Welcome to Asuka Cooking Studio

Hello everyone! It’s Aikero from the [Sarukuma] team.
A while back, we held a cooking session with Asuka-san as part of a Sarukuma writers’ meetup.

Sarukuma Writers’ Meetup [Asuka’s Cooking Studio]

Well, that experience has officially blossomed into Asuka Cooking Studio — a monthly easy-cooking class designed especially for moms!

So today, allow me to introduce
[Asuka Cooking Studio].
Wondering what makes this cooking class different from the rest? Here you go!
★ Easy-to-recreate recipes you can cook at home!
★ Fun party recipes kids love and can help make!
★ Plenty of solo-mom attendees, so first-timers feel right at home!

Whether you’re not confident in the kitchen, craving a little break from parenting, or just want to enjoy seasonal events with your child — moms join for all kinds of reasons!
The simple recipes work beautifully for parties or everyday meals, and you’ll head home with a printed recipe ready to recreate that same day.
Many dishes only require popping ingredients into the rice cooker or oven, making them perfect for tired evenings or busy summer/winter holidays.
I attended November’s special Christmas menu class!
Asuka Cooking Studio is a collaboration with Riri-san, a popular Instagrammer known for sharing kid-friendly outings!
I’ll share more about the heartfelt story behind the class later in the article.

This is a low-pressure, welcoming class where you can learn approachable party recipes.
Check the Asuka Cooking Studio Instagram for upcoming dates.
〈Time〉9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
〈Fee〉2,000 – 2,500 yen
〈Booking〉DM “クッキング希望” (Cooking Request) to Riri’s Instagram “Kumamoto Sisters’ Mom Outing Guide”

★ On-site cooking sessions for mom groups, parenting circles, your own home kitchen, or community spaces
★ Cooking at Asuka-san’s home (available only for those who have already attended a regular class)

The above mobile cooking sessions can also be reserved.
For dates, menus, budgets, and other details, please reach out via Asuka Cooking Studio’s Instagram DM.
Past mobile sessions have included parenting circles and even support events for children who don’t attend traditional school. (Pretty amazing, right?)
(Photo provided by Riri-san)

Here’s a quick look at the 2025 schedule:

February — Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival)
March — Children’s Day
May — Father’s Day
June — Tanabata (Star Festival)
July — Parent-and-child meals & sweets to power through summer break
August — Icing cookies & rice-flour savory muffins
September — Otsukimi (Moon Viewing)
October — Halloween
November — Christmas
December — New Year’s

Every month celebrates a Japanese seasonal event you’ll want to enjoy alongside your child!
Moms keep sharing happy reports like, “My child started eating vegetables!” and “We made it again together at home!”

I’m sure you’re curious about the atmosphere and the menu, so let me walk you through everything!

What Makes Asuka Cooking Studio Special

Cooking kicks off at 9:45!
Today’s full Christmas menu features 7 dishes, including a cake!

・Roast Beef
・Roast Chicken
・Grilled Vegetables
・Colorful Pickles
・Quiche
・Macaroni Galette
・Bûche de Noël
Once the kids are ready, it’s time to wash hands.
First up: roast beef.
It sounds intimidating, doesn’t it?
But Asuka-san teaches more than recipes and techniques.
She also drops in handy tips like quick seasoning tricks and where to score affordable cuts of meat — exactly the kind of info busy moms appreciate!
Once the roast beef is set up, it’s pickle time.
“What does it smell like?” “Can you guess what this is?” she asks. The kids fire back with cheeky answers like “Ketchup!” or “I know — it’s vinegar!”
Even for parents who don’t have time for hands-on food education at home, cooking sessions like these become an organic learning moment for kids!
The kids dive right in, eager to help.
They took turns beautifully and worked together so well!
Hmm, sneaky little hands reaching for the pickle cucumbers!
What are you up to over there?
But before tasting, the little ones politely ask Teacher Asuka, “Can I eat this?” — too adorable!
Toss the veggies together and — voilà! The colorful pickles are ready in no time!

