Kitchen for Exploring Foods

I am so happy I used the kitchen for my wedding. They were professional, fabulous, rolled with all the changes and questions I had, and delivered a meal for my wedding that I am still getting comments about (three months later!) Seriously, I could not have imagined a better vendor. And the food was incredible. And just kept coming! We served a buffet family style, and it was fantastic. Reasonably priced, and much more fun for the guests than a buffet line. In fact, for the amount of food and everything that we got, I was shocked at how low their price was. Also, everything was displayed so beautifully. I was simply floored at how gorgeous the food looked and tasted. Everyone on the staff really worked with us to create a menu and experience that was truly unique to our wedding. I will use them again for sure, as soon as I have another event to cater.

The Kitchen did an amazing job! I had an outdoor ranch/winery wedding and served a 3 course meal for 222 people. We were very worried in the beginning about hiring the right caterer because my parents and many of our guests are serious foodies. Not a lot of people expect wedding food to be any good or have any expectations at all. But everyone was pleasantly surprised that everything from the appetizers to the entree was so delicious!

The staff at the Kitchen were very responsive and friendly when I was selecting the choices for our menu. Peggy, the owner, personally reviewed our meal selections with us. She even gave me a signed copy of her book! Their pricing is also very affordable and reasonable. We served 5 appetizers, filet mignon or chilean sea bass, creme brulee, red velvet cupcakes, and an assortment of iced teas and lemonades. They also suggested to us in order to save money, we can buy our own alcohol and drinks from Costco and they wouldn't charge us any extra fees. We also had a terrific tasting for four. The food exceeded our expectatations and it was perfect! Peggy was very helpful and made sure everything would taste the same on our wedding day. We told them not to overcook the filet mignon and to serve it rare to a medium rare. We really don't like it when the meat is overcooked, even slightly overcooked. The filet came out rare/medium rare as promised. We received so many compliments on the food!

In the end, the total bill was very close to the estimate. It was worth every penny and I highly recommend the Kitchen!

I liked the way we were able to pay for the waitstaff ourself with The Kitchen For Exploring Food which at first seemed like a cost effective way to save some cash. However, the final total came out more. Wait, the first sales person also told me one amount of waiters was needed. Then she assigned me to an event manager who added on two more staff members.

All the food was cooked fresh onsite which was good and bad. The quality was really fresh but not all of the chicken was grilled the same.

Overall, I would use them again. I just will have a better estimate in my head than what they tell me in advance.

We overall had a great experience with The Kitchen. Most importantly, the food was EXCELLENT. The food is high quality, gorgeously presented (this matters--we went with a buffet and I think schaffing dishes are so unappealing). The beef short ribs are the best I've ever had anywhere (and I order them at basically every restaurant).
Cost-wise as well, the Kitchen is very reasonable. Our final bill was almost identical to our proposal, and they worked within our budget. Unlike many caterers, the Kitchen is willing to serve alcohol that YOU provide (costco!), which lowers the price per head considerably.
Our event manager, Julian was phenomenal. He has a great personality (it's your wedding! you want to enjoy planning it with good people), great sense of style, and is reliable. After meeting him, we were confident our reception would be in capable hands, and our expectations were exceeded. The event ran super smoothly. In subtle ways, you can tell he holds any event he is associated with to very high-standards and will make perfection happen.
For the menu planning, we worked with Nicolette who was sweet and patient and enthusiastic. She made great recommendations, was fun to work with and was very professional. My one disappointment with this vendor came -- I think--simply from an unrealistic expectation. It was their creative menu that got me in the door, and based on info from reviews on the website and elsewhere, I thought they would work closely with me to create a special/personalized menu with nuanced dishes and pairings...But for the most part, we wound up with dishes off their catering list. This disappointed me initially but I got over it.
Also, from what I read, I thought each client would be scheduled for a one-on-one meeting with the owner (who is supposed to be a genius) to sculpt a menu , but this was something I had to special request. In the end, that meeting was a waste of my time and hers. I don't think my questions or concerns were heard by the owner, who is understandably very busy. (Perhaps a specially crafted menu is only for higher budget events? Or maybe I wasn't explicit enough about my expectations at the outset?)
In either case, in the end, I did feel like we were treated with care by a very elite LA catering company. And most of all--the food was to die for. Our guests had the "phenomenal-dinner" after-glow. Our families who are VERY particular about food (my mom tells it like it is, no feelings spared), were freaking out about how delicious the food was. You can't go wrong with The Kitchen.
PS. NO ONE goes home hungry,.

I emailed them through their website and called and left a voicemail. It's been 3 weeks, and I still have NOT heard back from them!! If this is the way they treat prospective customers, I would NEVER use them as a vendor!!

They weren't cheap but the food was delish! I worked with Amy and she was nice but not very accommodating. In the end, I guess what really mattered was that the guests raved about the food.

The food was great and their staff was very professional. Our contact person was Trey and he was a sweetheart. They created such gorgeous diplays for the food too. We had a buffet style and the tables were to die for! Not to mention the cheese appetizer table!

The Kitchen was amazing! Everyone raved about the food. They did a great job without going over our budget. The staff was friendly and accomodating. One of the waiters even helped me with my hair halfway through the evening :)

It's that time of year again! It's WEDDING SEASON!!!

Most people think of tulle and flowers during this time of year. My thoughts go to food.

The Kitchen for Exploring Foods (AKA "The Kitchen" or, as one of my wedding couples called it, "K-FEF") is hands down one of the best caterers in Los Angeles, in my opinion. Their food is melt-in-your-mouth-oh-so-yummy ! The presentation is gorgeous! The service is impeccable! I want to throw my own party just so I can have them cater!

They had me at the bite sized grilled cheese sandwiches made with Gruyere cheese and topped with a fig compote. I've delighted in the crab cakes with a hint of lemongrass and ahi tartar on wonton crisps. However, what is better on a hot day than a lemonade bar with three different types: lavender hibiscus, strawberry and regular! They can also take the formality down a notch. They make excellent french fries and onion rings.

I love this place! If you're hungry after a meal served by the Kitchen, it's your own fault!

The extraordinary quality of the Kitchen's food, service, and presentation has ensured its reputation as one of the top catering firms in Los Angeles. I can attest that they've provided some of the best tasting food that I've ever had at any wedding.