Sur La Table Cooking Class

My husband and I were really looking forward to our Date Night: Summer in Tuscany cooking class at Sur La Table and I really, really wanted to and expected to enjoy this fun, date night. The class was supposed to run from 7 p.m. — 9 p.m. First off, the entire group stood around for almost 25 minutes while the chef had to deal with a couple who thought they were signed up for this specific class, but weren’t. While the chef was very nice and apologetic for the late start, when she came back, she was extremely flustered and rushed. IT almost seemed like the entire class was improvised as we were going along… Very unorganized. Because we started off so late, we had to skip several steps and just watched her prepare instead. I truly thought this would be an extremely hands-​on experience. Instead, it consisted of maybe 15 minutes total of us actually cooking ourselves and what we truly ended up paying for was a $ 79/​person extremely light meal. When my husband and I left, we jokingly asked each other, «So where should we go now for dinner?» We were extremely disappointed with this experience, the entire class seemed very rushed and while the chef kept apologizing, the final outcome seemed like we just threw $ 158 down the drain.

I was excited to take a class and I browsed the different classes. I was trying to figure out whether it was easier to look for a specific class or by calendar or by location. In the end I thought it was best to just find the class that you absolutely want to take and then figure out which location and time is available. The prices vary but most are $ 69. I took the thai class and the menu was lettuce wraps, pad thai, penang curry and mango sticky rice. Now I expected this to be a fun cute experience that was interactive and chill. I noticed and knew well ahead of time that this class would be filled with couples but yolo I went with my friend to get this off my bucketlist. The class is located in the back of the store where there are stations set up. There are four pots on the portable oven thingy and each pot is shared with 4 people. It is literally so cramped I couldnt even. All of the ingredients for the entrees were already cut, measured and prepared so it was literally the instructor telling us what and when to dump and stir. It didnt really feel like learning how to cook since some of the tough items like the sauces were already made. I really wish there was more cutting and measuring and feeling like a cook. I guess it was convenient since measuring sucks at home and we were on a time constraint but I just had a few expectations coming into this. The items were flavorful and seasoned well so that was fun. I was extremely disappointed for the mango sticky rice because I wanted to make it. I did this on my own before and I failed on the rice. For the class, literally the rice and coconut milk were already prepared and mixed and all we did was scoop some rice and mangoes onto our plate. So sadd. However, the instructor was awesome, enthusiastic, and informative which I appreciate. I just did not like the structure, the limited space and lack of actual «cooking». It was cool to experience but I probably wont do this again.

When I’m not Unilocaling, I’m cooking. And most often than not, it is a dish that I’ve had at a restaurant that inspires me to cook. Sur La Table is one of my go to places to find specialty cookware, bakeware, tabletop entertaining pieces and even ingredients.
On my last visit, I took a Bake and Take Thanksgiving Bread and Rolls Cooking class. I received an email for half off cooking classes and decided to take this class. I can make quick breads easily but I’m not very good with yeast breads. The class was good. We made Parker House Rolls that was par-​baked and ready to go into the freezer. All we’d need to do on Thanksgiving Day is pop it in the oven, bake, and butter and salt it when it has come out of the oven. We also made a Pumpkin Walnut Spiced Bread. We each took home one of those as well. This is a hands-​on class, so you get to take part in the cooking process. The great thing that any home cook appreciates is that the mise en place has been for you ahead of time!
I have taken other classes here as well – French Macarons, Pie-​making, and Thanksgiving Classics, to name a few. You get a 10% off certificate for attending a class. I make it a point to buy things that I need with that coupon. I bought a bunch of Christmas themed stuff for my upcoming holiday party! :) I’m ready to party!!!

