Cooking Class Colombo: Learn Sri Lankan Cuisine with Local Market Tour
5.0
120 Ratings
Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
Immerse yourself in the vibrant flavors of Sri Lankan cuisine with a hands-on cooking class in Colombo. Explore the local market, learn traditional recipes, and bring the taste of Sri Lanka to your kitchen.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
TRANSPORT
• Airport Pick up : We will welcome you at the arrival (With Fully Conditioned Car : Enough for 2/3, Welcome Board, Express way Entrance) 38USD.
• Hotel Pick Up : The Cost is Depend on the Millage. Please contact us for any assistance.
KEYÂ DETAILS
• CITY : Colombo
• MEETING POINT :  Villa Ivy Crest
• RECOMMEND : Couple/Familiy/Friends
• LOCAL CASH NEEDED : Extra Beers (Other than 1)
• ACTIVITY : Market visit, Clay-pot Cooking
INCLUDED :
• WELCOME REFRESHMENT
• PERSONABLE TOUR GUIDE
• 5 COURSE LUNCH/DINNER
• RECIPES / CERTIFICATE
TRIPÂ ITINERARY
Enjoy our freshly made fruit juice or a herbal drink, wander around our villa and get yourself refreshed & prepared for the tour while our experienced guide brief you about the agenda. Before Starting Market visit and cultural cooking tour Colombo, you will get the chance to select a menu for the preparation form our family recipes which works for everyone
Similar to the palm technique used by Italians to measure spaghetti, we too have lots of such traditional techniques and tactics when it comes to home cooking which are not explained (or rather cannot be explained) in cook books or that sort of videos. Our chef is well aware of those tips and tricks, which are proven through generations, that makes your food tastier with a better aroma and color. He will get you involved in every step of cooking from cleaning to measuring to real cooking while giving you those tips associated with each step. We will take relatively a longer time than Europeans or Americans to prepare a meal but you will never regret the time you spent once you tasted the food.
No matter where you are in, there are always certain manners to be followed in dining table. So, Eating like a local can be trickier than you might think. Every culture has its own food beliefs, traditions and etiquettes. Our first rule is to serve others before ourselves.
Points of Interest
- VW99+VCV
What's Included
- Light refreshments
- Lunch
- Professional guide
- Bottled water
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic drinks (Beers)
- Drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel drop-off
- Hotel pickup
Additional Information
Rustic Cooking Class holds the distinction of being Sri Lanka’s initial interactive culinary course with the highest number of reviews. It includes an immersive Local Market tour to ensure a comprehensive cultural and culinary journey in Sri Lanka. Participants will enjoy a delightful session and carry home valuable cooking insights to enhance their home cuisine.
- At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
- Kindly WhatsApp us at +94756066645 to receive the specific meeting point for your booking.
Location
VW99+VCV
Our base is in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. However, the meeting point for the market tour may vary based on the date. Please Contact us via Whatsapp to get the direction and more information
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(120 Ratings)
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Stephen_t
Mar 24, 2024
Shopping, cooking, eating - perfect! - Nim, our guide and teacher, showed us round the market and explained how many vegetables are used in Sri Lankan cooking. We then went back to his lovely home and he showed us how to cook several dishes. Finally, we had a delicious meal together. We learned a lot about food and Sri Lankan life in general.
Review provided by Viator
Christy_d
Mar 9, 2024
Wonderful cooking class and market tour - We had a wonderful day with Nim touring the market and then creating our delicious Sri Lankan lunch at a private house outside the city. The market walk was fun and informative, and the setting for our cooking class was perfect next to a forested area with monkeys in the trees and lots of other wildlife to see on our breaks. Nim was the perfect host and was very friendly, engaging and knowledgeable about local cooking. We made coconut roti, coconut sambal, chicken curry and beetroot curry, and it was all amazingly tasty. We really loved the experience and highly recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Carolyn_h
Feb 28, 2024
What a great intro to cooking classes - Nim is a very relaxed gentle character who is very willing to engage and share. He met us promptly at the agreed meeting point. We shopped for ingredients at a nearby local market. Then transferred to his place for our cooking lesson. A fabulous environment, very clean and neatly set out. A totally enjoyable afternoon/evening. Some wonderful conversation, some great food and an overall very positive experience. First time cooking class ever and would recommend Nim, and would repeat the whole experience . Future classes will be judged against this one !
Review provided by Viator
Nick
Feb 16, 2024
A top class host and wonderful food - Everything was well organized and ran smoothly.
Ashee arranged for us to be collected from our cruise ship and driven to the market to meet Nim.
We wandered through the market and Nim introduced us to lots of new vegetables and fruits and spices. We got to try lots of things at the market and could decide what we wanted to cook that morning for our lunch.
The people at the market were warm and friendly, and Nim shared his knowledge at every step.
Next we took a TukTuk ride to Nims place. Away from the business of the city, with monkeys swinging in the trees, mongoos and other animals wandering around in the gorgeous surroundings outside his place.
