These testimonial letters express the thoughts and comments about what our students have to say about National Schools.

Culinary Arts Program
Bartending School
 

CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM TESTIMONIALS

 

May. 19, 2003  

As a student at National Culinary School it has been so much fun and informative. I didn't think that coming to this school would help me understand more about food, but it has made me care more about food. 

Chef Vivian is a very good Instructor she has taught me all the knowledge I want to know. I like being in her class because she makes it fun and at the same time very interesting, she is very dedicated to her students and every time I have a question she is willing to answer. 

I have learned in this school how to be very professional. During our class we have taken some field trips one of then was to the Iowa Meat Market and the other to The Fish Market. I am looking forward to graduating and becoming a very unique and a professional Chef. 

All of the things I learn in this school I will try to perfect them. Some of the things I tried to do in this class were done with a lot of effort I know that practice makes perfect. Chef Vivian has also thought me not to give up keep on trying and you will succeed in your career.

Thank You! 
Miriam Mexia

 

Dear, National School

 My experience at the school has been a good one. I have been taught a lot by Vivian. What she has taught me has helped me out a lot at my job. I felt that the program was very good and well worth my time. Thank you for the experience and everything that you have taught me.  

Sincerely,
Chris Pugsley

 

Ms Margaret Patt
National Culinary Schools 8400 Center Drive
La Mesa, CA 91942
25 May, 2003

Dear Margaret,

Just a note to let you know how much I have enjoyed my term at the National Culinary School. As you know, I am graduating from the Culinary Arts Program and believe that this endeavor was certainly of great value to me in my quest to become a professional chef.

Our instructor, Vivian Hernandez, was exceptional and of the highest caliber, both in culinary skills and instructional technique. I am especially pleased that she included some baking and dessert recipes and techniques. For me those things are the icing on the cake and make the course study that much more enjoyable.

I spent some time comparing National Schools to others in the area, and believe that your school offers a better value than the other schools in addition to the fine instruction provided.

With all of this in mind, I would surely recommend National Culinary Schools to anyone interested in a career as a chef.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey A. Rideout

 

Dear Margaret,  

My time at the National Culinary School has greatly helped me to hone my cooking and food preparation skills. I have learned a great deal about cooking from Chef Neil. I have learned a lot about food types and their preparation.

I have learned about many diverse types of cuisine. I have learned a great number of kitchen skills that should help me to find employment in the restaurant field.

Sincerely,
Jack Brady

 

September 24, 2003

 Dear Margaret,  

Attending National Culinary School has given me the opportunity to become more bold and creative in my cooking abilities. 

Before I came to this school I used to look at recipes from various types of books and thought how intimidating it was to even try to make the dish. Since then, I can take on any recipes I come across. At the end of the class, I whispered to my fellow classmate, "I can't believe that Pork Medallion with Tarragon Mustard Sauce was so easy!". 

Chef Neil has so much knowledge and takes pride in his cooking. Everyday he comes in full of ideas to make for the evening and it seems like we've made more or less 50 dishes. It's exhausting, but at the same time take pride in what I've accomplished.

It has been a great pleasure to be part of his class. I will beyond doubt apply these skills when it is time for me to show the employers what I can offer.  

I have learned so much from National Culinary School and hope to apply this when I start taking on the big time.

Sincerely,  
Gemhel M. Smith

 

After 20 years in the Navy as a diesel mechanic, I decided it was time for a change. I always wanted to be a chef and when I heard about the famous National Culinary & Bakery School my life ambition was realized.

When I graduated from both Culinary and Bakery I went to work right away at a high class golf resort preparing quality top notch culinary delights.

 John Beckett

 

October 22, 2003

I went to the National Culinary and Bakery School because I wanted to open my own Catering Business. I've always wanted to do this and was finally given the chance to go.  Attending this school has made me more confident to share my skills to others.

The learning process here at the school has been great. I had a great instructor, whose helped and taught me a lot of things that I didn't know about the Culinary Arts.  

My classmates have been great, we worked as a team and expanded our views on food and gave each other a lot of cooking hints.

In the beginning when I started this class I was really familiar with American foods, but now that I took this class I've expanded my views on foods, tastes, and ideas. I more experienced and I'm ready to join the other chef s out in the business of Culinary arts.

 Tina Do

 

May 20, 2003 To National Culinary School:

After researching several culinary institutes, I chose to attend National Culinary School mainly because of the price and length of the course. Prior to starting the class, I was a little worried that the quality of the class would be lacking because of the same reasons, but after going through the class, those fears are completely eliminated.

I feel that the class was quite thorough and am amazed by the amount of things I have learned. We weren't just given recipes to read and follow but were told why things are done the way they are.

