Montreal Cooking Class by Michelin-Trained Chef

Meet Robert

Robert has been cooking professionally for over 30+ years. For almost three decades, food has been the center of his life. He has worked as a food editor, restaurant designer, hotel operator, and chef. He launched his first restaurant pop-up as a high school junior and began traveling the world in search of flavor by 19. As a food writer, he was nominated as World’s Best Food Journalist and won numerous global accolades as a correspondent for Travel+Leisure, Gourmet, and Slow Food. As an Oxford-trained scholar, he has lectured at food conferences on four continents. As a culinary consultant, he has worked with generational talents like Michelin 3-star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Sydney’s top toque Neil Perry, and Top Chef winner Harold Dieterle. As a culinary and operations director, he has developed 50+ restaurants and luxury hotels in the US, UK, and Asia, including some of the world’s top brands (W Bangkok and Seoul, Fullerton Bay Singapore, Corinthia UK). He believes that food has a unique ability to connect people, transcend culture, and create lasting memories. He is so excited to share his passion and hopes his cooking can bring a few dollops (or more) of joy into your life!

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-25 guests) Robert is passionate about sharing the different local food cultures, so you can experience the diversity the Montreal food community has to offer. He combines European and American techniques with global inspirations and uses local produce, seafood, and farm products. The experience takes place in his home kitchen, which is in a historic 1800's building in the heart of Montreal’s famous Old Port neighborhood. Your meal is a unique luxury and culinary experience where you will enjoy a 4-course tasting menu that includes dishes inspired by Montreal's global food cultures. Expect a mix of Asian, Jewish, Caribbean, Portuguese, and Quebecois flavors, all part of a savory story about food, culture and people.

Cooking experience: (1-40 guests) Join an award-winning food writer (Travel+Leisure, Slow Food) and Michelin Star-trained Chef for a hybrid cooking class and 3-course menu. You will prepare the menu together from scratch. The focus will be on professional techniques that define each course - pan-roast, sauces, presentation, knife skills - as if you were working in a top restaurant! This will not be a typical cooking class, where you just follow a recipe. Rather, each guest will wholly collaborate with Robert on several courses, learning the professional techniques and concepts behind creating bold flavors and beautiful plates.

Market visit: (1-20 guests) Guided tour of the Jean-Talon Market, one of the largest farmer's markets in North America. You will tour the market from a working chef's perspective focusing on the historic food communities of Montreal (Italy, North Africa, Middle East) through tastings of boldly flavored street food. Wind through the market stopping to explore the history and trade behind local and (for rare items) global sources of vegetables, tea, meat, and fish used by Quebec's top chefs. Then visit a tea store that supplies Michelin 3-star restaurants, buy cheese directly from artisan makers, and nibble on handmade Tunisian sweets. Your market tour will last for 1.5-2 hours.

Notes: If you select alcohol (at an additional cost) you will be served 3 tasting portions of artisanal wine/beer/cider, and for those who do not drink alcohol there will be a non-alcoholic tea tasting.

Robert can offer lactose free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan meals, and adapt to almost any food allergy or dislike, on request. You can also request special menus and celebrate occasions (birthday, anniversary, date night). This cooking class in Montreal is also suitable for families with children.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

• 3-Course Gastronomic Tasting Menu:
• Salmon Crudo (Caribbean) smoky cucumber, mango, sherry, chives
• Monkfish (Southern Thai) green curry, bamboo shoot, holy basil
• Duck (Persia) red pepper, chickpeas, sage, almonds

Traveler reviews

It was fun, educational and without a doubt the most organized class I have ever taken. took this class with a girlfriend and I finally learned the proper way to hold a knife. We also learned about the myriad of cultures adding to the Montreal food scene. Thank you chef Rob.

- Ruth_A July 12, 2024

It was a wonderful experience. The class was informative and the food was exquisite. We highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys cooking, learning techniques, and fine dining.

- travelon1 July 03, 2024

Perfection in plating your food and tips on how to do so was nice to learn from a trained chef. Great tips on making sauces to elevate a dish without overpowering it as well. Great dinner company and wine pairing as well. Thanks Robert!

- Tricia_W June 17, 2024

Perfection in plating your food and tips on how to do so was nice to learn from a trained chef. Great tips on making sauces to elevate a dish without overpowering it as well. Great dinner company and wine pairing as well. Thanks Robert!

- Tricia_W June 17, 2024

Robert is a great chef and teacher. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of food, and a great deal of love for Montreal’s ethnic diversity and foodways. The fusion creations we created in homage to La Cité’s immigrant populations were delicious and original. We learned not just about ingredients, but also about techniques and equipment. The selection of wines, beers, and ciders served with the meal were wonderful, too. Highly recommended.

- vt_travel February 13, 2024