This was a super fun experience. I have eaten a lot of sushi and seen a lot of it being made but this was my first time making it myself. Simon was funny, entertaining, and flexible. Note that the food that is prepared is more of a snack and not a meal, so plan accordingly. read more

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Very fun time had and informative. Quality of sushi was high. Fully recommend and Simon was very personable. read more

Sushi By Simon - Cooking Classes Near Me

I will start by saying that this was a great deal from Living Social ($100 for 2 people, including 2 drinks each and a sushi mat--only one mat per "couple") and that I can now make my own sushi at home. HOWEVER.... this place was pretty poorly organized and was not set up properly to teach cooking. I think our teacher, Jenny, was very knowledgeable, but she should drop the overly-animated "acting" performance and just teach. She was a bit annoying. The class was jam-packed, with 44 people. We were stuffed in there like sardines. It was hard to get up and get stuff from the front of the class. We had to ask a bunch of people to get up so we could get out of our seats. I think each person should have their own sushi mat, instead of having to share with your partner. There were only 2 small cutting boards and 2 knives for the entire class. I was glad I read the reviews beforehand and brought my own cutting board and knife (although it was annoying to have to carry it into the city with me from Long Island). They gave us a paper plate for our first roll (cucumber and Japanese basil), but then the plates were dirty and they did not have any more plates. Napkins were limited too. In the second half of the class, it was time to make rolls with fish and other items. We were told to go up and get our nori and rice and everything we would put into our rolls (in the first half of the class, they handed out the nori and rice and fillings). They did not have forks for us to take the fish, etc. So everyone was sticking their fingers in the food to assemble their sushi. Mind you, there is a restaurant/bar downstairs. They couldn't get a few forks? Very unsanitary. So glad I was FIRST on line! So although I LOVED learning how to make sushi, I would recommend doing it elsewhere. I'd give it less than 3 stars, if not for the fact that I now know how to make sushi and that it was still a fun experience, regardless of the unprofessional and disorganized class. read more

Saw a KGB deal for a "Sushi by Simon" class offered for $40 (originally a $100 value), so I purchased the deal with 3 of my other girlfriends. For $40, it was DEFINITELY worth it. We got to enjoy about 4-5 rolls each, we learned how to make/roll sushi and we got to order 2 drinks/person. It was about a 2-3 hour event and it was just a lot of fun. Our instructor was knowledgeable and helpful... I'll be honest though. I was a bit bummed when I found out Simon wouldn't be teaching our class because he was at another event. Another bit of irony: our instructor was NOT Asian (and neither is Simon). And here we were: 3 of my Asian gfs and I trying to learn how to make sushi from a non-Asian. Still, our instructor was great and our rolls did mimic restaurant-quality rolls. All in all, I would recommend signing up for his classes with a few friends... it's a great group activity and you'll definitely have left feeling like you've gotten something out of the whole experience. read more

Scoreeee! Thank you BuyWithMe for the $54 all you can make sushi making class + 2 free cocktails! Sushi by Simon is awesome. It's very beginner level which is great. He goes over everything from making the maki rolls, what goes into them (details about the rice and nori) and then also talks about some of this history behind sushi and etiquette. Such a great class, and I now can say I know how to make sushi. Jenny, Simon's helper was also very helpful. We learned about to make three different rolls and then after that it was AYCE! yahooo, can't beat that esp when it comes to sushi. See a little more detailed write up and some pictures from my sushi making class! http://here2eat.blogspot.com/2011/08/sushi-by-simon.html read more

The class was super fun! Simon is engaging and approachable, and he will definitely make you feel like making sushi is a piece of cake after the experience. The class is definitely tailored towards practicality. Simon used knives commonly found in anybody's kitchen and ingredients that are accessible at Whole Foods. If you've made sushi before, the class will feel very elementary, perhaps even a bit slow, but nonetheless I definitely left with some great tips! This is no place to get trained to become the next Jiro, but it is a place to have a fun night with a group of friends. You get to make some simple sushi and eat it afterwards, it was best way to spend what would have been a boring weekday night! read more

We took a class via BuywithMe, the girl who taught the class was good and informative. The problem was a few other people who booked the class that were sitting across from us. It was three girls and they literally talked the entire time. They were rude and seriously did not shut up. So when it came time to make things they were complaining they didn't know how to do it. My only other issue was the venue- there wasn't enough space at Stone Creek to get around the tables with all the coats, bags etc. There should probably be one less table or set up another way so when you go up to get rice or ingredients it wasn't so difficult to maneuver. But the sushi tasted great and I'm excited to make it this week! read more

