Mikomi Hokina, a 30-year-old cosplayer from Brussels, Belgium, earns six figures a month by teaching men to cook while dressed as characters like Velma from Scooby Doo. She has built a following of more than 1.8 million on Instagram under the handle @Mikomihokina.
From Renovation to Recipe Videos
Hokina moved to a rural village with just 200 residents at age 25 to renovate her late mother's house, which had fallen into disrepair. She inherited the property and began sharing cooking content online, dressed as characters including Velma Dinkley and Chocola, a cat girl from a Japanese video game.
She said: “A lot of men are clueless about cooking, but I’m here to help. To be honest, I’m never really sure if they’re following me for my recipes or my outfits, but I think it’s a bit of both.”
Free Content with Paid Upgrade
Hokina shares her videos for free on YouTube, with an option for fans to upgrade to a paid channel on Patreon. She admits the content is easy because she enjoys cooking, having learned from her mother and her father, a professional chef.
She said: “I really like cooking. I learned a lot from my mum growing up because she made lots of special courses. She loved trying new things, and my dad’s a professional chef. He’s very passionate about cooking but after working all day he didn’t want to come home to cook. So I watched my mum, listened to my dad and ate a lot of canned ravioli.”
A Picky Eater's Kitchen Disaster
Despite her culinary skills, Hokina is a self-confessed picky eater who hates cheese and often doesn't taste her own meals. She learned to cook at age 12, often spending evenings with her brother while her father worked and her mother attended programming classes.
She recalled one kitchen disaster: “I had to learn fast as a kid but one time I forgot I was boiling water on the gas stove and went to my room, which was at the opposite side of the apartment. The whole place was filled with smoke, and the pot started to melt through the heat. The water was gone and the handles of the pot were crackling and melting. It smelled terrible, like horribly bad in the whole apartment so I put it under the water. I had to hide the evidence because I was panicking. I hid the pan in the pantry somewhere and mum never knew the truth.”
Better Role Models for Men
Hokina began showcasing her cooking after being “disgusted” by content from “gym bros.” She said: “I saw a video of someone mixing tuna with eggs and chicken. It was disgusting and looked horrible. I knew men deserved a better role model. You can make even the most basic food look appetising if you want.”
She has made everything from burgers to spaghetti bolognese on camera, including a pumpkin pie as Velma for Halloween. Beyond cooking, she creates hyper-realistic custom elf ears, fantasy weapons, and handcrafted armour, selling them for up to £10,000. She said: “My cooking shows are nothing fancy but it’s another way to keep my fans happy and engaged – and another excuse to wear more cosplay.”
