Sauté Culinary Academy

Chef Alex got a small group of amateurs to create a gourmet meal in two hours; He made it fun and let us explore and fail/​succeed on our own. It was all part of an offsite team building event, where we got to prepare, cook, present and eat the awesome and beautiful lunch in a relaxed and supportive environment. Along the journey Chef Alex instructed, coached and shared some fun stories related to his long illustrious and diverse career in the culinary business; Sauté is the place to hold your next event!

Placing cooking noobs in a fully equipped kitchen with bottles of wine sounds like a recipe for a safety hazard/​disaster but! HOLY CHALUPA! this was WAY MORE fun that i had initally expected.
My honey bunches of oats and I were originally scheduled for the Friday of Valentine’s day weekend French cuisine class. We arrived on the dot and saw that NO ONE showed up — apparently the majority of the students bailed, so Chef Alex offered to reschedule us for the sold-​out and even-​more-​expensive Valentine’s Day class instead FOH FREE! cha-​CHING! (Keep in mind that the provided wine might’ve just been a V-​day special).
Here’s the thing… Is this really a cooking class? Yes, and no. It’s kinda like when a parent tries to teach a kid how to swim by throwing them in a pool and telling them to go for it. Essentially, the way it works is each individual/​pair volunteers to be responsible for a certain dish and get a detailed recipe to follow, and if you ever have any questions, Chef Alex is there to help. And it works! I’d prefer it this way, and in the end the entire class gets to feast family potluck style.
MEDITERRANEAN CLASS MENU:
— Hummus and Pita Bread
— Chicken Zaatar (? i may be wrong)
— Tabbouleh
— Falafel
— Garlic Sauce
— Lentil Soup
— Lamb burgers
— Cucumber Salad
— Candied Walnuts Salad
— Spanakopita
— Baklava
— i think that’s it but if im wrong oh well
The night started off with awkward vibes among strangers, but by the help of liquid encouragement refills, we all peeled away our walls of shyness and were having a GRAND OL’ TIME! To be honest, the wine contributed to 50% of the fun factor LULZ. By the end of the night, the whole class felt like a jolly family as we sat and ate the fruits of our labor while listening to Chef Alex’s storytelling, which i LOVED. He’s seriously good at storytelling.
The only negative thing I have to say is that Chef Alex never emailed out the recipes we cooked that night as he had promised :(I WANT THAT ZANKOU CHICKEN GARLIC SAUCE RECIPE puhLEASE!
TL;DR — VERY CUTE AND FUN DATE NIGHT IDEA ¹⁰⁄₁₀ WOULD RECOMMEND YOU TAKE YOUR BOOBOO/​FRIENDS HERE

This is a great school with Chef Alex. He is an experienced Chef and presents recipes for people to come in and learn about cooking different cuisines. Plus he is entertaining and has great stories.

Great cooking school for kids! My daughter has been going every Saturday morning to learn how to cook and LOVES IT!!! Thank you Chef for making cooking fun and educational!

I have been to Sauté Culinary Academy two times now– once with friends and once as a «team building» activity with my coworkers that my boss arranged. It is such a FUN place! It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced chef or have never cooked in your life– you’re going to have a great time and get to eat some awesome grub! Chef Alex is a blast to cook with and learn from. He is full of knowledge and you can tell this is his passion. He is very patient and helpful and explains things well. His personality and friendliness really makes the class such an enjoyable experience. If you’re thinking about taking a class – STOP AND JUST REGISTER NOW! You won’t regret it! You’ll leave with a full stomach, more knowledge & experience, and a huge smile on your face. Thank you, Chef Alex, for such a memorable experience. Looking forward to going again!

I found Sauté online when I was planning a birthday party for my mom back in July 2015. I reserved spaces for 6 people in a small evening Italian cooking class. Chef Alex was super professional and accommodating through the planning process. When we arrived at the school for our hands on Italian cooking class both Chef Alex and Chef Scott were friendly and warm and so fun! It’s a great date night idea, bring your own wine to share at the end of the class. The kitchen was perfect for the group, the class was great and we got to have a fun and casual communal dinner after each of us perfected a dish (or two). I’m excited to check out the new location! This will definitely be a night my mom, her friends and I won’t forget! :)

I signed up for a class on a saturday evening and showed up to find the place closed. I was never notified of the class being cancelled. I booked a baby sitter to be able to make this class and she doesn’t give refunds. Fuck my life.

