Sonoko Sakai

Sonoko Sakai Hello, my name is Sonoko Sakai and welcome to my site! I am a writer, teacher and a cook based in California, with my cooking based on my Japanese heritage

🌱SPRING GIVEAWAY ✨There’s a kind of nourishment that doesn’t come from rushing. It comes from slowing your hands down lo...
05/17/2026

🌱SPRING GIVEAWAY ✨

There’s a kind of nourishment that doesn’t come from rushing. It comes from slowing your hands down long enough to mix, to knead, to notice the dough changing beneath your hands. It comes from gathering around food—not just to eat, but to be present with one another.

Soba has always held that feeling for me. Simple ingredients, a steady rhythm, and a reminder that care and intention can be practiced in the smallest movements.

To celebrate my upcoming virtual Handmade Soba Workshop, where I love gathering with community from across the country, I’m hosting a Spring Giveaway and 10% discount on the 5/31/26 workshop for everyone who wishes to join with code SOBAGIVEAWAY10.

One lucky winner will receive:
🍜 2 tickets to my Virtual Soba Workshop on 5/31 for you and a friend
✨ 2 Soba Ingredient Kits for you and a friend

To enter:
1️⃣ Follow
2️⃣ Like this post
3️⃣ Tag at least 1 friend in the comments. More tags = more entries

Giveaway ends 05/23/26 at 11:59 PM PST. Winner announced Sunday, May 24, 2026 🎊
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to US residents (continental US only) age 18+. This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our community cooking workshop with Alex Weiser of at ! Together, we celebrated...
05/05/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our community cooking workshop with Alex Weiser of at ! Together, we celebrated seasonal produce at its peak—transforming Alex’s freshly harvested vegetables into a Water Kimchi using a recipe from my latest book and enjoying handmade onigiri together under the sun.

Spring vegetables, community cooking, and a new date. My collaboration workshop with Alex Weiser of has been reschedule...
03/17/2026

Spring vegetables, community cooking, and a new date. My collaboration workshop with Alex Weiser of has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 2 (2–4 PM) at .

By early May, the farm’s spring harvest will be at its peak. We’ll be cooking together using the freshest vegetables of the season while learning how to make vibrant water kimchi, pickles, and Onigiri that celebrate the farm.

This workshop is about gathering around ingredients grown with care, sharing knowledge, and cooking with new friends. We’re excited to finally host this beautiful collaboration.

🔗 Registration details are available at the link in bio.

New date announced — Sonoko x Tommy Dumpling Workshop! Thank you for your patience during my recovery. We’re happy to sh...
03/17/2026

New date announced — Sonoko x Tommy Dumpling Workshop!

Thank you for your patience during my recovery. We’re happy to share that our dumpling workshop with artist and potter Tommy Huang ( ) has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 26 (10 AM – 1 PM), and it will be held in Sonoko’s home kitchen and studio.
This special collaboration brings together two crafts that belong together: food and the vessels that hold it.
Sonoko will guide you through making dumplings with a Wafu twist — including savory pork dumplings and sweet mochi dumplings — while Tommy presents the handmade ceramic bowls he created especially for the gathering and shares stories of Chinese dumpling traditions. Tommy’s handcrafted pottery and my homemade pantry goods will also be available for purchase following the workshop.

The timing of this workshop may be even better now — late April means spring produce will be in full swing.
If you were already registered, your spot is saved. If you’d like to join us, registration is open at the link in bio. There are a few spots left!

Honored to be included in a thoughtful piece from Eater about the growing interest in Japanese-style Italian cooking—som...
03/10/2026

Honored to be included in a thoughtful piece from Eater about the growing interest in Japanese-style Italian cooking—sometimes called wafu Italian or itameshi.

For many Japanese home cooks, adapting outside influences has always been part of everyday cooking. A little miso in a sauce, soy sauce in pasta, or a touch of dashi can gently shift a familiar dish in a new direction.

Some of these recipes are also close to my heart—like my wafu Pasta with Miso Bolognese Sauce, my Almost Like Mother’s Lasagna, or my Mentaiko Spaghetti—which I shared in my latest cookbook, Wafu Cooking.

If you’re curious about this delicious intersection of cuisines, you can read the full article through the link in my bio.

For my family and for most Japanese, Breakfast Soup is the most important dish of the day that gets our engines started....
03/05/2026

For my family and for most Japanese, Breakfast Soup is the most important dish of the day that gets our engines started. It’s a healthy daily ritual.

Thank you for coming into my kitchen to learn about my daily ritual. Read the full article in my link in bio.

My sudachi tree is also in full bloom.
03/05/2026

My sudachi tree is also in full bloom.

Sonoko x Tommy — our second collaboration.A Spring dumpling workshop that honors not only the food we make, but the bowl...
02/25/2026

Sonoko x Tommy — our second collaboration.

A Spring dumpling workshop that honors not only the food we make, but the bowls that hold it.

I’ll be teaching three dumplings with a Wafu twist, including savory pork and vegetable dumpling soup, plus two sweet mochi dumplings.

Tommy has created a series of handcrafted laminated clay bowls just for this gathering and will share his knowledge of Chinese dumpling culture.

We cook.
We learn.
We sit down together.
You take your bowl home.

A celebration of craft, culture, and care.
Link in bio to join us. We hope to see you there.

Good rise.
02/21/2026

Good rise.

On Saturday, March 14 (2–4 PM), I’ll be at ROW DTLA for a special community cooking workshop with Alex Weiser of — one ...
02/15/2026

On Saturday, March 14 (2–4 PM), I’ll be at ROW DTLA for a special community cooking workshop with Alex Weiser of — one of my favorite farmers and longtime friends, who grows fruits and vegetables with such care and intention.

Together, we’ll make Water Kimchi from my latest cookbook, Wafu Cooking — bright, lively, and full of good energy — using Alex’s beautiful seasonal produce. You’ll prepare your own 32-oz jar to take home and enjoy.

We’ll also shape onigiri with a variety of fillings and furikake, and enjoy them with my refreshing Oro Blanco shrub — citrusy, slightly tart, and perfect for a Spring afternoon.

All ingredients and kimchi jars are included.
My books and pantry staples — miso, curry powder, and Oro Blanco shrub — will be available, and Alex’s farm stand will be open for market shopping before and after class.

Come cook, taste, and welcome the season with us. Link in bio to sign up!

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Sewanee, TN
37375, 37383

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