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Okonomiyaki Japanese Street Food Demo and Tasting

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March 2 @ 11:00 am 2:00 pm

$100
276 East Napa Street
Sonoma, CA 95476 United States
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(707) 938-4626

Date: Sunday, March 2, 2025
Time:
 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
This class meets once
Instructor:
 Seiji Wakabayashi
Location:
 Rotary Kitchen
Ages:
Adult
Skill Level: All Levels
Registration Fee: $85
Materials Fee:
$15

About the class

Join renowned chef Seiji Wakabayashi for a delicious exploration of Okonomiyaki, the savory Japanese pancake, in this special culinary workshop. Watch a live demonstration and tasting featuring five unique toppings, and take home recipes to recreate this dish in your own kitchen. After you savor the flavors, visit the Book Becoming Art exhibit at SVMA to experience the artwork of Veronika Schäpers, who captures the essence of Japanese street food in her art books.

This workshop is organized in conjunction with Sonoma Valley Museum of Art’s exhibition, Book Becoming Art 芸術になった本,
on view January 18 – April 27, 2025. For more information, visit https://svma.org/exhibition/book-becoming-art/.

About the Instructor

Seiji Wakabayashi

Chef / Instructor

Chef Seiji Wakabayashi is a long-time Bay Area Star Chef. Cooking in restaurants since the age of 15, he has worked his way up to become Executive Chef at several well-known restaurants – Ondine, Bushi-Tei, and recently, Sushi Ran. Classically trained in French cuisine, he is well-versed in several styles, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, and of course, French. He does not adhere dogmatically to any one particular cuisine, but shines in creating dishes that use his technical knowledge in conjunction with playful and unique combinations of ingredients.

Owase, Japan is his hometown. Owase, backed by mountains and next to the ocean, is well known for its fish. There he began his culinary journey by helping in his mother’s kissaten (cafe). From there, he apprenticed in his aunt’s Italian-style restaurant in Yokohama at the age of 15, and then traveled to Kihachi in Tokyo to work under Kihachi Kumagai, where he learned to cook ‘without boundaries.’ Chef Wakabayashi spent the 1990’s in southern California, working his way through a variety of restaurants – Spago, West Channel Bar & Grill, & Cafe Del Rey. By the time he reached Northern California he was a rising star, having earned his first Michelin star for his work at the Japanese fusion restaurant Bushi-Tei in San Francisco.

Are you an SCC Member? All Memberships(Excluding the $50/year tier) receive 10% off any purchase above $40. You should have received your discount code in your membership confirmation email.

If you have any questions regarding the use of your code, you can contact Sean Baskin at sean@sonomacommunitycenter.org or call the office at (707)938-4626.

Not a member? View more information about our monthly and yearly plans here.

The Sonoma Community Center is committed to creating an accessible learning environment. If you require any special considerations(medical, physical, learning) please share them with Sean Baskin, Program Associate, by emailing him at sean@sonomacommunitycenter.org so that he can forward them to the relevant Program Director and Instructor.

Questions and Answers

  • All Levels
  • Welcomes participants from beginning through advanced. Instructor provides a balanced and flexible curriculum suitable for participants with any level of experience.
  • Beginning
  • Participant has little to no experience with this medium and needs or expects guidance at every step during the class. Participant wants to learn about materials, techniques, and vocabulary of the medium.
  • Intermediate
  • Participant is comfortable with the medium and expects both guidance and time to work alone with the medium.
  • Advanced
  • Participant is very confident with all aspects of the medium. Participant is self-motivated; ready to experiment and develop their artistic voice.

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We ask that you notify us at least 10 days in advance of a class if you need to cancel your registration. You may cancel by phone or email and we will gladly offer you a refund or credit toward a future class. If you cancel with less than 10 days’ notice, we will not be able to provide refunds, due to our contractual obligations and material purchases for each class. 

Sometimes, the Sonoma Community Center has to cancel a class due to low enrollment or unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster or health emergency. If this happens and we do not offer a reschedule date, you will be refunded 100% of your registration fee, or credit towards a future class. If we are able to offer a reschedule date but you are unable to make the new date, we will gladly offer credit towards a future class.

Late additions to any program, class, or workshop that has already begun will be allowed on a per-case basis depending upon the Program Director & instructors approval. Late additions will have to pay the full registration cost of the class, along with any materials fees, and will not be prorated for the time missed. You may reach out to the program directors directly, or the Program Associate Sean Baskin at sean@sonomacommunitycenter.org to request a late addition.

We are always looking for new instructors. You can find more information about the process here, or fill out the form directly here.

You can view our full class policies and guidelines here.

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