Local Fun: Birmingham Sushi Classes

After a long weekend spent with family, I came back to Birmingham for a night at Avondale Brewing Company with the ladies of Birmingham Sushi Classes. I've been looking for a good sushi class to take for a long time. I love to go out for sushi, but it gets pretty expensive to go to my favorite sushi spot. Birmingham Sushi Class was the perfect solution to that problem. If you're looking to sign up for one of their classes, Bonnie will make it easy for you to enroll in the class of your choice, but make sure you plan ahead because their classes book up to six weeks in advance. After taking the beginner sushi class, this doesn't surprise me at all. They also book private classes if you have enough people in your group! The classes tend to stay around 12 people per class. Chef & Instructor Kelly Viall had some sushi prepped and ready for us to try when we came in to class, three pieces of three different rolls, along with a warm bowl of soup. I had a Veggie Roll with eel sauce, a California Roll, and a Shrimp Roll with Spicy Mayonnaise. While we ate our sushi, She started the lecture part of the class. She covered everything you could think of in the lecture, beginning with supplies and ending with the plating of your sushi roll. Once she got through the information part of the lecture, she started with showing us how to make and season good, sticky sushi rice. I won't share any class secrets, but I can now make my own Eel Sauce and Spicy Mayo. After she taught us to make rice, we moved on to the actual rolling of our sushi. We were supplied with a bamboo rolling mat, a cut piece of Nori, a pair of gloves, and a plate of pretty julienne cut vegetables to fill our roll. First we watched her make a roll, then let us make our own and even showed us how to make a few different shaped rolls. Finally, she showed us the best way to slice our rolls and a few lovely ways to add sauce. These classes don't just cover the hands-on part of sushi making. Kelly gives you the information you need to feel safe about serving raw fish. Not just basically, but she tells you how (and where) you can find sushi grade fish & what to watch for when you're shopping. You're even sent home with a list of the best places to shop for your supplies. If you're a sushi lover, I highly recommend signing up for a class from Birmingham Sushi Classes. Both Bonnie and Kelly are extremely helpful and accommodating. There was never a dull moment in our class. Everyone stayed engaged the whole time and Kelly really kept the group entertained. She encourages you to try and make your own version of your favorite roll, which I am planning on doing. I can't wait to pick up menus from my favorite sushi spots around town and see what I can do, I'm even picking up my rice cooker on the way home tonight.

Interested in signing up for a Beginner Sushi class or talking to Bonnie about scheduling a private class? Click on the Birmingham Sushi Classes logo on the right side of the page to visit their website.