Sur La Table Cooking Class

My boyfriend and I took advantage of a half price cooking class Sur La Table offered. We took «Date Night: Autumn in Italy» with Chef Marion. The menu was fantastic! I wasn’t sure I’d like working in groups of four, but it was actually nice meeting some new people. Marion was awesome! He explained everything so well and was available to help whenever we needed him. He has such a warm personality and is the type of person you’d want to hang out with outside of class. The chef’s helpers were also super nice, helpful and very organized. Only four stars because I wish we had a little more food to eat, but maybe that’s just me being greedy because it was SO delicious! I also think the full price is a bit pricey, but will definitely take advantage the next time they offer half price classes. Thanks Marion! We plan on making the meal for our parents when they meet for the first time. I think it will be a hit!

I’ve taken 3 cooking classes in my life; an Indian class from the son of an immigrant from India, an Italian class from a chef who moved to the US from Italy at the age of 20, and then this class, which was a Thai class taught by a woman from South Carolina. Which class do you think didn’t go so well? I’m not saying you have to be Thai to teach a Thai cooking class, but I would at least like an instructor who has studied the cuisine, or at least can pronounce the ingredients. I would also like an instructor who does not recommend lemongrass from a tube or frozen ingredients.
Furthermore, in my other classes we were not given the recipes until we walked out of the class. In this class all we did was follow the recipes line by line. I actually got yelled at by the instructor at the beginning of the class because I was waiting for her instructions, but she just wanted me to read the recipe. I could have done that at home and not wasted $ 69.
The logistics of the class itself were not very conducive. There was one burner to every 4 students. The tasks were way too split up.
Lastly, no wine! How do you cook without wine? That’s also usually part of my rationale for paying so much money for these classes. Very disappointed.

Cheerful, outgoing instructor, pretty good tasting food, wish there would have been a glass of wine available. Very rushed towards the end, so we only had ten mins to «enjoy» the tasty steak au poivre meal we had made. They should probably just teach one class each evening rather than try to cram one in at 5 and then again at 8. They should just give us the 10% off coupon at the end and let us shop then instead of interrupting the class for 20 min to let us browse the store. Not everyone got to practice each task; we all got to do a few tasks each. Due to the rush, the leek salad was greatly under cooked and almost impossible to eat. Worth it to try once if you get half price (which we did); not worth full price.

Don’t bother. We had six people preparing each course and it was so awkward! One person dicing onion, one person mixing herbs, no sense of how it all comes together. Six people CANNOT prepare a course. If you would like to learn new skills, learn about the cuisine you are preparing, how to prepare some new dishes, or to actually feel like you did something, these are not the cooking classes for you. I don’t recall our «chef» coming around even once. The last straw was eating on our little paper plates. My experience with other cooking classes in the area has been excellent, perhaps a bit more expensive, but worth every dime. Move along, nothing to see here…

My husband and I took the Date Night: Greece cooking class at the Arlington, VA location. We were extremely disappointed with the instruction and felt that the class was a complete misrepresentation of what the summary of cooking techniques and skills was online. We had heard nothing but good things about the classes and were very excited to take one. The night was
not what we were expecting for $ 70 each and took all our patience to not walk out of. We went in expecting something like a cooking show where the instructor is well versed in the recipes and the techniques
that will be used. Instead we were essentially left to struggle through the recipes by ourselves with very little guidance from the teacher. In short, we left frustrated by the feeling that we could have spent a fraction of the cost on just the ingredients and taught ourselves at home with the recipes on the company’s website. We wouldn’t recommend this establishment or class to anyone and would advise others to look elsewhere!

I had a fun time with my coworkers when we came here for a cooking class during the work hour. Thanks to my boss. The staff and facilities are nice clean and organized. They served coffee fruit platter and bread with cheese.
The class was Easy Thai Cooking. The recipe is Americanized beCause they added green bean and mushroom. The pad Thai sauce is rather on the sweeter side. I should not have expected much from the class. Just hope it will be more authentic.

Wish I could give a review on the actual class. I bought two seats at a cheese making class over a month in advance — it was a birthday gift for my fiancé and the class was on a weekday during the day so both of us had taken the day off in advance. We were very excited about it. The day before the class we received e-​mails and voice mail messages that the class had been cancelled. No reason was given. The message said we could use our credit for another class or get a refund. They encouraged us to come in to shop to use our 10% discount! We were very disappointed and frustrated that we essentially had wasted a precious vacation day but decided to sign up for another class the same week since we still wanted to do something together for his birthday. There was not another cheese class for two months so I immediately responded to the e-​mail asking if we could be placed on a grilling class later in the week. No response. I waited 24 hours and wrote again, and asked for an urgent response. This time I received one but was told that although the class wasn’t full yet, there were a number of ‘pending’ sign ups which would make it full (we would not be given priority apparently). I was also told that they would only let us know if we could join the class up to the night before the class was to take place. I told them that this was unacceptable — that we would need to know with at least two day’s notice so that we could make other plans in the event that it wasn’t possible. In the end, all the pending people confirmed their attendance so there wasn’t room for us anyway — but overall very unimpressed with the lack of service, alternatives offered or explanations. We were finally given a refund but will not be going back to Sur la Table and will look elsewhere for cooking classes.

