I was nervous about signing up for the home cook course, felt vulnerable in a new environment in which I had no skills or training in. I can't recommend this beginner course enough. Even after the 1st day my meals at home were suddenly consistent and significantly better. 12 weeks later and I am confidently relaxed in my kitchen. I enjoy the ease that I feel now; from preparing dinner, menu planning, temp control, and little tips you just can't learn on google. Learning in person from Chef Jason and Chef Ben with a group of funny, eager, and caring adults has really shaped how I can give back to my family. This was the common denominator for all the students in our course. We wanted to learn a new skill to share with the ones we care about most, our families. "I haven't made a sh**** meal since day one of this course" - quote from my fiancé Take the leap and invest in yourself and your family plus laughing about it along the way is always a plus. read more

Closed the school and no promised refunds collected. Terrible thing to do to students.

I took the home cook course in 2023 as sort of a self care thing with a toddler at home. For the price, I found this class to be too large and rushed to learn optimally. The instructors were charismatic and knowledgable. Whenever I asked a question they answered the hell out of it. They were incredibly generous with their time and expertise. That said, I often went home unable to connect what I experienced in class with the home environment. I understand they were trying to discourage relying on recipes, but the handout was rarely referenced during class and it seemed not to be the chef's own recipe? As a beginner to many of these dishes, I found it difficult to recreate some of them on my own. A few yrs later I remember certain things like knife skills, seasoning tips, and how friendly the other students were (belated thank you to my table partner who sliced my live lobster's head for me because I was too squeamish) read more

The wife bought me a gift certificate for this place. Used the first half on the knife skills class. Good instructor, excellent support staff walking around during course to help, and great setup with the layout and TV monitors showing instructors work area. This class concentrates on vegetables which makes sense. Allows for a lot of varied cutting/slicing techniques. All of this work goes into making a salad that you also get to eat! Class covered types of knives and how to sharpen and care for them. Can't wait for their sauces course!! read more

Co-Lab Culinary Collective - My creation! Get in my belly! - Cooking Schools Near Me - Santa Ana, California

I am a home cook that wanted to deeper dive into cooking and to learn some new skills. I had a great experience in the beginner cooking class at Culinary lab. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The class covered all the bases of what you could learn in a beginners cooking class. From potion, to fish, to veggies, to knifes skills it is a good balance. The pace was not too fast but not too slow. We would learn about a subject, watch the chef cook it and then do it ourselves. I really liked my chef instructor explained things thoroughly but not overly controlling. One of the best parts is you got to take your a recipe sheet home with everything you learned that day and the food that you made, my husband and my kids always loved that. Over all it was a great experience and I will be back for more classes! read more

Absolutely am blown away by how great of an experience this was! Exceeded my expectations by far. I am someone who had zero cooking experience prior to enrolling in the 12 week program & now I feel very comfortable cooking semi-pro dishes. Richard was my cooking instructor & he was very knowledgeable, thorough, funny, friendly & kind. I would definitely recommend this school to people interested in becoming better chefs. read more

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The classes cost $2,400. For this price point I had hoped for a bit more 1:1 attention. I took the Home Cool culinary class. The classes are 5 hours long and very rushed. You typically make about 3 recipes per class and barely interact with the chef 1:1. The chef instructor I had was very skilled but also used a significant amount of class time to boast about his own achievements and other culinary related stories that were not related to class or learning to cook. Lots of name dropping and that kind of thing. Honestly not what I was there for, maybe some people were impressed. There were also a number of comments about body size and laziness made that were inappropriate and unprofessional. Our instructor never asked our names or any info on why we were there. It felt very impersonal. There is a break in the class but it was never at a consistent time, which was frustrating. The support staff at the school is very nice and responsive. Our sous chef, Rafael, was wonderful. Parking nearby is paid for, except one session where they scheduled class the same day as a festival. I personally didn't enjoy the class, but it was organized and everything listed on the website was made in class. It was also an exhausting pace and overly crowded classroom. Though touted for beginners, I believe this class is not intended for those without significant cooking experience. Despite the financial investment I made, I chose to stop going after attending 6 of 12 sessions because I found the class so unpleasant to get through. It is now a disappointing memory instead of a triumphant experience for me. I wish it had gone differently. I think the concept is great and the location in Santa Ana is very cool. read more

