I Wish Lessons

Grant me 3 wishes, and they would be:

1. I wish the customer service was better (no fault of YouSwoop). To book a spot in the sushi making class, the coupon advised to call a number. Out of the what must have been 10 times I called over the span of a week, a live person answered exactly 0 times. The voicemail requested you to leave the date and time of the class you wanted to reserve and ensured a rep would call you back. The messages I left were returned exactly 0 times.

2. I wish it would have been clearly communicated that class spots could be reserved online. This would have mitigated a lot of the upfront frustration.

3. I wish the sushi making class incorporated more actual... sushi. The menu included roasted edamame, salmon salsa on homemade sesame crackers, seared ahi tuna sashimi, and a bbq chicken maki roll.

The $40 (discounted), 2 hour class split us 20 students into stations, and each station worked on a different part of the complete meal. Chef Scott Allred provided guidance on the menu and offered assistance throughout the cooking time. My station made the slaw and seared the tuna, and before long, the kitchen smelled fantastic! Although I'll admit the edamame and salmon salsa courses seemed lame to me at first, everything the group made and ate was delicious!

If it weren't for all the hassle and struggle with logistical coordination with I Wish, I'd very quickly sign up for more classes. This particular one took place at Kitchen Chicago, in an isolated area. Feels a little shady getting here, but the actual class was a blast!

I Wish:
-For better organization and communication
-That I got a confirmation for Twisted Sushi, which included info about the hard to find location.
-That I knew my Twisted Sushi class was BYOB
-The sushi class provided some kind of beverage, sodas or even cups for water; two hours cooking and eating is a long time to go without
-That the chef, not the iWish rep, bought the ingredients for class. We were short and missing ingredients and some were of poor quality (overripe tomatoes and brown, wilted basil).
-That we were supplied with better cooking utensils
-That my Complex Beers class wasn't overbooked and awkward in layout
-That we knew, despite asking in advance, eating during the Complex Beers class was totally fine
-That the iWish rep did anything to put the kibosh on the disruptive jackassery in Complex Beers. We could barely hear the instructor over their all-around rudeness.

I'm Glad:
-That I got to attend one class as the guest of a friend (aka gratis) and another using a You Swoop. There was no way in hell the sushi class was worth $80.
-That the instructors for both classes were great
-That my fellow classmates were cool
-That each class respectively had enough beer to get my tipsy and food to fill me up
-I didn't chicken out when offered the opportunity to de-skin salmon, I rocked that shit!
-The sushi class was only 1/3 full; there's no way 12 more people could've occupied the space or actively participated in the recipes.
-We were given copies of the recipes we made in sushi class, so that we could recreate them on our own
-I was feeling frumpy and didn't wear nice clothes to class, there are no aprons so you will get dirty

Overall, I cannot give iWish more than just an ok rating. Since I was invited as a +1 to my first class, I didn't interact directly with them, but saw my friend's frustration at their disorganization and vague responses. At the time of my first class, I had already purchased my sushi You Swoop. I registered for that class 4 months in advance, only to realize the day of, that I never got any sort of communication beyond an email confirming I was registered way back in October, not.a.peep.

I question their planning skills, the venues (Local Option & Kitchen Chicago) for both classes weren't designed to accommodate the number of people who attended or were targeted. At Local Option, the space selected was poor for the class. Long and narrow, it made it hard for all to hear the instruction, even without the rowdy bunch. Also, situated next to the kitchen pick up window and near the bathroom there was a steady stream of people that became distracting. I can't help feel like they are trying to make a certain profit margin at the expense of class quality.

On paper, they've got a great variety of classes, but for a place that calls themselves "the premier specialty class company in Chicago," I expect more professionalism, forthcoming communication and organization. The bottom line is, I really can't see myself taking another one of these classes.

I think this is a great concept! I took an Ethiopian food class, and learned quite a bit. It almost felt like being in geography class on a project day. We learned about the culture, people, food, and economy of Ethiopia, and then we got to try the food. I really enjoyed this! I would love to do this for other countries!

