Delicious Little Tokyo 2019 Workshops

Join the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) for the 13th Annual Sake & Food Tasting Event, Sake on the Rocks. Taste & savor bites from over 15 top Los Angeles restaurants, paired with a sampling of over 50 sake from different regions in Japan provided by Mutual Trading Co., Inc. The LTSC’s largest fundraiser is a highly-anticipated evening you won’t want to miss.

$150/person. Must be 21 years or older to attend.

Newcomer Donatsu is serving up ambitious and unique vegan doughnut flavors in Little Tokyo. From Ube to Matcha Pistachio, to Churro and Creme Brulee, it’s hard to choose just one. Lucky you–you can sample them all in Donatsu’s Doughnut Tasting. Did we mention that all their doughnuts are vegan?

$5 admission. (This event is sold out. Click below to join the waitlist.)

Our favorite florist hosts another hands-on flower arrangement workshop! From date night to birthdays, these beautiful, effortless floral centerpieces will add bright life to any home. Learn from second generation florist veteran and owner of Kuragami Little Tokyo Florist the art of floral design. Fresh flowers, vases and materials will be provided.

$12 admission. (This event is sold out. Click below to join the waitlist.)

Design your own silk table runner using a Japanese dyeing technique, similar to tie-dyeing, that dates back to the 8th century–shibori. Local textile dye artist, Setsuko Hayashi, will guide you in folding, binding, and dyeing your fabric in the “itajime” shibori style, a method where objects are used to create negative spaces in the dye. You’ll end up with a beautifully patterned, one-of-a-kind runner to adorn your kitchen table. All materials included with admission. Bring an apron or clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.

$20 admission.

The coffee connoisseurs at Cafe Demitasse invite you to try a curated selection of fruits and cacao chocolates for a lesson on quality coffee tasting. Smell, sip and savor notes of acidity and sweetness from Demitasse’s locally roasted coffee selection and learn how their sustainably harvested coffee beans from around the world get from the farm to your taste buds.

$10 admission.  (This event is sold out. Click below to join the waitlist.)

Ever wonder how to create those drool-worthy overhead cooking videos? Well, now you can create your own! International food blogger and Instagrammer @LaPetiteBelle_Eats will guide you in making your own 10-second video, using BAE’s insta-worthy swirled soft-serve as your subject. Sponsored by BAE. Soft-serve and toppings included with admission. All proceeds will be donated to the Little Tokyo Community Council.

$5 admission

Join Japanese food preservation specialist Yoko Maeda Lamn in a hands-on miso ball making workshop. Miso is a popular condiment in Japanese cuisine, produced through the fermentation of soybeans and rice. Learn about the historic tradition of fermentation while creating your own customized miso balls to take home. Additional ingredients will be available for sale.

$10 admission. Museum admission is not included in this price.

Join the Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) on a journey through Little Tokyo’s culinary past with a guided walking tour of historical food landmarks found in the neighborhood as well as cultural highlights along the way. From the first fortune cookie to the first ramen noodle restaurant in the United States, these sites were integral in the making of the Little Tokyo community we know today.

$15 admission. Please bring a hat, sunblock, water, & comfortable shoes. (This event is sold out. Click below to join the waitlist.)

Learn how to pack a lunch that is both delicious and adorable with TABLE FOR TWO USA, a non-profit organization that promotes healthy eating and helps hungry children around the world. Watch this LIVE cooking demonstration taught by former “Mrs. Japan” and now cooking instructor of Wa-Shokuiku “Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!” and learn how to create kawaii (cute) characters to liven up your bento box!

FREE, RSVP encouraged.

Come say ‘Hello!’ at the Sanrio Store, Japanese Village Plaza for a special appearance by Hello Kitty. She will be donning her Café Chef coat exclusively for Delicious Little Tokyo. Make a purchase of $20 or more to receive a FREE Hello Kitty Café large cookie while supplies last. Hello Kitty Café items will be available for sale just for Delicious Little Tokyo.

