Finally—and after much ado—we're excited to present our new East & West menu!

w/ Vegetarian Option!

Each class is between 2.5 and 3 hours. Doors open 15 minutes early and we get going right away. You will be cooking with a team in this class. BYOB welcome.

Regularly scheduled classes: $99.90/Student - plus tax, please inquire about Team-building/Private Events pricing-see note below:

This class has a VEGETARIAN option! *See footer below for full details. We will not be prepared for you unless verified.

We gladly welcome skilled young cooks aged 13 and up; please be aware that our classes primarily include adults and discussions are geared toward an adult audience. For the safety and comfort of all participants, minors must be accompanied by a guardian. Please notify us in advance if you will be bringing minors. Thank you.

MENU

East Meets West: A Culinary Fusion Experience

An evening of bold flavors, creative techniques, and delicious cultural connections at The Prickly Pear.

Join us for a culinary adventure where the vibrant flavors of Asia meet the traditions of Western cuisine. From the tropical influences of Polynesia and California to the culinary artistry of Japan, China, and France, this hands-on experience celebrates the exciting possibilities that emerge when cultures, ingredients, and techniques come together.

Throughout the evening, we'll explore contrasting flavors, unexpected pairings, and both classic and contemporary cooking techniques. You'll discover how sweet, savory, spicy, tangy, and umami elements can work together to create beautifully balanced dishes.

And, of course, once the cooking is complete, you'll sit down, relax, and enjoy the delicious meal you've so carefully prepared!

The Culinary Experience

Appetizer | Polynesian Shrimp Stack

Japanese Sticky Rice • Pineapple • Sweet & Sour Sauce • Chili Crisp • Sriracha Kewpie Aioli

Our opening course is a playful celebration of Hawaiian, Polynesian, Californian, and Japanese flavors. Imagine a deconstructed sushi roll with a tropical twist: tender, fully cooked shrimp, Japanese sticky rice, juicy pineapple, and a vibrant sweet-and-sour sauce, all brought together with a touch of chili crisp.

To make things even more interesting, we'll introduce an assortment of finishing touches, including crispy fried onions, toasted coconut flakes, and a creamy sriracha Kewpie aioli. The result? A colorful, layered dish bursting with contrasting flavors and textures.

This course is all about finding your own perfect balance. We'll explore how sweetness complements heat, how acidity brightens rich ingredients, and how crunchy textures elevate softer elements. You'll have the opportunity to customize your stack to suit your individual palate.

We'll also revisit a classic rice-ring molding and plating technique that enjoyed its heyday in fine dining during the late 1980s and early 1990s. As they say, everything old is new again—and this charming presentation style is making a comeback!

Not a shrimp fan? No problem! A fully plant-based version is available. Just let us know your preference in advance.

Guests with shrimp or shellfish allergies, please see the allergy notice below.

Entrée | Sticky Lacquered Chicken Skewers with Hot Honey

Hot Honey Glaze • Soy-Sesame Dipping Sauce • Smashed Baby Potato Gratin • Seasonal Vegetables Two Ways

For our main course, we're turning up the flavor with a delicious marriage of Chinese, French, and Chinese-American culinary traditions.

The star of the plate is our Sticky Lacquered Chicken with Hot Honey, featuring tender chicken skewers coated in a glossy, deeply flavorful glaze. We'll explore the art of lacquering—a technique that builds layers of concentrated flavor and creates that irresistible, shiny finish.

Along the way, we'll discuss the role of reduction, viscosity, caramelization, and the delicate balance between sweet, savory, spicy, and umami flavors. A traditional-inspired soy-sesame dipping sauce adds another dimension to the finished dish.

Rather than reaching for the expected rice accompaniment, we're continuing our fusion journey with a decidedly French-inspired alternative: Smashed Baby Potato Gratin.

We'll transform tender baby potatoes into a rustic, herb-infused gratin with beautifully golden edges and a rich, comforting interior. It's a delicious Western counterpart to the bold Asian-inspired flavors of our lacquered chicken.

To round out the plate, we'll prepare a selection of seasonal vegetables using two contrasting approaches: one roasted to develop depth, sweetness, and caramelization, and the other prepared fresh to preserve brightness, crunch, and vibrant flavor.

Together, these elements create a plate that's both familiar and unexpected—comforting French influences, exciting Asian flavors, and a little California-style creativity.

A fully plant-based entrée option is also available with advance notice.

Dessert | “Tokyo in London” Honey Butter Toast

Japanese-Inspired Honey Butter Toast • House-Made Parisian Raspberry Coulis

For dessert, we're taking a delicious detour through Tokyo, London, and Paris!

Inspired by the Japanese-style honey butter toast that has captured the attention of dessert lovers around the world, our final course celebrates the irresistible combination of buttery, golden bread, delicate sweetness, and contrasting textures.

Related to the beloved Japanese dessert known as Shibuya Honey Toast, this indulgent creation transforms a humble slice of bread into something truly extraordinary.

We'll explore the technique behind achieving a beautifully crisp, caramelized exterior while maintaining a soft, pillowy center. The magic lies in the balance of butter, honey, heat, and texture.

