スミニャックバリ料理教室＆マーケット見学（無料送迎付き）

Great cooking experience with Chef Made. We enjoyed the cooking activity very much. Highly recommended.

⭐ 1/5 Unfortunately, I can only give this experience 1 star. The cooking itself was alright, and the people I met were fantastic, but the communication and organisation surrounding the experience were extremely poor. The confusion started with the transportation. The booking information states that pickup is included, with no drop-off included. However, it doesn’t clearly explain what that pickup actually involves. Pickup from where, and more importantly, pickup to what place? I reasonably assumed that the pickup would take me to the cooking class. Instead, I was taken to a market first, which had not been clearly communicated to me beforehand. Before the activity, I had specifically informed the company that my partner would be travelling directly to the activity and meeting me there. Despite this, when I was picked up, my driver asked me, “Oh, is your wife not coming?” At that point I immediately started questioning whether the arrangements I’d already communicated had actually been understood. I had no idea whether my partner was going to end up in the correct place or what exactly was happening. The transportation and communication were so confusing that I genuinely found myself thinking, “My God, what am I going into?” That feeling wasn’t exactly helped by being told that the kitchen had no air conditioning, that there were rocky/uneven floors, and that if you became unwell you should inform the guide. That’s assuming the guide knows which place you’re supposed to be going to in the first place, of course. As it turned out, the mysterious destination was the market — not the restaurant. There is absolutely nothing wrong with including a market visit as part of a cooking experience. In fact, it can be a great addition. My issue is that customers should actually be told that’s where they’re being taken. Simply saying “pickup included” leaves people guessing about where the pickup is taking them and what happens next. Fortunately, my partner eventually arrived safely and we were reunited for the class. But by that point, instead of looking forward to cooking, I’d spent part of the experience wondering where I was being taken and whether my partner would even end up in the same place. I was also later told that several other participants had been at Warung Nia before the class trying to work out where everyone was, so the confusion certainly didn’t appear to be limited to us. My experience at Warung Nia itself didn’t particularly improve my impression of the organisation either. I found the handling of some situations immature and unprofessional. For example, someone in our group ordered an apple juice specifically asking for it to be made with fresh apples. What came back appeared to be regular apple juice with a slice of fresh apple placed on top. When it was returned and replaced, the second drink tasted as though something had simply been mixed into it rather than fresh apple juice being made. It’s a relatively small incident by itself, but combined with everything else, it added to the feeling that things weren’t being handled particularly professionally. As for the actual cooking, it was alright. Most of what we prepared was fairly classic noodles, rice and vegetable-based dishes. It was enjoyable enough to make and eat, but personally I was expecting something a little more distinctive from a Balinese cooking experience. Without a doubt, though, the highlight was the other people I met. Everyone in our group was incredibly friendly — mostly Aussies, so thankfully I had some strong allies in the dark art of humour to accompany me through places no one had dared venture before 😂. If anything, the people in the group balanced out my frustrations and made the experience much more enjoyable. Ultimately, the people I met were probably more memorable than the food itself. The cooking class has potential, and once we were actually together and cooking we were able to have some fun. But the communication and organisation beforehand significantly affected my overall experience. A clear itinerary explaining that the pickup takes you to a market first, where the cooking class actually takes place, and how guests travelling separately are supposed to meet would have prevented most of this confusion. An activity shouldn’t begin with customers having to solve the mystery of where they’re actually going. Fortunately, I had the Aussies. 😂 By the end of the experience, I firmly suggested that perhaps next time they should just give everyone a map. At this point, sending Dora the Explorer along with us probably wouldn’t hurt either. At least she knows where she’s going. 😂 Joking aside, that’s really the fundamental problem with this experience. Customers shouldn’t have to piece together where their pickup is taking them, where their partner is supposed to meet them, or which location they’re actually heading to. A simple, clearly communicated itinerary would have prevented virtually all of this confusion.

We loved our cooking class with Chef Made , who showed us around the local markets first, then off to prepare some delicious meals. The price was very affordable. We each prepared a beautiful spread and had lunch at the end of the class. Very well organised. Enjoyed every minute!! Thankyou Chefwarung Nia team 🙏🥰

+1

Chef was excellent explaining everything he did and the food was exceptional

Very authentic experience. Food was amazing & Jim was extremely informative, helpful & funny. All staff were amazing & friendly

He was very experienced and informative. I learned so much. I'm glad I took this tour. I had so much fun.

Great experience. Interactive and engaging. Catered to everyone's needs Great tasting and variety of food

Incredible experience. We did the morning class with market visit and it was worth it to understand more about the produce we were using. The class worked seamlessly with plenty of hands on practical work plus observations. You also get a book to take away with you. Staff were so helpful and accommodating and there were plenty of tasters throughout before the big lunch at the end. Chef Made was wonderful.

Really comprehensive class and with great tastings. The visit to the market allows you to get tips and buy products to bring home.

+6

Fantastic day!! With lots to eat! You will cook a 10 Course meal!!! Lots of fun! Worth the effort. Enjoy Bali!