Chef Joni is a pro!! What a wonderful evening. From fresh herbs for our ragu from her garden, music reminiscent of Italy and pasta made from scratch - it was a perfect night! And also our latest night out since New Year's #2020. We started off munching on appetizers including rosemary almonds and some delicious cheese and crackers while we made our dishes. The last time I made pasta from scratch was in my seventh grade cooking class during which I was always worried about being late to the next class period since the teacher never left us time to clean up. And I had to bribe my Spanish teacher to not mark me late by giving him my finished product. Needless to say I did not remember anything and this time was a much more pleasant experience. The pasta machine is super cool and I won't share the secret to the best alfredo sauce...you'll just have to take the class and learn it yourself! Then while we let the pasta sit we worked on the ragu. Veggies galore and Joni is great at ensuring everything can be vegetarian and working with your dietary preferences. Joni shared many different techniques and also the science behind the making of the food. For example, reasons that cooking a veggie a certain way provides more flavor. For dessert, tiramisu. Honestly, we were stuffed but always leave room for dessert! Anything you don't eat you can take home! Joni is super organized and was very accommodating of my wild schedule. Her kitchen set up is outstandingly beautiful with high end appliances and also ensuring COVID-safe measures. Plus the candle-lit dinner and recipes to take home are just a few of the wonderful detailed touches. Plus LEFTOVERS FOR DAYS. Like leftovers for a week. Of it all! A great date night in Italy! read more

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I found Chef Joni Sare on Cozymeal and booked her for my team offsite as my 3 other team members found her Master Italian Classics Cooking Class to be a fun learning experience. Boy were we right. If you don't read my full review, all I can say is that Chef Joni was an EXCELLENT instructor and my team members and I had such a good time. We were smiling ear-to-ear the entire time we were there. Highly recommended from this Yelp reviewer. Detailed review below: Communication (5/5): We used the Cozymeal platform for everything and found their interface amazing. Chef Joni was very pro-active and communicated with me several times before the event date on January 17, 2020. What stood out about this communication was that she really wanted to know us. She asked good questions like "Why did you choose this class?", "What do you hope to learn from it?", "What are your goals?" etc. Really appreciate this since she can cater the class to exactly your needs. She was also very accommodating when I told her that one of our team members was a vegetarian so she made sure she had a vegetarian option on hand during our class. Finally, before the event, she gave us extremely detailed directions to the location of the event (including a picture) and what to expect. Really outstanding communication here. Location (5/5): Her location is in her house located in Sunnyvale near major highways. Lots of street parking once you arrive so no issues on parking. The inside is well decorated and everything seems to be remodeled including her kitchen which was very modern. See pics to get an idea. Food (5/5): The Master Italian Classics Cooking Class contains the following menu: 1.) Antipasti - Cheese, crackers, almonds, pepper jelly to snack on throughout the whole meal while you are there 2.) Handmade Fettuccine Alfredo 3.) Ragu (Mushrooms, many vegetables) - Our protein was lamb for the meat-eaters and tofu for our vegetarian team member. 4.) Tiramisu - for dessert. I don't want to spoil too much of the class but I'll share some of the highlights for me at least. Preparing the Fettuccine Dough from scratch including folding it, kneading it, was a really fun experience. Also running through the dough through the pasta machine to stretch it and finally cut it into actually the noodles was such a cathartic experience. I'm really happy I got to experience that. The Ragu was so delicious and so healthy at the same time as we barely used any vegetable oil and we put in so many vegetables. Finally, the tiramisu making was actually pretty easy but delicious at the same time. Now that I have been through how to make Tiramisu, I am confident I can make it for a party without issue. Also, if you can't finish all the food you make, Chef Joni gives you take-out boxes to bring home so you can enjoy the food again! Our group also had leftover uncooked fettuccine and we got to take that home. Chef Joni (5/5): Last but not least Chef Joni was an excellent instructor. She was so bubbly and easy to talk to and really put the group at ease very quickly. She was masterful on dividing up certain tasks in the kitchen so we can all participate in the cooking journey and made sure we were doing the steps properly. We asked her so many questions during our time in the class and she happily answered every single one of them without being annoyed. It was nice to finish the class with all of us including Chef Joni eating at the table. Chef Joni's passion for cooking really shines through her class and we had a great time! Our team can't wait to come back. Thank you Chef Joni for a great class. read more