Took the homemade pasta class this past weekend and had so much fun! Anne was a great instructor. We successfully made fantastic pasta from scratch! Started with eggs and flour and ended up with beautiful spaghetti and fettuccini! Got to cook many different types of sauces as well. The class size is small so the instructor can give each person a good amount of attention. We cooked plenty! I ate so much food! It was all so delicious.
Also love this store in general. I always feel like a kid in a candy store. Home to whatever your cooking heart desires.

Last Saturday I took the «Learn to Cut Like a Pro» class. I’m a decent home chef, but, cutting food into uniform pieces was never in my repertoire. So, I decided to take this class. If I learned nothing else, it’s that I’ve been holding a knife wrong my entire life. That alone changed my world, because now cutting with some level of precision is much, much easier.
That said, this class certainly wasn’t worth $ 60. It lasted about 3 hours. No chance to sit at all. But, there was a very long «shopping break» in the middle where you were expected to roam around the store and buy things. While the instructor knew his shit, I got almost no hands on attention. So, when I couldn’t quite remember what the instructor said, I cut a lot of things wrong, and he never came around to tell me as much. Also, while the instructor gave a few great tips (ex. put a bunch of grapes in between two Tupperware lids to cut them in half), he didn’t give very detailed information about cutting. He just kind of stood up there, showed us how he cuts and said get to work. Throughout the class there were random people in the kitchen cleaning things, storing things, ect. I had no idea what they were doing there, and I found their actions and noises very distracting. You would think they would be instructed to do whatever it was they were doing after the $ 60/​person cooking class was over. Also, while distracted, I got a good look at some of the cookware hanging from racks, and it was covered in dust. That concerned me.
I liked that we did make food with all the things we cut though. And, there is free coffee there for you should you want it. Overall, I would return because I don’t know anywhere else to take cooking classes in the area. But should I find one, I would probably go there instead.
As for the store its self… kind of like heaven for a home chef. When I was deciding which fancy knife to buy, one of the store employees was very nice about standing there with me forever while I decided. However, he didn’t know as much about the knives as I would have liked. If I’m spending $ 100+ on a knife, I want to know every pro and con it has.
P.S — when I walked in I didn’t see the cooking classes. If you look to the left upon entering, there is a sign that says «Cooking Classes.»

This pertains to the Chocoholic Desserts Cooking Class. The facility was clean, well lite and the chef pleasant and professional. The issues deal with the class format, the instruction and recipes.
1. Each table had 7 – 8 people and the dessert prep was split among two teams, each team baking a different dessert. This means you learn to make half the desserts you were hoping to learn.
2. The directions given by the staff did not always follow the recipe. The result for us was a chocolate soup versus pudding. You don’t mix dry ingredients into boiling milk. You mix dry ingredients with some milk and slowly introduce them to the boiling milk. This is what the recipe called for, but we directed otherwise.
3. Two of the recipes had glaring mistakes which resulted in further disappointment. One had us fold whipped egg whites into warm chocolate bechemal while it was still in the warm pot. The result was the egg whip deflated. The other was for marshmallow whip. The recipe did not have us whip the egg whites to sharp peaks and then mix in the sugary syrup, but instead had us mix all the ingredients in a pot and heat. Of course this soupy mix never whipped up no matter how long we had the mixers on high. The staff tried to make up for these issues, but what can you really do when the recipe is wrong.
I hope that Sur La Table changes it format, reviews its recipes and provides their staff more training.

This review applies to the cooking class only. The store itself is great!
My husband and I signed up for the Parisian Holiday Date Night as a gift to each other for Valentine’s Day at $ 158 per couple. Sadly, It was a letdown for the following reasons:
1. No wine. You can’t even BYOB per Arlington County law. (Not their fault. Still lame.)
2. 16 students, one chef instructor in a tiny room. Way too crowded.
3. The aprons they give you are plastic. I don’t appreciate them cutting corners for the price!
4. We could not hear the instructor half the time over the person cleaning dishes.
5. We could not see most of the demonstrations due to the crowd.
6. Two and a half hours of standing around and very little hands on time. I only got to whisk something and cut a shallot. There were two stations with 4 couples cooking an entire meal at each station.
I had better experiences learning how to cook in my Home Ec class in middle school. The only saving grace was the food was actually tasty although the portions were on the small side. This money would be much better spent on a fancy kitchen gadget or a dinner at a nice restaurant. Very disappointing!

