Great Food, But the Experience Needs Work! My boyfriend and I attended a Sur La Table hands-on cooking class, and overall, the menu and food were great. Everything we made turned out really well, and the concept is fun. That said, there were a couple things that took away from the experience. First, be prepared to stand the entire time, including while eating. After about two hours of cooking, you're still standing while trying to enjoy your meal. By the end, I was honestly just ready to leave and ended up rushing through eating. Second, and more importantly, we were paired with another couple, making it a group of four. Meanwhile, other couples were not paired up. This meant we had to share tasks and the experience, even though we paid the same price. We came to cook, not to watch another couple cook part of our meal. For the price, I would expect a more consistent and fair setup across all groups. Sur La Table has a great concept and great food, but the experience could definitely be improved. read more

The new store is much more spacious and more comfortable to shop in. Their new kitchen for classes has windows to outdoors, an improved ambiance. It is still a great shop but just became a much improved place to do so. read more

I took the Handmade Holiday Treats class at Sur La Table and it completely exceeded my expectations. In just two hours, we somehow managed to make fudge, marshmallows, caramel turtles, and bark--which still feels a little unreal. Jessica was AMAZING. She kept an almost full class organized, on schedule, and stress-free while making sure nothing went wrong (no small feat when working with hot sugar). Her passion for what she does is obvious, and she shared so many helpful tips along the way. I'm comfortable in the kitchen, but this class reminded me there's always something new to learn. Huge thanks to Sur La Table for a fantastic experience, and an even bigger thank-you to Jessica for making us all look like pros by the end. Would absolutely take another class with her! read more

See all

Dear Sur La Table Management, I am writing to share my disappointment regarding a cooking class I attended on 1-24-26 at 4:00 pm at the South Coast Plaza location in CA. I have attended several classes at your establishment and have always had a welcoming, positive experience. Unfortunately, tonight's experience was the opposite of what I have come to expect. Our chef appeared ill-prepared for the class, which led to a disorganized environment. Furthermore, the chef was unnecessarily aggressive and yelled at participants when they were ahead of his instructions or, in my case, when I misunderstood a direction. This created a stressful, uncomfortable atmosphere rather than a fun, educational experience, which is not what we paid for. Additionally, due to the poor flow of the class, our food was cold by the time it was served to eat. I also observed that the support staff working with him appeared miserable, likely due to the stressful environment created by the chef. I believe this is important feedback for your team to address to maintain your usual high standards of service. I hope you will take steps to better prepare your instructors regarding both their preparation and their customer service skills. Given the nature of the experience, I would appreciate a response regarding how you plan to handle this situation. Sincerely, Theresa Smith read more

These people,have no concept of follow-up. I attended the Modern Thanksgiving dinner which was originally slated for the Newport Beach location. On the day of the class, we were moved to Costa Mesa. Not a big deal, but the class felt rushed and somewhat disorganized. No recipes were given in class and was told it would be mailed that evening. The following day, no recipes in my mail box, so I I contacted the Newport location for the recipes, and was told it would be emailed to me. NOTHING. read more

I attended a sushi cooking class here. The chef was nice and welcoming, although I wouldn't attend a cooking class here again. If you're a germaphobe, be prepared for the cleanliness to not be up to par. While all guests were told to wash their hands, many were constantly taking out their phones and not washing throughout the process. You also don't wear gloves. This would be fine if couples were cooking their own food alone, but you're not. You're sharing utensils and food with your group, which is particularly unsanitary with sushi when you're grabbing salmon and rice from a shared bowl, dipping your hands in shared bowls of water, etc. Because you're sharing things, you're also watching another couple cook half of your meal. There was also a cleanup crew in the kitchen throughout the process. One younger man in particular, was so frantic as he was cleaning, rushing to get past us all the time. It made us feel stressed and in his way no matter where we were. For $100 per person, you'd think you'd get your own station and utensils per couple. You would also think that for that price, each person would get their own sushi roll, but couples had to share one. The concept is awesome, but unfortunately not worth the price to me. As a couple, we were paired with two other people. This meant that we shared all cooking tasks and utensils. read more

