Wen-Chen's reviews
May 2025
This was Anna's second time doing this class
Tracey shared with us her knowledge of Asian cuisine through a little Malaysian flavour escapade. Chicken kapitan with roti jala, steamed fish in custard wrapped in banana leaf and a chia pudding. Neatly compacted into a 2 and a half hour class. Our tastebuds were abuzz with spices and oriental aromatics from the moment we entered the classroom. Coming to Brunswick kitchen is always a delight. See you next time!
Apr 2025
Crystal Wire Wrap Ring Making Workshop
Crystals, chakras, fortune telling is Coco’s forte. She has a complete set up display/ workshop of crystals and her wonderful range of wire wrap crystal jewellery from earrings to pendants and rings with all kinds of themes eg. Christmas. You are immersed in a world of the energy of the five elements from water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Coco will tell you what crystals are most suitable for you based on the day of your birth and the power that you hold within manifested through crystals. I had a gem that I picked up and didn’t know what to do with and Coco was only too obliging and turned it into a beautiful wearable piece of jewellery. The class is one on one and you get the complete mastery and attention of Coco who will knock you for six with the creations you’ll make. I’m definitely coming back.
Apr 2025
Beginners Floristry Workshop: Kaleidoscope of Colour
Did you know if you come to Bloomin’ Marvellous 10 times you receive a complimentary apron to take home? Well now you do because today I was given the honorary apron emblazoned with the logo and the knowledge that I have 10 floristry classes worth of skills under my belt. This is also a more freestyle class as you have to use your intuition as to where and how the flowers will end up in your vase. The trick is to spin the lazy Susan and make it appealing at every angle. It’s okay, Jem is here to help and make it all work so you take home something you can admire for the weeks to come.
Apr 2025
Floristry Workshop: Pinterest Arrangement for Beginners
Jem is such a gem! So kind and lovely always with bubblies and cuppa tea ready at hand. The flowers are gorgeous and it’s a more freestyle class with the Pinterest arrangement, you have to judge, pick and choose where each flower will go for the ultimate pop in display. Where to cut the stem, not too short, not too long, don’t poke too many holes and the foam will crumble. Yikes. Thankfully, Jem is always ready to save the day and make your piece a true work of art. Just look at the Ecuadorian reflexed rose, what an absolute stunner. Love it!
Apr 2025
Amy is such a bubbly vivacious and endearing teacher who guided us through a curated tea selection. For connoisseurs of tea, taking part in a tea class is truly indulgent and decadent mixing and matching spoonfuls of this with spoonfuls of that. Such a great variety of tea bases with floral citrus annd earthy ingredients as add-ons. Loved learning more about the history of tea and the camellia sinensis tea plant. Tasting varieties of tea from different country origins and some quirky trivia. Wonderful all round!
Mar 2025
Teresa couldn’t have been more fabulous and mosaics on a beautiful sunny autumn day is a great and fun activity for all. You can really let your imagination soar with your own design or take a pattern from a book or ready made ideas. Simple is best and time does fly when you’re having fun. You choose from ceramic tile or ready cut glass pieces with glass pebbles suitable for both options. Teresa is always on hand to help you out and give you pointers and having a small class size means she’s available for each and every one of her students. You take home a diy kit for grouting your beautiful mosaic artwork. Everything is explained and demonstrated, meaning you are clear and confident to attempt doing mosaics every step of the way.
Mar 2025
Pia Gava hailing from Masterchef fame guided us through three pasta dishes today at Brunswick Kitchen. Spizzulus in cherry tomato and basil sauce, Tortelloni (not to be confused with its smaller cousin tortellini) with ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest and black pepper served in butter and sage sauce, and finally Sorpresine in chicken broth. Definitely more rare than your average spaghetti or fettuccine. Pasta is a labour of love as Pia tells us fond memories of watching her mother in the kitchen. She has passed on her wisdom in published cookbooks and flavour perfection with love infused in every dish.
Mar 2025
This was Anna's second time doing this class
Floristry Workshop with Champagne and High Tea
Jemina is so warm and welcoming and also so much fun. High tea with scones with jam and cream, cuppa twinnings and a glass of Moët, and that’s just the sideshow. The star is definitely the flowers, abundant blooms to whet your appetite. So impressive when the arrangement is complete. Roses, gerberas, carnations, alstroemeria and more. So happy with my creation. See you next time Jem!
Feb 2025
Cake Decorating and Sip Workshop
Such a beautiful space to create the cake of your dreams. Lina taught us how to use the scraper, spatula, piping techniques on a 6inch cake of your choice. I chose red velvet but mud cakes are catered for too. You get to pick your own colour combination and we used Swiss meringue buttercream, which everyone agrees is the gold standard. One gripe, as soon as I left the venue, a gust of wind blew my cake box apart and I got the buttercream all over my dress, it was literally unsaveable, it’s now a cake only I could love. It would be great if we could get more sturdy cake boxes.
Feb 2025
Calendula & Shea Body Balm DIY Kit
Erin from Honey and Glow ran a private and informative class on making a shea butter sweet almond oil infused with calendula salve. You get a parcel with all the ingredients with some optional extras which are always handy to have to incorporate into your skincare routine. I love pure and natural oils and butters that come from Mother Nature and you definitely know are good for you compared with the store bought creams with many complex additives that you need an encyclopaedia to understand. You’ve made this yourself and everything in it you can vouch for. It’s a great class, would highly recommend!
Feb 2025
Paint Your Own Babushka Dolls at Home
Sheena used to be a ballerina with the London school of dramatic art and is such a lovely person who guided us through the steps of painting our very own Babushka dolls. They come in plain wood and are nested one in the other, all 5 in total. The package also comes with a full set of acrylic paints and a handmade card. She told us a brief history of where Babushka dolls came from and showed us different designs and patterns we could use for our own dolls. Nice afternoon activity with a cuppa tea and a nice chit chat.
Feb 2025
Beginners Cake Decorating Class
We had Marie today for a most excellent beginners class to ombré buttercream cake. All the cake and cookie designs at Miss Biscuit are so aesthetically pleasing and they are also very tasty as well as being good looking. We had such a fun and therapeutic time decorating and perfecting layer upon layer of buttercream. Marie being a seasoned cake baker has lots of handy tricks and hacks for you to use at home in your own cake baking kitchen. I thought it was just excellent. Thank You!
Feb 2025
Lily has a genuine passion for organic natural skincare and all her products are just so nourishing and good for your skin. I’ve been going to her classes for a while and every time I learn about and bring home products that I love. Mademoiselle Organic is a real gem!
Feb 2025
Pizza Masterclass and Lunch: Dough Making
A truly authentic Italian pizza class taught by two guys from Rome and Naples and a lovely waitress named Anna too. Judging by the turn out, definitely is a popular place with 18 people squeezing into a small space, probably was a full house. Lovely experience. First you knead your own dough which you take home to let rise and make into pizza later on. Don’t ask them what’s in the flour mix, it’s an insiders only recipe Then it’s more one on one hands on with dough pre-prepared that’s going to end up in your stomach for lunch. The only topping was tomato sauce and mozzarella. Personally I’m a supreme and more toppings kinda of girl but to a true Italian that may be sacrilegious. Personal preferences. Great takeaway Italian products to make your own authentic experience at home.
