Filipino Cooking Class in Manila: Market, Garden & Home Kitchen

Shop a Manila market, then cook family recipes in a local kitchen

A private cooking class in Manila where you visit a local market with your host Isi, tour her home garden, and learn to prepare traditional Filipino dishes in her kitchen in Taguig. The class runs about four and a half hours, includes beer and a full meal, and offers both hands-on cooking and demonstration options. Vegetarian and gluten-free choices are available.

The experience

The morning starts at a local Manila market where Isi walks you through seasonal produce and the ingredients that define Filipino cooking: calamansi citrus, fish sauce, coconut milk, chilies and garlic. You'll see what goes into the dishes you'll make later. Then you ride to her home in Taguig, where she shows you a small vegetable garden growing lemongrass and calamansi, the citrus that flavors much of her food.

In her kitchen, Isi teaches you to prepare Filipino family recipes passed down through generations. You choose whether to cook hands-on or watch a demonstration. Let her know which suits you. The menu shifts with the season but includes dishes like ensaladang pako (fern salad in calamansi dressing), ginataang kalabasa at sitaw (squash in coconut milk stew), grilled shrimp in cilantro chimichurri, mechado (soy-marinated beef), inihaw na baboy (grilled pork chops), and calamansi pie for dessert. After cooking, you eat together at her dining table.

Isi speaks English and Filipino and hosts one group at a time, so the experience stays intimate. Beer is included. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available if you request them when booking. This is a home cook's kitchen, not a culinary school. The point is a genuine glimpse into how Filipinos cook and eat at home.

What’s included

• Private market tour with Isi.
• garden walk at her Taguig home.
• hands-on cooking lesson or demonstration in her kitchen.
• a full meal of traditional Filipino dishes including ensaladang pako, ginataang kalabasa at sitaw, grilled shrimp, mechado, inihaw na baboy and calamansi pie.
• beer.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Filipino

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Stroller friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Traveling Spoon

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cook and eat in a local's home rather than in a commercial kitchen: Isi teaches one group at a time, and the meal happens at her dining table, not a classroom.

Traveler reviews

4.67★★★★★★★★★★

15 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Filipino.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What does the market tour involve?

Isi takes you through a local Manila market to show you seasonal produce and the core ingredients used in Filipino cooking (calamansi, fish sauce, coconut milk, garlic and chilies), so you understand what goes into the dishes you'll prepare later.

Can I choose between cooking myself and watching a demonstration?

Yes. You can do a hands-on cooking lesson or watch Isi prepare the meal as a demonstration. Just let her know your preference when you book.

What is Isi's home garden like?

It's a small vegetable garden at her Taguig home where she grows lemongrass and calamansi, the distinctive Filipino citrus she uses to flavor her cooking.

Are vegetarian or gluten-free meals available?

Yes. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. Let Isi know your dietary requirements at the time of booking so she can plan the menu.

How long is the whole experience?

The class runs about four and a half hours from the market tour through the meal at her home.