(Review of their Macaron Making class)
Two of my best friends planned a birthday surprise for me that included Sur La Table’s Macaron Making class this past Saturday morning.
The class started at 10 AM and I rolled into the parking lot at around 10:05. I would highly recommend coming at least 15 to 20 minutes earlier because this particular SLT is located in a busy strip mall and parking can be kind of hard to come by. Also, the instructors start the class right on the dot and you will miss out on instruction time if you’re late (I did, but fortunately one of my friends was there early and filled me in). Lastly, if you are coming in a group and would like to find counter space together, definitely come early. We all ended up dispersed in groups with other people, but in the end, we did have an opportunity to each make a different type of macaron (there were three recipes in the packet given to us, and each group tried a different one).
This was my first cooking/​baking class and I absolutely loved it! Our instructor, Chef Angela Gonzalez, owns her own business, Dial-​a-​Dessert, and was able to provide invaluable tips and tricks that she has learned in her own macaron making journey. She first demonstrated how to make a batch of macaron cookies, and then invited all three groups to try out a cookie recipe from the packet. The kitchen is not that spacious, but they have installed enough mirrors and screens so that you can catch what your instructor is doing at the front, even if you’re standing in the back behind other people. Moreover, there were two other Sur La Table aides there who walked around and made sure to answer our questions. I’m grateful that SLT has a cap on attendees, and with four people in each group, we were each able to take on part of the macaron making process.
After the cookies were piped onto the baking sheets, they gave us some time to browse around while they rested and then baked. This is brilliant on SLT’s part. Not only is there a table right outside the cooking classroom that has all of the «chef’s favorites» that you see being used in class, but you get a solid half an hour to walk around until you decide that you actually really do need a strawberry huller AND pineapple corer slicer. And while you’re at it, why not pick out a cookie cutter in every imaginable shape and size. If you have a zeal for gadgets and/​or have really poor impulse control… do yourself a favor and leave your wallet in your car. Better yet, just bring your driver license with you and put all your cash and credit cards at home. Precautionary measures!
When we returned, the cookies were all ready, and we moved on to the filling portion. This time around, Chef Angela demonstrated how to make each of the three fillings, and once they were put into piping bags, demonstrated the piping techniques and turned us loose to pick out cookies and then fill them back at our stations. I’d say that each person had an opportunity to grab at least two of each flavor cookie (6 total). SLT offers you paper plates and plastic wrap to take your macarons home, but another woman who had taken the class before (with different recipes), brought her own tupperware container (very smart since macarons are pretty delicate). Or, if you’re a dessert-​aholic like me… there’s no need for any packaging since you end up decorating and then immediately consuming.
The class is pretty pricey, IMO… $ 69 per person… but you walk away with solid recipes that you can modify to suit your taste, PLUS all of the tips and tricks that will save you lots of time trying to make these finicky treats on your own. Highly recommended!

I participated in the Secrets of India cooking class last night. I heard many positive things about Sur La Table cooking classes, so it seemed like a wonderful birthday gift to my boyfriend, especially because he loves Indian food.
I wish I spent my $ 150 eating Indian food instead of learning from an instructor who specializes in French baking. I could have had better instruction from YouTube clips! Chef Nicole always referenced French baking, so she is obviously an amazing French pastry chef. Instead, she taught us how to cook «Indian» food by precisely following the printed recipe. When asked about variations or ingredient substitutes, she said she didn’t know because she followed the printed recipe. There was more watching than hands-​on participation. It was an unorganized class because we constantly had to wait for instructors to get all the ingredients together. At one point, the instructors forgot to chop onions for tika masala so we went on a shopping break. We had pudding for dessert, but they didn’t show us how to make the pudding. I also wondered why the instructors put green onion on naan because I’ve never had green onion on naan. Naan tasted and was textured like pancakes.

This review is for the cooking classes.
I’ve been to three this far. Two date nights And one summer cooking.
All three classes were with different instructors and all three were so helpful and easy going. I love coming back here especially when they have their class sales.
The instructors always answer my questions thoroughly and all the instructors have lots of real working experience. Id recommend this place to anyone wanting to learn how to cook really easy and delicious meals.
I’ve also been to the SF sur la table and I can tell you that the woman who is in charge of the cooking classes (white, short, brown hair, mid thirties) has a real big attitude. When I took a baking class there she have me the «look» when I walked into the room 10 mins before it was set up. The actual instructor for the class was very nice and helpful. I think she should be the boss.