Attended my first cooking class. Our Chef gave great instructions and was kind in his approach. The staff prepared all the ingredients which made it an easy process. The kitchen was clean and very functional. Will sign up again for another class. read more

Signed up for their summer baking series, which entailed a week of baking various savory and sweet recipes. The finale was baking a two layered cake from scratch. Every single thing made was delicious! Had no expectations except as this was first class with SLT. After research, I felt they were going to give more of that gourmet/baking shoe experience kind of thing. SLT definitely delivered. Although last day spotlighting bakers could have been planned and organized a bit better, overall-- that was only a small part of the entire experience, which was wonderful! Impressed recipes were from scratch and used high quality ingredients. Chefs were professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. Everyone got an apron of their own and everything else was provided. They made things easy. Location was also easy to find. Definitely, will be signing up for other classes and can't wait to be back!!! Also, came back to purchase a knife and some kitchen things as gifts. The store has everything you need and more when it comes to cooking and baking. Staff were nice and friendly. read more

See all

Such a fabulous cooking experience! Our Chef was outstanding, knowledgeable, fun, and encouraging. He kept the class moving along and had so many tidbits to add. The food (Korean BBQ) was incredible - and to think we not only got to make it, but also enjoy it afterwards. They kindly offer a 10% off coupon in their store afterwards and you are sure to find something you need to add to your home kitchen. My friends and I loved the experience and are already planning a return visit to try another delectable dish. read more

See all

Large spacious store. Love coming here to look at the cute aprons during each holiday. Right now they are having Valentine's day decor and have the cutest stuff! They also offer cooking classes and the classes can be booked in store or online. Lots of kitchen storage and tools for sale. Friendly staff. There's even a small clearance or sale rack in the back right corner of the store. You can find a variety of mid to high end appliances as well as knives for sale. One less star because some items aren't marked with a price so you have to bring it up to the register. read more

See all

I've been a loyal customer of SLT for several years. Between cooking classes and purchasing merch, most of my kitchen items are from here. Having taken over 20 classes, I will say most have been amazing, but there have been a few that sucked. The bad chefs I encountered are luckily no longer there... the current chefs Jessica, Bill and Kong are great. Very knowledgeable and passionate about the courses. I've learned different techniques and tips from them during the class that have really come in handy. And I appreciate their enthusiasm and friendliness. Some of my favorite classes have been: - Thanksgiving Remix - the stuffed turkey is one of the best turkeys I've ever had! So much flavor and it's a beautiful dish too! - Beef Wellington - a must for anyone wanting to learn to make a Wellington. Our Wellington can our perfectly medium! - Handmade Pasta - making pasta might seem intimidating, however after taking this class I realized it's not so bad and it tastes so much better than using dry pasta. - Autumn Dinner Party - the apps were delish as was the pork loin we made. - Falls Best Flavors - chicken was super juicy and learning to make an apple tart! It is a bit of a bummer corporate raised the price of the classes, but I get it - inflation. You still get the perks of 10% off any purchase (including Le Cruset and shun and miyabe knifes) and $10 off your next cooking class booked. Just wishm read more

great place to go with friends or family for cooking classes and eating . it take one 1/2 hr of cooking and then dinner . me and 7 more people took the italian food class . we had a great time i would revine d this as present for someone or doing with friends read more

I like browsing here. They have so many nice items. I have purchased some from another location. I did notice they have cooking classes. That looked really interesting. I'd like to learn how to prepare some Asian or Italian dishes. Perhaps they might have a Vegan class one day. Cooking classes are fun. I recently took Harry Soo's BBQ class. Hopefully your classes are as good. read more

Sur La Table - Cooking class - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Honestly not sure why people are giving this a bad rating for their cooking classes. I guess it depends on the instructor? For my wife and I we got a cooking group and we had lot of fun. The chef explained things really wells and the date night classes was very enjoyable. If you come into this to have fun and a good date night I think you will love it. If you're looking to learn high level culinary cooking lessons then this is not for you. read more