Careful, this is a scam! For $300 you sit in a silent, bare, photography studio with pop-up tables covered in plastic. You roll about 3 rolls in two hours using plastic utensils and paper plates. The two "cups" of sake that are included are the size of a thimble. The "deluxe" version (which costs an extra $100) included two pickled vegetables and an egg. I felt completely taken advantage of. DO NOT GO HERE. It's a terrible experience for the price. read more

such an informative and fun class! Alexandra was über passionate and knowledgable about the art of making sushi. my date and I had so much fun! how the class works is Alexandra takes you step-by-step for making 2 types of rolls: the traditional Japanese roll (seaweed on the outside) and the American inside out roll. then you have the remainder of the time to practice making a few rolls on ur own. all ingredients and 2 drinks per person are included. read more

My brother gifted me a certificate for a sushi making class for two at Sushi by Simon. Enough to cover the deluxe class. I'll say that it was a fun experience. But I don't think it was worth the price, had I not had a certificate. The instructor, not Simon, was informative and nice. Enjoyed it overall. The space is a photography studio by day. Fairly bare set up. Ingredients were solid, sourced from H-mart. But we didn't think the $300 price tag makes sense given how basic everything was. read more

This was a ton of fun! It was booked by my wife for a fun night out to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary. The whole family loves sushi, so what better idea than to learn how to make it?!?! The host was awesome and he was very detailed in telling you how to make it, why you did it that way, and what will happen if you did it differently. You even got a history lesson about the origins of Sushi. Some people say $150? Yes, totally worth the money. You get 2 drinks for each person and you get to eat all the sushi you make....granted you're not making anything fancy, but you do get to eat. I really enjoyed myself and would highly recommend that you give it a shot! It was fantastic! read more

Sushi By Simon - First roll ever! - Cooking Classes Near Me

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Booked a sushi class here with some girlfriends through one of those group-on like deals. Totally worth it! Sushi is not hard to make on your own in general, but there are tiny nuances here and there that can really ^$%^ up the result. This class was pretty hands on and our instructor was knowledgeable and carefully took us through every step of sushi-making, from selecting the proper ingredients to proper rolling technique. The class size was small and you get to go home with your very own sushi mat and a set of instructions. I paid around $40 bux for this class (it ended up being 2 hours total) which was worth it considering i ate around 30 pieces of sushi, ordered 2 drinks and was treated to some thorough instruction. Again - this was through a deal so most people normally pay $100. I think its a fun idea for an anniversary or a group birthday outing. One tip I learned - sushi restaurants are veryyy sneaky for charging extra for those inside out rolls! Sure they are pretty to look at, but it takes no extra effort whatsoever to make. read more

Super fun instructor. Materials and food included. Super clean locale. What more can you ask for!

Sushi by Simon is awesome. Simon is great. He gives you the background on sushi while at the same time keeping the vibe not-boring. He moves at a great pace & helps you out if you get lost. The group size for my class was about 20, and we all had a blast. The class was held on the second floor of Central Bar & was actually a pretty cool place. There were a couple of things I thought could enhance the experience. Japanese beer and or Sake, chopsticks, and napkins. Thanks again for a great dinner & evening. read more

My partner and I took this class last night, and we had a great time! Our first attempt at making sushi (well before we took this class) was a total disaster! With Simon we learned techniques, tricks and the basics to make our next sushi venture a heck of a lot more successful. Simon is knowledgeable, patient, encouraging, friendly and makes the class fun. He also answers any questions you have, no matter how ridiculous they may be (such as me wondering how sushi would taste if using quinoa instead of rice. I'm sure other sushi chefs would have asked me to leave class for suggesting such a thing.) I'd recommend it to friends, and I'd take the class again. The only suggestion I have: more napkins, please. read more

Got a groupon for my husband and I to experience this 2 hour culinary package ... Simon himself taught, which does not sound like it's always the case according to other reviews. That being said, I do feel like we were taught by the best - Simon has a great attitude about it which is direct, fun, and informative. He engages while teaching, and there's plenty of food to go around. Service was also good, as drinks were regularly refilled. Learned how to make several kinds of rolls, handle the various fish, and the proper terminology while having a lot of fun (classes were well-sized at about 16 in the room). Would totally recommend! read more