Of course, the class would not have been the same without Chef Vivian at the helm. She managed to maintain a sense of control throughout the class while keeping it fun and interesting for everyone. I always looked forward to class to find out what tasty treats we would be learning each day.

Chef Vivian provided a fountain of knowledge to us but was also always willing to listen to our ideas and integrate them into whatever technique or recipe we were learning that day. The classes were very well rounded and I really liked that Chef Vivian threw in some desserts for us to learn.

Overall, I had a great experience at the school. Thank you, Chef Vivian, for putting up with us every day, teaching us everything we could possibly ever want to know about cooking and making sure that we were always very well fed!

Sincerely,
Gina Watt

 

May 3, 2003

The National Culinary Art School I'm attending is an excellent school to build your chef skills. The hands on training in a kitchen environment with fewer than ten students is a great way to prepare for the cooking field.

When my wife really started to notice I loved to cook, she located the school on the internet and I was ready to sign up right away. I've enjoyed every day in school.

Our teacher, Chef Vivian, is a great chef to learn from because she explains in great detail how to cook the food, portion control, different meats, seafood, vegetables, International foods, etc.

 I'm happy to be starting a career in the cooking field.

 Tyrone Olson

 

May 21, 2003  

To whom it may concern, My name is Steve and I have wanted to attend culinary school for most of my life. When I found National Schools my prayers were answered. They made it so easy for me to get financing and get started in school.

Chef Vivian is by far the best instructor I have ever met. She is very informative in the culinary arts and she makes it so easy to learn the art.

When I leave here I will be leaving a piece of my heart behind. I will miss everyone there, Chef Vivian, Chef Lee, and Margaret.

Thank you very much for allowing me attend your school. I hope the next student that walks through you door feels the same way I do.

Sincerely
Steve Eakins

 

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at National Culinary School. Chef Vivian is wonderful and each day I learned new things. I think the mix of book based learning and  hands-on training was excellent. I could not even suggest an improvement. 

My only wish is that I had taken this course 30 years ago so that I could have benefited from all of this knowledge earlier in my life.

I don’t know if I just lucked out or what, but the other students in my class were great!

Very early in the course, Vivian helped us become a team and the camaraderie made the class even more enjoyable where everyone looked out for each other and I thoroughly enjoyed our daily interactions.

I also enjoyed interacting with Chef Lee and the students in the bakery' class as well as with the owners Dal, and Margaret. The school has a very pleasant and supportive environment. 1 don't know if I'll ever work in the food services industry but I know. that the knowledge that I gained from taking this course will enrich my life immensely. In fact, it already has.

Thanks to all of you who made this experience possible,

Sincerely,
Kate Bruce

National Culinary Schools 8400 Center Dr. La Mesa, CA

To whom it may concern:

The National Culinary Schools was really a great experience for my growth as a chef, This school did do what they said they would do.
It was a hands on experience by the second day of attending school.
The instructor was really helpful and most important, understanding the students learning levels. That is why the class size is very important. In this school there is no problem what so ever with that. The class size was
below 10 and that really helped a lot because that way the instructor could dedicate more time to each student and know at what pace they are
learning. The information given from the book and the instructor was very helpful and clear to understand.
I enjoyed that we went over an the basic information of culinary and that we tried all the food. Although this course was short you got a lot out of it. For example I enjoyed that we got to cook for many weeks our own main course. Also that we made a mock line as if we were working in a restaurants kitchen.

This school will have great impact in my life because it taught me to be better skilled person. This school was more economically suitable for me than any other school and the time spent in the kitchen was far more than in the text book, which is great if you are trying to get experience.

I also liked this school because it offered other careers such as bar tending and casino dealer. I give my thanks to the people who came out with such a great school and to all the chef instructors. May this school be bigger and stronger for our future chefs.

Sincerely,

Elodia C. Chavez
 

 

Dear Dal and Margaret Smith:

I really enjoyed attending your school. I learned so much about the food service industry.

I like the layout of the school. I was very impressed with all of the hands on training the we all received. Chef Ryan and Chef Terry were excellent instructors they both had their own way of teaching how things should be done, which I like.

The study nights that we had on Tuesday were of great help for the chapter tests on Mondays. study nights were good because class never got boring. Plus it was important to get some helpful insight about the particular foods that we were preparing.

The school was always well stoked with a variety of materials that gave us a more of an array of possible dishes that we could put together.

The only thing that I got frustrated with, but couldn't be helped was the cramming of the first 9 chapters. I did not have enough time to study for a test a day because I work full time. Other than that I loved the school. you both are doing a wonderful job. I would recommend the National Culinary and Baking School to anyone interested in this field.

