Traditioneller Kochkurs in Tamarindo

She was so welcoming and informative. We felt like family. The food was healthy and delicious. I can’t wait to go home and make agua de soaps (frog water)!

This is a terrific experience! There were 2other people there when we were there. Astanda was wonderful! She explained all about the dishes we were going to make and all about the spices, etc. she had great music playing in the background so we were all singing and laughing while preparing our food. And then, the best part, eating what we made- it was delicious!!! It was such a relaxing, fun time to make and eat healthy food! Highly recommend

We had a great time! The class is in her home so it is like eating with family. The ingredients were fresh and local. She had great Costa Rican recipes and explained health benefits of them. Some local stories as well. A good blend of her her making some dishes with our help and us making some on our own. Tito her helper was great, too!

We had a great time with Astanda! She welcomed us into her home, and we enjoyed getting to visit with her about Costa Rican culture and food. She was very gracious and made dishes using fish we had previously caught that morning on a fishing excursion, which made our tuna ceviche AMAZING! We also really enjoyed the desert we made with the fresh fruit. I will say that this is not your normal cooking class with recipes and active cooking. We spent our time chopping, but we got to watch Astanda cook in the kitchen. Our experience was also special because we were the only two people in the class, so it was a personal "homestay" feel which we really enjoyed. It went on much longer than expected, but we had some great food at the end with fun company.

The spot can be hard to find. Pay close attention to the directions, if you’re taking a cab, maybe have the driver call the host. The meal and our host were excellent. We learned a lot about Costa Rica produce and history. Many good stories. A delicious and entertaining evening.

I’ve done quite a few cooking classes in my home country, the United States, and abroad including a five star hotel in Italy and world renown culinary institutes. This class may be humble but I learned more about the food and culture of the area than I typically have in the fancy classes. I highly recommend. When I arrived it was not what I expected - don’t let it deter you, it is an experience of a lifetime!

Asanda is an amazing human, and she welcomed us into her home with love and kindness. We made a traditional drink with ginger, lime and cane sugar that I love so much I just made it at home! We also made many other traditional Costa Rican foods all while singing songs, learning about Costa Rica culture, history, values and more. I cannot stress enough how wonderful of an experience we had. She was also fantastic at checking in on the day of our class and made sure we had proper directions to her location. On our next trip to Tamarindo we plan to book another class. Thank you, Asanda!

This was an incredibly unique and fun experience. The host was so much fun and told us a lot of interesting stories about living in Costa Rica. The food was amazing and I'd highly recommend this experience.

I’m sharing this review to help others understand what this experience truly entails. First, the session lasted 4 hours, not the 2–2.5 hours listed. But even more disheartening, despite being positioned as a cooking class, we spent the *entire time* chopping vegetables and doing prep work, not actively cooking. We didn’t cook any dish from start to finish ourselves, so the format felt more like being sous chefs rather than learning how to prepare the recipes. It also isn’t a knife-skills class, as the knives were serrated or dull with worn-down tips. On the positive side, this is a warm cultural immersion experience. Astanda is kind, welcoming, and clearly passionate about food and sharing her background. Being invited into her home was a special element, and we enjoyed meeting the other attendees. However, I didn’t feel I learned very much, partly because a significant portion of time was spent in general conversation (including topics like COVID), which extended the length but didn’t contribute to learning. We arrived at 5 PM and didn’t eat until 9 PM, which may be difficult for families or travelers with young kids. The food had mixed reviews in our group. The slow-cooked beans were excellent, but the chicken and rice were cold and bland, and we mostly assembled rather than cooked them. Also, many images in the listing appear to be stock photos rather than pictures of the actual experience, which felt misleading. It’s also impossible to find the location with NO signage. The worst part however is the cost—$600 for our family—felt very high given the limited hands-on instruction, long duration, and uneven meal quality. I left feeling the experience did not match the price point. Worth maybe $20 including groceries, but my time was worth infinitely more Ideas for Improvement Clarify expectations in the listing!! Make it clear that this is a cultural culinary experience with prep participation rather than a hands-on cooking class where guests cook full dishes. Increase hands-on cooking instruction Allow guests to actually cook at least one full dish themselves. Even small technique lessons (e.g., proper knife skills, seasoning, heat control) would add value. Provide more real photos of the space and food Replacing stock images with accurate photos would help set realistic expectations and build trust. Improve timing and pacing Serving food earlier—or structuring prep so guests aren’t hungry for four hours—would greatly enhance the experience Upgrade tools and equipment Sharper knives and more functional prep tools would make the experience feel more professional and educational. Align price with value delivered Either lower the cost or expand the educational component to better match a premium price point. I appreciate the intention and hospitality behind the experience, but as currently designed, it felt misaligned with the expectations of a true cooking class and the premium price. I was left feeling taken advantage of, and I would not recommend this experience.

Three of us attended this class and had a wonderful time! The chef was a bit late, but an assistant got us started prepping until her arrival. All three people were extremely friendly and talkative explaining the foods we were making and the history of Costa Rica. The food was beautiful and delicious. It was a very authentic experience.