In an unassuming office block on busy City Road you’ll find an oasis of calm in the world of Alyce Alexandra Cooking School. My +1 and I were met by the friendly crew, a hot cuppa, and time to explore the enticing rows of foodies’ delights in their boutique cooking shop. The school itself was opened last year by Alyce, with a focus on health food. You can sign up to learn how to make healthy deserts or paleo dishes. The school also runs dedicated Thermomix classes (a cooking appliance combining a blender and a food processor with heating capabilities). While you can definitely make all of the recipes without the device, these classes are aimed at those who have one. You may prefer to attend one of the exciting regular classes if you aren’t considering investing in this piece of kit.
photo courtesy Alyce Alexander
The class begins with a glass of wine served at the dining table which faces the large open kitchen counter, enabling you to watch the masters at work. The vibe is informal yet professional. Our class had only 12 people (max 24), so there was plenty of space to ask questions and take photos or videos of the dishes being made.
photo courtesy Alyce Alexander
Between $75 and $120 will buy you around a three-hour class where each course is demonstrated followed by a tasting. At our superb yum cha class, this resulted in a five-course lunch including chicken soup, steamed dumplings, and all finished off with a mouth-watering fresh custard tart.
Attending a class is a great way to spend a few hours picking up some new tips with sights and smells which make you desperate to run home and cook up a storm. Just make sure you come hungry!
– Jane
Jane Pendry is borderline obsessive about good food. Originally Scottish, she lived in London before leaving her job as a lawyer to pursue her passions for food, travel and writing. She can usually be found scouring Melbourne for top new eateries or sipping a long black while writing about career change and her own foodie adventures on her blog www.thelunchboxdiary.com. Follow Jane @lunch_box_diary.
Alyce Alexandra Cooking School
417 City Rd.
South Melbourne VIC
http://www.alycealexandra.com/
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