Costa Rica Cooking Class "Cook Like a Local"

This tour was not the activity that was advertised and paid for. We signed up for a tour advertising a trip to the garden to pick fresh produce while learning about the farm everything came from, going to a local family's house to meet them and learn about cooking and mealtime customs while cooking and eating with them in their home, then learning and trading recipes over coffee after the meal. Not one of these things were a part of this tour, and our guide/cook was not very open to answering questions or discussing traditions, etc. She told us that she was hungover from a party the night before, and did not seem interested in actually teaching us anything. She wasn't even able to tell us what fruit was used to make the juice provided. The "fresh picked produce" was a couple herbs that she cut from a pot sitting nearby the restaurant (not local family home) that we cooked in. The produce was all cleaned, picked, and ready to chop, and she just handed us pieces of things to chop or dump into pots then did the rest herself. It felt like we were completing a "Hello Fresh" meal prep. The food was pretty good, and the cocktail tasted great, but we certainly had better at local restaurants for about $6 compared to the $100 we paid for this. Don't waste your money if you are looking for a true local learning experience.

Great food and great teacher. Got the recipe afterwards right away. Very delicious meal that we made!

Such a fun experience! A great option when the weather is unpredictable as it is all covered. The food was delicious and we loved talking with our teacher! I would highly recommend anyone traveling to La Fortuna to take this class.

Our teaching chef was enthusiastic and energetic even though our group does not have much real cooking talents. We enjoyed learning about the local vegetables and spices. Definitely recommend this for a fun way to have a dinner.

This class was wonderful. It was a really hands on experience, our instructor was great, nice facilities, and the food was delicious! Everything was super fresh and locally sourced. I also really appreciated that hotel pickup and drop off was available for this experience. Highly recommend!

First, the location is amazing! It’s tucked off down a steep hill and opens up to a beautifully lit open kitchen and tables. Our chef & host, Katherine, was amazing. She explained everything we were going to cook and the utensils and ingredients needed... everyone had a job in the preparation. and she was very helpful along the way. My ten year old loved making the salad and vegetables. Finally, the food was DELICIOUS. We received recipes via email and I will definitely make at home!

This cooking class was a perfect experience. We made a sugarcane liquor cocktail and casado (chicken, rice and beans, chiramote with corn, a cabbage salad, and handmade corn tortillas. Eli was very knowledgeable instructor. We certainly came hungry and left stuffed!

Our family enjoyed an evening of cooking Costa Rican food followed by an hour of learning the local dance. Facilitators were energetic and enthusiastic to share their culture with the attendees.

Overall we had a good experience. We were picked up on time from downtown La Fortuna Desafio Adventures office and dropped off at a "restaurant". Cooked the local food and the guide/chef was great. The tour was advertised as we would meet a local family, pick veggies from their garden for salad and cook at their home - which did not happen. We cooked in a restaurant setting and all veggies were already ready to be cut/cooked. Hence the "poor" rating as we expected a different experience as was advertised but the actual activity was different.

We really enjoyed our time here - before, during and after. Our hosts and transport were so friendly. Would come back and do this again. They also offer many other activities.