Sur La Table - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

The store smells awful! It's very difficult to shop there when you Feel like gagging from the offensive smell inside. Not to mention it makes your entire clothes/hair smell bad so when you walk out it's extremely embarrassing for us and offensive to others that come in contact with you at the mall. Today I went there to make several substantial purchases for cookware set and appliances and it was so bad we couldn't walk inside. Went to Williams Sonoma instead. Luckily they carried the same brands we wanted and received good customer service. read more

I took the cooking class, Mediterranean chicken theme class and it was pretty good. The instructor was very clear. Very good communicator and people who attended it were very friendly and the food ended up tasting really good. The only reason I give it four stars is because I wish it were more focused. I wish the class were more focused on only one topic so that we could get really good at one topic at a time. Also, from the perspective of a business person, there is too much emphasis and effort of selling products to the students, instead of simply providing a good cooking class. I felt pressured to buy a pan and I shouldn't feel that this is truly a good community center and I think that the spirit of this is well intention it's just badly executed right now. The fact that we can buy pans should not even be mentioned. I know that - you don't have to tell me it. The whole purpose of the group should be to get people to come back and maybe the teacher and the other staff should be measured on how frequently people come back to the class instead of how many pans they sell. I believe this for most businesses and that's why I mentioned the business perspective because measuring things just on profit or money is not a good holistic view. There are other impacts that matter and should be measured as well for example building community in the Los Angeles area for example we don't have a lot of community centers for everyday people that are free or low cost this kitchen could be a community center and a magnet for people to come and learn how to cook and not only come once become frequently and very often. read more

See all

This review is only for the cooking class "Date Night: Explore the Emerald Isle" ($99 per person). The difficulty level was appropriate for beginners. We worked in groups of 4, sharing equipment and pre-portioned ingredients. This translated into two people actively working at a time, switching off with the other two, so that everyone gets a chance to participate. I was so excited at the start. Nothing could prepare me for the shockingly bad experience worsening with each course! I left the class hungry, angry, and disappointed. The instructor was friendly and knowledgeable, as were the other staff, but I did not enjoy half of their recipes. Another issue was the lack of "quality assurance" that was needed in order to help groups with less experience and wasted ingredients. - Irish Cheddar and Spring Onion Soda Bread. The bread was fun to assemble. It tasted great until we got to the raw part in the middle! I suspect that our dough was too spherical in comparison to everyone else's, so it did not cook through. I was under the impression that the instructor would make final adjustments before baking the breads for us. He even congratulated my group on the appearance of our bread. - Potato Mash with Braised Cabbage. The fact that every ingredient was pre-portioned except for the salt led to our downfall. As I suggested salting to taste, someone in my group threw a fistful of salt into the cabbage. Our side dish was inedible. - Mustard and Honey-Glazed Corned Beef. This entree which was prepared by the instructor in advance. To my surprise, the beef was extremely salty, and I've had corned beef before. I took one bite and gave my bf the rest of my portion. - Bittersweet Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake. Due to the time constraints, only 2 pairs of students (out of 8) could volunteer to perform this demonstration-style segment. I watched the melted chocolate spill all over the side of the mixing bowl. As you might have guessed, the cake was lacking in chocolate flavor. I also thought it was not sweet enough. At the end of the night, the instructor offered to help us take a photo. I declined because I didn't want to be reminded of this experience. I was eager to leave, but we stuck around for a free coffee near the register. The coffee was probably the best thing we had all night! read more

We went to their cooking class. Love it! Chef explained each ingredient and showed us how to use it. We prepared pan roasted chicken, grilled potatoes, salad and crème brûlée. All so delicious will definitely look for other class to join. read more

See all

Great store, and professional and knowledgeable customer service! So much to see in store.