By turning ingredient names into a guessing game, Asuka-san naturally draws the kids in.
It’s not just “making and eating” — she values food education through the senses, talking about seasonal ingredients and how they connect to food.
No worries if your child loses interest mid-class or isn’t into cooking at all.
There’s a dedicated play area stocked with toys!
While the kids enjoy themselves, moms can fully focus on cooking — what a relief!
Whatever the kids can handle, they get to do.
Even if you don’t have the bandwidth to let them help at home, here it’s a safe environment where you can confidently hand over the reins!
Moms can attend with their kids, of course, but solo participation is more than welcome too.
Having little ones along can make moving around tricky, but here moms naturally support each other.
If a child cries, even strangers will pick them up; someone will offer to take a turn for a mom whose arms are full.
Moms jump in to wash dishes or take over the deep frying without being asked — everyone just naturally pitches in.

So even if you’re worried, “I’ll have my baby with me, I won’t be able to do anything,” don’t be — you’ll be just fine!
A printed recipe comes home with you, so just relax and enjoy the time together.
With Asuka-san’s elegant knife skills and everyone’s teamwork, the dishes come together in no time.
Now, can you guess what this is?
Answer: a quiche — that stylish café-and-bakery favorite!
With tips for getting that flaky finish and ideas for kid-friendly fillings, I can’t wait to make this at home!
Macaroni — usually found in salads or gratin.
What do you think it’ll transform into here?
The clever twist had moms gasping, “I never would’ve thought of that!”
Stay tuned for the finished dish!
The cake is built from scratch — while the sponge bakes, we whip up the chocolate cream.
When asked to break up the chocolate bars, one little one mistook it for a tasting and took her very first chocolate bite — surprise debut!
That sweet little mishap brought a wave of laughter to the room!
Once the chocolate is mixed in, the once-white cream becomes a luscious chocolate ganache.
The kids’ serious, mom-worthy expressions are too cute for words.
Meanwhile, the moms at the back table are arranging the meat.
Today the oven is working overtime!
Once prep is done, you can let the oven take over — perfect for working on the cake or playing with the kids in the meantime.
At home, you can prep the night before by marinating the meat or roasting it together with veggies on a single tray!
Most participating moms are meeting for the very first time.
Still, everyone breaks the ice naturally — even shy moms like me feel right at home (*^^)v
Once the cake sponge has cooled, it’s time to assemble.
But first — taste-testing time for the kids!
Why does taste-testing always taste so good?
The kids beam with shy little grins, whispering “yummy!”
Even though they wanted more, they shared and savored each bite with their new friends.
Today’s cake is the classic Bûche de Noël — the French Christmas “yule log.”
We also learned the trick to rolling a perfect log and a must-have tool for the job.
After Asuka-san’s demonstration, it was the moms’ turn to give it a try!
All eyes on us — talk about pressure!
As the dishes neared completion, we got ready for the tasting.
Could this be a soda-and-Mentos experiment…?

I asked, “Is anyone here 5 years old?” — and a 3-year-old enthusiastically shot up his hand!
He had everyone in stitches!
Sadly I missed snapping the perfect moment.

The kids’ wide-eyed excitement is just precious.
It doesn’t take anything fancy — moments like these are the ones kids actually remember.
And just like that, all 7 Christmas dishes were complete!
The roast beef brings glamour to the table; the roast chicken doubles as a perfect everyday main.
Grilled vegetables and pickles add festive party flair.
The macaroni transformed into a galette!
A simple quiche — just sauté and mix the fillings.The Bûche de Noël even has the iconic log-bark texture.
With tips on slicing and decorating, you’ll be ready to recreate it at home in a snap.
The festive Christmas-colored jelly was handmade by Asuka-san herself!
Some of the kids ended up eating a slightly late lunch, but they patiently waited for everything to be ready.
Let’s all dig in — itadakimasu!
“Which is your favorite?” we asked. “The meat!” “Everything is yummy!” they replied.
Even the bone-in chicken got a hearty bite!
The pickles and grilled veggies were polished off too!
Many moms shared, “My picky eater started eating vegetables after coming here!”
Maybe making it themselves sparks the appetite to try it.
Even though their plates were piled high, many kids cleaned them and asked for seconds!
The Bûche de Noël and jelly desserts were also a massive hit!
Lots of kids came back for seconds of the dessert, too!
Once the kids had settled, the moms finally got their tasting time.
Quietly, comments like “The pickles are amazing!” and “I can’t believe the roast beef is this easy!” floated around the room.
Time for me to dig in too!
I honestly never imagined a flaky, satisfying quiche could be this simple to make!
I tried the roast chicken at home right after the class.
I seasoned it ahead, popped it in the oven, and the kids devoured it — total win!
Last Christmas, I made the same Bûche de Noël I learned at the writers’ meetup.
Store-bought cakes are tempting, but our family is making Bûche de Noël together again this year!
It really is that easy.
And above all, the kids absolutely love getting involved.
Once we’d all eaten, the moms teamed up to clean up in no time at all!