Jan 2025
This was Anna's second time doing this class
Ruan and Sarah run a boutique tea company Impala & Peacock that offers a range of high quality, true to origin, naturally sourced, zero artificial flavouring and additive teas that are sure to delight your tastebuds. Certified tea sommeliers and professional competitors in tea tasting competitions, they share their precisely attuned scent and taste senses with our untrained noses and tongues today. I’ve already been to this class quite a few years ago but coming back is always a joyful occasion as I get to fill my cupboards with their gorgeous teas and blend one of my own during the class.
Jan 2025
Beginners Kokedama Making Workshop
Rashmi and her husband are newly weds who run a quaint little café that faces the Docklands library. She facilitates many creative workshops while serving a barista coffee or a tasty bagel. You get both coming to her workshop. Adorned with plants that she has propagated over time, we build our kokedamas from peat moss, coconut husk, perlite, garden soil, cotton threads and jute twine to wrap it all together. She’s very expressive in delivering the instructions and her love for plants is unmistakable. Hand knitted cosies to take home as well. Very cute activity. Gloves and apron provided.
Nov 2024
Little Italy Food Tour and Experience
If you ever wanted to be adopted by an Italian nonna who just feeds you nonstop then please sign yourself up. Platters of prosciutto, sopressa, salami, mortadella, cheeses, slices of baguettes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. A little panettone just because Christmas is around the corner. And that was just the first stop. Then we headed to the local butcher who did a very informative talk about his family with generations of butchers, currently comprising of an empire of butcher shops and supermarkets all operating in the Sydney area. An array of award winning meats on offer to sample to our tastebuds’ content. Finally some Italian sweets to put the finishing touches on a super nice morning stroll around five dock’s little Italy.
Nov 2024
Chinatown Food and Stories Walking Tour
Justin our guide was very knowledgeable on all things Chinatown going way back to the gold rush era when the first Chinamen stepped onto these shores. From historical anecdotes to art installation commentary, we definitely were with a well seasoned history buff + traveller + food critic + politically correct comedic. Quite a few persons of interest from a Chinese Australian lady who was exempt from the dictation test to gain re-entry into the country to a major general in the military with Chinese blood and served honourably in the forces who turned out to be her grandson. Justin has a nose for sniffing out good food and we were in for a treat from curry fish balls to fan tuan to xiao long bao to rou mo, cuisines from many parts of China were representative intertwined with fabulous stories for a fun and delightful walking tour.
Nov 2024
Thaitown Food Tour and Tasting
Justin of local sauce tours comes across as friendly and insightful with a good dose of larrikin humour. He led us through four eateries with a local Thai supermarket thrown in for good measure. All the favourite speciality dishes from different parts of Thailand like chilli squid, pork balls, kao soi, pork belly, Thai fried chicken burger, mango sticky rice etc. He also gave us fun interesting activity ideas and a quiz on the origins of the flavourful ingredients of Thai cuisine. We were definitely full afterwards and his knowledge of Thai cuisine and where to get the best Thai in town really impressed us.
Oct 2024
What better way to celebrate Halloween than Halloween cupcakes? From stencilled fondant to gold lustre trick or treat stamp to pumpkin fondant moulds and of course the buttercream piping which we did rosettes, ropes and stars today. Cachous in orange, gold and black and ones that look like eyes. So much fun and joy packed into a neat two hours. Always amazed at my own dexterity and nifty skills after a class with Lisa, who just explains things so well and shares her tips and tricks with us so generously. Like how to get rid of the white corn flour marks on black fondant? Why you hold the dried black fondant over a steaming kettle of course, then you let it dry, genius. Thanks Lisa and Miss Biscuit!
Oct 2024
The assortment and creative genius of candle magic can be felt at MOSA’s workshop. Upstairs from the iconic block arcade and in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city energy, MOSA is a space that lets you unwind and rewind time by candlelight and soft morning jazz. Such a peaceful and rejuvenating safe space smack bang in the middle of the city commotion, unheard of. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I choose to come back. Dried florals intricately tweezed into place for a block pillar candle, a candle holder and a soy wax tablet. We also moulded a carnation into a glass candle holder. Oh so charming. Oh so decadent. Oh so revitalising. Spending an afternoon at MOSA probably improved my longevity. Love it!
Oct 2024
What a joy and delight it was to spend another morning with Buttercream Queen Lisa. Today we made a 6-inch 4 tier Christmas tree cake with all the trimmings. Using the piping skills Lisa taught me on previous occasions, the rosette and the shell, we created a stunner of a Christmas tree decorated with gold fondant star and sugar pearls and cachous. So much technique and detail in using a spatula to buttercream the cake. Between the layers, crumb coating, evening the top. It does get technical, and time to master. How else does a cake get this good looking?! Thank you Miss Biscuit! Will be back for more.
Oct 2024
Soy Wax Candle Making Workshop with Fresh Food Hamper
Tania the founder of blossom lifestyle has a passion for hand poured candle making that radiates through every step of the workshop. She guided us through candle vessels to wick specifics to choosing fragrances to the temperatures required for the soy wax to temper for mixing and setting. Don’t expect candles to be just for women, because there are fragrances like tobacco and whiskey perfect for the man in your life. Three candles made during class and a charcuterie hamper to reward yourself with afterwards. Halloween and Christmas candle making classes coming up on the calendar, will be looking forward to those! Thanks Tania
Oct 2024
Flower Farm Picking and Arranging Class
Justine and her beautiful family welcomed us to their rural haven where they’ve taken on the momentous task of growing cut flowers for everyone to enjoy. This is their very first year and they’ve grown a mighty crop of tulips, anemones, daffodils with snapdragons and more to bloom further into the spring season which is just warming up. They’ve also got dahlias and rose bushes in the ground ready to come up into bloom next. The property itself is very picturesque with old machinery remnants strewn across the land in sculptural artistic landscaping. Many pretty and colourful Japanese maples. Their children were very friendly too, especially the cute little 4 year old Roman, who all helped with plowing the fields to grow the flowers. Lots of happy pups to pat. Wellington boots, bottle of drinking water & umbrella provided for inclement weather. Very happy day out into the country. Would definitely come back!
Sep 2024
Liqueur Chocolate Making Workshop
Small group size of four in the class today with Jerestene, a name with Persian origins. It was a lovely venue with a Long Island bar bench of solid stone, refurbished furnishings and stylish light fittings. The let down being the busy and often crowded atmosphere with people left right and centre completely unrelated to the class scurrying about consumed in their tasks. At one point a group of noisy hens party ladies came through for a separate affair in the afternoon during the class and went to a seating area in the back. We were shown a YouTube video of cacao bean processed to ready to eat chocolate and the long time standing at the bar was hurting my legs. There are bar stools available. Nice surroundings for a pleasant window shopping stroll before or after the class with Prahran market close by.
Sep 2024
Dessert Candle Making Workshop
Such a calm soothing relaxing ambiance today making dessert candles at MOSA. You pick the colours to dye the wax, the fragrance you like for the candles you’re making and also creative moulds of toppings that go on to your double layer cupcake candle, a secondary dessert candle (I chose the heart shaped Swiss cheese) and the third candle is made of gel wax in a champagne flute that is just for decoration not for burning. So lovely spending an afternoon in the avant garde deluxe candle workshop. It’s busy on the weekends but today being a weekday afternoon it was just me so I had a private class. So much joy. Thank you! And I want to come back!
