Great experience for people watching/interacting, and cooking without having to prep or clean!…read more Booked a shared table for 2 (4 people at a table) for an adult cooking class on a Saturday night. Pros: The shared table experience was great for meeting new people and having extra sets of brains for multitasking. Cons: Seating is random and the experience is shared; ie: one burner for 4, and the end products are shared. Our dish ended up being over-salted, and our experience was halved in interactive-ness due to the luck of the draw of seating. Never have I had a spoon or spatula taken away from my hands so fast before. And most certainly never have I had someone critique the knives and actively give the duller knife to us. This shared table experience was essentially a fight for all (for us). BUT this is just dependent on the attendees and who you're seated with. The other shared tables didn't seem to have such issues. For a more interactive learning experience, I recommend the private table to avoid the risk of randomization. On the bright side, we got to see how other couples interact, whether it was actively taking items from their partner's hands because they were doing the task wrong (ie: mixing eggs wrong??) or the couple next to us taking cute photos of each other and sharing drinks while enjoying their time together. The structure of the class was decent, organized, and well-paced. All ingredients were measured and prepared. Baking, cleaning, and chilling items were taken care of by staff. Prepping the dish (ie: battering items, mixing ingredients) and active cooking were the only things needed to be done. The instructor would explain the ingredients provided and the instructions during the instruction period for the dish at hand. Following the instructions, prep/cooking occurs while the instructor supervises and provides aid or guidance as needed. All in all, I had a great experience. The staff was nice, especially the instructor, and I felt taken care of during my cooking class experience. Would return for pasta night-- most definitely for the private table experience.

I have been wanting to take my kiddo to a caregiver and me cooking class for a while now. She is…read morefinally old enough and I felt like she was ready. I booked a Tuesday evening class during winter break. You get a confirmation email and that's it. I was worried about prep but they prepare everything for you and thought up everything as well. Small parking lot. They had us wash our hands when we arrived and then each kiddo had a color sheet with crayons. Nice touch but defeats the purpose of washing our hands first. The two of us shared a table with another mom with their toddler. Each toddler had their own set up to make 6 cookies. Everything was pre measured and it wasn't too messy. We were able to bake 6 cookies and use whatever toppings - she got to choose between chocolate chips, m&ms, white chocolate chips and these dried fruits. They read a book to the kids and then made milk shakes as a group. Each kid got a small cup and to place chocolate chips/m&Ms in. The cookies were really delicious and my child loved the milk shake. One thing is that you can't stop other kiddos from touching your items/food. Would return.

My wife and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary by taking a date night cooking class here…read more It was hard to find a seat because of all the flies that were flying around on the food. Absolutely disgusting experience! I had the courage to walk back into the pantry only to be confronted by Lord of the flies and half empty used bottles of old vinegar. As for the instructor, she seemed quite new to the world of fine cuisine. It almost seemed this class was geared for children learning to cook, as most of the instructions were geared towards the mind of an eight year-old. As every day cookers, my wife and I learned absolutely nothing except to ensure a clean kitchen before starting meal prep. Obviously, we will not be returning to partake in anymore classes and I highly recommend others to look elsewhere. Sur La Table really needs to get their act together if they want to be taken seriously. Just a few suggestions for those that work there and read this review: 1) every group should get their own ingredients to prepare their own dishes 2) people should wash their hands before starting to touch any of the food which did not happen for our class, especially when you see them picking parts of their body that are quite unsanitary 3) should probably hire a real chef to teach the class so that we actually learned something about proper culinary practices 4) should probably clean the kitchen in between classes so that the number of flies in the kitchen does not rival that of a Porta potty at a heavy metal concert. Quite disappointing to pay $100 for meal that is equivalent to my worst day of cooking. Tata, David

My wife and attended the Art of the Wok cooking class. Orange chicken, wok fried rice, dry-fried…read moreSichuan green beans, and Cantonese steamed milk pudding are a lot to cram into two hours. But all nine students participated and seem to have fun. We look forward to attending more classes. We learned more than just the recipes, such as where to place the cutting board, holding a knife, and the proper technique to fillet a chicken breast. I can certainly carry these tips to other recipes. The instructor was friendly, helpful, and attentive. Previous reviews gave Elaine a bad rap. Either this is a different Elaine or she has improved her courtesy.

