Over the last five years, we have met a lot of chefs and home cooks keen to make their way up in the Japanese cuisine world. Recently, we had a great experience with James from Australia, who told us about his dream. James is a studying psychologist but also wants to pursue his passion for cooking and fishing.
James was one of the students who recently completed our Sushi Masterclass -Foundation- Course. Let’s find out his dream and what he thinks about his experience with the academy.
Meet James from Australia
Can you tell us about yourself?
I am a studying psychologist based in Australia. I signed up for the course because when I’m not studying, I like to entertain my pipe dream of becoming a fishmonger and sushi chef somewhere in a small port town in Japan.
What I love about being a fisherman is the thrill of having a fish on my line, and being a fisherman helps me appreciate the beauty of fish and their environment. I also love to cook at home, and learning how to make sushi from the fish I catch extended my natural appreciation for fish.
It is very fulfilling to catch fish, take them home, and prepare them for my friends and family. This idea of catering is always on my mind. I want to cook Japanese dishes for them, and maybe one day, I will see if my skills can take me around the world.
The Struggles
What were the struggles before joining the academy?
There are so many resources online that show you how to prepare fish and make sushi. It became too overwhelming to follow, and I felt I wasn’t making meaningful progress. I wanted to enhance my technical skills and get more hands-on experience from experts I could talk to. Moreover, I wanted to get involved in the catering business but needed to figure out what to do. These factors eventually brought me to the academy’s course.
Working with MJCA
How was your experience with MJCA?
I am glad that I signed up for the course. During my orientation session, I had a chance to ask whatever questions I had, such as about the certificate and our non-sushi-related courses, including our yakitori course. The team gave me detailed answers to my questions about the certificate and course details that addressed my concerns.
How did the course help you?
The course helped me understand the complexity of workflow. The flow looks simple, yet it is actually very nuanced. I felt much more confident after learning how to wash, cook, season, and mix rice properly. For example, the hand motion showing each step for making nigiri changed my perspective completely. I am happy with the technical outcomes of the course.
Indeed, you can easily find information about sushi-making steps online. However, you can’t always get the detailed information you need to make you a better cook/chef. You could say this course was the complete version created in a way you can understand the proper steps of making sushi efficiently and correctly. That makes me believe that I was taking the right step. The course page contains many contents with written explanations, videos, charts, quizzes, and quick feedback.
Was there anything particular to catch your eye?
The chart for sushi vinegar was helpful. After you type in how much rice you want to make in a cell in the chart, it will show you the amount of each ingredient you need (rice vinegar, salt, etc.) for light-taste mix, strong-taste mix, sweet-taste mix, and edo-mae mix, respectively. You can’t get content like this on the free information you find online.
What is your overall impression of the course?
After my 5th live session, I decided to add one more session. I am grateful that the academy always tried to accommodate my needs in the course. They understood my learning needs and went to great lengths to create exactly the best content for me. Such support from the master chef and all the staff led me to improve my culinary skills.
Try It Yourself
MJCA is here to support people with big dreams, like James, who are not currently chefs. We can address the needs and concerns of every individual. Make a first step to apply for a free consultation! This course is also available with our Grand Membership Plus plan (note: a certificate and live sessions are not included in the membership plan).