Sep 2024
Clare had almost a full house today to begin her first ever skincare class with rose and cinnamon theme. Flawless setup of ethically sourced vegan ingredients and all the equipment and tools ready at hand to go through the recipes one by one. Bath orb, oat lotion, walnut exfoliant scrub and pink clay mask on the agenda today. Amazing to smell and work with and can’t wait to use at home.
Sep 2024
Make Your Own Natural Face Serum at Home
Michelle is an expert on skincare and was very generous in imparting her knowledge and wisdom with me today. Hyaluronic acid, Niacinamide, Vitamin C, retinol, active ingredients in the foremost skincare regimen on the market are all included in the lovely parcel sent out to me. Definitely telling from Michelle’s youthful visage that she knows a thing or two about preserving good looks. Thank You!
Aug 2024
Clare led another invigorating class on exfoliation and scrubs. It’s so much fun working with pipettes, beakers, little whisks and instruments that makes you feel like you need a lab coat and goggles and making important scientific progress. Of course here we’re working towards the progress of better and more nourishing skincare which everybody can relate to inclusively. Clare in a previous life was a chef so our tummies were well nourished as well. Always such a great spread of nibbles and herbal tea. All round fantastic time with awesome handmade products to take away and pamper yourself with at home.
Aug 2024
Floral Mini Cupcake Decorating Class: Secret Garden
We had Lisa today, the Queen of all things buttercream, decorating and cupcakes. We made 5 different floral patterns, daisies, tulips, hydrangeas, camellias and everyone’s favourite roses, which was the hardest to master. For a beginner’s class, I think we did mighty well, and just like handwriting as Lisa said, everybody’s buttercream piping is individualistic and has their own personality. I’m overjoyed with my beautiful dozen of delectable flower garden. Thank you Lisa and Miss Biscuit!
Aug 2024
The Ultimate Pizza Masterclass
Ashley executive chef for Pullman Melbourne and her competent sous chef Arnold led a very friendly and enjoyable class on pizza dough today. They have a state of the art rotating wood fired pizza oven on premises and the pizzas once the dough was kneaded rested and spread/flipped, are ready in 2 and a half minutes. One of the best tasting pizzas I’ve ever had. An assortment of toppings from buffalo mozzarella, pesto, roasted capsicums, prawns to caramelised onions, very generous variety and a genuinely good fun time had.
Jul 2024
Tina led a very leisurely class on zinc oxides, iron oxides, mica colours to have a play and mix around with to produce our own preferred lipstick colour. The formula is based on coca butter which is excellent for skin hydration and rejuvenation. It was a full class and we made enough formula for 5 lipsticks each. Melting, mixing and pouring. Highly entertaining activity.
Jul 2024
Lisa was most knowledgeable and helpful with her vast experience in buttercream piping and decorating cupcakes. It was a very hands on class from embossing fondant with merry Christmas wishes, making fondant snowflakes, to piping shells, rosettes, lines and kisses all in green and red Christmas colours. Sparkles and glitter to finish off your design. It turned out just like the picture, incredible. Amazed. Cupcakes so gorgeous you wouldn’t want to eat them but if you do, Christmas never tasted so sweet.
Jul 2024
I had a wonderful time concocting different combinations of fragrance oil to botanical additives in my soap making. It really is the real deal when it comes to quantity, I think I may have enough soap to last me for the rest of my life -almost probably. Each soap hand poured and made with loving care. Lovely handicraft exercise for you to do at home. Highly recommend!
May 2024
Mum and I really enjoyed this hands on make gnocchi yourself Mother’s Day outing. We kneaded the dough and made the meatball tomato base to go with the gnocchi. We were served wine, tea, antipasto and a rocket salad. Dessert were cannolis an Italian classic. Fun activity and many were in attendance. It’s great to be able to share good times with the people you love most.
May 2024
Make Your Own Soy Candles Workshop
Lovely set up with Tracy guiding us through each step from melting soy wax in a double boiler to mixing in the fragrance you pick out and finally pouring the soy wax into cans. Leaf candle co is run adjacent her husband’s hot sauce business in an upstairs warehouse room. There’s a dozen ready made fragrances for you to choose including sandalwood, watermelon lemonade, Bellini sorbet, clean linen, gin & tonic as a fragrance. The candles need time to set and will be sent to us at a later date.
May 2024
Clare is a beautiful person who has gone to the trouble of sourcing all her beauty ingredients responsibly, ethically, sustainably and organically. Coming from a background of a chef that has taken her to more than 68 countries and counting, she shares her worldly wisdom with us through her passion for wholesome authentic all natural skin care formulas. Tea from Pat’s apothecary and lovely little nibbles provided. Highly recommended.
Feb 2024
Wendy outdid herself again. We had 5 courses of delectable duck deliciousness. Duck liver parfait, smoked duck and feta quiche, confit duck with ruby grapefruit sauce, duck fat roast potatoes with roast duck and beans, and finally duck fat chocolate tarts. Each dish paired expertly with bubbles by Natalie from the Bubbles Review. It’s the first collaboration between Luv-a-Duck and Natalie’s Bubbles Review and I have to say, it was a great success. Plenty of happy bubbly and well fed guests and riedel glasses to take home as well. You also get a 10% discount off the store to take duck goodies home. A must!
Dec 2023
Christmas was certainly in the air today as we prepared a scrumptious feast for a full class and a couple more guests arriving for lunch. Tuna and crab mayo salad to start, gougères which are delectable choux pastry puffs, roast pork loin with the all important crackling, succulent turkey basted in herb butter and covered in bacon, Dutch carrots, beans and hasselback potatoes, and two desserts to finish, a berry meringue roulade and chocolate berry tower all doused in whipped cream. Mmmm So good. Tonya presented me with a certificate and her signature apron in recognition of all the classes I’ve taken with her. So thoughtful and lovely. Always well fed and watered with gorgeous company.
Nov 2023
Taiwanese Banquet Cooking Class
Today we had Christina’s spring menu which shouldn’t be confused with the winter menu that features the crowd pleaser beef noodle soup. Even though we weren’t fortunate enough to taste her famous beef noodle soup we did try some of her other dishes that were tasty and flavourful particularly since we kneaded the dough with our own hands. Pork belly bao buns, mapo tofu, beancurd veggie salad and custard buns for dessert. Tantalising few hours of preparation certainly gives you a good appetite and we all left with happy full bellies.
Oct 2023
French Bistro Desserts Cooking Class
Such nice weather for a super nice French desserts extravaganza. We were served a coronation quiche with some greens just so we ate something as a basis for the waves of dessert offerings to come. Apple tart tatin with Crème Anglaise ice cream, profiteroles filled with crème pâtissière and chocolate sauce, passionfruit soufflé, basque cheesecake and speculoos which are French cinnamon short bread biscuits. Many thanks to Tonya and her assistant Sandra for a wonderful day. You’d be surprised at your own baking and cooking ability. A nice drop of rosé or sparkling certainly livened the atmosphere.
