The Culinary Center of Kansas City

Was my first class here. We tested our skills to use available ingredients to create dishes. Very hands-​on, it was right up my alley. Fortunately, I was at a table with other great cooks and we were pleased with our dishes.

Great team building event! Our team went there for a work event and I could not of had more fun. The ladies who worked there were great to work with and made the event entertaining, fun, and were helpful as we made our dishes. I am hoping to go back on my own for some of their cooking classes.

My department at work (20ish people) came here for a team-​building event (Iron Chef) and we had an absolutely amazing time! Honestly, we were nervous and didn’t know what to expect, and made a lot of jokes to each other leading up to the event about how we were going to poison one another… but the food turned out great! It was challenging but not too challenging, and we really loved how we were encouraged to be as creative as possible. The emcees/​chefs/​judges were really nice, helpful, and fun people (pro tip — ask them for extra ingredients you want to use)! We are already excited to return as soon as possible.

Came here for a «Cooking for Wine-o’s» class and had a FANTASTIC evening. I learned how to make various things that I would normally be a little freaked out about messing up and also got to experiment with other recipes that I wouldn’t have thought about making in the first place.
Chef Gary was great and knows his stuff. Plus, just hearing him talk about his travels and recommendations on places to go makes you want to go there.
Highly recommend taking a class here! (And it’s a PERFECT date night)

My girlfriend and I recently attended a «limited hands-​on» class entitled BBQ n’ Booze and had a great time! I was expecting a little more hands-​on cooking but that’s my fault for not reading the description better. Still though we had a lot of fun and learned some new recipes and techniques for good BBQ. The teacher, Bruce Campbell, was fantastic! He was very knowledgeable, funny, and kept us entertained and engaged. The price was a little high but for what you get, I thought it was more than fair and when you figure in how much dinner, drinks and movie cost, it was a great deal. We will definitely be doing another class. It was a great date night!

The first I came here was for a Unilocal Elite Event and I didn’t review this place because that YEE doesn’t reflect what they would normally do. My most recent visit here was a food photography class. I believe that wast he first photography class here, but I could be wrong. Usually, the classes taught at this place were some kind of cooking class.
There was a small store in the front which led to the kitchen. I’m not sure how many kitchens this place had but it wasn’t big. I didn’t look at the store so I’m not sure what they sold there. It was pretty small, too. The kitchen would probably comfortably fit probably 20 to 30 people. Their website had a calendar with all of the classes that are offered and the prices per class varies depending on the class. I thought this was a good but small facility for cooking classes or even food photography classes.
I might be back depending on what classes will be offered.

This place is pretty darn cool. I went here on a work outing so I have no idea of the cost, so maybe it is very expensive? I can only imagine that it is. Here is what you do: they supply everything, and then you cook your own dinner!
The place is beautiful, great equipment and very nicely decorated. We were split into teams, given our stations, ingredients, recipes, and some basic instructions and got going! They have alcohol (thank goodness) and it was fun too meet and chat people and cook your own food! Staff were very kind and helpful. I liked how they gave you just enough help to make the experience fun and not stressful.
I also enjoyed how they plated the meals and served you. No clean up either! WHEW! Dishes suck!
We had a Spanish/​Mexican/​Latin dinner. Started with cream cheese and seafood stuffed mushrooms, cobb salad, then steak with grilled veggies and lime rice, and a tres leches cake for dessert. It turned out great, much more delicious than I thought possible with a bunch of amateur chefs cooking!
I think this is a great idea for offices/​corporate events or maybe a family get together or girls night out!
I would highly recommend this experience to anyone in the area. I didn’t organize the even, but I can only imagine that the staff there are extremely easy to deal with.

Took a really wonderful rustic European bread baking class here and found it completely worth the money! The instructor was skilled, experienced, and very helpful. She demonstrated the process for the first hour while we sipped complimentary tea, coffee, or water. The remaining 2 hours were spent at countertop stations, mixing and kneading our own batches of dough to take home and bake. I will definitely plan to take another course here.