Meet Hello Kitty FREE, Hello Kitty Café large cookie FREE with purchase of $20.00 or more. No RSVP required–first come, first served.

Chef de Cuisine Zachary Hamel welcomes you into his kitchen with a demonstration of how to make some home-style favorites at one of Little Tokyo’s newest restaurants–Kasih. This restaurant is putting Indonesian food on the map in Los Angeles. Discover herbs and spices used in traditional Indonesian cuisine with a sampling of their dishes, like their sambals, spicy dipping sauces, and satay ayam, sweet soy glazed grilled chicken skewers doused with a signature peanut sauce that will leave you wanting more.

$20 admission

Want to impress your guests at your next soirée? Learn the history, cultural significance and brewing process of various types of sake offered at Little Tokyo’s newest Japanese-style restaurant with a modern culinary twist, Sake Dojo! Join Sake Dojo Co-Owner Don Tahara for a lesson on pairing sake with cheese and desserts. You’ll get to experience four unique sake pairings that you can replicate at your next dinner party.

$20 admission. Must be 21 years or older to attend.

Angelenos know that handmade tortillas make the taco, but do they know what makes the tortilla? Bad Son Tacos, a newcomer tucked inside the Little Tokyo Marketplace serving serious taco eats, will show you how to make the perfect tortilla and filling, LIVE at the Delicious Little Tokyo Food Stage. Bags of masa and tortilla presses will be available for purchase so that you can recreate the smell and taste of fresh tortillas, right at home. Bring cash.

FREE, RSVP encouraged.

Sustainable Little Tokyo and JACCC present a special Hiro’s Bokashi Club workshop! Composting made easy—and less smelly—for your home, garden, balcony, or business! Learn how to compost using the Okinawan tradition of Bokashi, an anaerobic process that uses a special additive to ferment kitchen waste—including meat and dairy—into a healthy soil and nutrient-rich fertilizer for your plants. This method uses a mix of microorganisms that combat food rotting bacteria (and rotting odors), increasing the speed of decomposition and enhancing plant growth. Materials to replicate the process at home will be for sale (cash only). Illustration by Sara Sumiko Montgomery.

FREE – RSVP required, walk up registration available, space permitting.

Join Little Tokyo’s neighborhood watering hole, Wolf & Crane, for a lesson on how to make some of their unique craft drinks. Step into a relaxed environment and learn a few tips and tricks from the friendly faces behind the bar on the history of Japanese whiskey and what makes every sip special.

$5 admission. Must be 21 years or older to attend.

Join the Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) on a journey through Little Tokyo’s culinary past with a guided walking tour of historical food landmarks found in the neighborhood as well as cultural highlights along the way. From the first fortune cookie to the first ramen noodle restaurant in the United States, these sites were integral in the making of the Little Tokyo community we know today.

$15 admission. Please bring a hat, sunblock, water, & comfortable shoes. (This event is sold out. Click below to join the waitlist.)

Learn to make Rice Ball Characters, a fun and creative take on onigiri — the most popular Japanese snack! Onigiri is a healthy staple in Japanese cuisine and an important part of the culture. It comes in many flavors and is sold by practically every convenience store in Japan. This hands-on, family-friendly food education class is organized by the Wa-Shokuiku “Learn. Cook. Eat Japanese!” team of TABLE FOR TWO, a non-profit organization that promotes healthy eating and helps hungry children around the world.

$15 admission. Museum admission is not included in this price.

Far Bar Little Tokyo continues to host some of the world’s newest and best craft beers, introducing Los Angeles to brewers like Mumford Brewing, El Segundo Brewing, and Bottle Logic Brewing that regularly rotate on their taps. Curated by co-owner Don Tahara, this pairing will feature some of Far Bar’s unique selection of brews as well as different chicken wings including their famous Ming’s Wings. From citrus and pine to sweet and spicy, take your taste buds on a journey of refreshing aroma, spicy kicks, and hoppy flavors.