I didn't have any problems registering. I did have to email them the class I wanted to take, and my youswoop number. However, I didn't have any issues.

iWish classes are an interesting concept: enhance your life by taking a couple hours out of your day to learn something new. I've taken a Bourbon class and a Whiskey & Cupcake class, but others have peeked my interest as well (e.g. Bacon & Beer, Filipino Food, and Sushi Making). I'm not quite sure how to rate iWish though because it's not an evaluation of individual classes, but the overall experience (variety of classes, scheduling, paying, and general class quality).

The classes I took were only offered on weekday evenings. I would have liked weekend classes. I signed up for my classes by emailing iWish and also easily rescheduled multiple times. They were really good about returning emails within 24 hours.

The prices for the classes I took were about $40/person, but I got bargains. iWish has definitely jumped on the Groupon bandwagon and offer them frequently. When I took my Bourbon Groupon class, they had a deal where you could register for other classes for half off.

The Bourbon class was taught by an expert (he wrote a book!). I learned a lot. During the class they brought out platters of hummus, pita, and veggies (an added bonus).

I also learned some tidbits at the Whiskey & Cupcake class, but definitely not as high quality as my first class experience. The instructor was knowledgeable but didn't seem like an expert. There was no extra food brought out.

Most of the people who attended my two classes were couples or small groups of friends. I would say that it's a good way to meet people except for the fact that people seem to come already paired up.

Thanks Groupon, I see the words 'bourbon' and 'bargain' in the same sentence and I follow lemming like towards it. I can appreciate their goals in trying to have a variety of classes but if the bourbon class is any indication it left me wanting a little more.

I thought the sign up process was a little awkward, instead of being able to put in the Groupon number during their checkout process I had to e-mail them and getting a reply from them took a while. I called to talk to someone but I just got their voicemail. After leaving a message I got an e-mail a couple days later saying I was confirmed for the class and that I would get a reminder e-mail the week before. No e-mail came, but I think it's just a glitch with using Groupon, not a big annoyance.

The expert for the class was knowledgeable and passionate. I could really tell that he knew a lot about bourbon and whiskeys in general. However, he was like an intellectual shotgun blast-it went everywhere but not too deep. In fact, at the top of the class he said it was more of an 'American whiskey' class than a bourbon class, but he didn't go too deep into what the differences were-besides marketing.

He mentioned a bit on how it was made and the requirements it must meet to be known as bourbon but it was nothing new to me. If you've been on a tour of any bourbon distillery you get as much if not more information than what was covered.

I don't mind spending 20 dollars for 4 glasses of bourbon, but I expected a little more from a class.

What do you wish you could learn??? This is what "I Wish" is all about.

Of course this doesn't cover everything but they do offer the classes for many things such as, cultural foods, beverage history, self defense, how to cook, plus a few other "how to" things. Check out their website for a full list. The staff and teachers are super friendly and will accommodate any needs you might have. They offer a very hands on approach, meaning you'll probably get to eat and drink as you learn (pending what class you take). I think they use the word class or lesson very loosely, everyone is very relaxed and there to have fun. They offer group, corporate, or private classes/ lessons and signing up is easy.

I took a Rum class. Why? Because I REALLY like Rum! Lucky for me Las Tablas hosted the class; they sat about 20 of us at our own tables in a side room off the main floor, and had a curtain to block some of the noise coming from the dinner crowd. The experience was very unique, I got to sip on some rum and enjoy a few snacks that Las Tablas provided (you could also order from their main menu). I learned all about sugarcane and the process in which they make rum. We were also shown how to make a few drinks and then of course sample them as well. The whole event was fun and I would do it again. You showed come too!!

Wish I could give it 0 stars.

I attended an iWish Spanish tapas class on 11/8 at French Kiss in the Sears Tower (online price is $60). Having lived in Spain for many years, I was excited about learning some new recipes and sharing them with my father. I treated him to the class for his birthday.

When chef/instructor told us that he was working at a very reputable restaurant in Chicago, I could see that many of the other students were impressed and excited for our class to begin. I'd like to give you a run-down of what we made in this hands-on cooking class.

Our first tapa was a piece of sliced French bread, a half piece of provolone cheese and a half piece of prosciutto ham. The chef called it a crostini, which by definition means that the bread is toasted or grilled (this was neither). The cheese was, at best, a Kraft single of provolone. Additionally, anyone with basic knowledge of Spanish cuisine will tell you that manchego should have been used.

