What a treat to be learning how to barbecue at the Webber Academy…read more From the moment you walk in you can smell the excitement from the Burntwood and the Flames going in all the barbecues. As part of the chorus we were greeted by the Chef & The Chef's Team and they were a cool bunch of people. After washing up we were told what we were making for the day and we got into it. From baking a cake to prepping our meat everything was shown in full detail. So for an average amateur this was great. Even someone who is experienced will enjoy the knowledge. The best part was to get the hands-on experience actually barbecuing the meat and dishes alike. After a few hours of preparing and cooking the fun begins when we all got to plate our dinners and enjoy them over some drinks. As a wrap up to the event and course you're all pleasantly presented a certificate of completion to get us off into becoming future Pitmasters. This was a tremendous amounts of fun. I hope that everyone can experience it at least once. I know I'm looking forward to coming back to Future training courses.

Don't miss this place! Outstanding trainers, lots of fun, lots of grilling tricks and amazing meal…read moreat the end! This guys know tons about grilling and helped me to bring my skills to the next level. Great experience!

My favourite events are the ones where I have no responsibility or role in planning, and I just…read morehave to show up. This particular event was my 39th birthday (yes, this is the first 39th birthday) and it was held at the aptly named Richmond Hill Culinary Arts Centre. My girlfriend and brother handled all of the planning, and the staff at RCAC were not only very helpful, but also very accommodating with any of the requests that were made. When I arrived, I was greeted by 26 of my friends and a fine selection of cocktails and hors d'ouvres. I believe (in an effort to keep costs down) that our group provided these items. The vodka was delicious, and I had no problem doing my part to make sure there was none left to take home. Anyhow, let's talk about the event...it was an Iron Chef competition. 30 minutes to devise a menu, choose ingredients, prep, cook, plate/present your meal. The rules of the competition and the judging criteria were explained in great detail by Program Director Frederick Oh. Frederick patiently endured my jokes and our collective A.D.D., and we were almost ready to get down to business. Sixteen (of 26) of us participated, and there were four judges (3 friends + Frederick himself). Four team leaders were named (I was one), and three of them chose their members while I fumbled around asking who was participating and who wasn't. The upside to not knowing who was participating (the event was a surprise to me), I simply had 3 people left to choose from. I chose them all. From the dining area where we were all gathered, Frederick opened a set of double doors to reveal a huge, bright clean Kitchen with four large stainless steel work areas in the middle. On one end there was a market table with all of the fresh ingredients, spices/herbs and oils, and on the other end there were ovens, two burners/team, a grill and a bunch of other things that you can't possible get around to using because, well, 30 minutes is next to no time, and being unfamiliar with the kitchen is the equivalent to being a nervous, sweaty handed 15 year old trying to undo a bra for the first time. Our mandate was for each team to prepare a (single) appetizer (using a vinegrette) and an entree using the secret ingredients and a starch. These dishes would be judged on criteria established in international cooking competitions, and I just don't have the space or memory to list them here. In order to find out what our secret ingredients were, each group had to nominate a delegate to shuck three oysters as quickly as possible. As it turned out, our ingredients were a quail, two quail eggs and a large dehydrated mushroom (it wasn't one of the usual varieties). Anyhow, everybody had a fantastic time. The 30 minutes absolutely flew by, and necessitated great team work and communication. There was simply no way to have dead weight. Everybody needed to have a task assigned and execute it in a timely fashion while keeping the work areas clean and orderly. There was staff in place to take care of cleaning all of the utensils used, but outside of that you were on your own as a team to find and decide what and how to do your plates. After the judging and my group being awarded the Certificates of Culinary Supremacy (my name for it at least), we went back to the dining area where we were treated to an absolutely fantastic meal prepared by people who are far better in the kitchen than many of us could strive to be. The food was excellent, and prepared and presented beautifully. Everybody truly had an excellent time, and I would highly recommend this for a unique gathering of friends, or a corporate team building event. I for one am glad it was friends, because the likelihood of enjoying the company of that many people you work with could just lead to a stabbing or involuntary bobbing for french fries incident. Frederick and his staff were very professional and we all truly appreciated the seemless execution of ever aspect of our evening. The only downside to having an event that runs from 6pm - 12am is having a person like myself making decisions like inviting everybody back to my house for more drinks afterwards...because that's what we all needed...I don't think I got out of bed until 3pm the next day...but that my friend's is my own, personal problem. ;)

The team at the Richmond Hill Culinary Arts were a pleasure. I was enthralled and entertained by…read moreChef Fred. He effertlessly lead a group of 18 in a three course that included two protiens. His helpful tips extended beyond food preparation to buying, storing and the composition of the ingredients. Looking for something different to do for a team event or a birthday, I would highly recommend this place.