Had a great time! Would recommend it to everyone. The Chef was great and the food so delish.

What a great experience! Our department came here for a team building activity and I’m really glad we did. Chef Alex was awesome, the food was delicious, everything cooked from scratch with quality ingredients and a great vibe. I highly recommend this place to anyone. I was super stressed about my soup cooking skills and Chef Alex really helped me feel comfortable, taught me some great useful skills and helped me conquer my fear of cooking soup annnnd the soup turned out sooo yummy! Yay! Thanks chef Alex! I can make soup now!

Sauté is a fantabulously good time! We booked the place out for our Salon holiday party.
Chef Alex helped plan the evening by offering up a couple of different types of food to cook. We choose to cook a French meal!
Once our party arrived, Chef Alex delivered a fun and spirited orientation of how the evening was going to work. He asks for volunteers as he beautifully describes the recipes. When all the recipes have been divvied up, we donned cool white aprons and headed into the kitchen!
Although I consider myself «handy in the kitchen,» I learned some cool stuff! I have to say that, it is extremely cool to be in a professional kitchen and be able to call out a question to someone by saying «Chef? How do I…»
By the end of dinner preparation, we had a buffet table FULL of delicious food! Complete with dessert!
Everything was delicious. The place has a cool vibe. Chef Alex is awesome and our staff had a great time together!
FANTABULOUS!

Five stars for one of the bests nights ever! My bosses hosted our holiday party here last night and we had the BEST time. We chose to make French cuisine and I learned so many different techniques and recipes all thanks to Chef Alex. He’s definitely a great guy! He was very professional, very knowledgeable, and incredibly patient! And we are seriously a big group of pretty outspoken stylists so it would be very easy to become agitated with so many big personalities in one room. There was not one moment where Chef Alex wasn’t assisting someone who needed it. I will preach on about my experience here at Sauté and absolutely return with either my boyfriend, coworkers, or family members! Thank you to my bosses and thank you very much Chef Alex for being such an amazing person and making our experience a great one! I’ll be seeing you soon!
Oh and I forgot to mention, aside from the fabulous time we had all the food everyone made was incredibly delicious :) Chef really knows what he’s doing here! Thanks again!

My girlfriend and I attended the Sauces course on October 20 and really enjoyed learning from Chef Scott. He took the time the explain and reinforce concepts with great care and enthusiasm. He also gave very helpful feedback of how we were progressing. I really appreciated learning from him.
On the other hand, I found Chef Alex to be unhelpful and unwelcoming. He would give us terse and brusque answers to questions. The worst part is that he strangely admonished us to remember where are our chicken was placed on a tray but ended up giving it away to another student (without us knowing) which really disappointed us since it was the capstone dish. Naturally, the class ended with him walking by us without a word at the end of the class after he took the time to say goodbye to other students.
Additionally, it would be helpful if they placed ingredients out and pre-​measured beforehand to avoid what was resembled a scrum in the first hour of the class. This and our experience with Chef Alex really soured me on the course and returning for another class from what is a pretty vast selection of topics.

Loved it! Taking Chef Alex’s class increased my confidence in the kitchen immediately. As a amateur cook wannabe it was nice to work on commercial grade stove tops and ovens… really nice facilities– clean, new and spacious, along with the warmth of the chef and fellow students.
Reading reviews to consider if u should go? Stop reading now and sign up. Just do it.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Chef Alex is amazing! Me and my bestie just did the Mediterranean class and it was so much fun. It was a small intimate class of 6 so you really got to meet the people who would be making your food! The environment is welcoming and the mood was fun. The recipes we made were so delicious and easy enough to make at home. We all brought wine and enjoyed a lovely dinner when we all finished our dishes. This was such a great experience laughing and having a team dinner with total strangers. This is something I would definitely do again.