Oct 2023
Cooking Fundamentals Class: Stocks, Sauces, Soups
We made some beautiful stocks today from chicken to beef to fish and crab which we used to create the sauces for a hearty three course meal. French onion soup with cheesy sourdough croutons, pork cutlet with mushroom sauce and apple sauce and a poached pear in puff pastry dessert with salted caramel and creme anglaise which you can churn to make ice cream. A real delight to the tastebuds. Bring containers to take your stocks home.
Oct 2023
Spanish Cooking Class: Camino Inspirations
To begin we had a Spanish frittata with potatoes, capsicum, chorizo and pecorino. Next there was the Manchego & Serrano ham choux pastry croquetas. For main we made an impressive seafood and meat paella with a most complementary saffron aioli (or as the Spanish say aliöli). And to finish a tarta de Santiago with orange juice jelly, whipped cream and a scoop of Tonya’s homemade ice cream. Such a nice way to spend Sunday and the paella I think is one of the best dishes I’ve made at Tonya’s classes. The flavours of the ingredients all combined soaked up by the rice was just divine.
Oct 2023
Moroccan Cooking Class: Dishes, Spices and Flavours
Tonya hosted another fabulous culinary odyssey to Morocco this time with tales of her travels and scintillating dishes to whet your tastebuds. Mezze dishes include traditional Moroccan flatbread Barbout dipped in Bessara which is fava bean based and a second dip consisting of roasted beetroot, feta and pomegranate molasses plus honey salted eggplants. Main course was a smashing chicken B’Stilla made from whole chicken cooked in homemade stock with just amazing flavours. To finish we had a chocolate, date and almond torte with homemade bergamot ice cream and slices of cinnamon orange supremes. Tonya is a gracious host who has an eye on all the goings on in the kitchen as each team is tasked with different set of recipes. We all had a great time with a drop of wine and fab meal to enjoy.
Oct 2023
Mediterranean Cooking Class: A Touch of Spice
There was a full class of 8 students today for Tonya’s Mediterranean feast. Lovely people making lovely morsels of food to share together. From Tonya’s signature focaccia with caramelised onion and olives, to ricotta and feta fritters, to grilled mussels, a baked eggplant cannelloni/ lasagne dish. Dessert was equaling amazing with meringue roulade decorated with grapefruit segments, Turkish delight, pistachios and rose petals and almond shortbread. We were greeted with lemon syrup buttermilk cake and a tea/coffee to start off the day. It’s so pleasant to watch the sun shining over the Marina and the sparkling blue hues of the sea while sipping on a white or red and enjoying the fruits of our labour.
Sep 2023
Jen is Venezuelan and proudly demonstrates how to make her grandma’s recipe for gluten free alfajores with us today. Alfajores are delectable biscuit sweets with many variations native to the 8 countries in South America that calls them their own. Usually shared during celebrations like baptisms and weddings and highly popular with adults and children alike. We left with a great many finished with dulce de leche and rolled in desiccated coconut and also an example of one dipped in chocolate. There’s also ready to bake dough to take home. Such moreish treats, you can’t just stop at one. Perfect with a cuppa tea or coffee.
Sep 2023
Gin High Tea Tasting Experience
Such a scrumptious display of finger sandwiches, cheeses, charcuterie, tarts, cakes and warm scones with jam and cream. A full sized gin and tonic to begin with that you can select from a curated menu and also a paddle of four gins you can mix with tonic water and ice yourself on the table. We were 25 minutes late and there was a full house but nothing was too much trouble. There was a lady who took time out to introduce us to their gins especially the Angry Ant gin that is infused with ant pheromones. Curious to try yourself?
Sep 2023
Whisky Distillery Tour, Tasting and Cheese
Chief’s son distillery is run by the Macintosh family who originated from Scotland and drew inspiration from winning a memorable whisky holiday back to their homeland from Pernod Ricard the makers of Chivas Regal. Their love for whisky transcends through generations as the owner’s grandmother used to sit back on the couch surrounded by family and enjoy whisky as a “medicinal remedy” for her cough. Very informational presentation with lots of stories interwoven. Beautiful drops of whisky, you get quite a few tastings and cheeseboard to match. The only let down was that they didn’t realise there was 3 of us coming and we squished in a 2 seater table with a cheeseboard that was a bit insufficient. You leave with a small bottle of whisky that you pour straight from the barrel using a tool called a thief.
Sep 2023
Very productive and enjoyable class today with master chocolatier Arno Backes. We made chocolate dipped candied orange slices, almond clusters, rocky road and chocolate honeycomb. Starting off with a hot chocolate that was just right and moving on to tempering chocolate and learning about how Arno has been honing his craft for decades. Taking his career from Germany to the streets of Melbourne, Arno has had a storied career from Koko black to appearing on Shark Tank, lots of fabulous tales to share to delight his students. His new location in Box Hill is an upgrade from the old digs in Clifton Hill with commercial grade stainless steel bench tops and enough space to manoeuvre and showcase his art form. Chocolate=Happiness
Sep 2023
Taiwanese Pastry Making Workshop
Christina is so warm and lovely and generous with her expertise. Born in Argentina and raised in Canada with Taiwanese roots, she shares food from her cultural heritage with us today. We made three different savoury and sweet moon cakes. One with mung bean pork filling, adzuki bean filling and daikon relish. Always ready to help and save your pastry when you are in strife. The trick is not to be too liberal with flour. She runs other Taiwanese cuisine classes too and I’m looking forward to another one of her delicious classes.
Aug 2023
Italian Cooking Masterclass with Wine
We had a full class today with two parties of English expats who agreed that the Melbourne winter was not cold at all to my wonder and amazement. Anyways Matilde kindly changed the menu on this occasion because I had already attended another class with the same original menu. We had the hickory smoked salmon crostini, pork tonnado, handmade from scratch spinach and ricotta ravioli and a beautiful vanilla panna cotta with blueberry coulis. Oh my goodness everything hit the spot. I left feeling full and satisfied. Thanks to Matilde and Rosie for another fab way to spend the weekend.
Aug 2023
Kelly was so organised in running this class. She welcomed all 8 of us to her lovely home. There’s a beautiful long marble kitchen bench from which we learnt how to make a range of Greek specialty dishes that I don’t know how to pronounce let alone spell. They were all delicious highlights being the vine leaves/ dolmades, beans in tomatoes with feta, pumpkin fritters, beef meatballs and filo pastry custard pockets. We shared the feast with a white wine from Crete, which is where Kelly is from. She is passionate about the benefits of Mediterranean diet and the role food plays in culture and bringing people together. We had a fabulous time. Thank you!
Aug 2023
Tuscan Cooking Masterclass with Lunch and Wine
Mathilde and Rosie were so lovely and hospitable. There were three of us in today’s small and intimate Tuscan cooking class. The menu was very healthy and homely, flavours that you don’t usually get at a restaurant. They were all dishes Mathilde grew up with having grown up in Tuscany and worked in elite dining venues all her life. We were fed and watered well and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Thank you!
Jul 2023
Another class with the lovely Tanya focusing on northern Indian cuisine. To say Tanya is passionate about cooking authentic Indian dishes would be an understatement. She has great recommendations to replicate the same flavours from class at home. From genuine paneer to ghee to double cream. Definitely an enjoyable experience, would highly recommend!