Watch out! I just took a pasta cooking class from Chef Wolf (don’t let her last name fool you, she’s 100% Italiano!) Great teacher, loved the class, loved my classmates & loved the pasta dishes we all made together. Amazing what they put into ~2 hours of class time. I arrive ~11:45am thinking that there ain’t no way I’m getting decent parking & prepared my mind to park way in back by TJ’s or on El the Camino. Also hoping to beat the Palo Alto H.S. lunch crowd. Those kiddos use their backpacks like Ninja’s in training. Anyway, in spite of my trepidation, I ended up scooting in & parking right in front of Sur La Table. (!) I’ve taken classes at both the Los Gatos & Palo Alto locations & enjoyed them all. Yes, they do encourage you to use their 10% certificate from the class, but they are a cooking store after all. Some classes, you get bonus goodies & the pricing will reflect that. My experiences have all been well worth the price of the class. And, my waistline has reaped the benefits of my work.
During our break, I found all Sur La Table employees to be helpful. I’ve rarely had a problem w/​getting assistance. Except perhaps when I’m trying to score a free Nespresso cuppa & the line is a bit long.
Soooo, this class I took: we made our pasta (s), I assisted in cooking 1 of the dishes, we took a break & came back to a sit down late lunch of lovely proportions: pappardelle w/​butternut squash & hazelnut-​sage pesto, linguine w/​chorizo & clams, fettuccine w/​roasted tomato sauce, pancetta & olives. Delicioso! There were leftovers & I for 1 almost darted out to the store to buy a container for a doggy bag. :-) As much as I love clams, I was surprised that my favorite ended up being the fettuccine dish. Unfortunately, at home, I will have to ad lib on that one — since hubby is no carnivore. Nothing on 4 legs so pancetta is out. Arrggghhhh! Ah well, I will rise to the challenge & have my pancetta (& chorizo) on the side too. More for moi.
Yes, I bought a manual pasta maker via Sur La Table online (I had a better deal.) :-D
I am ready for action. If I am unable to successfully replicate what I learned at home, Chef Wolf said to call her. How great is that? Thank goodness because my half Italian hubby is already expecting amazing homemade pasta dishes, yikes!

A Sur La Table with classes?! How can you beat that?! I’ve already taken the croissant class and the bread making class. I LOVED the croissant class because of the instructor! Chef Tom Campbell was informative, funny, and a great instructor! I wish all the classes were taught by him because he would tell you visual cues that you can look to see when to stop rolling or when to let the dough rest. Another instructor told me that it’s done when you feel it’s done… What does that even mean? Answers like that make me not want to take classes again. However, you can’t beat a Bay Area Sur La Table that offers classes and the 10% savings pass you get after the class!

My wife and I went to Sur La Table for a Fresh Pasta class. Although their website touts that their classes offer a «hands-​on environment,» this cooking class was not interactive at all – it was basically like watching a video clip on youtube. Except it was worse, because when you watch a clip on youtube, you can cook as you watch. Here, you’re just sitting on your butt, craning your neck in an attempt to see what’s going on in the front. Even the recipes were pretty blah – one of them was «adapted from King Arthur’s Flour.» Way to be original, SLT.

I came here for their baking class which was a lot of fun. The teacher was enthusiastic, informative and while time was tight we were able to stay well after the class was done to chat with the instructor and for our baked goods to cool down. The classes are a tad on the pricier side but it’s Sur La Table so it’s expected. Everyone in the class received a 10% off coupon which is good for the entire week after the class which is nice.
Sur La Table in general, always seems to be busy. If you’re considering a purchase that requires some research (like the coffee/​espresso machines) I would to the research at home. Getting assistance can be tough.

Mastering Macaron class — Aug 2012.
This is my first time taking a class at Sur La Table and I would like to inform you that I am disappointed with the class. I was planning to take the Fresh Pasta class but I am hesitant based on today’s experience.
I have taken a macaron class elsewhere and I have made successful batches of macarons. I was trying to learn more varieties and possibly different technique.
1) The reason I signed up was because there were 4 different types of macaron, but we only get to hands-​on for one type. Instructor said that the making of macarons cookie was pretty much the same and therefore we need not prep all 4 — I agree with that. However, making of the fillings were of completely different methods and it would have been great to be able to make our own AND at least observe how the rest were done. This didn’t happen as the making of the filling was done all the same time and we were concentrating on our own.
2) Because the class size was big (16), class was split to 4 groups and the first 2 groups learnt a different method (traditional) for making the macaron and we learnt another method (modern). Due to the group split and timing, we did not learn each other’s method… I am sure the first group would love to learn the modern way as we would have liked to learn the traditional way as well.
3) This is the worse — RECIPES were INCORRECT. My group made the chocolate macaron with salted caramel. Both elements failed. The instructor said that the recipe failed us, not our technique. The batter was so dry due to the addition of cocoa powder. He said it that the recipe should have just used brown coloring. While I agree that cocoa powder dries out the batter, but adding coloring is just not chocolate. Therefore I doubt the alternative suggestion. Again, I have made chocolate macarons from my other instructor and was successful. The piping was so difficult, so forget about glossy shells and «feet». Our salted caramel — it was so liquidy that we could not even use it at all. Again, instructor said it was just not going to work– again due to recipe. When we asked for the «right» recipe, we were told that he could not give it to us due to company policy.
4) Now that I am home and reading the recipes that were provided, Page 3 of 15 says we need to «rap the baking sheet», «dry the macarons till skin is formed and test for stickiness». We did not do the 2 steps above — which was what I had learnt from my other macaron class elsewhere.
The instructor was great to provide some rules for making macarons.. This is not the fault of the instructor but I guess Sur La Table.