To finish, we'll add our own French flourish: a house-made Parisian-style raspberry coulis. Its bright, tangy fruit flavor cuts through the richness of the honey butter toast, bringing the dessert into perfect balance.

Tokyo meets London, London meets Paris, and somehow, every evening at The Prickly Pear ends with a little French inspiration!

FIRST COURSE

Polynesian Shrimp Stack

Japanese sticky rice, tender shrimp, pineapple, sweet-and-sour sauce, chili crisp, crispy fried onions, toasted coconut, and sriracha Kewpie aioli.

Plant-based alternative available.

MAIN COURSE

Sticky Lacquered Chicken Skewers with Hot Honey, Seasonal Vegetables Two Ways

Finished with a soy-sesame dipping sauce.

French-Inspired Smashed Baby Potato Gratin

Plant-based entrée alternative available.

SWEET FINALE

“Tokyo in London” Honey Butter Toast

Golden, buttery Japanese-inspired honey toast served with house-made Parisian raspberry coulis

Appetizer: Our opening course is inspired by the vibrant flavors of Hawaiian, Polynesian, Californian, and Japanese cuisines. Think of it as a deconstructed sushi roll featuring (fully cooked) shrimp, sticky rice, pineapple, sweet and sour sauce, chili crisp, and fun finishing touches like crispy fried onions, toasted coconut flakes, and sriracha Kewpie aioli. Don’t do shrimp? No worries, just let us know, we have a fully plant-based option available for you to enjoy. *Shrimp allergies please see footer.

Throughout this course, we'll explore how contrasting flavors work together, giving you the opportunity to customize your dish to suit your own palate. You'll also learn a classic rice-ring molding technique that was popular in fine dining during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It's all back again!

Entrée: Our entrée, Sticky Lacquered Chicken with Hot Honey, is a celebration of Eastern and Western culinary techniques, drawing inspiration from Chinese, French, and Chinese-American traditions. Throughout the menu, we will explore the development of concentrated flavor through lacquering and high-viscosity finishes. Our protein base with be paired with we'll prepare traditional and non-traditonal vegetables two ways (a roasty & fresh take.)

Moving forward with our fusion theme, our entree will feature an western alternative to the standard traditional rice base. We'll begin by preparing a smashed baby potato gratin, a classic French-style dish infused with herbs that serves as the foundation of our plate.

From there, we'll prepare traditional Chinese vegetables two ways (a roasty & fresh take)

Dessert: For dessert, we'll travel to London for inspiration from the famous Japanese bakery behind the viral Japanese honey butter toast. Similiar to “Shibuya Toast” this special treat is widely eaten in Japan as a decadent dessert. We will finish ours with a house-made Parisian raspberry coulis. Somehow, every evening ends in France at The Prickly Pear!

Come join us in exploring arguably one of the hottest cuisine fusions happening now, East + West.

And then, of course, sit, and enjoy the meal you have so carefully prepared.

Polynesian Shrimp (or plant-based) Stack

Japanese sticky rice, pineapple, sweet/sour sauce, chili crisp, Kewpie sriracha aioli

Sticky Lacquered Chicken Skewers with Hot Honey (or fully planted-based version),

finished with a traditional soy sesame dipping sauce

Smashed Potato Gratin

sweet potato gratin, beef and/or veggies in house special sauce

“Tokyo in London” Honey Butter Toast

served with raspberry coulis

Wine & drinks pairing recommendations: Sake, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose and Pinot Noir or a cold Tsingtao or Tiger Beer. Please note this is a lengthy time for just one bottle, you may want to plan for both prep and dinner.

*VEGETARIAN STUDENTS: This class has accommodations to comply with lacto-ovo vegetarian restrictions. Though it contains dairy and eggs we can easily substitute plant based ingredients for the appetizer and omit the beef in the entrée. Just let us know after booking by going to the “contact us” tab and messaging us directly, otherwise we will not be prepared for you.

Shrimp Allergies: Please be aware that other guests in the class may be preparing and consuming a shrimp-based dish alongside you. While we take reasonable precautions to minimize the risk of exposure and cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.

Due to the structure of the class and the shared preparation space, there is always a possibility of cross-contamination, even with careful precautions. By booking the class, you acknowledge and accept this risk.

Please consider these factors when deciding whether the class is appropriate for you.

PLEASE NOTE REGARDING ABOVE DIETARY ACCOMMODATIONS: If you do not message us directly via “contact tab” the day of booking, we will not be prepared for you on the day of class.

Please discuss any dietary restrictions with our staff prior to booking, go to “contact us” in menu

We may need to make reasonable modifications to menus due to availability or class sizes.

We respectfully request that you do not confuse us with a restaurant. We conduct cooking classes. We run one specific menu each class and are not prepared to alter the ingredients or preparation on the fly. We are chefs, not dietitians👩‍🍳 Please read our menus carefully and consider your specific dietary restrictions prior to booking.

Please review our Rescheduling/Cancellations tab prior to booking.