Kozmo Kitchen is kicking off 2026 with some exciting news for PhinneyWood: in March Chef Kanako’s popular cooking classes will return, including the much-loved Onigiri Workshop hosted at the Phinney Neighborhood Association. This hands-on class welcomes both adults and families to roll, shape, and fill their own onigiri while learning more about this iconic comfort food of Japan.
This year’s sessions are scheduled for March 20th and March 27th from 6 to 8 pm, and and March 28th from 1-3pm. Registration is already open through Kozmo Kitchen’s online shop. If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to learn Japanese homestyle cooking in a friendly, community-minded setting, these classes are a wonderful way to start spring.
What you’ll learn in the class:
- How to cook rice right for making rice balls. Fun rice tasting included.
- Select easy and delicious filling (broiled salmon, tuna salad, pickled plum, edamame and wakame, and more) – you can make it vegan too!
- How to form various shapes of onigiri, including triangle, using your hands or handy tools.
- Finish up with cool wrapping methods that you can show off to your friends! To see how we will use a special plastic onigiri wrapper, check out this video. We will provide the wrappers in the class!
- Enjoy your own onigiri with a complimentary bowl of seasonal miso soup.
Kozmo Kitchen has long been a staple of Seattle’s Japanese food community, offering workshops, meals, and culinary storytelling that bring people closer together. While the kitchen is quiet until the end of February, there’s a lot to look forward to this spring, from classroom experiences to cultural conversations.
There’s also exciting news off the cutting board. Seattle’s Japanese media platform Junglecity has recently launched a podcast series called “SEATTLE CAFE TALK,” featuring interviews with creatives, entrepreneurs, and cultural voices from across the region. Kozue will be appearing as one of their February guests to talk about Kozmo Kitchen’s story and her journey in Seattle. Japanese speakers can look out for episodes through Apple Podcasts.