We went to this location for a Cooking Class. everyone here was very nice and made the class fun. The food was delicious and we got to help make it! The only thing that I would change is the eating standing up… that was a bit awkward. I loved that we also got a discount in the store for a week.
The only thing that bothered me was that I had to drive all the way to Palo Alto for the class. I wish that some of the other locations had classes.
Other than that— I would tell people to take the classes here… they are worth the price. I even got a cookbook & a free subscription to Bön Appetite!

I had an opportunity to take the Macaron class last Saturday and I was absolutely amazed by the setup. We had a class of 16 students and I thought the class was a bit too large to have a good experience with the hands-​on process. I would of like the class size to be a bit smaller. The class started at 11:00 am and run to 2:00 pm. There was a lot of information to cover in a short period of time. The Macarons came out beautifully and I was quite impressed. Now I’m trying to create the Macarons at home is a bit challenging, but practice does make perfect.
The instructors were both very knowledgeable and friendly. Instructor’s were: Chef Terrina Wong and Travis
The store was very well organized with high end products and super friendly staff. The clearance area is located near the restrooms. I didn’t find anything I needed at this time, but I didn’t have much time to dig around to seek out the treasures.
I’m planning on taking another class after I figure out how to make good batch of Macarons, which I hope will be soon.

Attended a 2 hr cooking class (company paid — yeay!) and it was great! Made salad, tuna casserole, chicken soup, pan fried chicken, and cooked fruit with icecream for dessert. The chef made the recipe quick and easy to follow. Best part was we got to eat everything that she cooked and they were all delish!

I had my bachelorette party here. We had a private cooking class which I must say, was very nicely done. There were 3 teachers for our party of 10. They created a custom 3 course menu for us to learn how to cook. They provided us with an apron and a copy of the recipes to take home with us. The teachers were very friendly, knowledgeable and welcomed all questions.
This is a great way to bond and learn something new. I would recommend this as a bachelorette party if you aren’t into strangers’ schlongs swinging in your face and for other occasions as well.

I recently took a French Macaron class here with Chef Faye and it was fantastic! I highly, highly recommend their cooking classes. Both Chef Faye and her staff were fantastic and so helpful. The class was so fun and the macarons delicious! I’ve made them quite a few times since taking the class and have had great success!

Cooking Class: Only for COMPLETE Novices
We signed up for the Valentines Dinner class at $ 85 each. On arrival, we were told we should bring wine… nice to know. So we sprinted over to TJ’s — along with the rest of the class — for 2-​buck chuck. Nice. The class had been oversold, so there was «no room for the cheese and appetizers we usually have,» said the instruction. Nice.
The tables in the crowded room were randomly assigned courses: one got the lamb with pesto and mustard, another the dessert, and we got the salad. We were instructed on the art of vinaigrette, something my wife makes three times a week. Here’s how to hold a knife, here’s how to cut, here’s how to squeeze a lemon, here’s how to emulsify, etc.
But then, our instructor insisted that oil to vinegar/​citrus ratio should be 3:1. We went along reluctantly, he assuring us this was correct. The result? Oil, with a hint of taste. We spent the next 10 minutes emulsifying with every drop of vinegar he could find in the store. We finally got the right mix, but the dressing was pretty bad… the chief instructor told us as much, eying us as if we were idiots.
Then we took a break while the staff prepared the tables and did the hard stuff… cooking. There was some audience participation, but only if you were standing in the right place and the right time.
That’s when we decided the right place was a restaurant, and the right time was now. We bailed.
And we won’t be back to class. But the store is nice.

I’ve read some of the other reviews, and let me say, i’m posting the review of the kitchen/​classes — not the store. The parking in the complex is insane (to put it mildly) so it’s not my favourite location to shop.
I think if you factor in service in the bay area, this place is as good as it gets. We were unlucky to try and set something up during a staff transition back there, which I found frustrating, but all things considered, it was hard for them too, and they handled it as best as anyone could, I suspect. They were polite, courteous, helpful and fun to work with during our cooking class — and we were a handful. We’ll be going back next year, no doubt. For the kitchen at least — highly recommended!

I took a cooking class at their new kitchen tonight and it was fantastic. Their set up was so awesome that I think I died and went to kitchen heaven. The class was fun, informative and hands-​on. the best part was the dinner that proceeded with all of our dishes and the 15% coupon. If I was filthy rich, I would buy EVERYTHING in the store– especially the knives.