Press and Testimonials

"I would like to thank you for an absolutely fantastic time. My-self and my guests enjoyed the food. I have never cooked what we ate so it was exciting to have a challenge. My guests were extremely pleased with your attitude and your ability to make an evening so enjoyable. I have never been so exhausted from cooking before.but I did enjoy it completely. Please accept my thanks for everything that you did and look forward to doing it all over again." Beryl - 26 july 2010

"Thank you for a wonderful evening, Jackson and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The food and preparation were wonderful as always and we had a great time. As this was our third class with you, we are finding our way around the kitchen more easily and Jackson especially is picking up wonderful tips (as am I). I was commenting to a number of people last night on how hard it was to find a cooking class that would allow kids to come along and participate and I am so grateful that you have welcomed Jackson to the classes. He is thoroughly enjoying the wonders of cooking and the pleasures of French cuisine. I wish a lot more classes would allow kids to come along and get hands on with food preparation. Thank you once again for a wonderful Bastille Day celebration. Viva Le France!" Mary-Beth Hosking - 15 July 2010

"I attended the French cooking class (Meat 3 ways!) last Thursday night. I had a terrific time and have already recommended it to several people. Both Sebastian and Lucienne were excellent hosts. I learned a lot. Thank you for a highly enjoyable class." Douglas Park - 7 july 2010

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank you and Sebastien for a fantastic day's cooking. The atmosphere was great, the food superb and I left the class that afternoon feeling very pleased I had attended. Having done a couple of other recognised cooking courses in Melbourne I think it note worthy that your "Hands on" approach is extremely effective, you become part of a cooking team and this leaves the other demonstration cooking classes for dead." Colin Palmer - 19 May 2010

"Thank you so much for a great night on Saturday night. Everyone loved it and already they are talking about booking the next one in. We had an awesome time, cooked amazing food and had a lot of fun."Joanne Constable - 10 May 2010

"I just wanted to let you know that my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed our French cooking experience on Saturday. Our chef Sebastien provided clear instruction and involved all of us in the cooking process. Lucienne was also very helpful and so polite. I also loved the table setting."Daisy Antoniou - 29 March 2010

"My son (aged 12) and I came to the Rustic Fantastic session together and had a truly wonderful time. Sebastian worked with my son, showing him various techniques and passed on numerous tips to the rest of us. The food was marvellous and I came away from the day with facts that I never knew before. My son was so excited when we finished that he insisted we book in for the next course as soon as possible (which we have done!). I wanted an interactive experience where we would be involved and where we would be able to learn cooking in an enjoyable way. Sebastian was very friendly and made the afternoon a great deal of fun. I would thoroughly recommend Dish Dujour to anyone wanting an experience where not only is the information valuable but where the food and recipes are delicious and easily repeated from home. This class has re-invigorated my love of cooking and introduced the joy of cooking to my son." Mary-Beth Hosking - 9 March 2010

"Once again RUSTIC FANTASTIC lived up to its name it was FANTASTIC. This time I attended with my daughter Nikki who had been there previously in July 2009 but I also brought my son along and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. From the moment we entered the venue we were welcomed by Sebastien and he has a knack of making each one feel special and welcome. The table was set to perfection again and the menu well planned. Sebastien is great as he engages everyone present in all the aspectsof preparation and cooking of the three course meal. My son was impressed as to how Sebastien patiently explains everything even the minute details of the handling of the utensils and various ways of chopping and cooking. Sebastien thank you keep up this wonderful work you are doing and the French charm that you extend to all present male and female. Hope to see you on another cooking adventure." Priscilla De Souza - 9 March 2010

"On 20/2/2010 along with my daughter Kylie, and 2 friends Julie and Wendy, I was fortunate to have the MOST enjoyable and fun day I could have ever imagined. I had initially been apprehensive about what I thought was to be cooking the entire meal in front of others, however the format on the day is perfect. It allows for everyone to share the experience at whatever level they may be comfortable with whilst enjoying the whit, and experience of Sebastien's talent and lets not forget his undeniable French charm which he uses/displays to perfection including all present, both females and males, in the day. Well done to all concerned in presenting such a great activity and I have been talking about it all day to my friends at work and telling them to make sure that they get along and experience it for themselves." Carole Witana - 22 February 2010