Ok, onto the second tapa. The chef began to talk about how Spaniards eat tortilla. I was slightly disappointed that we were going to learn how to make tortilla española (potato omlette), but since it is one of the most traditional Spanish dishes, I figured that it made sense. I was appalled when the instructor told us that we would be using Mexican tortillas in the next recipe. Again, anyone with an ounce of knowledge of Spanish cuisine will tell you that Mexican tortillas are not eaten in Spain outside of Mexican restauratants. Out came a few store bought Mexican tortillas on a paper plate, a smear of Philly cream cheese, and a lump of salmon. The recipe? Smear the (American) cream cheese on the Mexican tortilla, toss in some salmon, roll, cut... whaaa laaaa, tapa #2.

It became screechingly clear to me that the chef showed up with absolutely nothing prepared, and raided the fridge in the restaurant to see what he could throw together at the last minute.

Tapa #3... Apparently this renowned chef could not find a date vendor (despite the fact that there are numerous Asian markets in the city... not to mention they can be found at any Dominick's or Jewel). So, we were going to make stuffed mushrooms. Out came the paper plates of Kraft provolone and Italian prosciutto again. This time there were some roasted mushrooms on the plate. We were instructed to cut the stem out of the mushroom, rip up the provolone and stuff it in the mushroom cap, wrap a piece of ham around the mushroom (we each got one strip of ham to be used on 4 mushrooms). They then flash fried the mushroom caps.

There were 2 vegetarians next to us who had given advance notice to iWish about their dietary restrictions. They received some chopped iceburg lettuce and a sliced tomato to compensate.

When I left, I was fuming. The person in charge of the class had the nerve to ask us to spread the word and get our friends to take a class. I felt like I was in bizarro world. Who in their right mind would ever recommend this waste of money?

Days before the class, I was told (via email) by a customer service rep, "... you'll be able to eat your creations and there will be more than enough for a full meal." If two small slices of bread with ham and cheese, a tortilla roll and 4 mushrooms count as more than enough for a full meal, then I must be a gluttonous pig.

It takes a lot to get me to write a review like this but this class was utterly offensive. They were unprepared, gave inaccurate information, and taught us recipes that would have been suitable had we been 10 years old. My friends in Spain would be appalled (and actually probably very amused) by the way their culture was misrepresented by the lack of knowledge of this chef. I have been to cooking classes in other places where I've paid less and gotten so much more.

I felt so bad about this experience that I ended up taking my dad out to dinner afterwards. So much for having more than enough for a full meal.

By the way, I spoke to the GM at the restaurant that the instructor said he works at. They said they've never heard of him. This company is a hoax and a sham! Stay away at all costs!

I took my first "I Wish" class tonight; it was the Cupcakes Galore class. I was so looking forward to it as I do a ton of baking but am, for the most part, all self-taught. This class was a mess from start to finish and I would strongly discourage anyone who wants to make better cupcakes for a friend or kid's party from taking it; it won't help you.

There were several things about this class that made it a waste of my time:

1. It started late and ran way over on time. I had to run out in the middle to go feed the meter because, even building in 20 minutes buffer time was not enough. It was supposed to end at 8:00, it was 8:34 when I got in the car.

2. The "coach" had zero control over the room. Despite being less than six feet from her I could barely hear what she was saying most of the time because everyone else was talking so much and she didn't stop it.

3. The techniques she showed were not at all what I expected or, in my opinion, useful for your average home cupcake maker. She showed making garnishes with strawberries but didn't explain how to do either technique very well so most people screwed them up (including her).

I think what bothered me most though was that her third technique was how to make a fondant rose. I have made TONS of roses (from fondant, gum paste and various frosting types) before but never the way she showed (which doesn't make her way wrong, necessarily). I was bothered by this because it's not something someone at home is going to do. Fondant is hard to find in stores (and is pricey); it's even trickier to make yourself. The roses she produced were too big for a cupcake and there are far better ways to do this if you have the right tools.

