Cooking Class: The Art of African Spices

Sangeeta

28 Feb 2024

Really enjoyed the hands on pasta making class. This was so different than other cooking classes I have taken. We were not watching the chef cook but actually listening to her instructions and making our own dish. Chef Erin is so calm and clear with her instructions. Thanks

Jay

19 Feb 2024

...:(

Montana

15 Feb 2024

This is review is a little long, but I’d read all of it to know what you’re signing up for. I agree with the other Feb 15 reviews, as I attended the same class for Valentine’s Day. I can’t speak to Chef Erin’s culinary skill, and she seemed like a nice person, but the experience I actually paid for was overpriced and disappointing to say the least. Giving two stars is being generous, and the second star is because my partner and I met nice people during the class. I expected the class to be in a culinary kitchen. We were in the storage/staff-only part of the facility — standing next to fermentation tanks, working on low tables to prepare our meal, and going without chairs to sit in or eat in — so everything felt crammed and like we were an afterthought. I would have preferred if the class had been canceled. It was so unsanitary. Our class had a vegetarian couple, and my partner doesn’t eat pork, yet the 16 of us were sharing pots that used vegetable broth, chicken broth, and pork broth without washing between uses. If you have an allergy or dietary restrictions, beware of cross-contamination. I don’t know how else to say this, but it felt very cheap. We used plastic spoons and forks. We used styrofoam bowls. We cut ingredients on a thin sheet of paper on a table that probably wasn’t disinfected beforehand instead of a cutting board. Like someone else mentioned, we used a ramen packet for seasoning (with some additional seasoning options) and HEB broth. I didn’t understand what made this ramen ‘’modern”. Maybe because we used oxtails instead of pork chasu as the meat option? The flow or structure was off. At one point, we had a nearly 20 min break immediately after choosing our toppings so we could go get drinks. I don’t think that was necessary. Also, one of the burners went out so two groups had to work out of a small corner, and the rotation to cook ingredients took a long time. At one point, a group used an extra pack of noodles and Erin said something along the lines of “that means another group won’t have noodles now.” To me, that means she should go around making sure each group that just joined the rotation knew the instructions, and she should have extra ingredients on hand to ensure everyone can complete the experience even if an error occurs. Luckily, someone found another pack of noodles and everyone was able to make their dish, but that doesn’t need to be a risk in the first place. It was truly a “I could have done this at home” experience. It may have even been better at home because my utensils wouldn’t have been plastic. It’s especially upsetting because it was for Valentine’s Day and I expected this activity to be a highlight of the holiday for my partner and me. At the current level, I would not purchase this experience and I definitely would not do it a second time. I believe in actionable feedback, so here are some suggestions for Erin: find stylish disposable options, or invest in reusable and matching kitchenware customers use; operate in a dedicated cooking space (that would likely solve the burner problem too); purchase better stock ingredients or allow customers to make all components of the dish from scratch; practice better and frequent sanitizing; reduce class size to minimize waiting periods, etc.

Juan

15 Feb 2024

Chef Erin was a very sweet person and wanted to give a good review but sadly cannot. My partner and I did this for Valentine’s Day and some things were out of her control. For example they stuck us in the back of the brewery with 16 people crammed in there while the burners were losing power constantly. I understand it’s not traditional ramen but what we had was even close. Instant ramen would have satisfied me more. The ingredients to chop were green onions and garlic with little kitchen knives, powders to flavor the HEB chicken stock broth. And even better we ate them in small plastic throw-away bowls with throw away spoons. For the price, I think It was very little effort put in and a lot more basic things could be corrected to make the experience better. Do not take this cooking class.

Carlos

15 Feb 2024

Not what I thought it was going to be.

Brice

26 Jan 2024

I gifted my wife this ramen class for Christmas, and it was such a disappointment. We eat at a lot of good ramen restaurants in Austin, and this wasn't even ramen. Erin was a really nice person, but this was done with very little effort. She provided rice noodles instead of ramen noodles, hard boiled eggs from a bag instead of learning to make soft boiled. Cartons of heb chicken broth with a mix in packet for flavoring and a few bottles of random seasonings (steak, Cajun, salt), to flavor the broth. Would NOT recommend the ramen class. We left and ate from the sushi truck out front.

Mahima

17 Jan 2024

Erin was fantastic! The ramen class was well planned and executed, we had a lot of fun.

Rachel

05 Jan 2024

Erin was super helpful and knowledgeable! Would definitely recommend her class.

Xavier

25 Dec 2023

Very fun and engaging class. Definitely going to try to make more Italian and shrimp dishes - just needed a guide to start.

Danielle

20 Dec 2023

Class was nothing short of amazing! Such a great experience! Thank you 🙏

Shawna

13 Nov 2023

I really enjoyed Chef Erin's pasta making class! She showed me that making my own pasta isn't as complicated as I thought. And the class size was small so I felt comfortable asking questions.

Brent

18 Oct 2023

Would've liked to do more cooking, but that was beyond Chef Erin's control. Chef Erin is a great teacher and a great person overall!

Leonore

11 Oct 2023

She was awesome. I enjoyed the class so much. The ox tail ramen was delicious!!!

Jessica S

23 Aug 2023

Everything exceeded my expectations! From the chef's professionalism, to her prompt responsiveness, and most importantly, her incredible food! Definitely recommend checking out Chef Erin!