Overall, we really enjoyed the class we took here! We took a Sushi 101 class that covered the basics from ingredients, to presentation, to construction.
The class included a salad, a wine or beer, 3 sushi rolls to begin with (made yourself), a dessert, and then you could make as many nigiri, sushi rolls, or other variations as you wanted to take home with you using the ingredients provided.
The class started with the salad while we were given an intro to the teacher and the center. The teacher started in on the ingredients used, what not to use, and where to buy them in the KC metro. Next she covered the sushi rolls making process from start to finish — even covering a beer battered roll (um, yum!). She also showed us how to make wasabi, spicy mayo, and peanut sauce. Then we were broken out into groups to work at tables with all the necessary ingredients as the instructors walked around making sure we were on the right track.
After three rolls were completed (one tempura fried, if you wanted) we sat back down to enjoy them while she covered the sushi cones and nigiri process. Oh, and accompanied by a glass of white or red wine or a beer. After this we were set free again to construct as many variations as you wanted to take with you! She advised to enjoy them by lunch tomorrow to preserve freshness.
Lastly she wrapped the class up over vanilla bean ice cream and further tips and questions we may not have covered before.
I think for the cost of the class we got everything we could have wanted — it was a birthday gift to my fiancée and she was very happy!
Only reason I would not give them five stars is how the seating was handled at the beginning. Typically (and very advertised on their website) they have a seating chart & you must request to sit with someone if you are taking a class together. So, of course I did that when registering. Apparently last minute some people dropped out so they had self seating. Well, we arrived early and sat at a table with two other people (6 person table). One of the employees came over and asked if we would split up to the separate sides of the table so that couples would not have to break apart and not sit next to each other. Um, hello — we were there as a couple and obviously wanted to sit next to each other. After letting her know we preferred to sit next to each other, she said we could scoot the chair around to the end of the table, but she did not handle it in a polite manner. This was rather off-​putting way to start the class — but we just let it go and proceeded to enjoy the rest of the class!

I took one Indian cooking class here about two years ago. The class was OK, if a little expensive. Now I get emails from this place at least once a week. I moved away from KC a year ago and have tried twice in different ways to unsubscribe, but am ignored each time. Srsly? Is this how you get people to sign up for classes … by pestering them?
If you’re OK with them using your email address/​contact information however they dam* well please until the end of time, by all means, take a class here. But if you’d prefer to work with a responsible business that allows you to retain control over the information you receive from them, find somewhere else to expand your culinary skills.

Love. Love. Love. I’ve been to the Culinary Center of KC three times now and had an outstanding experience every time. While it may seem pricey, it’s well worth it — Great for special occasions, team building, gifts, etc. The service is top notch and the food is incredible.

Oh my! What has happened here? This past Tuesday we had lunch here. Why? Because we enjoyed it so much last February.
I was so disappointed this time because the menu was mostly carbs. Potatoes… baked in slices, tasty. Biscuit… with gravy… tasty. Cinnamon roll… took it home and ate it the next day… tasty. But all of these were served in one meal! No salad and no veggies. Add to that some sort of sausage. We didn’t eat much of this and for $ 12.00 it was a disappointment to say the least. Next year’s Christmas luncheon won’t be here I’m sorry to say.
They also said something about their Tuesday lunches would only be on one Tuesday per month not every Tuesday. I think that’s a clue that business has dropped off. Possibly revamping the menu to more healthy choices with a variety of something besides carbs would help?
This has been a great place to have in downtown Overland Park, I hope things are not going downhill fast for them.

I’ve been here a few times for classes and have always had a great time with great food. Yesterday we had a team building activity which was so much fun. We had lunch prepared for us by the staff (fresh rolls with lavender butter, salad with huckleberry jam vinegrette, boursin chicken with haricot verts and roasted potatoes, chocolate amaretto crème brûlée) followed by 8 teams of 5 using gingerbread to create anything other than an actual gingerbread house. Lots of creativity — the ladies who led the activity were very funny. They made everyone put on some form of skit to explain our creation and then we were awarded different prizes (Most Focused, Most Diva-​Like, Most Magical, etc.). They have similar events for everyday occasions as well. I would highly recommend this for a team outing.

I was, guessing from the storefront, entering a min Sur Le Table. Wrong. Had I read the Unilocal before heading in I would have known, but I was just wandering on errands. Some interesting little gadgety stuff, but nothing I was really interested in buying, which is stunning when you call yourself the «Culinary Center of KC.»
I’m intrigued by all the (mostly) good reviews about classes here and I will look into it and when I take one or two, I’ll update my review.
For now, if you need kitchen tools, make the drive to Sur Le Table. You won’t be disappointed.

Can this place get ANY cooler!!!
My daughter took a class here for cake decorating recently, and had a blast! She even learned something!
Facilities are top notch, and the instructors are top notch. Everything was very well organized… I was definetely impressed.
I highly encourage you to come and take a class here at least once.