We found Sauté Culinary Academy on the FB Monrovia Community page. I was looking for a fun venue to host my daughter’s 8^th birthday. We had a multicultural/​ethnic group with varied food requirements. Chef Scott and Chef Alex even went to a specialty food store to pick up ingredients. They were very accommodating.
17 children were invited and 19 showed up! The children made fruit smoothies, homemade pasta and sauces, gnocchi, pizza, chicken with lemon sauce and capers, salad, and cupcakes. For the adults we ordered a few trays of sandwiches — what we received were beautifully laid out breads, cheeses, meats, fruit platters, chips, tea and water. While the children ate their delicious food, the chefs cleaned the kitchen and set up the cooled off cupcakes, icing, and toppings. The kids ended the event with a cupcake tower contest which they were thrilled with.
Everyone said it was the best birthday party they ever attended. I spent less than if I hosted a birthday party of this size at my home with a blow up tent, food, and entertainment for the kids. For decorations I purchased 2 dozen balloons from Party City and that was it! No prep work — no clean up afterwards! Chef Alex and Chef Scott even had chef hats and markers set up for the children. They have a great sound system and played music for us while the kids cooked and parents chit chatted!

Such a great experience. Had fun with a group of girlfriends and enjoyed great food. Chef Scott is a great teacher and I would take another class in a heartbeat!

First I’d like to thank Chef Alex and Chef Scott for making the Kids Appetizers class one of the best days for my five guys. They were so proud of what they produced which was spring rolls and potato skins.
The environment is so welcoming and light. The kids are at ease and our not intimidated with the task set before them.
My favorite part is in the beginning. The kids had to identify 10 objects which were mainly spices and one tool. I got stumped on what I thought was flour, turned out to be cream of tarter (I think). The second best part was eating the results. Umm delicious!
Overall, the kids had a blast and want to know when they can do it again.
Thanks for the awesome experience!

Thank you Chef Alex for having me as a guest to your class. I enjoyed the night of cooking Italian food as a team and making ravioli from scratch.
I arrived at Sauté Culinary with seven other people and Alex (our chef) gave us a breakdown of what we need to know before cooking.
He gave us instructions on where the ingredients were (on the table) or in the refrigerator. Where to get the utensils and cooking ware. He gave us safety instructions and be polite with your neighbors.
He gave us about 10 – 12 recipes to choose from. We either had one recipe or we paired up for the ravioli since that one took the longest.
The dishes we made were
Zuppo Tuscano Soup
Bruschetta on bread and garlic
Salad with cranberries and nuts
Fresh ravioli stuffed with sautéed mushrooms and ricotta cheese in pesto sauce
Fresh ravioli with Buttternut squash filling
Meatballs in tomato sauce
Chocolate soufflé
I’m really glad I tried making the pasta/​ravioli from scratch. It was definitely a lot of fun and would love to try it at home after my experience. I would recommend the Italian class since I enjoy fresh Italian food. Chef Alex was really easy to cook with and he gave us really good feedback. One thing I learned was you didn’t have to wash mushroom instead dry them and chop them up.
Thanks for the experience and I’m glad I was finally able to attend your class. I would like to try your Mediterranean next!

I completely forgot to write a review for Sauté after attending the Mediterranean cooking class. The gf and I have attended a few different cooking classes and I would definitely say this was the most fun. I say that because it was very social with everyone communicating with each other throughout the whole process and Alex was also very interactive with everyone. He would routinely check in with each station to make sure they were doing okay and willing to help with any questions/​instruction. We brought our own wine and beer but he had wine and a few beers for other folks who didn’t come as prepared as we did haha. One of the other couples in the class mentioned that they had taken different classes with him and they plan on doing them all. I don’t blame them and we will definitely sign up for a different class soon.
How it works is you go in and all sit around a table. Alex then goes over the menu for the evening while explaining the process and preparation of each course. People will have the chance to pick which they prefer to make and after everyone gets assigned a dish, you go to the kitchen to a station and start per the instructions/​directions given to you.
The dinner was a ton of different courses so I don’t know if I remember them all but here is what I do remember:
— Chicken zatar (I made this one): was very good and super easy to follow the recipe
— Lentil soup (gf made): was also very good but took a lot of attention while simmering
— Kafta: very tasty and full of flavor
— Spanikopita: phyllo dough stuffed with fetaand spinach. These were a huge hit!
— Falafel: the least tasty dish of the night but I think it had to do more with who cooked it lol
— Hand made pitawith tzatziki (all from scratch): oh so good
After everyone was done, you sit around the large table and eat family style. Everyone had a great time and we even left with a small plate of leftovers ha! Can’t wait to take another one of Alex’s classes

This was such a fun experience! We were 9 ladies celebrating a birthday. We cooked, laughed and ate together. Wasn’t sure what to expect but it was a pleasant surprise.
Chef Alex is a professional and at the same time very easy going and helpful. He is more than willing to explain how to do what you need to do and he will demonstrate. Learned a whole lot and all while having fun! I made the Cous Cous salad for our hearty Mediterranean incredibly delicious meal.
He mentioned he is moving to a much larger location so we will have to go back to do this agin and check out his new facility.
I drove from Anaheim to Arcadia in traffic and then home to Corona at 11p and would do it all over again!
Great fun especially with people you know!