Its been a real pleasure.

Sincerely,

Leighten Weise
 

 

August 8, 2004

To Whom it may concern:

I attended the National Culinary School in La Mesa. Here I learned many techniques, recipes and also plate preparation. This ten week course teaches you every thing you need to know to get you on track for a promising career in this challenging field. Ninety percent of class time is cooking in the kitchen.

 The kitchen provided is an excellent example of a real kitchen. The chef is very knowledgeable and is willing to teach it all. Class sizes are small allowing plenty of one on one time with the chef. Before committing to this school I looked at many others. Now after finishing this school I feel that I made the best choice f possible.

I strongly recommend this school to anyone interested in culinary. Not only are you provided the opportunity to learn a lot, the owners do everything they can to help you succeed. From getting you started financially in the beginning to helping you find a job in the end. I believe this school to at the top of all culinary schools.

Sincerely,

 Michael Flores

 

August 10, 2004

To Whom It May Concern,

During the time I've spent at National Culinary School, I feel that I have achieved skills that will help me advance in the culinary field in San Diego County. My instructor has helped me develop the necessary requirements to serve this purpose.

My goal is ultimately to become a chef in a five star restaurant.

Sincerely,

Brian Blakney

BARTENDING TESTIMONIALS

  

National School of Bartending

8380 Center Dr.
La Mesa, CA 91942
 5-26-2004

To Whom it may concern: 

I recently attended your bartending school. I was very pleased with the course. I had originally contacted a different school in the San Diego Area and I was very disappointed with how they ran their operation. I felt like I was being hustled by a used car salesman. They had quoted me a price of $ 795.00 and continued to bargain with me. 

The instant I called National School of Bartending I was greeted by Cameron who was very helpful and informative. He quoted me a price of $ 199.00 for a 2 week course. That was more to my budget and he was honest and straight forward. He gave me a quick review of the course outline and was not trying to pressure me at all. I went that following Monday to check out the facility. Needless to say I signed up and passed my course two weeks later. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is interested in this line of work. The classes were fun, upbeat and very informational. Thank you for all your help and dedication.

Kind Regards.
Mandy

 

To Whom It May Concern:
6-4-04 

The Bartending classes provided by the National School of Bartending were more than I could ever hope for. There was excellent instruction, a friendly atmosphere, and a first rate method of teaching that helped me remember everything I was given. I would highly recommend this school to anyone thinking of a career in bartending.

 Many Thanks,
 Adell

 

To Whom It May Concern: 

I loved the class, keep it real Al, you rock. I would recommend this class to others, except for the fact that I don’t want them to be as good of a bartender as I am. Seriously, I thought it was a great class and I was impressed by how vigorous the class was. I feel confident in my bartending skills after this class. Thanks for everything.

 Jessica

 

I would like to say just a few things about the National School of Bartending. The classes were great as well as the teachers of the school.

I would suggest this class to anybody that likes people and pouring them liquid happiness.

 Matt

 

To National School of Bartending
6-4-04

I had an exceptional time during the class. Your knowledge and enthusiasm  made the class a real joy for everyone. I have learned an incredible amount of drinks in only 2 weeks, but also discovered much about the more behind-the-bar aspect of the bar business.

I will absolutely recommend this course to my friends. Take care and make sure to keep in touch.

 Ben   

 

I attended National School of Bartending. When I knew nothing about alcohol, I don’t even drink. I had no idea about liquor. Now after taking the course I know many recipes and drinks. I can feel confident now walking into Von’s going to the liquor aisle and making sense of the bottles. The course was intense yet laid back and fun. 

Mostly anything and everything a bartender needs to know was covered. I had a chance to work wit both instructors who are really great, cool bar masters.

Now I am more confident about myself and I feel great.

 Thanks Carlos

BAKING TESTIMONIALS

 

July 14, 2004

Dear National School of Culinary & Pastry:

I have learned so much. The procedures and techniques taught at your school will be used throughout my career as a professional Baker. The instructors are very helpful.

Thank you for being so patience with me. I will never forget the fun time I've spent in your school. I highly recommend this baking class to anyone who wants to become a professional Baker.

Sincerely,
Gerard Verdleu Len
 

 

July 14,2004

Dear National School of Culinary & Pastry:

It was fun while it lasted. I have enjoyed my time here very much. Even though it was tedious and grueling at times, but I have learned that to be successful as a Baker you've to be patience.

The instructors are so genuinely supportive and patient with me. I feel bless to be able to learn so many new baking techniques and procedures. I highly
recommend this class to those who really have interest to be a Baker.

Sincerely,

Alexis May Sinlasath