Ellen was a fantastic instructor! We had an amazing time, learned a ton, and ate 7 (!) rolls between the two of us. It was clear that all of the ingredients were fresh and high-quality. The instruction was crystal clear and methodical, but we had plenty of time to make the rolls at our own pace during the later freestyle part of the class. I would recommend this class to anyone and hope to go back for the advanced class! read more

Tried cancelling 24+ hours in advance. They offered a 10% discount towards a future class AKA take $200 and then take another $180. The customer doesn't come first it seems. read more

In a word: Fantastic. Seems like the reviews so far focus on "surprise" sushi parties, and the same was true for the event I was at. Simon was an excellent teacher and patient with the many whims and special requests our group came up with (a little too much spicy sauce, a special almond mix, others that I still don't understand -- we had a creative bunch :)). He was knowledgeable and funny and all in all a welcome part to a memorable night. Having talked to him about the other members of the Sushi by Simon team, I have no doubt that you will be in good hands no matter who your chef is. read more

Got a chance to check these guys out again last year (2015, though just getting around to writing this now.) This time they came to our work Hanukkah party and worked with our whole office to teach us to make sushi. Everyone had an absolute blast! It was def one of the coolest office party concepts ever. And they came armed with knives and cutting boards this time! read more

We live in the South and learned about Sushi by Simon through a friend in NYC. We took the basic online class, because my partner is an absolute sushi fanatic and we always wanted to learn how to start making this at home. I thought this would be at least a starting point for us... but boy howdy, did I underestimate how much you can learn in a single class with Simon! We learned to make our own rolls, hand rolls, and covered so many techniques, that I feel confident we could make almost any kind of roll or hand roll at home today. Simon took extra time to answer all of our questions and it's been fun to share our results with him via email. Honestly this was the most fun we have ever had taking an online class, and would highly recommend! read more

I purchased a deal on Gilt City (sushi class with 4 drinks for two people $100). We attended the session last night, it was in the private room of a bar. We had an amazing time! I originally tried making sushi on my own and it was a huge disaster. The instructor was very clear with her instructions and me and my boyfriend were both able to make successful rolls! Also, the instructor was very upbeat and funny and made the class super enjoyable. I would definitely recommend to anyone to buy a ticket to this and I would definitely consider going to other classes they offer! read more

Complete rip off. Received this as a gift from my girlfriend and feel terrible after realizing how much she spent. The "deluxe" experience cost an extra $150 for the two of us and consisted of a 3 min lesson on how to make a hand roll and the "deluxe" ingredients which were a few pickled roots and about $10 worth of Tobiko. The entire experience was done on the cheap, all plastic utensils and tablecloths. The venue itself is a small photo studio for engagement pictures that they borrow at night for the classes. The two "free" sake drinks are plastic thimbles, less a shot! If this were a $25-50 per person event maybe the cheapness would be justified, but after dropping over $300 for two people this is nothing but a complete rip off. Infuriated that we were taken by this scam. read more

This class was very fun, educational, and well worth the money ($50/person for a three-hour class and two drinks). Simon knows a lot about sushi--not just how to make it, but the history of it as well. The class is very hands-on; we were able to make five rolls during the class (one cucumber, four tuna/salmon). My only complaints: the venue was too loud (the Giants fans' disappointment downstairs was clearly heard upstairs where we had our class); 60 students was a little too hectic and too crowed for our small room; and a second rice cooker was needed (we found ourselves circling the rice cooker like a pack of hungry wolves waiting to start the next roll). read more

The owner is an unorganized mess. Doesn't answer emails or questions effectively. I spent several weeks trying to plan something out to no avail and his responses were rude, catty and acted as if I was dumb for not understanding him. read more

I love Sushi by Simon! My friend and purchased Groupons for a night of sushi making with 2 free drinks. It was so much fun! Simon was funny, and knowledgeable. We got to make an eat unlimited amounts of sushi. My only gripe was that it was held in a restaurant and the waitress was super slow to come back, so we couldn't get our drinks when we wanted them but that has nothing to do with Simon. It was a ton of fun and now I cannot wait to go and attempt to make sushi at home. Yikes!! read more

I'm full! And I had a lot of fun and also learned a lot about sushi at the same time. Great activity for couples. Simon's enthusiasm for sushi was apparent and made for a really fun class. Very reasonable pricing for the class, which came with a lot of food and 4 drinks between the couple. Definitely recommend doing this sometime as a fun/unique date or as an activity with your significant other, especially if you both like sushi. read more