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We cooked with Chef Joni in the "Traditional Thai with a Twist" and it was absolutely amazing! We were a group of 4 friends, and she did a great job of making sure we were all busy without ever feeling rushed. She also did a perfect job of pulling us all back together to show us a technique or part of the recipe that needed the full groups attention. Even though we were working on different tasks we still felt as if we were one group all working together in a real kitchen (Which we were!). Joni also was great at catering to our wants for the class. Plenty of time for photo's (all about the grams! #cookingwithjonisare) and eating, as well as explaining how she found and modified existing recopies based on her experiences. It was great because we didn't just walk away with a recipe and a tutorial on how to make it, but a great understanding of how the ingredients worked together and tons of tips on how to practically apply that, and what to look for at restaurants so we could also start to modify and adjust our own cooking beyond what was covered in the class. Chef Joni was a fantastic and I couldn't recommend her more! read more

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My boyfriend and I had a wonderful lesson with Chef Joni over the Jul 4 weekend. She was willing to accommodate us even though we arranged the lesson pretty last minute (only 2 days before). She was very responsive when we were arranging our class, and suggested a great menu when I mentioned that we wanted a class on fish. She went through a revision of basic knife skills with us, corrected our knife handling and posture. She also taught us how to spot freshness of fish, the different techniques to cooking fish, as well as how to build flavors. She was patient, well organized, and very knowledgeable. Highly recommended! :) read more

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Silicon Valley Friends - recommendation for Chef training for teaming... I had the pleasure to take place in a "teaming cooking lesson" at "The Hidden Kitchen" with Chef Joni. We learned to cook and had 5 minute "uncover your passion" sessions with Urvi Bhandari and it was incredible. The kitchen is hidden in a non-descript house near Mountain View and is amazing inside. It was so relaxing and fun to cook with my fellow board members and gave us an opportunity to get to know each other in a whole new way. I highly recommend it! If you are looking for team building, a team workshop, a team bonding experience, personal coaching, team coaching, a memorable event venue, I highly recommend this! We are even subscribing to a quarterly cooking and coaching engagement with Chef Joni and Coach Urvi! We can't wait! Who needs another team dinner when you can cook! Also, I learned that she does unique couples nights, date nights, bridal showers, and girls night outs! Love, love, love Chef Joni and Coach Urvi! read more

On 3/2/2018, my wife attended Chef Joni's cooking class, Secrets of Paella (www.cozymeal.com/cooking-class/4718/secrets-of-paella). Chef Joni definitely put a lot of thought and preparation into the class to make it such an enjoyable experience. The class was held in Chef Joni's amazing kitchen in Cupertino. The environment felt relaxed and fun with plenty of opportunities for everyone to participate. Each dish was well organized (printed recipes, ingredients gathered/staged in advance), and relevant techniques/tips were explained in real-time (good pace). The evening started with learning to prepare a potato dish to add to a spread of appetizers. After making sangria using Chef's Joni's ingredients (wines BYOB), guests enjoyed appetizers and sipped on sangria before working together to make the orange Valencia cake batter. As the batter baked in the oven, guests learned to make paella. While the paella cooked, guests decorated their own slice of cake with various toppings including Disaronno Amaretto liqueur. The best part of the evening was when guests sat down to enjoy the paella with a nice Rioja and finished with the orange Valencia cake. Chef Joni provided containers, so guests split the remaining paella and cake to take home. Highly recommended for both foodies and novices to the kitchen! read more