Took a sample dessert cooking class here. Super nice staff. The facility was new and clean. We got to bake a bit and eat our creations. Really fun. I would return here to take more classes. In another life, I would be a pastry chef. ha. read more

CulinaryLab is a fun place to learn more about cooking. The bread baking workshop I took was very organized and fun. My instructor was thorough and knowledgeable. It was fun to learn in a commercial kitchen and having the dishwashing crew was a treat! All of the items I made were delicious, and there was enough to share with the whole fam read more

I just took the Artisan bread boot camp and loved it! I'm already a professional baker with a culinary school background but wanted to learn new techniques and let me tell you the two-day boot camp was amazing! The difficulty level was great, even for the ones who were making bread for the first time. The chef instructor was very professional and explained everything so clearly. The kitchen had excellent equipment and tools (professional grade). The recipes that they gave us were gourmet, but very easy to recreate at home. I already booked another boot camp and a workshop, I can't wait! Would recommend 100% read more

Co-Lab Culinary Collective - Sourdough - Cooking Schools Near Me - Santa Ana, California

Completed the Holiday bootcamp this past week and I really enjoyed the two-day bootcamp. The food we cooked was delicious and being able to cook in a kitchen with the proper tools was great. The intructor, Chef James, was also pleasant and helpful too. I would definitely find more classes to learn from here!! read more

I have been cooking and taking cooking classes just about everywhere for the past 30 years. I highly recommend taking classes here. I took the beginning culinary 12 week course and learned so many new skills and tidbits from Chef James! He is so knowledgeable and the classes are very interactive and fun! Caitlin Rose, who greets you at the front desk, is So very kind and helpful. The entire support staff is amazing. I will be taking other workshops there in the very near future! So fun! Thank you Culinary Lab Team! read more

I've learned so much from this school. I've rediscovered how much I enjoy cooking (although I wasn't very good at it then) during the early pandemic in 2020 and found this school to help me reliably cook food that I would proudly serve to others. It's given me that and more. I've learned TONS here and have made all the things I've ever wanted to and then some (French onion soup, fish and chips from scratch, pastas from scratch, eclairs, creme brûlée's). The school is legit and the vibe is very friendly and welcoming. Learning to cook takes time and practice. This school helped demystify it for me. I get a lot of compliments on the food I make now which makes me happy. And I have drastically reduced buying food from restaurants now. Would definitely recommend. Special shout out to Caitlin and Sarah. :) read more

My wife and I just completed the plant-based cooking class Boot Camp. I'm trying to eat healthier, but my primitive creations are sometimes lacking, derided as "swamp water" by my sons. This "boot camp", packed with great information and aptly named, will help me up my game. Our instructor was extremely knowledgeable and an accomplished chef. The staff was very helpful and supportive and on hand to assist if we ever got stuck or needed help. (Also, they had guys washing dishes, cleaning up, after each round of cooking, which was nice.) This class taught me a lot about various techniques and and options, including tons of tips that I can use every day. I learned how to make some new healthy dishes that I can cook that actually taste good. Also, the setting is great, quality steel tables, stoves, knives etc, lots of good utensils and all types of equipment. I have more confidence in using appliances that have been sitting on a shelf in my house, learned how to make sauces, purées and creamy soups (without the cream), as well as some fundamentals about chopping, seasoning, order of adding ingredients. The boot camp is intense and packed with content, so be prepared for an immersive experience, but it's is broken up with breaks where you get to eat what you cooked. Fun to meet, work with and eat with other class members. Ended up with lots of good leftovers and piles of take home containers. The dishes and recipes covered the gamut. I liked most of them, didn't like a few, but overall great place and great experience. read more

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I had the best experience here working with Chef Jamie on the beginner's Home Cook 12-week series. Knife skills, sauces, killing a lobster, French fries from scratch - we covered all these basics and so much more. Every day we ate our creations and had plenty to bring home, along with all recipes. The staff in the kitchen assisted with expertise; students never had to wash a single dish. Accommodations were made to reschedule if you missed a week here or there and staff was always friendly and professional. The herb garden outside was awesome for seasoning and plating our dishes. Can't say enough great things! read more