We have taken 2 private group classes — Mediterranean Cuisine and Spanish Tapas.
Both were outstanding. Chef Alex is a storyteller — engaging, entertaining and very knowledgeable. He makes cooking fun and interesting. Food was immensely delicious. We made dish after dish (I could not believe how many different dishes we made and the variety of tastes and spices). We’ll definitely be back — already looking at the dates for our next class. Perfect bounding experience for co-​workers outside our work environment!
Cannot recommend this place enough!

Awesome environment in a professional grade kitchen. Chef Alex is fun, easy going and very knowledgeable. His classes usually have a type of cuisine. The classes consist of about 12 people, but I understand the new location will allow for bigger classes.
Each participant picks a recipe from the night’s menu and is in charge of making enough for the whole class. Chef Alex helps everyone with their dish and answers all questions. At the end of the night, you have an amazing dinner party. So fun! Go with a friend, a date, or even by yourself and make friends. What a great time! I definitely will go back soon.

I love going to Sauté Culinary Academy so much that I’ve taken now 4 cooking classes and still excited about future classes. Chef Alex is sooooo knowledgeable and entertaining to say the least. I’ve been going with my girlfriend and finally decided to take my brother and sister we cooked Korean and had a blast. My family won’t stop talking about how fantastic and delicious the food was. We can’t wait for the next class. Chef Alex you wil definitely see us at the tamale cooking class.
I love to cook but going to this school has given me a different perspective on food and cooking. I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to meet chef Alex and learn so much. I recommend taking each and everyone of his classes I know I will. I hope to have as many recipes as I can collect from chef Alex. Once again thanks chef see you at the holiday pie class.

LOVED IT!
I can’t say enough good things about this place! We had a private cooking class for a group of 8 for my sister’s 35^th birthday in the evening on a Saturday night and we all had a blast! A party of 8 is perfect for this class, it is a small place, but we all had our own stations and each had something to cook/​make/​create for the menu, which was great!
We were a bit confused on the location, but we were able to find it and there’s also a large parking lot in the back. Walk in the front and you find a nice long dining table, nice modern décor, and a good size restaurant kitchen in the back. We went over the preparation/​ingredients and was able to pick and choose what we all wanted to make from the Italian themed set menu. Everything was hands on, there are no demonstrations in this class, which is great because ‘doing’ rather than ‘seeing/​watching’ allows you to learn more. I learned a lot of new techniques and added ingredients that I will definitely use at home!
Supplies/​Food: Everything Chef Alex buys for his classes are of good quality, whether it’s from Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Organic, Farmer’s Market, etc. And you can definitely see the quality of the food when preparing and gathering your ingredients for your recipe. The blender is even a Vitamix Blender, which worked great for the Pesto Sauce I made! *Best part of this: You don’t do the dishes! You basically create/​make/​prepare/​cook everything and put all the dishes in the sink and forget about it!
We all made such amazing and delicious food. My sister and I are both vegetarian and Chef Scott did suggest/​ask if we wanted to modify some of the menu items, but we opted to just not eat two entrees on the menu, and we were still full from the rest of the food!
Appetizers: Filo Mushroom Cups and Bruschetta
Salad: Cranberry Candied Pecan with a Vinaigrette
Soup: Sausage/​bacon Soup (not sure on the exact name)
Entrees: Chicken Carbonara and Fresh Fettuccine Pasta with Pesto Sauce
Dessert: Chocolate Soufflé
Chef Scott was amazing! He was a great instructor from cooking techniques to information about food preparation. Ask any question and he will help in any way he can, there are no dumb questions, as he makes you feel comfortable cooking and preparing your recipe to perfection. He’s very personable and a great instructor, he was also laughing and joking with us the entire time, which made the class a great experience!
Chef Alex was not able to teach our class, but he did come by at the end to say hi for a bit which was nice.
Huge Fan! It’s amazing and wonderful and I literally want to go every week! =)
I’ll keep a look out for a Vegetarian, Baking, or Chocolate class next for sure!