husband and I had recently been talking about ramen, and how we would love to learn how to make it. I hired Melissa for a private in-home cooking lesson as his Christmas gift; we spent a few hours together learning about proper cooking techniques, made ramen noodles from scratch, and enjoyed a delicious meal together. For desert, we enjoyed green tea cakes that we made from scratch while learning all about sake. It was such an enjoyable evening, filled with lots of laughs (we found out we've been holding chopping knives wrong our whole adult lives) and great memories. I highly recommend Melissa!

Colleen

02 Dec 2021

Melissa is a knowledgable, friendly and enthusiastic instructor. Her thoughtful teaching style is tailored to the student's needs. Her lived experience makes her perspective unique and valuable. She can truly do it all; from dumplings to pastry, Melissa's passion is infused into her work.

Ryan

02 Dec 2021

My wife and I hired Melissa for a private cooking session and we were very impressed with her menu, technique and professionalism. Before we started she made sure to consult with us about our likes, dislikes and food allergies. She also asked about kitchen equipment to ensure that he had everything necessary for a successful outcome. We opted for an heirloom tomato salad with homemade dressing and burrata, followed by seared scallops with chorizo and corn and made from scratch banana bread for dessert. Everything was not only delicious, but she made sure to go slowly and explain the proper cooking techniques as we progressed through each dish. She is also a trained sommelier and paired some very nice selections with our meal. Not only did we have a great meal, we came away from the session with a better understanding of how to make the most out of our recently renovated kitchen. I highly recommend booking a lesson with Melissa -- you won't be disappointed!

Sequoia

02 Dec 2021

Words can't say enough how amazing Chef Melissa Lee is in spirit and in her work. She presented/taught a quick Japanese salad at our For Womxn, By Womxn Summit and was fabulous. She is the perfect mix of intentional teaching and big spirit for an amazing and fun cooking experience. I wholeheartedly would recommend Chef Melissa Lee for any cooking lesson or segment. She's that good!

Mary

02 Dec 2021

Melissa is a wonderful cooking instructor and chef! My family decided to take a two-hour cooking and baking class with Melissa because her passion for teaching, cooking and baking are inspiring. What an amazing family activity to take her class, even for an 11 year old boy and that's saying something! We came to the class with three different cooking experience levels and we all left happy. We had such a good time (and our tummies left happy!) that my husband and I plan to book more classes as a date night activity. It is hard to top learning together in an engaging environment with a teacher whose passion is like no other. Work with Melissa and you'll be glad you did!

Brandon

22 Nov 2021

Chef Melissa is absolutely wonderful! Her charismatic personality and fun approach to classes make for a great time. She has such great knowledge on food, sake, and wine. Her passion for her craft shows in her work, you will be delighted after experiencing her classes.