If you are expecting a cooking class then this is not for you. If you would like a tour of the market and a lovely lunch prepared for you (where you can help a bit) in a local house then it’s definitely for you. The market trip and the cooking are not connected (we didn’t pickup any ingredients used in any cooking) although it was good to visit a market with some local knowledge (and we bought some spices for ourselves). We then visited a local family in their apartment where lunch was prepared for us but we could ‘help’ (peel a potato, dip in batter and fry etc.) out a little. Everything was delicious but we did expect to be more involved in the actual cooking, to be more hands on and prepare and cook things ourselves. Also everything was very simple , like boiling some rice or frying some potatoes for example. Learning and actually cooking a Goan curry was more our expectation so this was very disappointing. Our host family were very welcoming, friendly and accommodating. Our tour guide was lovely and keen to please . There was some miscommunication at the start where the booking (via trip advisor ) was confirmed and paid for but the tour operator wasn’t aware of the booking. This was resolved within 30 mins or so but only because we contacted them directly before pickup with some questions . In summary , an interesting guided walk around at the market followed by a nice lunch and some insight into normal life in Goa.
Thank you for sharing a review of your experience with Exclamations Goa. We apologize for the less than perfect start to your experience and deeply regret that our trail did not meet your expectations. Goan meals require rather elaborate preparation and mostly comprise of at least 3-4 separate dishes that jointly constitute a meal. As such, a cooking class would require much longer than a few hours. Further, our kitchen tools are simple in design but rather unique and require considerable expertise for their safe operation. As such, our recommendation to limit your engagement was driven by our concern for your well-being. Last, the fresh produce sourced from our local markets is untreated and requires considerable work, thereby increasing the preparation time for meals. Given the short duration of this trail, we sought ways to provide a comprehensive experience in the time available. That said, we are extremely grateful for your feedback which is helping us to improve our processes and communication in order to provide our guests with unique and engaging experiences that will exceed their expectations. We look forward to another opportunity of exploring the unexplored with you. Best Regards, Exclamations Goa