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Culinary Lab not only prepares you for cooking/pastry, it can also prepare you to work IN the industry with its Apprenticeship Program or prepare you to run your own buisness with its Entrepreneurship Program! I have learned so much valuable information from both programs, but the Entreprenurship Program has made me feel like my dream to own/run a reataurant is more acheivable. Currently the program is one day every other week, for five hours. There is no "fluff", just valuable information, making my trips from San Diego well worth it. Having gone through its Culinary, Apprenticeship, and Entrepreneurship programs, I can confidently say that this school is built to make sure you succeed! And with 0% financing, why would you choose another school? read more

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Such a fantastic experience taking my first course at the Culinary Lab! The Plant-based Boot Camp was just what I needed to feel more confident and creative preparing vegan meals. Chef TC was amazing! He taught us the science behind different cooking practices and even shared knife skills and other tips to make us as successful as we possibly could be. All the staff are so detail oriented and generous with their knowledge and expertise. It is very apparent that they love what they do and that they are well trained and appreciated. Looking forward to learning and experiencing more at the Culinary Lab soon. read more

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This is my 5th class with CulinaryLab Cooking School. We did the French Macaron class, and it was so much fun. We learned Caramel, Ganache and Italian Macaron Method, and now I see why they are so expensive when you purchase them at the bakery. Lovely company, Chef Natalie is always available for help during the class, and the other students all had fun. Thanks again, and I will be back. read more

Just completed the Instant Pot + Sous Vide Boot Camp and not only did I have so much fun, but I learned so much. Chef Lauren was wonderful as well as all the staff at CulinaryLab. They were all so sweet and so helpful. I don't consider myself a good cook and was nervous about keeping up in the class, but I was so comfortable and everything was demonstrated so well. It was such a great experience and I can't wait to return for their 12 week beginner's course. read more

I am a homecook and I took Pasta Bootcamp at Culinery Lab in Tustin. I had excellent experience, learning new skills and science behind using certain ingrediants. Chef T and Assistent Chef Omar were excellent. They were able to accomodate my special vegetarian diet requirents. Chef Omar was very helpful in suggesting alternative ingrediants for recipes. I would love to go back for more vegeterian friendly classes. read more

Attended the 10 week ProHome Pastry class. I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a fun couple hours every weekend to bake and learn techniques from a professional pastry chef. Colleen is the best at what she does and makes it fun. It's a no pressure learning experience for the home baker who wants a little more knowledge. I will use these great recipes forever. Looking forward to the next series. read more

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Best quality cooking class I've found here in Orange county. I took a beginner course and got useful knowledge out of it. It was fun and really tasty as well. Thank you. read more

I searched the internet for a baking class and saw Culinary Lab. I enrolled in the Laminated Dough Boot Camp last March 2020. I was so impressed with the Chef Instructors, the facility, the method of teaching and the over all course itself. I learned a lot, baked a lot and ate a lot! I am even thinking what I learned could be a good side gig during my retirement! The office/kitchen crew were so helpful, Warm and friendly and they made me feel so welcome. I can't wait for my next course! read more

Co-Lab Culinary Collective - Croissant time! - Cooking Schools Near Me - Santa Ana, California

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Very disappointing tamale class. It was not a step by step class. Most of the items were already pre-made. You could learn more from watching a youtube video. The chef was knowledgeable but could not teach it properly. The red sauce was already pre made. He cooked the meats in class too. All we did hands on was cut an onion, garlic, corn and a cucumber. Not worth the money. read more

Cannot recommend this place enough!! I was timid about taking the plunge purchasing the 12 week beginners home cook series because it was on the weekends and I am pretty busy, but they were SO accommodating when you need to make up a class! Also, the price was scary but omg it is worth EVERY penny! It is a class of 12 people so it is super hands on learning, plus you get to eat everything you make/take home leftovers (be prepared to gain a few pounds lol). The quality of food and service is honestly more than I could have hoped, you become such good friends with everyone in your group and learn so much during these short 3 months! I loved it so much that I am happy to say I am enrolled in the Intermediate Home Cook series now and am even looking into some of their bootcamps and possibly pro! Such a great vibe and awesome company! 11/10 would recommend to anyone! read more