The Heart Behind Asuka Cooking Studio

I asked Asuka-san and Riri-san how the cooking studio came to life and what kind of moms attend!

Asuka-san

I’ve always loved cooking, and I’ve been cooking with my son as part of food education since he was 2 years old.
That Sarukuma writers’ meetup got everyone urging me, “You should really do this!” — and the “someday” idea I had blossomed into nearly monthly classes!

Riri-san

I was one of the people pushing for it! lol
After my pregnancy, I went to a regular cooking class, but it was hard to feel comfortable bringing my child along.
I really wanted a cooking class where you could bring your kids. Plus, as someone who’s moved a lot for my husband’s work and didn’t really have local friends, I wanted to make this kind of space happen for myself too.

Aikero

It really is rare to find a cooking class that welcomes children — let alone one where they can join in!
Are most participating moms attending with friends?

Riri-san

Almost everyone is meeting for the first time!
A few have come a few times and become familiar faces, though.

Asuka-san

Kuru-chan (Sarukuma writer Kurubushi-san) is a true regular who comes every single time!

Aikero

That just shows how much fun it is to attend even with kids in tow!

Asuka-san

Since the seasonal menu changes every month, some moms come back multiple times!
There are several dishes to make, and it can get a bit hectic when there’s deep frying involved, but everyone always pitches in.

Riri-san

Yes, yes! The moms who come are all so warm and easygoing.
Moms attending solo will jump in to handle the deep frying or dishes, or take a turn holding someone’s baby.
Without anyone needing to ask, everyone pitches in with whatever they can do — it’s so encouraging and helpful!

Aikero

It’s amazing how that vibe just naturally happens!
The party menus are great, but there are also super-easy recipes — like just-pop-it-in-the-rice-cooker or just-bake-it-in-the-oven — that I make at home all the time!

Asuka-san

Exactly! Easy — or maybe I should say lazy! lol

Riri-san

Since I’m not great at cooking, sometimes I’ll say, “That’s too tough for me!” — Asuka-san and I balance each other out really well! lol
So it might be a bit too easy for skilled cooks… but it’s a perfect fit for anyone who wants to cook with their kids and have a good time.

Aikero

Other moms have shared, “It’s wonderful that I can bring my kid,” and “I can’t recreate everything at once, but I make one dish at a time at home.”

Riri-san

Some moms come during the last days of their maternity leave to make memories with their child, while others take a day off from preschool just to attend.
It makes us so happy when people drop by so casually!

Asuka-san

When I hear things like, “My child started eating mushrooms — they used to hate them!”, it really makes my day!
Even if your child doesn’t actively cook, just touching and smelling the ingredients — even a sliver of curiosity — is more than enough! I want moms to come and enjoy themselves, first and foremost!

Why not enjoy Japan’s seasonal events with your family through the joy of food?
Whether you’re not confident in the kitchen, curious about food education for your child, or feeling isolated in motherhood — this is the place for you!
Come on by, casually, like you’re visiting a friend’s home (^^)/

The next session on December 11 (New Year’s menu) is fully booked,
but spots may still be open for the January 20 Setsubun-themed menu (menu TBA)!
To apply, DM “クッキング希望” (Cooking Request) to Riri’s Instagram “Kumamoto Sisters’ Mom Outing Guide.”

Follow us on Instagram for daily updates!
At Sarukuma, we share lunch spots, parks, indoor play areas, and family-friendly information for parents in Kumamoto.
Thanks so much for following along(*´∀｀*)