Great date night. The cooking instructor was funny and made the experience really good for everyone. The food was also fantastic which is a plus. A little on the pricey side for prepping and cooking your own meal but my Wife and I had a great date night with friends. read more

I took the Everyday Bread class there from 10:00am to 12:00 pm. There were two groups of 4 people. All 8 of us were crammed onto one side of a butcherblock table. We were absolutely on top of each other. It was uncomfortable That was the first red flag. It was a bread class, so they had to start the process before we even got there. That was fine. We had to share one blob of dough and other ingredients between the 4 of us. We did not get great instructions. The chef was very nice but his presentation was really disjointed. We started working with the dough for cinnaman raisin bread. We all had to take turns. It was so annoying to not have our own ingredients. We paid $100 for the course. One would think they would have enough resources for all of us. As I was rolling up the dough, the woman next to me noticed there were BUGS in the raisins and now in our dough. This was completely disgusting and unprofessional. I should have stopped right there and asked for my money back. Second red flag, and a big one! The chef gave us some of the olive rosemary bread that he had previously made. There was too much pepper in it and I almost broke a tooth on an olive pit. When we made our own loaf of olive bread, we were given green olives instead of kalamatas, as per the recipe. Red flag number 3. We got to take 1/4 of each kind of bread we made. When I got home and ate some, they were all terrible, too much salt and just bad. I am very disappointed in this class and how it was set up and run. I will absolutely not take a class there again. read more

We came here for a cooking class that we booked online. This store is located on the west side of the South Coast Plaza mall on the first floor. We booked the "Summertime in Italy" class ($89 per person) in which we made caprese salad, fettuccine carbonara, and berry crostata. The class was 16 people which was split into four groups of four people. Our chef Jerry walked us through the steps of everything from making the pasta dough, making the fettuccine sauce, and chopping the herbs to make the salad. At the end, we got to eat our creations and everything was delicious! I loved the bacon and the creaminess of the carbonara, the caprese salad was so fresh, and the berry crostata was a sweet way to end the meal. Our class also gave us 10% off in the store so we enjoyed walking through the store. Overall we had fun in the class and had a good time. read more

See all

Nice store with a good variety. Unfortunately, I was charged 5$ more than the price on the tag and when I contacted the store, they didn't apologize but did say they cannot control price increases over a thousand items!! And cannot do anything unless I go in person to the store which is 26 miles away from where I live. Imagine that!! I asked to know if they have a store closer and they mentioned in Glendale but didn't offer to provide the address or phone number! What a customer service... I'm very disappointed... read more

Sur La Table - Receipt - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I wouldn't call myself an experienced cook but I kind of know my way around the kitchen. But this cooking class opened my eyes to so many things I didn't know. The Sur La table gift card was a gift from our aunt, and so we decided to use it for a cooking class which cost around $180. Even tho this class was a gift, I would definitely pay to go back and for another cooking class. Before attending the class, we received instructions on where to park, how to dress, and what to expect during the class. The store is located at the South Coast Plaza, the entrance is located off of Bear Street. The parking was easy to find, and near the entrance. The actual cooking class is in the back of the Sur La Table store. Our chef for the class was Chef Ivy / and her assistant Tracy. We learned that Chef Ivy had just moved back from France not too long ago and shared some of her culinary background with us. She was even in a Cupcake Wars episode on Food Network We had an autumn party dinner-Baked Brie en croute w/ apricot jam, hearty green winter salad w/ fennel, Parmesan, and white balsamic vinaigrette, herb crusted pork loin with maple cider glaze sauce, and a Maple Crème brûlée for dessert. It was Just four of us and so we all worked as a group and had a part in everything. Me and the hubby learned a lot about sauces, spices, temperature, cooking times and other good things to remember. Everyone was friendly and helpful and chef Ivy found a way to include everyone in the preparation of making dinner. The hubby loved it and The ladies that were paired with us kept telling him now he needs to make me Creme brûlée and how to cut fancy oranges! lol We were able to eat everything we made at the end and I promise you this would have cost at least $40 or more at a nice restaurant lol. We had enough to be able to take some leftovers read more

See all

Don't book a cooking class here. They canceled my reservation and provided no reason. Then I called and they weren't able to provide an explanation and gave me contradictory information. Get it together guys! Terrible customer service. read more

I enjoy coming here to look around and if my kitchen is needing an item. Staff are friendly and helpful.