Jun 2023
Tanya is so so lovely and has a very British elocution from her English upbringing. She works full time during the week and explores her passion for good hearty homemade Indian cooking on the weekend with the lucky few of us who were able to get an invite to her kitchen. She has a repertoire of over 200 dishes and shares some of her favourites today. An explosion of spices and flavours from barramundi curry to chicken curry to a pumpkin dish, bottle gourd and green beans, a rice pilaf to go with it all. We had a beautiful snacking board with three mocktails during the class and a beautiful bottle of Penfolds Chardonnay to compliment the meal. Containers and bags all provided.
Jun 2023
Matilde and Rosie welcomed us into their home and guided us through a three course menu. Pork Tonnato, Pici Cacio e Pepe which is a hand rolled pasta made from flour, egg and water with cheese and pepper sauce and to finish the classic tiramisu. We were also served toasted bread with squid ink salami and kohlrabi, a hazelnut, Parmesan, rocket and lettuce salad and also an additional dessert rice fritters with persimmon topped with citrus. Washed down with a good drop of red or white wine. Divine. Such a beautiful way to spend Sunday.
Jun 2023
Organic Shape Jewellery Making Class with Stones
Hee Cho is very personable and friendly. She was a jeweller in the past and possesses great skills in making jewellery. The location was easy to get to, Carlton being very central to everything. I really enjoyed making my bejewelled wax ring which will go through a casting process to turn into a sterling silver ring with colourful gems. You can pick max 6 or 7 gems to go into your ring and the price covers one sterling silver ring, you can pay to make more. Pick up time is in a week and a half.
May 2023
Vegetarian Masterclass with Wine
Matilde and Rosie welcomed us into their home and showed us their thriving veggie garden which I enjoyed a lot especially for an aspiring green thumb like me. There was kale, lovage, radishes, basil, oregano etc etc even a yuzu tree. We made crostinis with roasted capsicums, frittata with sage, shallots and roasted pumpkin, leek and mushroom lasagna with pasta sheets made from scratch! We were also served homemade arancini, dessert and a beautiful seasonal salad with goat cheese, radicchio leaves and witlof which I never tried before. Thoroughly enjoyable with a good drop of red or white wine. We all left with happy full bellies, recipe cards and also very impressed with the class.
Apr 2023
We had Pam the owner and Luci the chef teaching the class today. We went through the different types of bbqs and the fuel they use. There was some hands on preparing and cooking. We made scallops with crunchy salad, scotch fillet with greens, jerk chicken in a drum smoker and lastly the chocolate pudding with berry coulis all paired with craft beers and a beer/drink to begin with. We enjoyed the class sure but we thought the food was a little bit lacking quantity wise.
Jan 2023
Today we had Pam the owner and Luci running the class. Both very accommodating and knowledgeable on BBQing. We had a prawn on sambal in a lettuce leaf, calamari on fennel, grapefruit, mesclun salad, baby snapper with a fresh crunchy salad and a whole smoked side of brined salmon, some potato salad and French fries as well. I gotta say as much as they were lovely, the food was a little on the stingy side. We almost ran out of prawns, and it was one prawn per person. The calamari we barely had two pieces each, and it’s not a super expensive piece of seafood, they could’ve just given us a bit more. It was like they knew it wasn’t enough so when it came time to sit in the restaurant and share the snapper and salmon, they gave us potato salad and French fries to fill us up.
Jan 2023
American Smoking BBQ Cooking Class
Lots to learn from pellet grills to kamado grills to offset smokers to drum smokers to using briquettes fuel. Luci is an expert on all things bbq. We made jalapeño poppers, pulled pork sliders, baby back ribs, gigantic brisket and brownies. There were a group of 5 who didn’t turn up so we had plenty of food to go around and the space felt roomier than yesterday. The information sunk in a lot more as I was more comfortable.
Jan 2023
Beer and Smoke BBQ Cooking Class
The teacher Luci was very knowledgeable on bbq especially coming from a chef background but the venue was a bit of a squish. The small space could barely fit all of us in and when the bbq was on, it felt like I was being smoked. Irritates the eyes. It was a 38 degree day also which added to the discomfort. Very relieved when they sat us inside the restaurant for lunch. As great as the bbq rump, short ribs, chicken thighs with salsa, avocado and tortillas were, there was barely enough to feed everyone. You get a couple of free beers but I’m not a fan of beer.
Jan 2023
Chef Jacqui was lovely and inviting. She lives in a beautiful home with a large balcony looking out to the moonah links golf course. From sharpening knifes to peeling the muscle tendon off each scallop (the muscle makes it tighten up and less tasty) to making a persillade sauce in a mortar and pestle to go with the saltbush lamb, gas torching the creme brûlée. It ran for over 5hours and Chef Jacqui was kind enough to spend all that time sharing her tips and tricks of the trade with us.
Dec 2022
This was Anna's second time doing this class
Floristry Workshop: Fancy Fishbowl
Excellent experience. Thanks for Jem’s expertise on floristry. Presentation was very clear and well organised. My family appreciated this opportunity. Thank you so much!
Nov 2022
Spring Vegetable Cooking Class
Tracey was lovely and inviting as always and spring vegetables never tasted so good. We had goat cheese ricotta pomegranate with asparagus and broad beans, leek potato and thyme pasties with a real fresh take on tabouleh with avocado and radishes and to finish off a rhubarb creme brûlée. A very hands on class and everyone was involved in the food prep and cooking, especially the part where we used the flame to brûlée the sugar on the dessert. Great fun.
Nov 2022
There was just the two of us today and Semra was so welcoming and patient with us. It’s a painstaking process tracing the pattern then using the Gutta paint to outline the pencil tracing and finally adding colour. Very therapeutic and recommend it for those who like arts and crafts. A very enjoyable afternoon. The final stage is steaming to prevent discolouration in the wash which can be done at home or you can pick it up from Semra in two weeks time. Thank you!
Nov 2022
We had Luke David as our teacher and he went through a lot of detail from composition to lighting to editing photos all on our phones. We met at the Ormond statue on RMIT campus and then went to the state library followed by the RMIT design school, we took many photos which he critiqued and edited to perfection. Finally he discussed about taking portraits. It was a very enjoyable afternoon, learnt lots.
Nov 2022
Gold or Silver Ring Making Class
I arrived about 15 minutes early and was told to come back later which wasn’t a great start to the class. When I did come back later, I really did enjoy the ring making process. The teachers were great and knew exactly what they were doing. From bending, soldering, filing to polishing, it’s really hands on and you end up with pieces you can be proud of wearing.
Nov 2022
Today we made a bouquet with alstroemerias, ornamental lilies, stock, irises, roses and used viburnum as foliage. Jem was her wonderful merry self guiding us every step of the way making sure each of our bouquets turned out beautiful. Tea and bubbles provided with optional cheese platter or cake stand. Definitely coming back for more classes. Thank you!
Nov 2022
Peony Flower Arranging Class for Beginners
Gem is so lovely and welcoming. It’s always a delight coming to her classes especially so because today is peony appreciation class. There wasn’t a huge selection of peonies because of the unprecedented weather we’ve had however it doesn’t take away from the beautiful coral and pink peonies we did have. Tea and bubbles provided.