$20 admission. Must be 21 years or older to attend.

Learn the art of “furoshiki” cloth wrapping from master furoshiki wrapper and Director of Service Programs at the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC), Mike Murase, who can wrap just about anything! Hear about the history of these traditional Japanese wrapping cloths, and try your hand at this eco-friendly, fashionable option to package your lunch boxes, bottles and other gifts. Furoshiki will be provided by local Japanese goods store, Bunkado.

$5 admission

Takoyaki, a popular Japanese street food from Osaka, is a crispy battered ball with a soft and creamy center. Chef Takeo of Takoyaki Tanota fills the yummy bites with the traditional octopus but gets creative with toppings that range from jalapeños to truffle oil. Check out his live demo at the Delicious Little Tokyo Food Stage, and see how this beloved Japanese snack is made.

FREE, RSVP encouraged.

Chef Akira Hirose, the man behind Pasadena’s sought-after Japanese-French restaurant Maison Akira, is relocating to First Street in Little Tokyo. His new restaurant Azay, named after a French castle near where he studied, will provide a more intimate setting where patrons can taste the unique fusion of French and Japanese cuisine. Get a sneak peak of this highly anticipated restaurant, while enjoying a demonstration and tasting with Chef Akira himself. On the menu for the tasting is beef bourguigon with carottes glacées and potato cocotte.

$20 admission. 

Get ready to get creative and get your hands dirty with sweet and savory goodness at one of Los Angeles’ most delectable donut shops, Cafe Dulce! Decorate your very own custom Dulce Donut to perfection with a variety of some of their favorite toppings. All proceeds will be donated to the Little Tokyo Community Council.

$5 admission. CASH ONLY. No RSVP required–first come, first served while supplies last. 

Experience the beautiful, choreographic ritual of preparing and serving Japanese green tea, called Matcha, in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony led by renowned Tea Master Nishimura of the Edo Senke LA Fuhaku-kai School. Learn the art of making matcha with tea provided by local green tea store Tea Master of Little Tokyo, enjoy Japanese treats provided by Fugetsu-Do, and listen to the sounds of a Tsugaru-shamisen (a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument).

$5 admission. Museum admission is not included in this price.

Yapa derives its philosophy from the Quechua word translated as “a little something extra” (from vendor/host to customer/guest). A spirit and culture of gratitude and generosity are at the heart of this upcoming bar and restaurant, located in downtown Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, from hospitality veteran Josh Goldman and chef Richie Lopez. The concept took root by their inspiration of Japanese influence in Peru, aka Peruvian Nikkei, which will be storied throughout the food menu.

FREE, RSVP encouraged.

Join Aloha Cafe for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make a classic Spam musubi, a snack composed of a slice of grilled Spam on top of a block of rice, wrapped together with nori in the tradition of Japanese omusubi. Experience a taste of Hawaii right in our own backyard with one of the best Hawaiian restaurants in Los Angeles!

$5 admission (This event is sold out. Please click below to join the waitlist.)

The Old Fashioned–an American classic that continues to be a fan favorite. Owner of Baldoria David King will share the history of this traditional cocktail and lead a hands-on workshop on how to concoct a perfect, short-rimmed glass. Sip on your creation (or two), and take home one of their new, B&K ready-to-drink Old Fashioned bottles home with you for later.

$20 admission. Must be 21 years or older to attend. (This event is sold out. Click below to join the waitlist.)

Wind down your Saturday with a neighborhood pizza party hosted by Prime Pizza! Grab a perfect slice of delicious pizza and a cold beverage, complimentary of the host, while meeting the faces behind some of Little Tokyo’s beloved businesses and organizations. Meet Little Tokyo, an interview series created by Go Little Tokyo, profiles a new business owner each month. A photo installation of the Meet Little Tokyo profiles will be displayed inside Prime Pizza.

FREE, RSVP encouraged