This review is for the homemade pasta cooking class offered at this location. I don't recall the chef's name but I really liked her. She was very engaging, and gave clear instructions. Everything was very well organized and all of the ingredients were pre-prepared for us to save time, so all we really had to do was add the ingredients when instructed to. I never made pasta from scratch before so it was fun making the kneading the dough and using the pasta tool to get the dough really thin before cutting it to the intended pasta shape. We made two kinds of pasta and both were so delicious! Definitely got some good advice and it was a fun date with my fiancé. read more

Sur La Table - Top: pappardelle with sausage ragu and caramelized onions Bottom: bow tie (that was a struggle) walnut pesto with goat cheese. - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Still relishing in the joy of cooking. Our Chef "Bill" was an outstanding teacher and FULL of energy. He was funny patient and helpful through every step of our dinner. His explanations of each step was clear and he gave me, a novice in the kitchen, the confidence to recreate this dish at home. We were gifted this cooking class and we WILL be back. We chose to make ravioli "Master filled Pasta" and to our surprise it was such a fun experience! We cooked in groups of four and made some new friends! What a great memory! See you again soon Sur La Table read more

Sur La Table - The finished dish ‍ - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Location: The store is located in the South Coast Plaza if you enter the mall parking complex off of Bear St. go left inside and another left, go to where the elevator is located head one level up the store is on the left just past the restaurant. Parking by the elevator puts you very close to the store and there is handicap spots there. It is very dangerous for me to walk in the store to the back where the cooking classes are because I want to buy so many items! There is so much cool stuff loaded in this store it's like a giant candy store! I attended my first cooking class and had a fantastic experience. I do a lot of cooking and watch youtube cooking videos. The chef teacher was awesome very fun and I did learn some new techniques which was way cool! I attended a date night class but I was by myself and was paired up with a very cute young couple. We had fun preparing our meal and we shared cooking things that we knew with each other. I have signed up for the knife skills class next and some friends want to go with me and my wife for the chocolate class. I highly recommend the classes. read more

See all

I took their hazelnut macaron cooking class as an anniversary date with my boyfriend. We cook a lot together and wanted to challenge ourselves by learning something new so we picked a baking class since both of us are not bakers. There were only a few options around the area to book a macaron baking class, a lot of them being at-home kitchen classes, but I picked the one offered by Sur La Table because of the name and reputation as a high end cooking store. This was my first time booking a cooking class through Sur La Table so I went in not knowing fully what to expect. After having taken the class, I think I should have seen what was coming. There was A LOT of hand holding. A lot of the ingredients, for instance like the flour and egg whites, were already prepared by the time we walked in. The most labor intensive things we did were folding the egg whites and flour and knowing how to identify stiff peaks. After that we piped the batter onto a tray to make the cookie. We didn't get to make the macaron filling but we watched a 'demo' by one of the staff of how to make it. Then we assembled the macaron sandwiches once the cookies were done baking. I never made macarons before, but I am aware of how labor intensive it is and how you must have the right parameters down to yield the perfect macarons. I can see why there is so much hand holding because they really take a lot of real challenges and guesswork out of the actual baking so that you get good results. In the end, the recipe gets emailed to all the students. I haven't tried to replicate this recipe at home because even after taking this class, I still don't feel confident they will come out as well as they did with all that hand holding. Overall, I think it was a good first experience taking a cooking class through Sur La Table. I just wish for the price I paid that I would walk away with more useful knowledge. I think if I were to take another class again I'd have to really think hard about whether or not it's worth it and if I'll actually learn anything new that's valuable. read more

Sur La Table - Hazelnut Macaron cooking class (Oct 2023) - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I love this store. There's literally everything you could need, and things you never knew you did need. This store is well stocked and well laid out and there was staff around to help when I had questions. They also have an onsite cooking school which, if I lived near here, would love to go to. The school is like a whole, big, regular kitchen and I imagine classes would be fun. The store itself is great to look around whether you're truly shopping or just browsing. They carry so many gorgeous items, so be prepared to perhaps part with some money. read more

