My good friend Barb (Profiteroles and Ponytails) and I recently took a Sushi making workshop at Wabora Sushi in the Thompson Hotel on Wellington Street in Toronto, we got the deal on Groupon for $40 ($100 regular price) so I thought I would share my experience with you.
Wabora offers a blend of Japanese and Korean foods with some of the well-known North American Asian dishes (From the About page on their website). The restaurant is dimly lit and decorated in a contemporary Asian style. It’s reasonably comfortable and offers enough soft surfaces which help absorb the lively conversations. Because this was a sushi making workshop we all sat at the back of the restaurant nearest to the sushi kitchen. When the workshop began, the lights at the back of the restaurant were made brighter so we could see what we were doing (a little too bright, perhaps!)
The $40 Canadian did not include $5.20 tax so we had to pay that when we arrived. Beverages need to be purchased and if you are hungry enough you may even wish to purchase additional things off the menu (I had a glass of wine for $15). We were taught to make two decent-sized rolls which worked out to about 8 pieces each. It was reasonably filling which gave me the opportunity to take four of the pieces home with me so JT could try it too.
My first impression was that there were a lot of people, in fact so many people that there were not enough work stations for the entire group to prepare the sushi at once, so we had to do it in two groups, Group A and Group B. The tables were nicely laid out with all of the required materials and food and the surfaces were clean. We were provided with disposable plastic gloves to wear during the preparation which were cumbersome and far too large which made some of the steps a little more difficult than they had to be. There were two sushi chefs who demonstrated at each end of the long tables before groups were called up to execute. The restaurant manager provided commentary for the demonstrations and it was easy to understand. My only complaint for the demonstration component was that there were too many people gathered around and it was difficult to see exactly what the chefs were doing (there were taller people standing in front of me). The commentary was helpful even if it was difficult to see.
The chefs remained available to help where they saw necessary and answer some questions. One thing that surprised me was that the standard size sushi sheets are cut in half so that they are rectangles and not squares. We were instructed to put the rice on the rough side so that it sticks better.
The Chicken Teriyaki roll was certainly a new twist on the California Rolls that use surimi (imitation crab). We started with the seaweed, rough side up with the longest side facing us. We added the sushi rice (which was cooked and cooled Japanese rice with the addition of rice vinegar and sugar) and were told to spread it out evenly on the sheet to three sides, leaving one long side without rice for about 1 cm (0.5 inch). Then we added the chicken, avocado, cucumber, pickled carrot and omelette horizontally onto the long end, being careful not to over stuff. The chicken I had was a little dry and if I were to make this at home, I would definitely leave the chicken slightly thicker to avoid drying out. We rolled the seaweed up from the long end and finished it off by shaping it with a plastic covered sushi bamboo mat, tapping the ends in. We then cut the roll into eight even slices and plated them. We drizzled white miso and teriyaki sauces over the plate. The garnish of the white miso and the teriyaki sauces complimented each other well, but I would definitely not call this sushi. Roll #1 was disappointing.
Roll #2 was called a Spicy Salmon roll and it was made ‘inside out’ meaning that the rice was on the outside of the roll. For this roll, we began with the seaweed rough side up with the shortest side facing us. We added the rice and spread it out evenly to every side, then we flipped the sea weed over so that the rice was facing down on the table. We added shredded surimi (imitation crab), avocado and cucumber to the short end and rolled it up tight. Then we covered the roll with a piece of plastic wrap and we shaped the roll using an uncovered bamboo sushi mat, tapping the ends in. Then we removed the plastic wrap and added the mixture of the ‘secret recipe’ of spicy raw salmon to the top. Then another sheet of plastic wrap was draped over the roll and we shaped it again using the bamboo matt. Leaving the plastic on the roll, we cut cut the roll into 8 even slices using a dipped sushi knife. Then we removed the plastic, plated the rolls and drizzled a spicy mayo on the top and then crispy-fried potato strings. The spicy salmon had a wonderful taste and texture but I was disappointed that the recipe for it was secret, I thought it was a workshop on how to make sushi?