We came with a group of 55+ people for a corporate event, and everyone had such a good time! The…read morecouple that runs this cocktail and pizza making class were so nice, super fun, and really engaging. Everyone had a blast. The drinks were yummy and the pizza was so good! I finally got to try making pizza from scratch. They had a real pizza oven and a ton of pizza toppings to choose from. I could see this being a great fit for not only corporate events, but birthdays, big get togethers, holiday parties. Just be sure to uber or get a shuttle because there isn't much parking in this residential area.

One of the best and fun classes I have attended. We booked city of cocktail for my gfs birthday for…read more16 attendees. It was a seamless process with booking reached out to Amy the event coordinator, super easy to work with. Kevin the instructor and owner was what made this event so much fun! The stories, the jokes really made the event so much fun! He is really knowledgeable and really helped the group make some really delicious drinks like an old fashion and cosmo! Highly recommend coming and booking with them!

Great class and experience! I booked a cooking class as a team building night and it was such a fun…read moreway to work together in a new way. We made three different types of empanadas and all were delicious! As a novice cook myself I feel much more confident in the kitchen with the skills I learned at the class and I can't wait to book another one! Thank you Chef!!

From the owner: Welcome to Chef Prep Kitchens! We are a cooking school and event planning service dedicated to…read moresharing culinary knowledge. With over 10 years of experience in professional kitchens, we are a brand led by a Culinary Institute of America graduate and proud member of the American Culinary Federation. Join us for hands-on cooking classes or let us help plan your next event. Together, we can make your culinary dreams come true!

I cannot say enough great things about Jess! This past weekend she taught a class of 4 adults and…read more3 kids (of which one is a 3.5 year-old) in my mid-sized kitchen. She was extremely knowledgeable, patient, organized, and fun! Everyone had something to do, and everyone had a great time! I asked her to come on short notice, and she was very accomodating. She crafted a menu that included a vietnamese summer roll appetizer, two protein main dishes, two vegetable side dishes, and a salad. We all agreed that we never had such great summer rolls before, and the rest of the food was equally delicious. The flavor profiles of the dishes were complex, but not hard to make. She gave us all the know-how to prepare, cook and season the food properly. It was so fun to take a class, then enjoy the fruits of our labor. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday night with family! Clean up was also a breeze. For a family of seven, including all the cookware, I only had to do one load of dishes in the dishwasher. I only washed the serveware and one non-stick baking dish by hand (my normal practice). I didn't even realize as we were cooking that Jess had been so efficient in her use of the cookware and bakeware. I think Jess would be helpful to anyone, skilled or not in cooking, who wants to learn how make a delicious meal in an efficient way. I will definitely be calling her again for more lessons, and I would recommend her to everyone!

My sweet, sweet boyfriend bought me three cooking lessons with Jess for Valentine's Day. She sent…read moreme a questionaire to fill out before our first session. She found out my strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen. She was wonderful! She came in, gave us a binder with all recipes and plans on how to overcome my challenges and gave us great, new, fresh recipes to try on our own. Not to fail to mention, all were very healthy! I even learned how to properly chop an onion! She has a great amount of knowledge of cooking and had answers to all of my questions. I'd highly recommend her for a special gift for someone, bachelorette party, or even just something fun to bring friends together and get them cooking!

Great recipes and wonderful cooking videos. individual support is available and encouraged. I…read morejoined 3 weeks ago. As suggested I took it slow- one recipe at a time, watched the videos and really started to follow my plan this week. I have been stuck at a certain weight for ever, and finally dropped below that # this week by 2 pounds. this is a lifestyle not a diet. My husband also loves the recipes.