Then it was time to get to work. Nim gave us step by step instructions and what and why we were doing things.
We cooked a jackfruit curry, an amazing fish curry, we made coconut sambal and coconut roti. All delicious!!! And washed down with a Sri Lankan beer.
When it was time to get back to our ship, Nim had a car waiting to take us back on time for sailing.
Really a wonderful day that gave us not just a taste of Sri Lankan food, but also the culture and the kindness.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Loisb847
Feb 11, 2024
Way more than rustic! - ‘Rustic’ is underrating the service that Nim, the culinary master, provides. He is passionate about food and through the market tour and the cooking lesson, he wants you to understand what the ingredients are, how they go together, how they are best presented and how you feel about the food you’re cooking. Oh, and it’s delicious as well!
He was also willing to take me by myself, which as a solo female traveller I really appreciated. He is trustworthy, respectful, knowledgeable and funny. Generous with his time and experience. It is a little off the beaten path, which is also good. The cooking space has ample room and a lovely ambience. I really had a fantastic experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trip48015015808
Feb 10, 2024
A top notch activity - Our tour of the market was fascinating and we got to test new fruits. It was fun choosing what to cook with and to discover that you can cook with coconut oil - we had only ever come across it is skin cream before.
Back in Nim’s kitchen the venue was calm, spotlessly clean and we enjoyed the monkeys and other wildlife in the surrounding green space.
We enjoyed preparing the jackfruit, onions, garlic, chillies, chicken and other ingredients for the curries. Making coconut roti was a joy and easy (when you have fresh chopped coconut).
It was good to discuss food and cooking in various countries and also comparing and contrasting what happens in the U.K. and Sri Lanka. Conversation was easy with such a competent and friendly host.
The resultant meal was delicious and we travelled home in our tuk tuk contented.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kareneo5274nb
Jan 23, 2024
Cooking with Class! - If i could have given a 6* review, I would. We started our experience with meeting our chef at around 3.30. First I must say that upon instantly meeting Nim, I knew we were in good hands! Nim then took us to a local fruit and veg market to choose various ingredients for our cooking class. Between my husband and I, we chose pineapple, bread fruit and banana flower. After learning so much about the different ingredients sold at the market, we headed to Nim's home by taxi (included).
And then it began. First we had a drink and learned a little more about what we were going to cook. We were taught how to correctly prep the beautifully presented ingredients and began to cook the most wonderful dinner - it was incredible! Every single element of this experience was beyond expectation and outstanding.
We will take home fabulous memories of the teacher, the class, and the meal. Thankyou Nim!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tracie
Dec 18, 2023
Such a memorable experience - One day in Colombo so well spent. We had a private a/c taxi collect us from the cruise terminal and took us to a local market where we met Nim, our guide and chef extraordinaire. Nim guided us through the market where we explored, sampled and bought local vegetables and fruits for the feast we were about to prepare. On leaving the market we hopped into a tuk tuk with produce in tow and were driven higher into the hills. On arrival at Nim’s kitchen on the jungle’s edge we sampled a wood apple smoothie from the fruit selected at the market. A surprising and delicious flavour. Then Nim set us to work in a well thought out kitchen area, kindly guiding us through the preparation and cooking of a fresh coconut sambal, 2 vegan curries and many coconut roti. At the completion of cooking in clay pots over a gas fires, Nim expertly arranged our feast on the table for us all to share and washed down with a delightful local beer.
It is easy to relax in Nim’s company and he is a wonderful host.
At one point we took a break from cooking and we witnessed a monkey family and multiple squirrels and other wildlife playing in the jungle.
Nim called a taxi and rode with us back to the cruise terminal where we were safely delivered.
Honestly one of our most rewarding travel experiences and would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour34376815171
Dec 1, 2023
Good fun, nice vibes, great people, excellent food! A super enjoyable day! - By far the best cooking class experience I’ve done. We first went to the market to experience an authentic shopping experience, was so great to learn about different fruits & vegetables and how they’re used in Sri Lankan cooking - and even better we got to decide what vegetable curries we would make later in the day.
Following that we went to the house to cook along with Nim our guide. The experience was great, really nice vibes, didn’t feel rushed, the food was delicious and very enjoyable to learn about Sri Lankan food and culture.
For the price, I would definitely recommend and will be sure to keep in touch with Nim going forward on any return trip to Sri Lanka! As I struggled to find authentic Sri Lankan food at restaurants out, this was one of the best meals of my trip.
Went for the evening class, which started around 3:30pm and ended around 9pm, so was a great way to spend a day in Colombo. I loved it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frequent_flyer_5000
Oct 31, 2023
A really great experience. - This was a great experience with Nim as our brilliant host. The market visit was informative and fun. The evening cooking was great. We learnt a lot, had great food and company and left feeling we could replicate the food at home. A thoroughly enjoyable activity that we’d highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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