Quote:
Originally Posted by
TayteAldred 
Thank you ! Do you think Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa is a good school to attend ?
First, I am not familiar with any culinary school beyond what I've read or heard about from others, therefore my comments are based on limited knowledge of the costs and benefits of a formal education in the culinary trade.
Second, the fundamentals of the culinary trade, i.e. knife skills, sanitation and food safety practices, food product preparation, cooking techniques, recipe development, menu development, food costing and pricing, etc., can be learned in a variety of ways: self directed research an practice, apprenticeships, community colleges that offer culinary classes, for-profit culinary schools, and selected universities. Each has advantages and disadvantages to the specific individual seeking the knowledge and include costs, on-hands training and practice, theory and "book learning", job placement, networking, and, for some, reputation, which may be more perception rather than fact, depending on specific career goals.
Third, any method is only as good as the motivation of the student, positive results are in direct proportion to the effort of the student. Some learn best on their own, others benefit from a more structured and formal education.
Fourth, before selecting a method of education, it is VITAL to set down on paper long range goals and aspirations as this will provide a framework for evaluating educational opportunities. For example, one who's goal is a successful restaurant empire on the order of, say, Mario Batali or Emeril Lagassi would probably want to concentrate on hospitality management with culinary trade skills as a secondary aspect while one who's goal is innovation in food production and research would probably concentrate on the science of food, i.e. chemistry, physics, nutrition, etc., again with the culinary trades as a secondary consideration. Culinary trades become paramount for one who looks to work for someone else with the primary responsibility of preparing and cooking food.
Le Cordon Bleu, Culinary Institute of America, French Culinary Institute, Johnson & Wales, and many others have well known and respected reputations as do numerous community colleges and public trade schools. Cornell has a sterling reputation in hospitality management.
Once you have outlined your long term goals, it will become clearer as to what educational goals you need to achieve to accomplish your long term goals. That will establish the criteria you need to select the best educational path for you.
That is the long way of saying I really do not know whether Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa is a good school for YOU to attend. 