I am song grateful that I found a serious cooking educational place at such a reasonable fee. I am good at Chinese cooking by eating/watching/learning, but I know nothing about western cooking. I registered for the Home Cooking Basics, and 12 weeks after, I am so confident to gave critics over the food from the restaurants. :P I am also a qualified cook at home now. The school cleared many questions and unknowns that I had and made me understand cooking and taught me how to cook. I am sure that the school also has helped many food lovers/cooking enjoyers' souls, and I am one of them. read more

I absolutely loved my home cooking class. The chef was thorough with the instructions and process. I gain so much knowledge about how to prepare meats and vegetables. I learned how to make sauces, cut and cook fish and so many other things. The best thing is the confidence I gained in my own kitchen. Loved, loved loved it. Already signed up for more classes. read more

I have wanted to go to culinary school for years but needed the financial security of my full time job so have kept up with cooking as a hobby and taken classes here and there at Sur La Table. I was delighted to find Culinary Lab Cooking School's Home Cook Series giving the opportunity to learn consistently over 12 weeks. The classes have been much more than I could have expected. We learn the same skills as professional culinary students and were taught a variety of techniques from sous vide to braising. The teachers are excellent and truly help you both by showing you the proper way and correcting your mistakes. I highly recommend this program for the beginning cook or even someone more advanced as there is so much to learn at an exceptional value. read more

Chef Ryan Wagner, BEST EXPERIENCE last night! So much fun, you killed it! All night long everyone talked about the delicious appetizers, fun & tasty interactive first course , fabulous main courses and the best desert! Thank you Chef!!!!! Check out the Culinary Lab! read more

Great class, fun, well paced, helpful and informative, learning kitchen was well stocked. Our Chef was great.

Many thanks to Ryan Wagner and his brilliant team for putting together a fantastic cooking class to celebrate my husband's birthday. The yummy menu was a double whammy - learning new skills in the kitchen and experiencing delicious food combinations. Our 12 guests raved about the experience both during and after. Setting up the event was easy, Chef Ryan and kitchen manager Viola took into account some dietary restrictions (1 paleo, another lactose intolerant) and created a food experience that was enjoyed equally by everyone. We took a little longer than planned creating our first course (chatty group), and so the kitchen team swung into action to seamlessly adjust the prep in the 2nd course so that we could still eat on time. We highly recommend this cooking school for events, and the guests left with plans to return for either a class series or an event if their own!! read more

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Been at this Tustin location since July. Outgrew the tiny place in Anaheim Packing District. They are a school, accepting students as well as offer classes 1 day to 10-12 weeks. The tuition for students who enroll include all the equipment, tools, and an apprenticeship. Currently some of their students can work under the Chef at Old Vine Cafe. The programs and series they offer can be for professionals, newbies, or home cooks (those who want to learn skills for their home). They want students to understand the science of food and breakdown ingredients of food, so that when they complete their education they won't need to rely so much on recipes. Demo #1: Veg stock. Fennel, cremini mushroom, shiitake mushroom. Base. Next include carrots & Apple. Two combined pureed. Add salt & vinegar. Now add texture to base soup. Goat cheese, toasted Hazelnut , pickled red onion. Pork belly! 3 styles: 1) candied bacon and cantaloupe in it 2) braised. Sugar apple. 3) Sous vide. Cooked in a water bag. 165F. 24 hrs. With kumquat jam. Arugula. Then fried. Demo #2: Using Liquid Nitrogen. Smores! Philadelphia style ice cream. More creamy. No eggs like a custard like consistency. "HOT" chocolate flavor with Ancho Chile, cloves, cinnamon and peppers. Burnt caramel burnt part of marshmallow. Put in liquid nitrogen. Crispy and shatters. But melts in mouth. Burnt caramels has the "Smores" flavor. With Graham crackers. Ice cream needs to nature matureat least 24 hours. All the elements to relax and sit together. -320°F. Freezing point. Freezes rapidly like a crystal so it's very smooth. read more