Love Joni! It's all about continuing to move forward to share the gifts that we have with others to support and uplift them. Joni definitely helped do that for my 15 year old son, Kaden during this time. We signed up for weekly lessons for Kaden to cook with Joni. He had such a great time in the kitchen and felt proud of his efforts. We have a budding chef in the making. She is so easy going and light hearted that he really felt relaxed from the beginning. Thank you! read more

My girlfriend got this private class for us as a bday present. We did the Italian dinner. Joni made this a absolutely incredible experience. She was very curious, professional and very knowledgeable. Even during covid everything was extremely clean, she had sanitizer on tap and she made us feel completely safe. She started us out with a delicious cheese plate to snack on. We then cooked the meal, It was a delicious Ragu sauce, homemade delicious pasta, and out of this world alfreado! Her recipe on tiramisu was pn point as well! she guided us very well and the food was delicious. She gave me some solid tips that you can't get from cooking books and youtube videos. Not only was the meal and the experience amazing, she got some amazing pictures of Me and my girlfriend together and we even framed one. Her kitchen was absolutely gorgeous and her house so inviting and clean! I would 100 percent do this again and if you ever want to try a private cooking lesson even if you have no experience..she is the one to book. No need to think about it! Just do it! Thank you so much chef joni for an incredible unforgettable experience!!! -James read more

I booked a company team off-site with Chef Joni. It was easily one of the best events I've attended. Chef Joni and Kim were super attentive and friendly, and taught us a bunch of new skills ranging from knife skills to how to deglaze a pan. Chef Joni's location was also super warm and cozy, and was wonderful for spending some quality time with our team! read more

My boyfriend surprised me with a private cooking class with Joni at her house in Cupertino, CA for Valentine's Day. We arrived to a beautiful, clean home and were greeted by Joni and another couple also celebrating Valentine's Day! The class was to make a Spanish-inspired Paella dinner. We made all the courses with the help and support of Joni. Starting with an appetizer, Sangria, Paella, and dessert! My boyfriend had requested prior to our arrival that the meal was to be gluten-free as I have Celiac Disease. Joni completely understood and had all gluten-free ingredients. Which was another awesome thing; I didn't have to pick up any ingredients. We simply brought a bottle of red wine and showed up! Oh, and we did not have to clean after enjoying our meal! THANK YOU, JONI! We had a lovely time and Joni is a patient teacher! She took the time to show all of us knife skills and how to properly plate the food. Additionally, her communication and demonstration was clear and easy to follow. Joni made sure that we were 100% apart of cooking each course and every step of the meal coming together. I would recommend this experience to anyone who loves cooking, wants to learn more about cooking, is a newbie in the kitchen, and/or has kids wanting to get in the kitchen. Joni has a special gift of making you enjoy the process of cooking and bringing you into a new world of flavor! read more

I have taken private cooking lessons with Joni over the past year. She is a wonderful teacher. I started out with only basic skills and with her instruction was able to go off and expand on my knowledge with the foundation she provided. She is very flexible and can work with most diets and eating lifestyles. I came in letting her know I wanted to learn how to cook basically from the basics but more importantly, being an engineer, I wanted to know the WHYs of cooking, not just the HOWS. She walked me through technique, steps of each dish as well as explaining why we were doing it the way we were and how doing it differently would change the way the food turned out. EXACTLY what I was looking for. I plan on taking lessons again down the road but I HIGHLY recommend Joni no matter what your skill level. read more

Chef Joni was amazing! She was so much fun to cook with. She taught us great cooking skills but was careful to meet us where we were at in our culinary experience, and she never made us feel intimidated. One of my favorite parts of the experience was that she brought in alot of food science into the class which helped us to understand what was happening with our food and why at certain points in the process. I would highly recommend taking a class with her! read more

