ABC Cooking School :: Low Cal Brunch

In an effort to get out of the house and perhaps make a friend or two, I decided to take a cooking class at a nearby cooking school. I remember when I first visited Tokyo, I was super envious of all the ladies at ABC Cooking Studio at Tokyo Midtown. Upon further research, I learned that it is a popular place among young women and you can learn how to bake bread shaped like pandas as well as classic Japanese food. I was impatient, so I signed up for the first English class available which was how to cook a healthy brunch for less than 350 kcal total. This consisted of seafood risotto, steamed veggies with a cheese dip and coconut meringues.

I was told to arrive with an apron, a hand towel and house-slippers. My teacher for the day was Sumiko and she spoke very good English but I don't think we're going to be friends because she kept bringing up the fact that I don't know how to use chopsticks. There was one other person in the class, Miho. Miho is a Japanese girl around my age that wore a Chanel top to class. This is unrelated, but should be noted. She also is a big fan of Whitney Port from The City and "Rauren" from The Hills. She hates Spencer and Heidi and loves Linkin Park and Dr. House.

For low fat cooking, this meal was very tasty and filling. The seafood risotto used a mixture of rice and barley and was mixed with clams, octopus and prawns in a tomato broth. I've never cooked with clams or octopus, so I was happy to try something new. I learned that I enjoy eating clams and that you have to smash octopus before you cook it or else it will be to gummy. The steamed veggies were nothing to write home about, but they were tasty and inspired me to steam some broccoli last night. Other than helping make my own lunch, I had to wash a lot of dishes in the process, but it was a good opportunity to chat with Miho.

I hope to take another class at ABC, preferably cooking something that looks a little more like a panda.


ABC Cooking School International
Tokyo Midtown, B1F 


Roppongi Station (Hibiya, Oedo)