Sushi Classes and Contests

As part of the 2024 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, sign up for a unique opportunity to learn one of Japan’s most famous culinary art forms with Madame Saito, Philadelphia’s Queen of Sushi!

Sign up today and complete a class to be eligible for the 18th Annual Amateur Sushi Competition held on Sunday, April 21, 2024, or for the Subaru Sushi Samurai of the Year Contest, to be held on Sunday, April 14, during Sakura Weekend, the highlight of the annual Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival.

To register, email Madame Saito at madamesaito@gmail.com or call 215-815-8266.

Cherry Blossom Festival Sushi Classes

Monday–Wednesday, April 1-10, 2024
6:00–8:00 pm
Tokio Headhouse
122 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA / Google Maps >>

$120 per person (sushi dinner and sushi-making ingredients included)

18th Annual Sushi Contest for Amateurs

Sunday, April 21, 2024
6:00–9:00pm
Tokio Headhouse
122 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA / Google Maps >>

Contestant Entry Fee— $100 (includes ingredients to make your sushi creation and one class)
Guests & Observers— $60 (includes appetizers and sushi all night, cash bar)

Subaru Sushi Samurai of the Year Competition

Sakura Weekend – Sunday, April 14, 2024
Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
12:00–2:00pm – Competition
3:00–4:00pm – Demonstrations
Horticulture Center and Centennial Arboretum
Fairmount Park, Philadelphia / Google Maps >>

Contestant Entry Fee— $100 (includes one sushi-making class scheduled prior to Sakura Weekend)

About Madame Saito

Madame Saito, Philadelphia’s Queen of Sushi. Photograph by Lauren Schneiderman (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Madame Saito has been an ambassador of Japanese culture and fusion cuisine in the Philadelphia community for more than 30 years, with Temple University awarding her excellence with an Honorary Doctorate in Education in 2009, and the American Culinary Federation named her Philadelphia’s Chef of the Year in 2011. In addition to running the Le Champignon de Tokio restaurant in historic Society Hill, Madame Saito teaches sushi-making classes for all skill levels.

To learn more about Madame Saito and Le Champignon de Tokio, please visit her website.