Joni came over to our house for a private cooking lesson, because we are novices in this household. It was excellent, fun, and informative. She taught us how to make 4 dishes, both range and oven, and many techniques along the way. Immediately after, we sat down to a nice dinner of what we had just created, and it was just fantastic. Joni was a pleasure, and I'm very glad we decided to give it a shot! Highly recommended! read more

I took an Italian cooking class with Joni just for a different experience. I thought l already knew a lot about cooking technique, but I did pick up new ones. I enjoyed the company of the other two students. It was a great experience, and I'll be doing it again, this time bringing my dad, since I just saw that she has reworked her kitchen space for health safety amid COVID-19. read more

Joni is the Alton Brown of Sunnyvale. She went to our favorite Thai restaurant, twice!, and ordered our favorite dishes. Our class revolved around replicating our dishes and she got it quite close. Amazing. The sangria was delightful and fun to make. What made the event outstanding was Joni, she was vibrant, warm, and talented. read more

Can I just say.. WOW! Joni is a complete gem! My group unfortunately was too large for her kitchen, but she took the time to call me and tell me about other places to go. I will definitely come back and book a cooking class with her just because of this! read more

Hi,Joni Thank you soooo much for the wonderful experience you led the girls through. My daughter can't stop talking about her party, in her words " the best birthday party I ever had ". The girls were all happy and had a great time cooking! And you were amazing, leading the girls and let them experience and experimenting with ingredients , flavors and textures. Your patience and encouragement created a fun and positive environment , with all the girls actively participating and having lots of fun! read more

My fiancé and I found Joni through Cozymeal. Joni was very warm and open. Both my partner and I felt like we learned a lot in a very relaxed atmosphere. We made super delicious Italian dishes and the best tiramisu I've ever had. We both highly recommend Joni for cooking classes. read more

I took a cooking class with Chef Joni because my friends and I wanted to try out something new and interesting. We took her Thai cooking class and it was so much fun! I learned so much from her, things that I thought was doing right I was, in fact, doing wrong, but Joni showed me and improved my technique. Even though there were other people in the class she took the time to work with me. It didn't feel like I was ever on the spot like I think I would feel in one of those other group cooking classes. She worked with us individually, while we also collaborated as a group. It was such a fun eye-opening experience! She is extremely knowledgeable and passionate in her craft and you can tell. She was excited to teach people and was very patient with everyone! I am looking forward to taking another one of her classes, and would recommend her group classes to anyone! read more

We celebrated a dear friend's 70th birthday by having a shared cooking experience for 12 in Joni's home. It was fantastic all the way through - wonderful and thoughtful prep, great tips and tricks shared, lots a fun time for socialization and the food was delicious!! Thank you Joni for this evening!! read more

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I took a cooking class with Joni today over Zoom. My son and niece joined me and we all had a great time. Joni taught his knife handling skills for chopping onion. She then led us through a recipe for chicken cordon bleu. Her instructions were very easy to understand and she was great about checking in with us to make sure getting the hang of things. It was delicious. I am looking forward to another class in the future. read more

I booked a team event with Chef Joni. Easily the best offsite I've ever been a part of. Joni worked with me to ensure that we met the needs of the group. She ensured everyone participated in the process. Super knowledgeable, super fun... a great experience for all. Two thumbs way up! read more

Total culinary goddess. Ask her to make the amazing plant-based cheesecake. Clean tasting. Flavor is out of this world. Also recommend her plant-based spring rolls. Her presentation is stunning and she is a total treat. read more

Chef Joni was a wonderful host for our teams night out. We had a blast! We enjoyed the time cooking, chatting and eating delicious food (that we made) together. Chef Joni took the time to explain and we all learned some new skills that I am sure we will be refining while making a Tiramisu or two for our families. Highly recommended! read more