4. People had to share tools and frosting. Sharing tools is the worst; everything takes longer, you feel rushed because you don't want to "hog" the materials. Sharing frosting would have been fine if they'd had enough for everyone which they didn't. In fact, they didn't have enough of just about anything. They didn't anticipate that in a beginner class people would screw things up and need extra, which is exactly what happened.

5. The location was terrible. The class was in the back of bar (that was apparently serving, not that a waitress ever crossed my path). Imagine making food, with your hands while sitting at a bar. A dirty bar that all the tools were laid out directly on top of. Yuck.

There were a few other things that irked me as well. For example, she said something about rolling fondant into balls and the girls at the table next to her took it in a dirty way. Rather than just ignoring she continued to reference how was she was saying could be taken sexually. I wasn't offended but it was mixed crowd (older, younger, men and woman) and I found it highly inappropriate. Also, during the last few minutes of the class she had us decorate a cupcake in any way we wanted but instead of walking around and seeing what people were doing, making suggestions or showing other techniques she was in her own little world decorating her own cupcakes which isn't helpful to anyone since she didn't even show what she had done as a teaching moment.

I had expected this class to show some basic frosting techniques that your average, every day person can do but that's not at all what happened. If I were teaching this class I would have talked about:
- Best practices for coloring frosting
- Frosting consistency and how to correct this to get the right level for best results
- How to properly frost with a spatula (she tried to show this but didn't explain it well at all)
- How to frost a classic swirl with 1M tip which is one of the most common techniques (she didn't use an frosting tips at all)
- I would then show an advanced technique of a frosting rose (which is so much easier than the fondant thing she tried to teach)
- Then I would talk about how to decorate with with sprinkles, sugars, sprays, etc.

To be very clear, I fully expected this to be a beginner level class and, even though I have more experience than the average home-baker, I was still very excited. I figured, even if I was familiar with the techniques it'd give me a chance to practice and see how a professional does it. The teacher was very nice and seemed personable but she wasn't a great teacher and the techniques just weren't right for the skill level of the class.

Overall, it's turned me off of doing any other "I Wish" classes in the future. It just seems, as another yelper mentioned, "like it's run out of somebody's garage".

I wish for better customer service, organized email content, detailed instructions without the need for constant follow up. Guess I rubbed the wrong lamp because what I got was lazy one or two line email correspondence (not actually answering anything I had asked) and week long (if not longer) delays in follow up.

The poor/lacking customer service was indeed the fault of I Wish. After multiple follow up emails from me I wasn't confirmed for the class until weeks after trying to sign up and I was sent two lines of "instructions" two hours before the event after trying to get information for days. The moderator/I Wish employee at the actual event was too soft spoken and didn't actually need to be there.

The actual class (Complex Beer I) was ok. The instructor was pretty good and he knew his beer facts but the venue selected for this class was a poor choice. The instructor had to practically yell above other patrons, music and general bar noise (a lav mic could have easily alleviated this annoyance). The best part about the class was the people at our table and the beer, I enjoyed tasting the different options. To be honest I would rather just go to Local Option and enjoy the beer without the hassle of the class.

I'm not sure I will purchase another class through them again because it's more annoying than frustrating and I think it's actually supposed to be more fun than anything.

"I wish" seems like it is run out of somebody's garage. Some friends and I used a Groupon/YouSwoop/Living Social (not sure which one) for one of their cupcake decorating classes. First of all, they were incredibly unresponsive. My friend was told that she would get a confirmation email a week before the class with the location information. No email was sent. Then we started trying to call them. If you call their phone number, they have a voice message telling you to send them an email. So then you send an email, and it takes forever for them to get back with you. They finally called back at the last minute with the location information. They should really consider getting a concierge service or someone to manage administrative things like this.

We get to the class which is held at a restaurant, and they sit us down at restaurant tables to decorate the cupcakes. I thought that this was unusual. The class instructor was ok, but I was turned off by the fact that they had piping bags and no tips. They showed us how to put tape on the end of a plastic piping bag and cut it diagonally so that you could make a different shape. I'm sorry, but I was expecting to learn about piping with tips. Not how to put tape on the end of a piping bag and how to put candy on a cupcake.

I felt like they were cutting corners on costs, and I didn't like that. There are other places in the city where you can get better instruction, quality and responsive service.