Testimonials

I didn’t have any experience before coming, but now I got 2 months of experience and it’s been very successful for me. I feel absolute happiness and confidence for all that I learned. The whole program is full of new knowledge, information, I think it’s a good amount of information for a professional start.

I quit my job to start this program. When I first came I thought the class was going to be only sushi roll, sushi roll and sushi roll. There is a lot of Japanese culture involved and gives you a different view on sushi. Everything was new for me, but I acquired new skills. The curriculum is good, everyday is something new. Pay a lot of attention because it’s very fast and intensive. There’s always eyes on you while you work ready to give you feedback.

When I first came here my expectation was that it was going to be focused in only just sushi, roll making, nigiri, very common things. What I actually gained from the experience was quite a bit more than that. Not just breaking down the fish, but a passion for all of Japanese cuisine and the simplicity and the beauty and finding it to be more an art than what I expected to find.

I decided to take this class because I have a passion to discover all the techniques and knowledge of traditional Japanese cuisine that is hidden behind the curtains. The marinating techniques and different fish processing methods I learned here are priceless. I enjoyed every moment I had in this class. I had so much fun while learning. My taste buds have changed while I have been here. I know the difference between low and high quality fish now.
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to learn what you have worked so hard to achieve. I know 2 months is a short time, but I will work hard to implement everything I learned in this class into my future.

I found knife skills the most valuable thing. I really enjoyed learning how to cut and clean the fish. I’m looking forward to experimenting with new ingredients and making new sushi. I will remember the new friends I have made, the professors, the staff, the guest chefs and sushi bar. Sushi bar really helped me see how to improve my weaknesses. The art of sushi has impacted me a lot in just 2 months. It has inspired me to want to own my own restaurant one day. Thank you, Sensei Andy Matsuda, for your knowledge and for inspiring me to love this new craft.

Coming to SCI was a life changing experience. No only learning about sushi and improving skills, I have learned so much more. Being with people from different cultures and learning to work with them as a team was a really fun experience.

Perhaps the most memorable experience I can take away from this class is finding closeness with my peers and building relationships. We found inspiration from the class and from each other.
The classes are fun. Technical skills are the key to success. Our connection with each other is what makes everything worthwhile. Chef Andy is a World of wisdom and experience. His mentorship and guidance are invaluable.

I enjoyed every skill we learned from sushi to sashimi. Coming from a non-cooking background, this course has helped me on the fun beginner, to advanced levels. My favorite lesson was plating sushi and sashimi, it helps better understand the 3 elements of moritsuke: ten, chi, jin

First of all, I would like to thank Sensei Andy Matsuda, for all the support, skills, talent, heart and for the Sushi Chef Institute. For giving us a place to learn and practice to become an excellent sushi chef. In only 2 months, I have learned a wide range of delicious Japanese cooking techniques, from proper sushi rice making, knife skills, nigiri, all kinds of rolls. I would have never imagined that I could be a sushi chef in such a short period of time. I am so proud of myself now. I promise I will learn more, and work harder in this field to further develop my new skills. Again, thank you Sensei Andy Matsuda!

Andy Sensei is a good instructor. He not only leads us into the sushi World, but also shows us Japanese culture, history, and gives us advice about our careers. Two months went by so fast here. We are so busy learning so many things every day. We do everything from scratch. I had no prior kitchen experience, but after 2 months I know so much about kitchen stuff! How to cook rice, how to prep cut and serve so many kinds of fish, how to make rolls, nigiri, etc…Sensei, I will keep learning and practicing. I hope to see you in the future.

At the Sushi Chef Institute, I gained a lot of knowledge about Japanese cuisine. My favorite lesson learned was about fileting a lot of different kinds of fish. I will try my best to use my new skills from SCI in my dishes and throughout my chef career.

I was tired of paying for sushi. Plus, it’s beautiful and makes people happy. Since being here, my rice skills have greatly improved. I am going to make sushi for my family all the time especially fun rolls, nigiri and sashimi. I eat more healthy foods now, even out of class. I will never forget to put the kelp in the sushi-zu or any of the recipes I learned. I think the nigiri and roll techniques were the most valuable skills I developed. I liked all the lessons but the 8 step nigiri making I liked in particular. I’m pretty sure sushi will change my life once I experiment with it more. I know I’m not the easiest person to deal with, but I think we both made the effort and made it happen.

I have experience in sushi making, but I wanted to learn from a professional sushi chef, so I came here. You will learn all the fundamentals of sushi and Japanese cooking skills, something that people don’t teach you in the restaurant. For me, learning the proper way to make nigiri sushi was the most valuable experience. Also, things like sashimi presentation, handling special ingredients, such as: uni, ankimo, etc. was fun. These 2 months of learning educated me a lot, and hopefully I will become a better sushi man from this.

First, I had no experience in sushi ever. I developed new skills and knowledge at the Sushi Chef Institute about how to use knives and sharpen them, how to cut, peel, make small dishes, sushi rolls, nigiri, and how to decorate. Every week we had skill tests as well.

Ever since this class started in June, my goal was to finish and complete the class with no absences, and I did it! I started with zero cooking skills, and I became more than I expected. One of my favorite lessons was cutting fish. I have seen many times, Sensei’s demos, but I always end up with mistakes. I’m still far from ok, but it was a very valuable lesson.
Also, I really enjoyed catering services. It was areal action and showed me what people do when catering events. As, I said I am still way far from ok based on Sensei’s standards. What I learned here is all I have right now, but I believe this knowledge will work for all restaurant jobs. So, as Andy sensei always says, “Practice and take a life” This is my golden word during class. Also, many thanks to Saburo sensei, Shinichi san and Amie. Without the above people my days supposed to be dark. Many thanks and regards.