Taste Buds Kitchen - San Jose - Willow Glen — Local services in San Jose

Maybe the individual classes or parties are good but the summer camp was disappointing. My child did enjoy it, but did not feel like she learned anything. It felt more like a daycare than a place to learn. She did not get the full experience of making her own dish. Everyone was grouped into a table of 4 and had to take turns adding ingredients, mixing, kneading, and if your child is shy or not assertive enough, they might get less time around more aggressive kids, which is what happened in the case of our friend's child. For the price, I expected that each child would get his/her own bowl and set of ingredients. She probably learns more at home than at this camp. There was no learning of techniques as the teachers were young high school or college kids teaching during the summer break. My child also said part of the class time was spent comparing the creations in mini-competitions or just doing trivia on cooking or random topics. Whenever I went to pick her up early, they were always already done about half an hour early and just chatting and doing the trivia, etc. To be fair, part of the time was due to waiting for the food to cook. The recipes for the week of baking were mostly too sweet and we ended up not wanting to eat half of the food. If your child has friends to do this, it could be a much more enjoyable experience, but overall, there is much room for improvement.

Update - We found a real cooking camp offered by our school district. The kids make real recipes, learn to prep. food, wash the dishes, and clean up. They stand on their feet in a real kitchen all day except for a lunch break. They learn what real cooking is about, instead of playing games and having decorating...

I was delighted to see the kids enjoying my daughter's birthday party; however, I believe there are opportunities for enhancements to elevate the overall experience. The staff, while friendly, could be more engaging with the children, especially during idle periods such as when the pizza dough was baking or when waiting for the milkshakes.

I initially envisioned the kids actively participating in making their own milkshakes and adding toppings, but it turned out the process was handled by a helper, leaving the children with little to do. It would have been beneficial if the staff had organized an activity during these waiting times to keep the kids entertained.

In hindsight, I would have preferred knowing in advance that the kids wouldn't be crafting their own milkshakes, as I might have opted for the alternative dessert option of cupcake decorating. Additionally, the size of the pizzas the kids made was relatively small, and some children were left hungry. Fortunately, the extra adult pizzas that were ordered helped fill the gap.

Comparing this experience to a party I hosted at Taste Buds Kitchen two years ago, I noticed a difference in engagement levels and portion sizes. Considering the investment made for this party, I believe a more interactive and generous experience would have been more in line with...

Why does this place have good reviews? Don’t waste your money. DEFINITELY NOT FOR DATES! There were only 8 of us (4 pairs) for an adult class and they only set up 2 very small tables and grouped us with strangers that you all cook the same meal with on one tiny hot plate. We even had to share the bread dip out of the same bowl with these strangers who disgustingly double dipped. Especially during Covid what gives? There was no excuse for this except laziness. There was plenty of room and supplies for 4-8 tables. It’s a Large room with tons of supplies you don’t get to use. They Taught the adult class like we were children and cooked most of the meal (sauce, noodles, chicken, etc) We learned NOTHING. They measure everything and have it all set out, you literally don’t do anything but mix and chop one vegetable on the tiniest cutting board, because the rest are chopped by whatever stranger is seated at your table. And four of us to stir one bowl? I sat there not getting a chance to do anything and the food was bland. What a waste of money. If you don’t feel like learning and cooking, but want to sit a foot from strangers and have them touch, double dip, and “cook” your meal on a hot plate then this...