Oct 2022
Floristry Workshop: Tall Seasonal Blooms in a Vase
Jem’s classes are so much fun and such good value for money. We were served tea, bubbles and cheeseboard or cake stand (optional extra). I had such a great time creating a floral piece of art that not only looks great but also gives me a great sense of pride that I could create something so beautiful following Jem’s expert guidance. Her passion for floristry really shines through and impresses upon each of us how easy it is to make a flower arrangement harmonise following just some basic principles. I will be back for more ^_^
Oct 2022
Asian Cooking Class: Spring Favourites
Daniel Wilson hailing from Huxtable and Huxtaburger fame treated us to some of his favourite Asian inspired dishes. From squid, green mango, chilli, herb and peanut salad to soy cured salmon, snow pea, sesame and & soba noodles to pork larb in lettuce cups and coconut chicken salad. Every dish was a hit and was greatly enjoyed by a captivated audience. It was a truly wonderful and tasty experience watching the MasterChef at work. Looking forward to coming back to Brunswick kitchen for more classes.
Oct 2022
Michelle is passionate about herbs and their medicinal properties to cure all the day to day ailments that haunt us. She’s a great presenter and maintains a herb garden where she harvests the fresh herbs to show us during the live-streaming class. I really enjoyed the class and will be blending the herbs to enjoy as a tea/herbal remedy long into the future.
Oct 2022
Floristry Workshop: Spiral Stemmed Posy
Jem was very welcoming and generous with her expertise. Always ready to help to make make our posies looking the best they can be. We also had a glass of bubbles which was a bonus.
Oct 2022
Vietnamese Seafood Cooking Class
Tracey showed us how to make mackerel rice paper rolls with a classic Vietnamese dipping sauce, deep fried prawn and sweet potato cakes, whole mackerel wrapped in banana leaf and a squid and pomelo salad. I had a great time. Dat was always ready to pour a glass of water and wine and was also very skilled with segmenting a pomelo. Very tasty meal.
Oct 2022
Introductory Drypoint Etching with Colour Workshop
Kaya welcomed us into her home. She’s very knowledgeable and generous with her expertise. Tea and biscuits were provided. We left with many prints of the picture we brought with us and an insight into Drypoint etching.
Oct 2022
I had a wonderful time learning to make a meringue cake, salted caramel lamingtons and a strawberry and blueberry berry tart with Lisa and Tracey. It’s so lovely watching Lisa’s mastery in the kitchen and making creations that are not only great to look at but also delicious to eat. They shared lots of handy tips for cooking and baking at home. Looking forward to the next class @ Brunswick kitchen. Thank you!
Oct 2022
Natural Skincare Pampering Workshop
Lily is fabulously talented and lovely to have as a teacher as we leisurely learned about essential oils that went into an emulsified day cream, moisturising macaron shaped bar, massage candle and a beautiful organic vegan lipstick. So much fun as always. Thank you!
Sep 2022
We had Renee guiding us through the dome moss terrarium class today. She’s very friendly and supportive and helped us each step of the way through our finished product. I love how my terrarium looks and it will take pride of place in my room next to the window. I’ve killed my previous terrarium by putting it outside in direct sunlight but not this time. I know better this time round, will take greater care of it.
Sep 2022
Tea and Chocolate Pairing Experience
Ryan and Sarah were lovely providing us with a variety of teas to pair with many kinds of delectable single origin bean to bar chocolates and brownies. We tasted Solomon Islands, Ecuador and East Timor chocolate bars. Brownies made with chocolate from Peru, Solomon Islands and Trinidad. Their teas are amazing, I can not recommend highly enough. The rich aromas of jasmine, lemon myrtle, lemon grass, pineapple, the list goes on. The very best of organic tea.
Sep 2022
To say Sandra is passionate about Sake is an understatement. She’s a certified Sake educator and has her own shop selling Sake both online and in her Perth store. It was lovely spending this evening in her company and having her explain the origins of Sake and taste all the varieties of Junmai, ginjo and daiginjo. Also don’t miss out on the sparkling Sake, what a joy that is. Thank you!
Sep 2022
DIY Organic Skincare Essentials Workshop
Lily is so warm and inviting and you get to make such fun recipes of nourishing organic skincare products. It’s just such a pleasure to spend your time on the weekend with good company and doing something so wholesome. Lily as always is full of knowledge and has great stories to share. I’m looking forward to the next class! Thank you!
Sep 2022
Chocolate truffles might be too intimidating to try at home but anything is possible when you’re under the guidance of master chocolatier Arno. A Parisian hot chocolate to start. We then tried and tasted a variety of chocolate couvertures and made champagne and caramel fillings and piped it into our truffle shells. It was great fun getting our hands dirty and hearing Arno’s fond memories of his experiences as a master chocolatier. Would recommend to everyone, who doesn’t love chocolate after all.
Sep 2022
Wendy and Mark put on another marvellous cooking fiesta with duck recipes to rival the best restaurants in town. I had a ball, there was so much to eat, as Wendy says, they keep us well watered and well fed here. It’s always been a joy coming to Luv-a-duck. Thank you so much!
Aug 2022
Uppma is enthusiastic and informative on all things Chai. She went into detail with each spice ingredient including some I’ve never heard of before. There were some book recommendations and lovely memories from her travels to discover Chai. Would recommend, thank you!
Aug 2022
Paint and Sip Class: Van Gogh Wheat Fields
Elizabeth is a skilled teacher and explained each step in great detail so we can replicate the mastery of a painter like Van Gogh. The place was within a gallery space that was booked out for a kids party so was a little confusing to find. I’m happy with what I created. Thanks!
Aug 2022
Put the order through and received a tracking number no more than 15 minutes later. Extraordinarily quick dispatch and the package arrived in good condition. Includes information, placemats and notepaper for 4 people. Happy customer. Thank you!
Aug 2022
Organic Haircare Essentials DIY Beauty Workshop
Another fun class by Lily who is the quintessential organic beauty expert. We made a solid shampoo, an Argan oil serum and a cream hair conditioner. It was wonderful to create these natural organic Haircare products under Lily’s expert guidance. There was some elbow grease required for the conditioner as the jojoba oil had to emulsify with water but overall it was a pleasant experience. Will be coming back for more classes.
Aug 2022
The chocolate was duly delivered in great condition and with lots of information including the link to the online class which I will watch soon. In the meanwhile I’ll definitely enjoy the many varieties of chocolate. Love it. Thanks
Aug 2022
I got the full set of gins but not the information pamphlets which is a shame. Thanks anyways. Will appreciate the gins one sip at a time.
Jul 2022
6 courses of delectable duck dishes matched with beautiful drops of wine from Prosecco to Shiraz. Wendy is just the perfect host and head chef, making sure we all enjoyed cooking and dining on our hard work. It was a feast for the senses and I can’t wait to come back for more. Thank you!
Jul 2022
Artisan Chocolate and Wine Tasting Kit
Fast dispatch and delivery. Beautifully presented with four booklets and placemats to set the scene for a magical wine and chocolate tasting experience. I will savour every drop. Thank you!