"I just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks for a great day on saturday!! The duck, the scallops and the tarte tatin were all delicious. It was heaps of fun and made all the better by the relaxed atmosphere and by your style of presenting. You certainly made us feel very welcome and comfortable. We have already tried to recreate the scallops for dinner tonight. They turned out great!!!! If you get a moment i'd love to get that recipe for steak tartare:)" Bart van Kouten - 22 February 2010

"Just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for a wonderful night last Saturday. Everyone had a fabulous time. From the moment we walked in, everything was perfect - the tables looked beautiful, the pre-dinner nibbles were fantastic, ane the scallops and lamb were exceptional. The piece de resitance was no dubt the croquembouch - which we just finished the last of 2 nights ago. I knew that it would be a good night - but your food and hospitality ensured it exceeded expectations. I'm pretty sure you'll get more business out of some of the people who came along - as they couldn't beleive how great it was. Thanks so much for making it such a memorable experience - we'll send you some photos when we download them." Lisa Thompson - 22 November 2009

"Thanks again Sebastien for a brilliant evening. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves - the food and the experience were both fantastic!" Gabrielle Aitken - 15 November 2009

"Thank you so much for a truly magnificent experience last Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed living in your world of cooking for the 4 hours of our lunch. After a day of reflection and telling my wife all about every little detail, I have realised that it was not all about the fantastic food, it was also about the way Sebastien treated everyone, like we were all special, which I think these days is a rare talent. Also Sebastien, I think your accent was truly priceless so don't become too much of an Aussie that you lose that. You are a true entrepreneur for your chosen ability, you know how to please people." Shane Munro - 19 October 2009

"I went along to the cooking class on Saturday and had a fantastic time. The session's format was extremely well run, I enjoyed getting my hands dirty and in the end, the food was divine! The only downside would be now having to go out and buy all the extra tools and accessories for the kitchen! Ok, this might not be a downside..." Aron Pearson - 1 October 2009

"Just to let you know that my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the cooking class conducted by Sebastien. He was very patient with all of us and explained in detail all the processes. I have been cooking for years and enjoy it, but the techniques I learnt on Saturday will really help in future as I am sure it will help all that were present. The food was absolutely beautiful and I will try it out once I get back from my holidays.Sebastien has the personality to make all his students feel comfortable and of course as I mentioned all the explanations on every minute detail was fantastic." Priscilla De Souza - 6 July 2009

"I had an absolute ball on Saturday, the class was brilliant (almost as good as the food) I WILL be doing some others." Bruce Agnew - 6 July 2009

"Thank you so much for everything on Saturday! Everyone had a wonderful time and keep talking about it. You did a great job with everything from setup of the room to dealing with all of us." Court Haas - 12 May 2009

"I just wanted to let you know that my sister Anne and I had a great time at the cooking class on Saturday. We have been to lots of different classes but think yours was one of the best! Sebastien was fantastic and the whole atmosphere was so relaxed and a lot of fun. I am sure we will be back for another class soon. Thank you and Sebastien for a great day." Wendy Tucker - 1 June 2009

The Age, "Epicure" section, Feb 14, 2006

Tres bon! A charming Frenchman who also cooks (and shops) for you? It's the stuff of culinary cliche, but Sebastien Piel, who learnt his trade at the well regarded Ecole Hoteliere in Normandy is the real fromage: he will create authentic French dishes and teach you how to reproduce them in your own kitchen. The chef, who has set up home in Melbourne, has established Dish du Jour, a food business which fuses the idea of catering and learning. Piel has devised a series of three-course menus which reflect a rudimentary French cooking technique. Each class, culminating in a feast, goes for three to four hours and the preference is for small groups of about four. The repertoire ranges from pepper steak as maman would make it, tarte tatin, to a trouble-free cheese souffle (or so the charming chef promises). "French cooking is like music, you can only become a true expert at it once you have mastered the basics," say Piel, who also teaches at the Queen Victoria Market Cooking School.

Farah Farouque To contact Dish du Jour phone 0409 382 667, or email sebastien@dishdujour.com.au