I booked a team offsite with Joni for a party of 10 to do the Mystery Basket Challenge. It was an energetic, delicious experience from top to bottom! Joni's kitchen is very modern, clean, and beautiful. We had team stations already set up upon arrival and Joni walked us through a homemade sangria to get everyone warmed up. She tied in team building to the whole exercise, making sure to play into team dynamics, creativity, communication, and unforeseen circumstances into our challenge. All of the bites turned out beautifully and so delicious. My favorite was a dill pickle chip with langoustine, mango, garlic mustard aioli, and lime zest. It was such a balanced, yummy bite! We can't wait to make this a regular activity for our team! read more

Had a wonderful cooking class birthday party for my 13 year old daughter. Joni was great to coordinate with and the projects turned out tasty and the girls really loved working on them! Highly recommended! read more

I have learned how to cook with Joni for the past year. Last week at her Meatless Monday class at Whole Foods I learned how to make a Kale Salad with lentils that was simple to put together and delicious to eat. She has taught me how to stuff, tie and steam Collard Wraps and Parchment Paper Asian Beef. At another time I learned how to make mini Buffalo Meatloaf wrapped in Bacon. YUM! Joni inspired me to make Thai Pumpkin Soup for Thanksgiving for a large crowd using ingredients from being in the kitchen with her. In a private raw food session we made raw oatmeal cookies. 3 batches of cookies were dehydrated: plain; cacao chips and cacao chips and coconut. And you absolutely have to have her teach you how to make Pad Thai Sauce. read more

We hosted a party for our 12 year old for a group of 17 kids (all 12 years of age) with four adults helping to chaperone. This was an AMAZING party for several reasons. 1. Joni was amazing to work with. She helped work within my budget to plan and execute this party. She was always responsive with communication and always checking in. 2. Joni opened her home to have this party hosted. Her location had ample space and allowed for the kids, when they weren't in the kitchen, to play in the backyard. Joni was available to come to our home, but our home would not have been able to accommodate 17 grown kids and 4 adults, within our ranch style home. 3. During the party, she was available to assist with every aspect of the four-course meal. Despite the kitchen being packed, the energy from the kids, chaperones, and Joni was always met with laughter, fun, and pure enjoyment. This reason, here, is what made this event really special. 4. The kids were broken up into groups and each group made part of the four-course meal. When the meal was done, the kids got to experience what they put together and watch their peers enjoy this put together meal by each other. 5. The idea of hosting a cooking party for a tween was so original. I have had non-stop compliments on the originality. Joni was willing to have this party hosted and take on the task of helping me put this original idea to fruition. BOOK Joni! She IS fabulous! Doesn't matter if it's a private, small, personal, or a party for your tween, Joni just ROCKS! read more

I booked a class with Joni as a birthday present for my boyfriend. We had a really fantastic experience! Before reaching out to Joni, I researched cooking classes in the Bay Area extensively. I chose to go with Joni because she 1) could customize our menu, 2) was available at the times we needed (even though it was a Saturday night!) 3) was reasonably priced and 4) had great reviews! Joni and I spoke before I booked the class, and she explained how everything worked. She was very accommodating and flexible towards all our preferences. Leading up to the our cooking class, Joni and I traded emails on the menu, materials and equipment we needed .We chose to do the grocery shopping ourselves, and Joni was very organized and detailed in letting us know what to buy On the day of, Joni was a very detailed, patient and enthusiastic teacher! She taught us everything from knife skills, to kitchen hygiene, to how to prepare chicken in 3 different ways. She also stayed an hour and a half longer than we had originally booked. She clearly wanted to ensure we had the best and most complete experience possible. I would highly recommend Joni! read more

Joni was a guest speaker for two of the weight management classes I teach. Her presentations were both interesting and informative. Joni brought in a box of vegetables and taught participants about different types of produce and the variety of ways they could be cooked. Her passion for healthy cooking and living was clearly evident by her energy level and engagement with the class participants. Prior to the presentation I corresponded to Joni about handouts and recipe modifications for class participants. She was extremely responsive and accommodating to tailoring the handouts to meet the needs and knowledge level of the participants. read more