I had a really good time with Barb and it was lovely to catch up. The sushi making workshop was OK value for $40 and had I paid $100 I would have been enormously disappointed — it’s definitely not worth $100 to make two rolls, particularly since neither used that expensive ingredients. I would definitely like to come back to Wabora and sample more of their dishes in the future and leave the sushi making to the experts.
Overall rating of Sushi Making Workshop in Wabora (in my opinion): Decor 3/5, service 3/5, food 3/5, Value 2/5, Noise: 2.5/5 (1 being very noisy, and 5 being very quiet).
Disclaimer: We purchased the workshop and wine ourselves and my opinions just that, my opinions.
Wabora Toronto
550 Wellington St. W
Toronto, ON M5V 1H5
(416) 777-9901
Hours
Sunday – Wednesday 11am-11pm
Thursday – Saturday 11am-12pm
I think this proves that your fellow citizens love a bargain. Like Kristy says, it sounds like way too many people signed up. I wonder if you would have been taught to make actual sushi if you had paid the regular fee of $100? Even if that were the case, I think that’s still too much to ask, though I’ve felt that way about most of the cooking classes I’ve looked at. Still, you were taught, in-person, how to make rolls correctly and you did it with a good friend at your side. Sounds like it was money well spent. 🙂
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Hi John, it really was about getting out and spending time with Barb so you are bang on, time and money well spent. Plus it was a tasty workshop!
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That sounds like way too many people for a sushi making workshop. I attended one as well, but there were only a handful of people. Your rolls turned out very nicely – the spicy salmon would have been my favorite by far. I think it’s a lot of fun to make sushi – especially with friends, but honestly I much prefer leaving it to the experts as well.
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Thanks Kristy, I enjoyed the workshop but it was mainly because I was able to spend time with Barb. I’m still thinking about that spicy salmon, it was so tasty. I’m going to have to figure out a recipe for it, perhaps a post in the future!
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I have no doubt you’ll figure it out Eva! I can’t wait. 🙂
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Thanks Kristy.
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What a lovely day and getting to meet up with Barb was I am sure so much fun. I have never taken a formal class but when I lived in Japan I had a very dear Japanese friend that taught me how to make maki rolls, sushi and onigiri and many other things so that I could put in my son’s bento box. Its a great skill to learn and now I still make bento boxes sometimes for my teenagers and they love it as a change up from the usual sandwich or salad boxed lunches. Sorry, I am just making my rounds… Take care, BAM
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Hi Bam, thanks for dropping by. How fortunate to have lived in Japan AND have a friend teach you to make some maki rolls and such. I bet your kids love your lunches!
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I’d love to take a sushi making class…but I’d want to go home full! But it sounded like a fun time for foodie friends to be together 🙂
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Hi Liz, it was a fun evening to be out with Barb for sure.
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Eva – I am so jealous! My daughter and her friends did a Groupon Sushi class here in the states and they loved it too – and she has made us some of what she learned – very cool!
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Hi Donalyn, yes the sushi workshop was fun with my friend, it’s so nice that your daughter made you some of what she learned during her workshop.
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I find that sometimes those Groupon deals are good value if you get it at the price of the deal but not so good when you pay the full price of them. The sushi does look really good though! 🙂
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Hi Lorraine, I have wondered that often if they arbitrarily bump up the price to make the Groupon price look good! I’ve seen them do it on sale clothing as well so it really shouldn’t surprise me!
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Ooh…. I’m all over the Spicy Salmon Roll with crispy fried potato strings!! Love that interpretation and have never seen fries (potato strings) attached to sushi before — that’s my kind of Irish Asian ;-). I’m totally jealous of the girlfriend time in the sushi class together… how fun is that? Enjoy your weekend Eva, xx.
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Hi Kelly, I loved the flavours in the spicy salmon roll and although I’m not a lover of deep fried, these potato strings were a perfect accompaniment to the salmon. I loved spending some quality time with my good friend too. Hope you have a lovely weekend as well.
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I’m glad you had a good time with Barb because the course doesn’t seem great value for money. I’m relieved you only paid $40.00 because I’d say that’s all it’s worth. What do they think they’re giving you for $100? And what a shame they cram so many into the course xx
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I totally agree Charlie, but it was a really lovely opportunity to get together with a good friend.