I frequently purchase cookware from Sur La Table’s online store and have loved everything I’ve gotten from them. So it was a no-​brainer when my company tasked me with finding a fun team building activity for a small group of employees– I immediately looked into a private cooking class with Sur La Table.
After leaving 2 messages and not having my call returned, I finally got in touch with their Chef, Joe, on a Saturday afternoon. He said that he would send over all of the information about the classes and check into the dates as soon as possible. Fast forward three days later, I call back and have to leave a message– no response. I call back again the next day, again speak with Joe– and he says he will call me back with confirmation on the dates in a half hour– no call. I called back again twice and left messages. I did get one call back on Saturday (which unfortunately went to MY voice mail,) I immediately returned the call, and still have yet to hear back (4 days later.)
I’m extremely disappointed in the lack of follow up and was happy to book our event with another school that was happy to have our business. I will be not be recommending Sur La Table to the other event planners in our company or any of my friends.

just came back from the «tuscany for two» cooking class with chef joe lipinski and it was awesome. both my husband and i had so much fun and learned a lot of helpful tips. our instructor chef had great energy and took the time to answer our questions and interact with us. the classes here are highly recommended for novice to intermediate at home chefs, but not sure if a trained chef would get anything new out of it. overall, an educational, awesome and fun experience. plus you get a 10% off coupon after you take the class.
the store itself is well stocked with a nice selection of kitchen necessities, from appliances to cookware and the like. knife and chopping board selection kept me and my husband entertained for quite some time, as did the table display of various kitchen accessory accoutrements.
bottom line: go take a cooking class or two for a fun night with your sweetie or friends and a great place for all your cooking needs.

Sur La Table is a strong kitchen store and I really enjoy that they have the best selection of baking tools and toys I’ve found in the DC area.
My 5 star review is really for their cooking school. On my 30^th birthday, the Mister surprised me with a birthday party here that was also a cooking class he and Sur La Table had designed specifically for the evening and my tastebuds.
This was fantastic experience and I can’t imagine having had a better birthday. They worked with the Mister to provide him an instructor who — no joke — had a Michelin star and a great personality. She expertly managed our group of about 25 through the evening, making sure we were able to balance socializing, baking, and enjoying the fruits of our labor.
Sur La Table worked with the Mister to do all sorts of things like arrange appetizers to enjoy as we worked, help secure a liquor license to allow us enjoy a champange toast, and suggest party favors for the guests.
Thanks to Sur La Table (and my amazing husband), I had a wonderful 30^th birthday. They really went above and beyond.

This one has to deal with the cooking classes offered. I participated in the Thai cooking class and loved it. Recipes really work and the instructor has a vast amount of information to share if interested. The class set up was in groups of 4 – 5 people per table and that became your team for the night. Everyone had the chance to participate. Recipes were explained and if you wanted to know the brand names of the products used that was also available. This location offered the Thai recipes that I wanted to know more about. At the end of the class they give you a coupon worth 10% off all your merchandise purchased for the week. Classes are a little pricey but something different to do on a week night. Parking is available on the streets for free after 6 and there is a parking garage and validation is provided at Bed Bath and Beyond a couple doors down. Give it a go, never know what fun you will have.

I recently signed up for a cooking class and arrived very excited to get started only to realize that the class had been the day before. This is totally my fault not theirs, but what was shocking was the complete lack of desire to help me out in anyway. The first associate I spoke to told me that there was no use speaking to the manager about a credit and that I might go home and look on the website. I had to speak to three different associates before someone agreed to get the manager. She kept me waiting 15 minutes before arriving, no hello, no I’m so sorry you missed your class, or even I really wish there was something I could do for you… just a «you can call in later to talk to my boss, but I doubt she’ll do anything either».
I’m a fan of their merchandise, so I thought I would at least compesate with picking up some things I needed using the 10% discount cooking class participants receive. Same drill even though ever associate I spoke with had heard the story and knew that my class had been the day before AND that I had indeed paid for the class even if I didn’t take it, the first two said they could do nothing without the coupon you receive in the class. I finally asked who could do something, to hear again «the manager». Long akward silence «Well can you ask her?» followed by eyes rolling.
I did finally get the 10% but they acted as if I was some sort of begger they were giving alms to. I’m pretty shocked that a high end cooking store that sells luxry items can survive with this lack of customer service.
I was also told that I received an email confirming the class two days in advance, which I did NOT receive.

Do not give cooking classes from Sur La Table as gifts and expect the recipient to be notified or receive your gift message.
We bought a cooking class as a gift for a family member. We picked out a class online and gave the recipient information and filled out a gift message in the online form. The recipient was never notified so we called Sur La Table to be informed that they do not notify the recipient about the class and never send the gift message. This was not a mistake on their part, this was how they designed their gift card process. They will send the recipient a message (not our message) 3 days before the class. The customer support person was sorry, but this is just how they operate. No plans to fix it.