See all

There are limited stores in OC to buy premium espresso machines and we thought we were making the right decision when we bought ours at Sur La Table. They were more educational in their approach as opposed to pressure selling, which we appreciated. When we got home and unpacked our Jura machine, there was a broken plastic component with wires hanging out. I called the store right away and was told I would need to contact Jura. I asked if they were kidding... I mean I hadn't even made a single cup of coffee! An empathetic staff member said bring it in and did a straight exchange for a new machine. We got the second machine home and were pretty happy with it for two months. Then one morning it stopped pouring coffee. We called Jura and did all the troubleshooting but had to ship it to the east coast for repair. It's quite a task to package up a large machine and transport it to UPS. This is after just two months and approximately 70 coffees made! Sad. We are not hard on equipment... in fact our previous espresso machine lasted 20 years. This time the repair was covered by warranty but in the future it won't be and we have read online that repairs can be in the $300 range. Since our first repair was after two months of ownership, this is really concerning. In short, I would not buy a Jura again, and I also wouldn't buy an espresso machine at SLT again, because it doesn't really seem like they stand by their products. If you spend $$$$ on a kitchen appliance and it breaks in two months, I think it's reasonable to assume the store should refund the item or at least stick handle the repair. Back the product, or don't sell it. This rating is a reflection of the company policies and the product quality, not the employees who helped us (who both deserve 5 stars). read more

Kind and professional staff, very passionate about their place... I have the pleasure of taking a cooking class, fun and enjoyable. Concise instructions and wonderful time... read more

We took the Indian cooking class yesterday. The "chef" admitted it was his first time preparing Indian food. We hardly did anything as most of the food was already prepared earlier. It did not taste like Indian food. Terrible experience. read more

Definitely overpriced for what you get. You're split up into groups of 4 so you're cooking with random people and basically watching other people cook 75% of the time. Not very hands on for the price. Portions are small. You're better off spending $100 on ingredients and watching a YouTube cooking video at home. read more

My boyfriend took me here for a surprise date and we participated in the couples cooking class, specifically the "Fresh & Flavorful Thai" class. I was super excited to do this as I love cooking and I've never done a cooking class before. To my surprise, because me and my partner were on the younger side of all the other couples, we felt like we were being treated a bit differently :/. Also the couple who was supposed to be cooking with us on the same side of the table did not come to the class, so we had more things to do and felt behind throughout the whole class. The instructor was also slightly condescending towards us. She kept telling us that we were doing things wrongs and giving our prep work to other couples, instead of guiding us as an instructor should. At the end of the class though, we felt that she had become a lot nicer and was probably just scolding us the way teachers do.. but for the price of this class, we felt the hostility was not necessary! Overall, the food tasted pretty good but nothing outstanding. I do recommend this for couples who are looking for a fun date night (but prepared to be put to work)! read more

Sur La Table - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great place for slightly pricier & decent quality cookware, tools, knives, dinnerware, etc. Favorite Item: Pearl Stoneware Pasta Bowl: Average Price: $16 Promotional Sale Price: $10 -This plate is amazing, as I've used it for curry dishes, pasta, rice dishes, salads, & overall has a great circumference for plating & adding garnishes + purees. Great for romantic dinners, everyday meals, & holding leftovers! I also tend to take advantage of sales to get my Shun Knives when they have 15-20% off! Generally I'd make sure to compare prices for high quality items like these. There's some great deals & although some items can be very expensive. Overall Sur La Table is a great place to go, the workers are really nice, they don't pressure you to buy anything, & from what I hear they also have awesome cooking classes! One of my favorites in South Coast Plaza! read more

Sur La Table - Shun Chefs Knife 8" inch! - Kitchen Supplies Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Customer service is lacking, went looking for a coffee pot and the floor personnel was rude, she walked away, as did I. Best to shop on line, better customer service and no attitude! read more

Thank you to Lenna! She was very knowledgeable of every item and she was super sweet to my aunt and myself and made great recommendations on items to add to our home! read more

I was disappointed in their customer service. I tried returning some items and the sales person said that she could only credit the return on the credit card used. That credit card was my husband's, and I did not have the card with me. She then pushed the gift card on me. I declined, and said I would be back with my husband. A different sales associate processed our return when we came back. She said that the return can be put on any credit card. When I told her that another associate said it had to be returned on the initial card, she said that was not true. So I really didn't need to make a second trip to return my items. What a waste of my time. read more