I have been leaving voice messages and sending email to Cirillo's Academy since August and have not…read moreheard back from them - are they still in business? I have a "Cooking in Twos" gift certificate I would like to use for one of their events but they are not responding to the two methods of communication they want us to use. I am also not able to use the gift certificate to book events online. Any thoughts? This is very frustrating. I would give them a zero for communication, if that were an option.

What a wonderful experience! This is the second cooking studio and class I've been to in Toronto,…read moreand it is my favourite. It's modern, extremely clean, organized, new equipment, beautiful floor to ceiling windows and bright lighting, and lots of space. Class was fantastic, with a professional chef instructing and assistants coming around to support with any skill level you are (and trust me I'm a true beginner). The owner's daughters were so kind, had good energy and walked around to continue to check in. The Irish instructor was fantastic, so knowledgable! Overall, such a lovely experience I can't wait to go back to more classes.

There is a student café on the second floor (not the mini food store on the first floor) which is…read moreopen during the semester. They have a variety of food and they post their weekly menu on instagram (@georgebrowncafe). I got their daily special which was around $12 and it was a delicious porchetta roast with a refreshing summer salad! All their containers and utensils are compostable and there are lysol wipes on all the tables. Bathrooms are conveniently nearby in the building as well

I figured i should dedicate my 100th review to something i really really like. I attend George…read moreBrown's culinary arts program (for fun) and all of the classes i have taken here are fantastic. You get to keep all the food you make in the culinary arts classes so i usually attend classes on the weekend. The classes also double as my meal prep session for the upcoming work week. I suggest attending a sunday morning class (if possible) to all part time students because street parking is free on sunday mornings. The quality of the ingredients are superb. I remember learning how to fillet fish and the seafood came from Diana's seafood. The butter we used is from sterling creamery. The salmon we used to barbecue was sashimi grade so our instructor made us ceviche with the leftover salmon! You can definitely taste the quality of the ingredients that are provided in your classes. The instructors i've had are patient, laid back and funny. I think my three favorite elective courses would be BBQ, Indian cooking, and Thai cooking. The introduction to culinary arts course (compulsory course) gave me the confidence to attempt more difficult recipes and different types of cuisines at home. The course covers the fundamentals of cooking and is well worth the investment (even if you are not interested in the culinary program). I cannot wait till social distancing rules are lifted and GB offers culinary classes again. For now, i will read the course outlines and drool while deciding what to take next.

My boyfriend and I went to a Hands-on: Dim Sum Delights with Chef Florence Kwok last night at the…read moreLoblaws on Lower Jarvis Street. The class was 2 hours long and there was 10 other people with us. We made Pot Stickers, BBQ Pork Puffs, Sweet & Sour Wontons and Baked Shrimp with Sriracha Aioli sauce Chef Florence showed us how to make the filling for each dish and we got to rotate around four stations to wrap the pot stickers ( made with pork filling), bbq pork puffs, and wontons (made with pork filling). We also got to coat the shrimp in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and put them on skewers. I liked that Florence asked us to rotate through all the stations so we got to learn how to cook each dish. After we finished cooking, we got to eat our creations and was provided with a glass of wine with the meal. You won't get full on this and will most likely need to eat before or after the class, but I enjoyed it because we learned some neat things! We paid $45 each for this class and found it to be worth it. Chef Florence was strict, but also funny. She used a blend of English and Chinese techniques to make and cook the food. For those of you that are vegetarians or cannot eat pork - this is NOT the class for you as pork was used in 3 out of 4 dishes!

I went to a cooking demonstration with Florence Kwok "What's for Dinner" she cooked ground beef…read morestroganoff. Florence had a warm and funny demeanour and I found her class UTTERLY entertaining. She taught me a few things as well. I really enjoyed this class and the food was outstanding too. Highly recommend this experience.

Liaison College Vaughan Campus is conveniently located at Jane and 407…read more They offers programs and courses for chef training or recreational cooking. I know I do need some cooking classes, but I visited Liaison College as the guest of one of the students. The atmosphere here is nice and relaxing, seems like a good place to learn. Maybe one day..

This place is great!…read more They offer themed cooking classes for couples or singles. Each class has set menu of a specific type of food: Italian, French, Chinese, Indian, Moroccan, Mexican, etc. The concept is basically to cook the meal as a group, and later enjoy the creations as a group. There are 2 qualified chefs to guide and assist and a server to run the bar (wine included). You meet some great people and learn some useful cooking techniques. The class is a tad on the pricey side at $100/person, but makes a great gift and is a lot of fun!

I came here with my father for her Father's day Buy your dad a beer + cooking class. The beer and…read morefood pairings were not only educational/enriching but gave the ol' wine and food pairing a new and improved twist. My dad has not stopped singing praises about his experience here. I really had fun with my dad and Vanessa taught us some new things, which we will be happy to use in future classes. If you want to take your foodie experience to the next level with a friend, partner, parent etc. Give Vanessa a chance. I will most definitely be returning with my partner in the fall for couples cooking.