Jul 2022
Arno is a very experienced master chocolatier and the venue is very Melbourne-esque situated in a laneway with milk crates for seats. We had a hot chocolate to begin with and many morsels of delicious varieties of high quality chocolate. We then tempered some chocolate to pour into our chocolate bar moulds decorating with ganache(which he showed us how to make) candied orange, mandarin, sultanas, hazelnuts among other things. Time well spent.
Jul 2022
Southeast Asian Cooking Class: Cambodia to Sri Lanka
Tracey’s expertise on southeast Asian cooking and friendly and kind ways make this class an enjoyable affair. We had a very hands on class making rice paper rolls, prawn and herb salad, beetroot curry with saffron rice and fish amok. Even more delicious having been created through our own hands. Will be back for more.
Jul 2022
Chef Lisa and Tracey are such gracious and kind people. We had a mini cheese platter to nibble on during class accompanied by some wine. We made buttercream frosting for chocolate cupcakes and meringue topping for white choc cupcakes. There was the inimitable made-from-scratch caramel matched with ice cream, mud cake, raspberry & biscuit crumble. Lemon curd, marshmallow, wagon wheels, the list goes on, lots of delicious snacks for the sweet tooth and lots to take home too.
Jul 2022
Pinot & Duck Cooking Masterclass
We had 5 courses plus a morning tea roast duck, each course was matched to beautiful drops of brown brothers wine. Wendy was brilliant as always ensuring every class is a success and everyone enjoyed themselves. Each dish of duck was exquisite on the tastebuds, there was also a raspberry soufflé for dessert. Wonderful value for money, fabulously indulgent.
Jul 2022
Paint and Sip Class: Van Gogh's Red Poppies
This is my third class with Emma and the third class of Van Gogh. It was a full class with many people sharing the classroom space including a very quiet 6 week old baby. People brought wine nibbles and snacks and everyone enjoyed themselves. Like Emma says, just be nice to yourself, believe in yourself, inflate that ego and you’re sure to create something you can be proud of.
Jul 2022
Healthy Cooking Class: Cook Real Low Carb Food
Tonya was very hospitable and inviting. A cozy 3 participants today cooking at her home by the bay. We had some cheese, walnuts and grapes to begin with. Then we made egg and chive mayonnaise with caviar, seed crackers and roasted beetroot, cinnamon and pomegranate dip. The main was a French chicken dish made with onions, leeks, mushrooms and apples. Served with garlic and parsley butter and vegetables on the side. For dessert we had chocolate bark with an orange salad. All enjoyed with a glass of vino and views of the Marina and sea. Happy times.
Jul 2022
Wendy was brilliant as always. She keeps an eye on all the different recipes distributed amongst us and all the dishes turned out delicious. Mark was wonderful as well making sure we had clean chopping boards and equipment to cook with. The best part is sipping wine and enjoying the feast together at the end. Amazing!
Jun 2022
Marina is so lovely and welcoming. We are invited to her home to prepare the most incredible pasta from tagliatelle to ravioli to tortellini. From spinach and ricotta to roast mushrooms and ricotta to pork beef mortadella prosciutto Parmesan fillings. The pasta is then cooked in simple but delicious sauces, think brown butter and sage, cream and Parmesan, pork and peas. Afterwards, we sit together for lunch and feast on our hard work. Fabulous way to spend the weekend. In addition, I had to reschedule last minute one time and Marina couldn’t have been more understanding. Thank you!
Jun 2022
Divyani was our teacher and is also the founder of Dash finishing school. She was so lovely and helpful to each and every one of us in her class. From donut buns to French braids to fishtails to curling and straightening your hair, she covered it all. Differences between hairspray and hair lacquer, volumising spray, dry shampoo, recommendations for products. A great way to spend the weekend.
Jun 2022
Shaz was very personable and knowledgeable and let us try all the expensive make up products she brought with her. She correctly matched the colour of foundation for our complexions and had a lot of recommendations on which products work. We learnt how to do smoky eyes and glamour eyes which was not suitable for smaller eyes we learnt. I had a good time.
Jun 2022
Lola is so enthusiastic and charming. I love coming to her classes because you know you’re going to be fed well and promised a fun time cooking and enjoying her quirks and stories. We always go to the South Melbourne market first to collect all the ingredients. Then we made mini chorizo sandwiches, beef ribs, chimichurri, chocolate torte and sangria. Would come back again. Thank you!
Jun 2022
Natural Perfume Making Class: Make Three Perfumes
Another great class by Lily who is the foremost source on beauty and skincare products. We made three perfumes, a balm, a roll on and a spray, selecting a variety of different essential oils to go into each one. So much fun trying different fragrances and playing with pipettes and scales. Looking forward to the next class!
May 2022
Melt and Pour Soap Making Workshop
So many choices so little time. From oxides and clays as colourants to essential oils and vegetable/nut oils to exfoliants, Lily was very knowledgeable and thorough with the notes provided and instructions given. Will be coming back for more classes. Thank you!
May 2022
Asian Inspired Duck Cooking Class
Another fabulous class with Luv-a-duck, I had a ball. Wendy and Mark are wonderful. You make a feast with your very own hands and it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience both the cooking and eating. Thank you!
May 2022
Marina is a lovely person welcoming us to her home and making pasta, ravioli, tortellini. She is a great teacher and the table settings were beautiful
Apr 2022
Please note the add-ons are incorporated into the 6 weeks of powerpoints and worksheets. There's no more sessions after the initial 6 even though you purchased the add-ons. A whole lot of rescheduling. Death by powerpoint. Very underwhelming material. There's worksheets for each week and lots of healthy meal recipes if you're into that sort of thing. She did give me this extra eat your greens class delivered through an app but it wasn't groundbreaking or anything.
Apr 2022
Little Lon is a charming cottage distillery, the only one in the CBD. The class goes through a variety of curious characters from its rich and colourful past that each gin is named after. So fun and enjoyable. Snacking board provided with lots of gin and tonics. You’re sure to have a good time.
Apr 2022
Lily is French and knows all the ins and outs of natural skincare ingredients from essential oils to clays. We made a skin mask and got to take home 3 full size skincare products from her organic skincare range.
Apr 2022
I’d have to agree the room might be a tight squeeze but you can overlook all that because Gabi and Pearly are just so gracious and generous apart from being very knowledgeable on the topic. Super fun time and so so much chocolate to take home.
Apr 2022
Yen, one of the founders of Metascent, guided us through the class today. I created a citrusy herbal scent that was very calming and soothing. There was enough solid perfume to fill an extra lip balm container. They know just what to add to balance and enhance the fragrance you’ve made. Very enjoyable.
Mar 2022
Italian Cooking Class: Cooking with Passion
The class is from 8:45am in the morning to 3ish in the afternoon just in case you were wondering. We made pasta and focaccia from scratch. Porcini mushroom risotto with the leftovers made into arancini, there was a roasted capsicum salsa to go with the focaccia, we had stuffed figs as an entree as well. Finishing off with affogato with homemade vanilla ice cream and panacotta. Tonya and Joan were lovely and joyful. There were 5 participants in total and we all had a lovely time.