I took the knife skills class a few months ago, and my efficiency in the kitchen has gone up exponentially! Evenly dicing an onion is a cinch. I chop, dice, julienne, and peel with such ease. A must do class for everyone. But since it’s a «must» this particular class fills up months in advance. Luckily, Sur La Table has a habit for adding 2 or 3 more of these classes a month at short notice, so keep checking back.
I took Academia Barilla: Flavors of Parma with my boyfriend, and had a fun time. We learned that when baked with a stick of butter artichokes are delicious, and how to properly cook risotto. Some of the items on the menu I will never recreate; because it’s a bit too complicated to prepare and was done ahead so we didn’t learn the prep (hence only 4 stars). But the staples of our meal (A stuffed beef with creamy wine sauce, and the risotto) I will make again and again in the near future.
Both times I left happy, more knowledgeable in the kitchen, and with the urge to by über nice knives and pans instead of paying rent

Last week, my boyfriend took me to a cooking class at Sur La Table for my Christmas gift. I had been looking forward to it as it was something that I had wanted to do for a long time. We attended «Date Night: Parisian Romance» with Chef Whitney Taylor. While I am glad I left with a few new recipes that I am excited to use, I thought the class was overall only so-​so.
The menu consisted of a Frisee Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and Champagne-​Shallot Vinaigrette, Thyme-​Walnut Crusted Lamb Chops, Pommes Anna (thinly sliced potato cake), and Chocolate Souffles with Chambord Sauce.
I felt that the class was a bit «elementary,» but my boyfriend and I think that may because we cook more often and some of the class was more basic (i.e. everything was measured out). There were about 20 people in the class and we were with 2 other couples at our table, so it was also less hands-​on than I had expected. Additionally, the class seemed to drag out. While I don’t mind spending a longer time in the kitchen, I was disappointed because due to the shortage of time at the end, our chocolate souffles were taken out of the oven too early and tasted like chocolate pudding instead of a soufflé. For the Pommes Anna, there was only one mandoline for the entire class to use for slicing the potatoes, and everyone wanted to try. It is kind of surprising that the kitchen only had one knowing that there would be three groups in need of this tool.
I love desserts, so I was pretty disappointed when the soufflé came out like pudding and when we mentioned it to the staff, they simply stated that «everything inside is cooked.» Of course, I was not really worried about that, but rather that I wanted to eat a soufflé not pudding! An apology or some assumption of responsibility would have been better.
I did like the 10% coupon we were given to use in the store, because I really do like shopping at Sur La Table and feel that they have a good array of kitchen goods at fair prices. We had a fun time looking at a Nespresso machine and the store clerk was very patient and helpful in answering our questions.
I would love to go to another cooking class in the future, but I may not return to Sur La Table.

I thought the cooking class here was only okay. For $ 80 per person, I felt like I had a better time and learned more at the Chopping Block in Chicago. The theme of our class was the Classic Christmas dinner. For our class we made:
shrimp cocktail with spicy cocktail and arugula & parsley dipping sauce
roasted beef tenderloin with peppercorn sauce
chestnut purée with toasted walnuts
sauteed green beans and dijon mustard sauce
flaky parmesan dinner rolls
and for dessert we ate (but did not make) cranberry eggnog cheesecake
The kitchen was not open when we arrived at 5:55pm (class starts at 6pm). A sales associate told us that the kitchen door would be open when the class started. We waited, and waited but by 6:10p we never saw the door open. When we finally walked up to the door, we saw that everyone was inside the class and instead of being the first in, we were the last in. Not a good start.
During the entire class, which lasted almost 3 hours, there were two helpers that were washing dishes and running the dish washer. The running water and banging pots were really distracting and I could not really hear what the instructor was saying.
There were about 14 of us in one class but most of the cooking happened at the front of the class. The instructor would call on you to make the dish which really took the fun out of cooking because now it became a chore. Not only was it a chore, but for me, when I got called I was completely mortified because all 14 pairs of eyes were on me. I could not mess up! At other cooking classes I’ve taken, the preparation was done in small groups. Here, its you in front of your entire class and instructor. I was tasked to mince shallots and I was never more afraid to cut my fingers off by accident. I dont work well under pressure!
The food we created was pretty bland. I think only the chestnut purée tasted the best out of everything we had made. The tenderloin came in second best.
Towards the last 45 mins of the class, we’re told we have a 10 – 15 minute break. They give us a 10% coupon to shop the store as well. Unfortunately for us, we went over the 15 minute break time because most people went shopping during that break and took longer than expected to shop. The rest of us were waiting for the shoppers so that we could eat what we had cooked!
Overall, not a great cooking class.