Jul 1, 2024
Great fun - Great hospitality and learnt so much! Come with an empty stomach and thirst for knowledge! Thank you Tania
Review provided by Viator
Apr 2, 2024
Lebanese vegetarian mezzo with Tania - Tania is very dedicated at making a memorable experience!
I was interested in the cooking course, and she is willing to adapt to my specific needs (I am vegetarian) and to make a meal with the recipes I was interested in. We could discuss it before the course.
During the cooking course itself we went through 6-7 recipes with some specific tips that you can get only during a hands-on! I could get a good insight on the recipes and would be able to do them myself. Tania is helpful to answer any of your questions.
After the cooking we enjoyed the food together with Tania's and had a nice discussion - for the whole of the afternoon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 7, 2023
A wonderful cultural dining experience - I had the dinner experience and let me tell you, if you’re considering booking a place… do not hesitate! I had the best time. Tania was super welcoming and nice. She talked about her expertise in the food industry, her business and all her other ventures. It was so insightful. We even had a Lebanese grocery shopping experience which was really fun. All the food we cooked was grown from their family’s garden so you can imagine how fresh and delicious the food was. A lot of the dishes tasted better than what I’ve had in the restaurants here. I was with a couple and they were lovely! I’m pleased it was a shared experience. It felt like I was just talking to old friends. Tania’s family were also so kind, her mum is a brilliant cook and the homemade arak was definitely flowing. I left the place learning so much about Lebanese cuisine, the culture and with a very full stomach!
Review provided by Viator
Aug 12, 2023
An awesome class with a superb family of cooks - A superb class which I recommend to every person interested to learn lebanese authentic cooking. Prior to the class, I requested from Tania to learn home lebanese cooking instead of Mezze. I am American of Lebanese origin and it was always my intention to learn Lebanese home cooking something I missed doing over the years. My request was to learn how to cook what is known as "Yakhnes" which is a mix of rice, vegetables and meat. There are an infinite number of "Yakhnes" which includes but not limited to Large beans Yakhne, Peas Yakhne, Okra Yakhne etc.. The basic concept of each of these mixes are similar. If you learn one it is easy to make most other mixes. I also asked to learn how to make stuffed Zucchini and stuffed Grape Leaves, two very time consuming and intricate lebanese dishes. Tania was more than flexible changing the course content and she told me while this might take more than the time alloted to the course she would be more than willing to go through it however long it took. She also added a famous lebanese dish that you all probably familiar with to the class content which is "Tabboule" saying that it is a must to include it.
Tania and her very kind mother, Joelle, went at the session with all the seriousness, warmth and patience you can expect and it was a joyous experience. With the little background I had in cooking, I came out feeling almost like a master cook, excited to get home to start testing what I have learned and telling my friends that they should expect an "invite" to one or more of my dishes once I am done with my experimentation.
I left by saying "I am coming back for another session and more insights into lebanese cooking". I also felt close enough with their family (I met the father and the brother too, very kind people) all exuding warmth and friendship.
To all the non-Lebanese you will not only learn lebanese cooking but you will meet head on the generous Lebanese culture . Thank you Tania and Joelle for a fun experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 22, 2023
Authentic Lebanese cooking experience - The moment you enter Tania’s apartment it will quickly become apparent that food and cooking is the centerpiece of her home. In my case, there was a pot of candied apricots in the salon waiting to be bottled as jam. The outside balcony had been converted into a food station and there was a large wok with cherries gently simmering to create cherry jam – they looked delicious! The aroma of fresh mint permeated the air.
Food is a family affair. Dad is a retired butcher who now tends to the family garden. As a result, all the ingredients we used were fresh from the garden. Mom is the expert cook who happily shared tips as we navigated some of the intricacies of Lebanese cooking.
We started with a set of mezze including houmus, baba ghanoush (a dip similar to houmus but with roasted egg plant and tahini and the key ingredients), spicy potatoes and two salads. In true Lebanese style there were enough mezze to make an entire meal!
We then moved on to making stuffed vine leaves and kebbe balls which are fiendishly difficult to hollow out and fill with stuffing. It is going to take a lot of practice to match Tania’s mother! We finished off with a traditional dessert – ashtalieh.
All along, Tania and her mother shared secrets of their unique ingredients and tips and techniques on how to cook the dishes.
Lunch was a family affair. In addition to Tania’s parents, we were joined by her sister-in-law and the latter’s children.
Tania’s describes her offering as a cooking experience as opposed to cooking lessons. It is more than this. Instead, it is an immersion in the lives of a typical Lebanese family and an opportunity to learn of the local way of life and the Lebanese culture through cooking. We spent over 5 hours together and the time just flew by!
If food is your interest/ passion and you are visiting Lebanon, then spending an afternoon or evening with Tania and her family is a must. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 17, 2023
Simply the best cooking experience you can have! - Absolutory amazing. Tania and her family were incredibly welcoming. The set up is great, and personal. You can get involved as much as you like, and your culinary comfort level. What a wonderful experience. I learnt a huge amount, and had fun doing it! I highly recommend Tania’s Cooking Experience. A wonderful day, I didn’t want to end! Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
May 13, 2023
Beirut Highlight! - Best experience in Beirut to be welcomed into a family home. It was cooking, culture, family and warmth all in one experience. Tania and her family are amazing and made me feel so welcome. Was the best part of visiting Beirut and Lebanon.
Don’t hesitate. Just book!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 26, 2023
The place to be for cooking class - If you want to have an authentic family cooking experience, then this is the place to be. We had a wonderful time with Tania and her mom Joelle (the cooking machine :) ). We not only learned how to make an authentic homecooked Lebanese meal, we also got insides on the Lebanese culture and the family life. We can highly recommend it! Thank you again Tania and Joelle for letting us have this amazing experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 10, 2022
More than Cooking: An Incredibly Warm Cultural Experience - From the moment we walked into Tania and her mother Joelle's house, we knew that we had signed up for a brilliant local Lebanese experience.
Tania delivered on her promise to provide more than a cooking course. To be sure, Joelle and Tania prepared a feast, punctuated with expert tips and tricks (and no small amount of encouragement for our weakest chef, me!). But beyond the delicious food, we enjoyed learning from the family about their daily lives and Lebanese culture at large. We felt entirely welcome throughout the day, which is a credit to Tania and Joelle's hospitable and generous spirits.
We would strongly recommend Tania and Joelle's unique and fulfilling experience to anyone visiting Beirut - no matter how strong your cooking skills are!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jul 18, 2022
outstanding cooking experience in a family environment - We had the most wonderful time cooking and eating with Tania and her family. Her mother is an outstanding cook and shared many tips with us for making authentic and delicious Lebanese dishes such as hummus, baba ganoush, eggplant salad, stuffed zucchini, and a wonderful turmeric cake. Hard to believe we were able to cook so much food in under 3 hours! Tania was extremely accommodating of our preferences and dietary restrictions, and was happy to cook anything we wanted. She and her family are lovely people who welcomed us into their home and shared an afternoon with us. This was so much fun that we will definitely book another lesson with Tania when we return next year. If we could give the experience more than 5 stars, we would! I am already planning what I want to cook next time :-)
Review provided by Viator
