Testimonials

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.

Taking this class was a dream of mine for a very long time. Throughout the 2 months, there were a lot of skill tests that I struggled with but in the last month, I started to see improvements. All the fundamentals Andy Matsuda teaches you are not only vital for sushi making, but for cooking in general, from breaking down fish to okonomiyaki. There is a lot of good information and lessons.

I enjoyed most parts of the class in general. Cutting techniques and sushi, roll, nigiri are the fundamental skills that I improved the most. From rice sticking on hands to making sushi combos that are impressive was an amazing experience. No matter what area I end up in weather is the kitchen or research and development knowing the Japanese cooking knowledge is going to push my career path to have more possibilities.

From what I learned, I will benefit from this experience by specializing in Japanese cuisine for my career, practicing more and more each day until I’ve perfected every dish.

As I have taken the programs broadened my horizons. I felt that not only did I learn cooking, but I also learned about Japanese history and culture. Moreover, I feel that the cooking is the world which is worth enough a man can devote his life.

I have learned so much from you and have gained so much respect for Japanese cuisine now. I want to thank you for changing my life. I will keep on pushing for a better future for me and my wife. I will never forget the things you did for me, and that you keep doing. You are a kind person that has years of experience and it shows through your food. I am ready to start my career and have a lifetime to keep learning and perfecting my dishes.

SCI open my eyes in the Japanese culinary World. Before taking this course, I thought great quality sushi is about having great quality products. But there is so much more technique and skill you must master. From cut rolls, sashimi, to nigiri’s, it is all precision that this class teaches you! Every little detail count in Japanese cuisine, which will make you appreciate sushi chefs and their skills. This school is must take if you want to expand your culinary knowledge. Great staff! Chef Andy is filled with so much knowledge that he is willing to share, it’s amazing.

My experiences here overall have been incredibly good. I was surprised with the amount I learned in only two months. I also like a lot of responsibility to learn from the students. I like how Andy sensei critiques us on the little things when he sees our mistakes. He usually points out and showcase the review again. I am really hoping to find a good sushi job so I can keep improving my skills.

 I learned so many things at the Institute, which is maki roll, preparing rice, special roll, ramen, and almost everything. I am a beginner, but I will grow lot throughout these classes. Andy-san’s details and practice helped me a lot. I was stressed because I could not understand class well several times. But after that, I feel that I have grown up a lot.   Arigato-gozaimasu.

I took this class because I want to open a restaurant in the future. I will remember everything from this class, but I feel the most valuable lesson was how to prepare fish. I’m excited about the healthy aspects of sushi as well. My knife skills have improved and I’m excited to roll sushi for my friends and family. Learning about the art of sushi has helped me learn the real value of food. Sensei Andy is the best! Thank you so much for teaching me a lot about a sushi and Japanese food. I feel very lucky to have spent 2 months at your school!

The reason why I decided to learn Japanese cuisine was because I loved Japanese food. I was especially interested in learning how to make sushi. I began to search for a good instructor, and found out that Andy Matsuda at Sushi Chef Institute (SCI) is a master of sushi and traditional Japanese dishes. I made up my mind to learn from him to become a sushi chef. However, when I first started, I was not sure how a two-month training course could turn me into a sushi chef.

The two-month course turned out to be very intensive and packed with training equivalent to several years’ worth, and I stayed focused throughout the course. Andy sensei was very attentive, and commented on every aspect of the sushi skills from knife handling to hand technique for each student. I was moved by his endless passion and devotion to the class. In a sushi class, I was hugely impressed by how he could thoroughly fillet a whole fish, leaving only flesh-less bones behind. I saw how a good sushi chef could use his skills to save costs of fish, and I learned how fish slices showed different patterns depending on the direction and angle they were cut. Through the well-organized two-month course, I developed a keep eye for sushi and acquired skills to make it consistently and beautifully. I am deeply indebted to Andy sensei for all the amazing personal growth and development I could achieve in a relatively short time. Particularly, sushi bar setup in SCI was a valuable experience where we invited actual customers for dining experience. It taught us how a sushi chef could earn a customer’s trust with cooking.

I strongly recommend Andy sensei for future students who aspire to be a sushi chef. At SCI, I found out that many graduates are successfully working as sushi chefs and restaurant owners all over the world. The initial doubt about becoming a sushi chef in two months has, of course, all disappeared. Immediately upon graduation from SCI, I got a job offer and now I am making preparations to launch on a long journey to become a sushi chef. If you dream of being a sushi chef, join his class at SCI. He will be the best instructor and the mentor to help you realize your dream. Many thanks to the entire SCI staff!

I took this class to discover the mysteries and art of cutting and handling fish. I found the safe handling of fish to be the most valuable lesson. I enjoyed making tempura, the tea ceremony, shucking oysters, cutting belt fish, opening uni, and the trip to the fish market. I’m excited to share all the different foods I can make with my family. I’m looking forward to making anything anyone wants at home, and I am so proud to be able to prepare almost anything that comes from the ocean. Thank you for sharing yourself with me!