What a great evening we had with Joni at her cooking class. My husband and 4 adult family members were looking for something fun to do together and Joni was easy to communicate with and plan the menu and timing before hand. When we got there, I was so pleased that the atmosphere was relaxed and fun and at the same time, quite educational. We learned knife skills with all the wonderful veggies as well as the reasoning behind what order to add ingredients to a pan to maximize aromatics and flavors. She clearly enjoys cooking and passing on that enthusiasm to others. We enjoyed eating all the courses we created and we feel confident to use the recipes again on our own. It's absolutely on my with list to go back and enjoy another class with Joni! read more

i am constantly surprised at how joni makes a simple meal really healthy and wonderfully delicious like breakfast this morning .... salmon, and spinach, zuchinni, with just a bit of sheep cheese, lemon, pepper, and fresh thyme and a sprinkle of her homemade no-guilt candied orange peel. it was creative, wholesome and i loved it. she has already added years to my life while subtracting inches from my waist line. she has cooked for me as a personal chef and i have also been to many of her dialog dinners and have always enjoyed her creative healthy cooking. i have learned healthy food and life style habits from joni. bill mc -walnut creek read more

Such a great experience! Joni took the time to not only create a great meal but to teach us how to use the utensils and different ways for how to use the utensils and tricks for cooking! Leaving full and happy! read more

Had Chef Joni over to our house for a Holiday celebration, my wife, adult children and their significant 'others'. Joni came prepared with the food, cutting boards, pots, etc. Awesome Seared Scallop Martinis to start off the festivities, then onto preparing the food. There were 7 of us and we kept busy under Chef's direction for a good 2-2.5 hours. When the cooking was done, Chef left, and we enjoyed a great meal together. Great way to get the family together, all cooking and enjoying an evening together, but be prepared to do some cooking. And the price -- definitely a better deal than going out to eat at a nice restaurant, only a lot more fun and you can drink your own wine. read more

I was looking into a private chef to come for my birthday party and came across Joni and Zamorra. They did a three course dinner with a demonstration on each item for 13 guests held at my house. They were very professional and really took a great deal of time to prep and prepare this. They tailored the menu to my liking and communicated throughout the whole process. When they arrived the presentation was phenomenal, all of my friends were ranting and raving about the chefs and their food quality. They made the experience very interactive and engaging. It was a great time and experience that was very memorable for all of us. I would recommend them to anyone looking to host a large or intimate party at their home. read more

I can't recommend Joni highly enough! Her food is delicious and healthy. Yes that combination is possible! She catered a dinner party I was at; the meal was so good that I reached out to her for more. What a treat that was ... to have a week's worth of dinners delivered on a Monday morning. Next up ... Joni's coming to my kitchen to cook with me and the kids. Maybe I'll finally learn how to chop veggies with something other than a steak knife! read more

Joni was gracious to do a private cooking event for my team and our experience could not have been any better. Joni was extremely flexible with our schedules, dietary restrictions, and varying levels of expertise. Making delicious, healthy food together in a kitchen was a great team bonding experience that really helped bring us all together. I know it will not be the last she sees of myself or my coworkers. read more

Joni's food is super healthy AND tastes delicious. There are so many foods I thought I didn't like, but that I loved after Joni prepared them! Plus, she has a ton of unique and easy recipes. She'e super knowledgeable and a great chef! I highly recommend her! read more

Chef Joni Sare helped us create a wonderful and memorable "Chopped" birthday party! Her communication was great from the get go, she was organized, helped identify suitable mystery basket ingredients (and quantity to buy), enthusiastic, and patient. Many birthday invitees complimented us on the great theme and execution which would not have been possible without Chef Joni's collaboration. The experience was fantastic and the party was an absolute hit! read more

I won a Valentine's Day drawing at my health club which was a luncheon for up to 6 people prepared by Chef Joni. We ended up getting a cooking lesson and a fabulous elegant as well as healthy meal. We are all looking forward to more cooking lessons with her. read more