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I love those salmon rolls! Those potato strings look very delicious too.
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Thank you kindly Angie, the potato strings were a lovely accompaniment to the spicy salmon.
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How interesting!
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Thanks Liz.
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I took a risotto making class at Sur La Table once and had a really great time.
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Hi Cheri, that sounds fantastic too, I was in one of their stores in Chicago and it was unbelievable! Their cooking classes must be first class.
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I would think a sushi making class would be so interesting and fun, but can see why overcrowding would take the fun out of it. I’ve heard more than one story like this about Groupon events. I think they so oversell that for the price, the event has to under deliver…or go under. Still, I do think they should have revealed the “secret” recipe since it is a cooking/learning class…bummer. The salmon roll looks pretty good, but think I’d rather have my salmon inside the roll instead of the fake crab. Glad you and Barb had some fun time together!
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Thanks Betsy, I’ve heard that about Groupon too and it will likely be the last workshop I buy through them.
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I have forgotten to add I agree that a “secret salmon recipe” was really not fair… even though it did sound like fun (maybe because you went with your gourmet friend?). Not to mention the drinks (15dollars for a glass of wine??? Even in Switzerland it would be rare…).
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Yes indeed, in Canada the price of wine is usually tripled in a restaurant but the restaurant usually has to pay more for the same bottle of wine than a normal consumer, not really sure why, I guess it’s because the LCBO can charge them more.
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I have never followed any cooking classes, but I have been dreaming of fish preparation and cutting classes in Japan (I even have no idea if such a thing exists, but I’m sure the Japanese are the world champions of fish preparation). When I buy a whole fish (very often because I buy from a restaurant providing supermarket which doesn’t bother with smaller fish filleting but has extremely fresh products) I always laugh that a Japanese sushi chef would die of heart attack seeing me “in action” 😉
The rolls you have made look fantastic! I love the fried potato thin strips. I can imagine them on so many other dishes too…
Here my favourite sushi fast food also makes chicken teriyaki sushi rolls. I love them and I find them much better than the ones made with second category raw fish. It seems you have had lots of fun! I envy you a lot.
You have reminded me I haven’t made sushi maki for ages.
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Thank you kindly Sissi, it was a very fun workshop and I’m glad I went with Barb, it was also nice to catch up. I have thought about taking a knife skills class for much the same reasons you wish to take a fish preparation class!
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I’m in love with the teriyaki roll. What fun and to do it with another blogger is even better. You lucky two!
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Thanks Maureen, it was a very nice evening for sure.
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I’m glad that you were able to get a deal on the workshop as it does sound a bit pricey to me. I’m not surprised to see that so many people are interested in making and eating sushi. A shame that they weren’t prepared to share their ‘secret’ recipe for spicy salmon.
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It’s quite a fancy restaurant Maria but you are quite right, even $40 for the workshop seems a bit pricey considering. I’m going to have to look around the blogging world for the secret recipe for sure.
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I forgot to mention my spicy salmon recipe is made by combining finely diced salmon (or tuna, if you’re making spicy tuna) with mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce. Then I just place it on top a nori wrapped rice oval for gunkan or “battleship” sushi, a variation of nigiri sushi. I was sure I had included that info on one of my sushi posts.
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I wonder if the spicy salmon is the same recipe Maria, I’m going to have to give it a try, of course how can one go wrong with Sriracha sauce, it’s really one of my absolute favourites! I’m going to go back and check on your sushi posts to find that recipe, thanks.
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It turned out that I had first used spicy mayo in my Thai summer rolls.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/98529.html
And, my spicy crab hand rolls were made by combining the spicy mayo with diced fake crab sticks (surimi). I don’t think you ever saw that post.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/165108.html
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Thanks for the links, I will have to make a note about your spicy mayo, it sounds and looks delicious! I love sriracha sauce.
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I don’t know which is better, the delicious looking salmon roll or the chicken teriyaki! They both look awesome! And you are so lucky that you got to meet Barb she is such a sweet heart 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Hi CCU, thanks so much for your kind words, I’m glad you like the teriyaki roll, it wasn’t really my favourite. I’ve known Barb for about 20 years but it was great to spend some time with her doing this fun workshop.
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