WELCOME

I am Alexandre Thorr, founder of Aogami Kyoto. Aogami Kyoto is a Japanese cooking school offering to a large audience simple hands-on cooking classes held in English or French. Aogami Kyoto is also proposing a selection of high quality handmade Japanese kitchen knives.
 
Ideally situated at walking distance of the Imperial Palace, Aogami Kyoto is the ultimate destination to have an original “Washoku” cooking experience and learn hands-on how to prepare simple and delicious Japanese popular dishes.
 

MY STORY

I grew-up in Lorraine and Alsace, two regions of France with a vivid culinary tradition and have been raised in a family of food enthusiasts. I have always been passionate about eating and cooking. My mother is a great cook and my grandmother and grandaunts shared their knowledge and recipes with us. As for Japan, my interest dates back to high school when I got introduced to its rich culture and craftsmanship tradition by an inspiring history professor.
 
Discovering Soba, Tempura, Kamameshi, Sushi, Sashimi and Japanese handmade kitchen cutlery during a home stay in a Japanese family in my early twenties was a formative experience for me in many ways.
 

I moved in Japan almost ten years ago and I am living in Kyoto where my Japanese wife, a pastry chef, is running a pastry & cooking school. Before launching Aogami Kyoto, I spent more than 20 years working as a tax professional and lawyer in France and Japan. With the view of turning my passion into a business, I retrained as a chef, attending an intensive professional training with Alain Ducasse Education Academy in 2013.
 

 
I then started to regularly teach home-made French and European cooking with my wife in Kyoto while embarking in a long journey to learn more about “Washoku” cuisine and Kyoto traditions. I spent hours in several Japanese cooking schools to hone my skills and acquire new techniques, had several cooking sessions with my mother-in-law to learn more about ingredients and home-made recipes, visited markets and shops, explored izakayas and discussed with chefs about dashi stock preparation, improved my knife sharpening abilities with a Japanese meister in Kyoto’s countryside, travelled to Takefu and Sakai to experience hands-on how to forge kitchen knives and meet artisans.
 

MY APPROACH

During the class I will share with you my experiences, knowledge and passion for Japanese cooking. You will discover local ingredients, learn hands-on how to cook several typical delicious dishes. In the process, you will also be introduced to unique Kyoto culinary culture, learn basic Japanese knife skills and master simple homemade dashi stock as well as white rice preparation. You will get plenty of time to ask questions and get familiar with all the tricks you need to cook the recipes again for your family and friends once back home.
 

Please take your time to discover the website and feel free to send me an e-mail should you have any question regarding classes or Japanese kitchen knives. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

I am looking forward to meeting you soon and cooking with you in Kyoto.
 

Sincerely yours

Alexandre

アレクサンドル　トール

フランス・ロレーヌ地方出身
ストラスブール大学法学部卒業後
ウイーン大学大学院卒
フランス国　弁護士資格取得
 
アランデュカス・
プロフェッショナル料理学校卒
ジューヌ・ヴェルヌ
（パリ・エッフェル塔にある１つ星レストラン）でスタージュ
 
パリで国際税務スペシャリスト活躍後、
弁護士資格取得
料理好きが高じて、
パリでプロ向き料理学校卒業後
１つ星レストランで研修
 
パリと京都を行き来しながら
料理クラスを開講して５年以上になる
 
現在は拠点を京都に移し
料理を教えながら
日本の包丁等海外輸出してしている。
 
妻は菓子研究家の小林 かなえ