We threw a surprise birthday for a friend and we loved Sush By Simon. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and a great addition to our evening. I would highly recommend Sushi By Simon, it was all in all a great experience. read more

I hired Simon on a whim. Wanted a gimmick to spice up a typical dinner party. Best decision I ever made. Having Simon teach a sushi making class added another layer of fun to the festivities that exceeded expectations. Not only was Simon super knowledgeable and funny, but he was really chill. Guests were able to move around the room and hang out while Simon was teaching those still at the table. The whole experience was fluid and relaxed. Plus the food was delicious and costs less than going out to dinner in this silly city. I couldn't recommend anyone in the industry more highly. Enjoy! read more

Count me a big fan of Simon's. The guy can definitely make a killer sushi roll, and now I can too (maybe not as well as Simon, but I'm working on it). Simon is clearly a foodie, and it's always nice to learn from someone who really loves his subject. Amazingly, none of the other reviews mention Simon's voice -- with a soothing baritone like that, I now understand why his bio says he is a regular on Martha Stewart Living radio. And seriously, if you're going to listen to someone teach for a couple of hours, it's a plus that he's got a great voice and is a good performer. read more

We loved the experience! Would highly recommend the evening of fun and good food It was a gift from my husband. A nice and wide ranging group who attended. read more

I threw a surprise birthday sushi-rolling dinner for my boyfriend and had about 10 guests. Everyone had a great time and no one left hungry. Our chef, Kara, was very patient, open, knowledgeable and had a sense of humor - she fit right in with my guests! Planning the event beforehand with Simon also went smoothly. I would definitely recommend Sushi by Simon for a private dinner party. read more

This class was so fun. We bought a deal on Gilt City not knowing what we were going to get into and were very pleasantly surprised. Simon was personable and energetic, and you could really tell he was excited to be there. We learned how to make different types of rolls while learning about sushi itself along the way. You eat and create the entire time - a very "hands-on" process. The 2.5 hours flew by and I was stuffed with delicious, handmade sushi by the end. We are already looking into other classes because it was such a blast. I was slightly turned off by the location choice - a union square bar - but he really made the setup work. We have a private room in back, and everything appeared to be very clean and sushi making ready when we got there. Overall a great experience and something fun and different to do as a couple. read more

My sous chef found Sushi by Simon quite by accident. We had been looking at a number of different things and I decided that a quick primer would be sufficient to satisfy what we were looking to accomplish. After a private session with Simon we are able to produce exactly what we were setting out too, and I'm sure with practice we will be able to branch out in the future. I can recommend Simon to anyone without reservation. He is fun and knowledgeable. read more

We got a living social deal for a sushi making class. We had a good time, and learned a lot about sushi making. Simon was very knowledgeable Highly recommended, 5 Stars! read more

Undoubtedly giving this 5 stars. I took my friend as a surprise to celebrate finishing her first year of grad school and we both had a blast. The sushi chef was Dave, one of Simon's coworkers. It was informative but also a lot of fun. We also got free saki at the end which was a nice treat. I felt we definitely got bang for our buck ($100 for 2) since we ended up having around 5 rolls between the 2 of us and 2 drinks each. I highly recommend it and I think it would be awesome idea for a bridal shower or an event with friends. read more

My boyfriend and I went to a Sushi by Simon class over the weekend and it was so much fun! The 2.5 hour class flew by. Simon was fantastic, and a great teacher. The class wasn't too crowded and the whole feel of the class was relaxed but still professional and informative. Definitely a fun activity! read more

Simon is a great instructor and provides a good deal of information about sushi including where to purchase your own fish, how to make your own rice and what to look for when buying a knife. The sushi you make in class is really good and everyone left with a full belly. It's a good class to bring a significant other, friend or family member to. read more

My Girlfriend and I had a great time at Simon's sushi making class. We both walked away really feeling like we learned a skill and had a great time in the process. Very friendly and easy to follow. Would recommend to my friends, good couple activity as well. read more

We loved Simon! I hired him to come to my apartment for a friend's bachelorette party, and everyone was thrilled. We got to eat tons of sushi and had a lot of fun learning to make it. Simon was funny and laid-back, not to mention reasonably priced. Plus, we all got to keep our own sushi-making starter kit. A great activity for a change of pace from the usual bachelorette party. read more