Unfortunately had a very bad time. The class I attended was not set up for guests to learn, try…read moretechniques on their own, and enjoy the food they cooked. Instead, the kitchen was quiet and had a nervous energy, with none of the guests knowing where they were supposed to step in to help. Guests can expect to stand at their own station for five-plus hours in what is essentially a stress position and wait until one onion or chicken breast is passed between the 12 or so attendees to chop. Not only is this extremely dull, it resulted in our soup being over-seasoned and opened everyone in the class up to the mistake of an individual. One of Chef Denene's friends was in attendance and for some reason she largely only interacted with them, talking to them at a volume where no one else could hear and tasking them with the few opportunities available to actually cook, apart from my group there were many individuals in the class who came alone and were not engaged with or made to feel included by the Chef, who had the same attitude as a teacher who doesn't care your group project and is stressed out by being unprepared. If guests had difficulty cooking they were not given help, instead the chef would step in and do it herself. The bulk of the feedback we received was from Chef Denene reminding us which sink to wash our hands in, where to toss aprons, to wash dishes, and other trivial things that made our group feel more like free labor than students. This lasted from 10-1pm, upon which we enjoyed our soup and rellenos. The later was tasty but the soup was inedible by two in our group who thought it was too spicy as a result of the seasonings being measured by random class patrons who were receiving instruction secondhand. Our group left after this, not confident that the next four hours would be more interactive or than the end product would be tasty enough to make staying worth it. Rather than a class, this is more like a chef's tasting that you watch be made. If you do not know how to chop an onion you may learn something, but all in all the majority of recipes were not taught in anyway where you could feel confident in re-creating them at home, which was my hope. One would be better served spending their money either going to a nice restaurant or taking a class through an educational institution where the instructor has an interest in being a facilitator. I'd like to think that this was an off-day and would be interested in taking a different class if the Chef would explain her reasoning for the class structure. TL:DR: Not a cooking class in the way that you're thinking, vibes are off and at times rude.

I recently attended my second class at Le Chat Gourmet. In no way, shape, or form could I find…read moresomething to complain about. Unlike some cooking classes that only allow for you to watch how the food is made, classes at Le Chat allow you the opportunity to be fully immersed in the cooking experience with the other classmates. Chef Denene does a spectacular job of teaching the class and demonstrating techniques that make cooking easier and more enjoyable. She can tell when people may be struggling with a certain task and she knows how to teach them how to perform that task more efficiently. From tasks as simple as how to properly dice green onions, to learning how to make a five star creme brûlée, Chef Denene is a true professional, minus the arrogant flare that can be seen in the "superstar chefs". With classes such as the recent San Francisco Chop House, complete with an appetizer of white cheddar crab dip with toasted artisan bread and a main course of bacon wrapped filets with sour cream chive mashed potatoes and fresh popovers with parmesan butter, it's difficult to not want to come back every week! And when dessert consists of freshly made orange-glazed doughnut holes served with a mocha latte toffee crunch sauce, it's easy to reconsider your career and want to go to culinary school. Needless to say, the two hour drive to get there is well worth it. The facebook page has great information and pictures as well. Chef Denene, thank you thank you thank you for another amazing experience and I look forward to returning soon.