Taking cooking classes here is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to do. So for Christmas I signed up my husband and me up for a class.
We took «The Art of Smokology, Smoking Meat 101». It was a 4 hour class taught by Chef Richard McPeake, creator of Rib Stars award winning bbq rubs.
At first my husband was skeptical, but since he loves to smoke meat and more importantly eat bbq, he decided to try it. He was pleased when we showed up and then class was about 85% men.
The class covered a wide variety of valuable information equipment, how to buy and prepare meat, how to smoke brisket, burnt ends, ribs, pork butt chicken, and sausage. They included a book of recipes for sauces, rubs, appetizers and all the need to know smoking temps for meats. The class was an incredibly thorough. And at the end we got to sample all the food, YUM! We left with happy tummies, lots of useful knowledge and now can’t wait to bust out smoker… once the weather warms up.
This was my fifth class here and I’ve enjoyed every one. They are worth the money, especially if you love to cook. There’s know need to know what you’re doing going in. They will teach you all you need to know.

My husband loves Gingerbread Houses! So we signed up for a class at the Culinary Center. I called first to make sure that adult couples could attend since it seemed like it was only a parent/​child event. I was assured that adult couples were welcome; however, there would mostly be parents with their children.
Well! We were the only adult couple in a room with about 60 but we didnt care! We were set up with the makings for our house and given instruction and then let loose to use the huge assortment of items out for decorations. The helpers were attentive and we were never without enough icing or answers to questions.
They also had snacks & tea, aprons to use if you wished, and holiday music playing.
We were there for 3 hours and really enjoyed our interactive date. What a fun night out!
I am excited to take one of their cooking classes.

I took a Julia and Me French cooking class here a couple weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. First of all I had no idea how big this place was inside. The kitchens are very big and there is plenty of room to watch and learn. I felt like the chef did a good job of explaining everything and I enjoyed the chance to meet new people as we cooked.
I thought it was great how many couples were there cooking together — this wasn’t just a class full of ladies. I would recommend this as a great gift (buy a class for someone) or a great night out on your own.
You can also go to their store (which is connected) and buy any of the meals already cooked, from their freezer. The best thing is these meals are cooked by professional chefs so you’re sure to get a good meal!
I highly recommend you check out this wonderful hidden gem in old Overland Park!

I cannot wait to take a class here. The options are endless — whatever you can imagine, they’ve already thought of it better, somehow. It’s because these people not only eat, but live, breath and sleep food. I can’t pick between Simple and Elegant French Cooking (¹²⁄₂) or Lets Make Cinnamon Rolls (11/16)…and I’m kicking myself for missing last week’s BBQ’N with Booze.
My mom loves to cook and I’m in the closet about it — we both want to take some classes but what and when and where?! There’s no question though — it will be here and it’s not there fault they offer so many options it renders me incapable of deciding… or is it? The prices range mostly from $ 45 to $ 75 per class that last about 4 hours. At first glance I thought it was expensive, but then after looking at some random UMKC classes like «Yoga Basics» that meet for 4 hours only once and cost about the same — I realized it’s a steal.
Tonight when I visited, J. Jasper was teaching — so they get professional chefs to teach you the secrets of their craft, which in a way is priceless. They recently opened their front kitchen store that sells maybe harder to find and top of the line kitchen must-​haves like a Chinese spider, a more efficient wood-​handled strainer.
Kitchenology is the name of the store and according to their semiannual newsletter, it «offers SERIOUS culinary retail THERAPY for your cooking and entertaining ADDICTION.» I took the liberty of bolding the words I felt described it the best. The mood is great too — the woman working the counter was very friendly and genuine — she exuded a warmth I know well from working in the kitchen. If cooking is therapeutic, than The Culinary Center of Kansas City is one big rehab clinic and I’m checking myself in.

When I first walked in Culinary Center, I thought they were a «Pryde’s wannabe!» Soon after, I realized how much of an idiot I can be. The shop isn’t even really a kitchen shop, it’s a teacher of kitchen skills and an event space. Oops.
The Center offers up a 6500 square foot space to get your cooking on with teaching kitchens and dining areas to host some serious events. Apparently, food is so therapeutic (I do agree), they use this a means for offering team-​building activities and leadership workshops. Who knew foodies can offer up some great consulting services?
I toured the rest of the space and was pretty excited about rolling up my sleeves to get my chef on. If you would rather not get your chef on and taste some of their chefs creations, they offer up their «Dinners on Demand» program — dishes that are packaged with instructions for preparation. Sounds a little too «TV-​Dinner» for me but I won’t knock it until I get my teeth into it.
If you’re ready to step your game up in the kitchen arena, their classes seem top-​notch so check them out.