Mar 2022
I chose the same fragrances I used for the morning candle making class because I love it so much. After trying some of the more citrusy scents like orange top and pamplamer which is derived from a sweet pomelo blend I learned, I might attempt a citrus tone for the solid perfume class next weekend. But then again I don’t want to end up smelling like a kitchen antibacterial spray? Bring on the romance, imagination and creativity of the next perfume class!
Mar 2022
Souade was very knowledgeable and knew just what to add to your scent to elevate it to another level. It was an adventure for the senses trying out all the different fragrances, absolute bliss and joy for the nostrils, mind and soul dare I say. You come away with your signature scented candle. Smells like heaven. Just so wonderful.
Mar 2022
Victoria was very nice over zoom and answered all my questions. However the class first had to be rescheduled because the package didn’t arrive, no thanks to Australia post, and then due to technical difficulties the 10am class was shifted to 12pm which was inconvenient because I had a painting class to get to afterwards.
Mar 2022
Floristry Workshop: Fancy Fishbowl
Jem is so lovely and nice and generous, such a wonderful host. We all had a glass of bubbly because it was someone’s birthday and on top of that, we were each given three stems of Gloriosa Lilies. These were something special alright. I had seen them before at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and they had captivated my attention then. Fabulously indulgent.
Mar 2022
Kokedama Moss Ball Workshop: Make and Sip
There was a last minute reschedule but I love plants and it didn’t take away from the joy of making my kokedama babies. Drinks and cheeseboard provided. Excellent technique and instructions were given. I really love the two plants I’m taking home.
Mar 2022
Liz was excellent at explaining the details of gin making and walked through the process with a bunch of minds as inquisitive as ours. Cheeseboard provided and many tastings of gin and vodka varieties. Fascinating stuff and highly recommended.
Mar 2022
Food and Drink Tasting experience
Penny the organiser and Olga the sommelier were so friendly and lovely. Wines plentiful, cheese not so much which was the only let down. Each board was shared between two people. Very interesting and informative without being dull. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Mar 2022
It was a very easy going and informative class. Apart from possessing great knowledge on tea, Ryan makes everyone feel welcome and at ease. We tasted a range of teas and then made our own tea blends. Great variety of tea ingredients to choose from and some quirky tea trivia to keep you thinking.
Mar 2022
If you ever have a hankering for duck then you’ve gotta come to a luv-a-duck cooking class. Wendy is just brilliant and the recipes easy to follow and easy to replicate at home too. You end up with a feast for the eyes and the stomach. Incredible value!
Feb 2022
Native Australian Cooking Class
Fresh damper with a cream/goat cheese and native pesto dip, kingfish marinated in native herbs and spices and tender kangaroo loin with assorted veggies, very appetising and delicious. You’re in for a treat!
Feb 2022
Such a vibrant array of flavours, travelling may be hard to do at the moment but you can definitely send your tastebuds on a journey. We made a beautiful fragrant paste and also a peanut sauce that created dishes like rendang beef, satay chicken skewers, banana leaf rockling and a traditional salad dish which were all very tasty. First time using the hibachi grill also. Highly recommend, Dylan was brilliant as always.
Feb 2022
A visit to South Melbourne market where Lola knows everyone and everyone knows Lola followed by pisco sour, kingfish ceviche and some dishes I can’t pronounce nor remember. Stimulating for the tastebuds and good times to be had.
Feb 2022
Floristry Workshop with Champagne and High Tea
From the pastel gelato colours of the flowers to the bubbly Moët and the assortment of cheesecake, brownie, lemon tart and sandwiches, it was so deliciously fun. Jemina is a great teacher and I had a great time. Good value too!
Feb 2022
Paint and Sip Class in the Park
There were about 30 of us in the class sitting outside in the breezy afternoon shade. Ali the teacher was very attentive and helpful and moved me into a shadier area when the sun passed me by overhead. Easy instructions to follow and an all around great time.
Feb 2022
Duck Demystified Hands-On Cooking Class
Wendy was brilliant, it’s a wonder how she can multitask and keep tabs on everyone as we all had different recipes to follow. We worked in pairs and made an amazingly tasty duck feast which we shared together with a glass of wine. I’m coming back to do their other classes.
Jan 2022
A visit to South Melbourne market followed by sangria and paella. After many a sangria, everything seemed better. The class really benefits from its close proximity to South Melbourne market, fresh seafood, saffron, veggies and fruits. It was a merry affair. Lola is very energetic and charismatic.
Jan 2022
After getting all the ingredients from South Melbourne market, We made margaritas and sangria to start. The alcohol was strong and really kicked into gear the cooking class. We made guacamole, salsa, tortillas and we enjoyed tacos. Everyone had a good time. Lola was lively and passionate.
Jan 2022
Paint and Sip Class: Vase with Irises by Van Gogh
Really soothing and enjoyable experience. Truly magical the way Van Gogh’s masterpiece can come alive under my own brushstrokes. Many thanks to the teacher. Will book more classes.
Jan 2022
From coffees to gelato, banh mi’s to green ant chocolate, it was a real treat to go on this tour with Melinda as our guide. Lots of stories and history along the way, highly recommended, thoroughly enjoyable.
Jan 2022
Food and Drink Tasting experience
Monique was lovely and I had a fabulous time. There was a cozy 8 of us in the group and we tried four different dumplings from four different restaurants. There was history about Melbourne’s beginnings and lots of info on dumplings and the parts of China each variety was from. Thoroughly recommend.
Jan 2022
Hee Cho was a great host and we had a lovely time designing and creating our own rings. Would definitely recommend.
Jan 2022
It was a good class but I just found that the food wasn’t as tasty as the Mexican or Thai cooking class.
Jan 2022
This is my second Otao kitchen cooking class. I was amazed that something I cooked with my own hands could taste this good. We made corn fritters, green papaya salad and either red duck curry or green chicken curry, the flavours and taste were a great surprise, exceeding my expectations. The Brut sparkling was great and teachers very knowledgeable and friendly. Booked more classes.
Dec 2021
I arrived early and was told to take a walk around the neighbourhood and come back which I wasn’t particularly partial to. But the class was excellent, we made tortillas from scratch, amazing chopping cooking flipping tortillas, really tasty food and there was plenty to take home too. They had containers and bags ready for us. Overall positive experience.
Dec 2021
Great atmosphere, lovely teachers Wendy and Nicki, we made so many dishes and everyone enjoyed the preparing cooking and eating. Fabulous time.
Dec 2021
Tipsy Terrarium Workshop: Make and Sip
Bubbly enthusiastic and cheerful teacher, had a fantastic time. Wine, drinks and snacking board provided.
Nov 2021
Real jolly atmosphere and all hands on deck to make a wonderful Christmasy French meal. Really enjoyed it
Nov 2021
Paint and Sip Class: The Starry Night
Great class, friendly and enthusiastic teacher. Guided us through the painting step by step so that something as intimidating as Van Gogh’s starry night seemed doable. Surprised myself with how well it turned out. One word of warning my Saturday night class was full of couples, so probably best to bring someone with you.
Nov 2021
The materials were beautifully presented, the teacher was patient, helpful and pointed out handy tips to make our mosaic lamps turn out the best they can possibly be. I thoroughly enjoyed making my lamp and it sits proudly beside my bed. Tea and biscuits provided. Please note your hands will become sticky.