Such a fun and educational experience. As soon as you walk in everyone makes you fell welcomed, you…read moreare not being judged, everyone is there to learn how to cook. No previous cooking experience needed what so ever. Class is great for all levels: beginners, pros, never touched a knife before type of people. Class is fun and energized... I was somewhat skeptical at first but by the end of the class all I wanted to do was go home and cook some more. You start off by an introduction of the class and what they are all about. Then they explain to you the layout of the kitchen and what 3 recipes you will cook that day. You work off your cooking station and in designated teams. They teach you safety tips and tricks while you cook. The class I attended was great.... They are all about healthy cooking with healthy ingredients. Only downside is pricing.... Average about $50-$60 per class, once a week, 5 or 10 week programs offered. That unfortunately is a bit much for my wallet but like I said its worth it if you can afford it. . Great place to go with friends for a night out.

Chef Cindy and Amy were wonderful hosts for my daughter's birthday party last summer. They put in…read moreso much care and effort to make sure every child had a meaningful role in preparing the food, which made the experience both fun and memorable. The party was a great success! Thank you as well for accommodating three different recipes--including a Michelin-star one. Highly recommend Chef Cindy!

Cindy's cooking school is top-notch. Both of my daughters REALLY enjoyed her classes and camps…read more They are fun and informative and they learned to cook! My younger daughter even tried out for Master Chef Junior when she was 12, fueled by the incredible confidence and skills obtained while under Cindy's tutelage! I also took a few of her adult classes and they were great too!

I can't speak for the entire school, but I had a very bad experience trying to enroll in a night…read morewood working class. I had previous experience in woodshop classes I took at Mount Tam high school in Marin, so I wasn't a novice. I paid the fee and enrolled in the class. However, when I met the teacher Ray, he decided not to let me take the class. I think he just didn't like me. Disappointed, I tried to get a refund but the school wouldn't give it to me, so I had to open a dispute with my bank. None of my calls or emails to the school or the teacher were ever returned regarding the class or the possibility of taking future classes. It felt like the class was a private club not open to outsiders. Its this kind of elite snobbery that gives rich cities like Palo Alto a bad name.

I am all about learning something new. I have taken classes from financial, to building your own…read morewater fountain to a basic sewing class. Classes are mostly held at Palo Alto High School on Embarcadero Road and El Camino Real across from the Town and Country Shopping Center. They follow the semester system. I get a hard copy catalog in the mail. You can register online, by phone, by fax and by mail. How easy is that? Classes are very reasonable and can range from $35 on up to $200 depending on how often it meets and the types of supplies you pay for. Geared toward the adult, so evening and weekend classes. They have arts and crafts, cooking, financial, computer, language, music, health and fitness, birdwatching, dancing, acting, CPR and first aid, ...you name it.

Swirl Works was truly one of the standout highlights of our company holiday party! The…read morefragrance-blending experience they brought was creative, interactive, and such a refreshing change from the usual corporate event activities. Our team was highly engaged the entire time -- people kept talking about how much fun they were having creating their own custom scents. Kori was fantastic to work with. She was warm, knowledgeable, and made everyone feel comfortable diving into the blending process. Guests loved chatting with her as she guided them through choosing notes and building their own personalized fragrances. The experience they designed for us with each person walked away with a beautifully blended fragrance. It felt thoughtful, premium, and totally unique. We couldn't be happier with Swirl Works. If you're planning an event and want something memorable that gets people interacting and genuinely enjoying themselves, this is it. Highly recommended!

My organization had the opportunity to bring the Swirl Works team to our office for staff to…read moreparticipate in the Fragrance Bar experience. I was absolutely blown away from the engagement. I was lead on the event and worked with the Swirl Works team to develop our time together. They were incredibly responsive via email and very understanding of the tedious process that is inviting an external vendor onsite. Their team arrived on time to prepare the space and ready to greet the first group of staff for their experience. We had staff weave in and out over the course of 4 hours in 30 minute time slots. Everything went super smoothly and I know we all enjoyed getting educated on how to make our custom scent. The entire Swirl Works team was so knowledgeable and patient as many of us wanted to get our fragrance just right. So many staff came up to me during and after to rave about the event and how they had never done something like this before. I would absolutely recommend this experience for any type of gathering whether its corporate or personal. Thank you Carly, Taylor, and Kori for such a fabulous experience!