Taiwanese Cooking Class in Taiwan: Market to Table

Cook Taiwanese home dishes the way locals learn them

A small-group cooking class in Taiwan where you start at a morning market, learn to select seasonal ingredients like a local, then prepare three Taiwanese dishes in a home kitchen with Wayne, a chef with nearly 30 years of experience. The class runs 4.5 hours and includes lunch, a fruit platter, handmade boba tea, and deep conversations about food and daily life. Groups stay under six people.

The experience

The class begins at a morning market, not a grocery store. You'll walk through the stalls with Wayne to understand what's in season and taste foods that are everyday for Taiwanese people but unfamiliar to most travelers. The kind of sampling that happens when you're shopping like a local, not like a tourist. This isn't a curated highlight reel. It's the real rhythm of how people here buy what they cook.

Back in the home kitchen, you prepare three dishes from one of four rotating themes: dumplings and fried chicken popcorn on Mondays and Thursdays; three-cup chicken and stir-fried bean curd on Tuesdays and Sundays; beef noodle soup and gua bao on Wednesdays and Fridays; or dessert-focused sessions with handmade boba tea. Wayne learned traditional Taiwanese home cooking from his mother, then spent time in Melbourne mastering Sicilian Italian cuisine from an Italian grandmother, so the kitchen talk goes beyond recipes. You're hands-on for all three dishes, and lunch is what you've made. The class wraps with a fruit platter, coffee or tea, and the boba you colored and assembled yourself.

The studio sits four floors up with stairs to climb and no elevator. Groups max out at six, which is why the pace stays unhurried and Wayne can answer real questions about food, ingredients and how Taiwanese daily life differs from home. Vegan and other dietary needs are discussed before you book, and the operator provides recipes in English, Chinese, or Japanese.

What’s included

• Fruit platter.
• lunch made from the three dishes you prepare.
• hands-on cooking instruction for three dishes.
• handmade colorful boba tea.
• food tasting at the morning market.
• coffee and/or tea.

Options for this experience

3 options

Cooking class on Wednesdays and FridaysGuide in English · 09:30Lasts 4 hours. Taiwanese beef noodle soup, gua bao, and spicy cold cucumber salad, at Dongmen Market

Cooking class on Tuesdays and SundaysGuide in English · 09:30Three-cup chicken, basil garlic clams, and stir-fried shredded pork with spicy tofu, at Dongmen Market

Cooking class on Mondays and ThursdaysGuide in English · 09:30Pan-fried dumplings, hot and sour soup, and salt and pepper chicken, at Dongmen Market

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except SaturdayDeparts at 09:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (7 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 6 years): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

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.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Make My Day Cooking Lab

Is this one for you?Choose the day that matches the theme you want to cook (dumplings, stir-fries, noodles or boba), since each theme rotates through the week. The small group size (maximum six) means you get real attention from Wayne and time for conversations about Taiwanese food and culture, not a rushed production-line experience.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (7 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 6 years): free.

What's the difference between the four cooking themes, and can I choose which day I go?

The Dumpling Lover theme (Monday and Thursday) centers on fried dumplings, fried chicken popcorn, and hot and sour soup. Home Style Stir-fried (Tuesday and Sunday) teaches three-cup chicken with basil, clams with garlic and basil, and spicy black bean stir-fry. Authentic Taiwanese (Wednesday and Friday) covers soy sauce beef noodle, gua bao pork belly buns, and pickled cucumber. Dessert Making focuses on handmade boba tea. You pick the day and theme that fit your schedule when you book.

Do I need cooking experience to join this class?

No experience is required. Wayne teaches hands-on, and the class is designed to feel like learning in a Taiwanese home kitchen alongside a host, not in a formal cooking school. Groups stay small so there's time for questions and guidance.

What happens at the morning market, and how long does that part take?

The market visit is where you learn to recognize seasonal produce and sample local foods and drinks that are part of everyday Taiwanese life. You're not just shopping. You're understanding what's available and how locals choose ingredients. This sets up the cooking that follows and is built into the 4.5-hour class time.

Is lunch included, and what if I have dietary restrictions?

Yes, lunch is the three dishes you cook. Vegan and other special dietary requirements can be discussed and catered for before booking, so contact the operator with your needs when you reserve.