About a year and a half ago, I decided to make a major career change to the culinary industry. I enrolled in CulinaryLab's Professional Culinary School for several reasons: reasonable tuition, small class size and hands on instruction from very knowledgable instructors. For 6ish months, my class spent all of Monday and Tuesday together learning EVERYTHING: wow to prep efficiently and work in a busy kitchen all while gaining a strong foundation of skills. After these 6 months of classes, the school works closely with students to place us in an apprenticeship at amazing restaurants all throughout Orange County. Now that I have completed my apprenticeship (~1000 hours) in a five star fine dining restaurant, I am starting my own business. The school has invested so much time in me, discussing 1:1 my business plans and providing me so many ideas that will allow me to be successful. I can't recommend CuilnaryLab enough as they have made me a confident cook and are now empowering me to be an entrepreneur. Thank you guys!!!! read more

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I just completed the 12-week Beginner Pro Home cook series and thoroughly enjoyed myself and learned so much! I would consider myself a pretty good home cook before this class, but didn't really know professional knife skills and although I would be creative in the kitchen, I really didn't know what ingredients complement what. This class is really well structured. You will learn new techniques each week and get to practice them as the weeks continue, building on prior knowledge and adding more skills. It's a great way to expand your knowledge or start from scratch! I enjoyed our professional Chef (Chef Matt Roman) who had a great sense of humor and explained things very clearly. I enjoyed my experience so much, I signed up for the Intermediate class!!! read more

When you first meet the instructors at The Culinary Lab they might be intimidating and what might come to mind is some episode of kitchen nightmares with Ramsey! but rest assured, they are the most approachable chefs you will ever meet!aaaaand the knowledge and resources the instructors poses @The Culinary Lab is abundant! If you decide to move past all that hash tagging of #foodporn and pining those recipes that you never cook may I suggest taking the first step and checking this place out!!! read more

This week I took the first home cooking class offered by the Culinary Lab in Tustin. It was on grilling, one of my favorite ways to cook. The class lasted over 3 hours. We made four different delicious recipes and overall it turned out to be a fabulous class. What I enjoyed, besides the tasty food that we prepared, is that we the students were the ones that prepared the food. The Chef would briefly demonstrate how to make a recipe and then give us the ingredients and we would then prepare it ourselves. He would oversee us and offer advice and suggestions along the way. He was very patient and willing to answer any questions that we had. Overall I thought the food we made was outstanding, learned a lot of valuable cooking techniques and look forward to taking more classes in the future. read more

Just completed my Pastry program, and it was an amazing experience! Chef Colleen is a master in the Pastry world, knows what she's doing, very experienced and very patient, answered all of my endless questions. Chef Ryan and Lisa - who are the owners of the school - were very nice and supportive. Chef Mike helped me with ServSafe. Tyler, Sarah H., and Sarah were awesome as well. Love these people, to them you're not just a student, they treat everyone with love and support and they want nothing but to help you succeed and reach your goals. Seeing all these wonderful passionate people who love what they're doing, and working under their wing is an absolute blessing :) Thank you CulinaryLab family! read more

Can't even return phone calls properly. Not giving my money to this unprofessional shit.

I just completed the 6 month Pro Pastry program at the Culinary Lab & it has been a dream come true. I retired this past year and had always wanted to attend culinary school--it is never too late to follow your passion. I researched different schools in the Orange County/ Inland Empire area & I am so happy I found the Culinary Lab. The entire staff is so supportive & encouraging beginning with Founders Chef Ryan & Lisa Wagner. Chef Colleen is amazing. She is a top-notch pastry chef & I have no doubt these past six months I had the great opportunity of learning from the best. It was a very challenging & rewarding experience & without reservation I highly recommend this school. read more

The chefs are great & very passionate about teaching. I was in the previous school they thought at, and if I had known this one was opening I would have gone here instead. The price is much more affordable & it is on Anaheim! I may sign up once they get a baking & pastry course going! read more