I found this jewel of Sri Lankan culture by accident and enjoyed every minute. Shasikala and her mother greeted me at the door and the next three hours were spent with laughter, chatting, and of course cooking. Having been to Sri Lanka for five times, I am very keen on learning to use the spices, so the visit to the market was also very helpful. I have cooked back home in Germany many curries since my return and they were all delicious. Not as good as Shasikala's dishes, so I have to return for more classes. Barbara

We had a wonderful time together with Buddhima who met us at our hotel in Kandy and took us to her private house. We started out with tea and traditional Sri Lankan sweats/snacks. Then we started preparing curries for dinner under Buddhima’s instructions and we learned a lot about traditional spices and food in general. Finally we sat down together and enjoyed a delicious dinner

This was one of the absolute highlights of our trip to Sri Lanka! Shasikala was so friendly and kind, it was wonderful to be welcomed into her home. Both her and her mother showed us how to make a variety of Sri Lankan dishes which were all delicious. Their 3 friendly dogs were a bonus as well! Highly recommend.

This class was extremely good that I have no words to express it. The whole session was amazing with a very comfortable and relaxed surrounding. And the host of this class was very friendly and nice. So that this whole session was my favorite. And I really like the way she welcomed us to her house. Best wishes from me!

We partook in the market tour, cooking experience, and meal with Shasikala. Both Shasikala and her mother couldn’t have been more welcoming and eager to share their food traditions and culture with us. The market tour was not rushed, and we had opportunities to purchase some spices and tea to take home as well. The market was very local (we were the only tourists) and a nice manageable size. Back at the house Shasikala and her mother demonstrated the techniques used to cook several Sri Lankan dishes, some of which were new to us as well. Shasikala was very helpful, and adjusted the menu to suit our preferences without issue. We were thrilled that we got to cook many of the great dishes we had enjoyed during our holiday. I highly recommend Shasikala’s cooking class to anyone who wants to learn to cook Sri Lankan home style food in an authentic setting from a host who is proud to share her food traditions with visitors.

Buddhima arrived at my hotel in a tuk tuk to take me to the local markets where we bought fruit and veges for our cooking feast. She happily explained all the veges and fruit that I wasn’t familiar with and we just enjoyed walking and chatting through the hustle and bustle of downtown Kandy. After arriving at Buddhima’s house and meeting her lovely mum and sweet sons we had tea and some Sri Lankan sweet delicacies and then donned an apron to begin our cooking feast. Everything was explained along the way and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. What followed was a delicious meal of Sri Lankan curries and a wonderful experience which is highly recommended to young and old, make or female. Thank you Buddhima for such a wonderful day that I will always treasure!!

This was a spectacular cooking class. We have attended cooking classes in many countries, but this was the best. I had set it up as a private cooking class for me, my wife and our son and his girlfriend. All of us had traveled from San Francisco bay area. I had exchanged recipe ideas and spice levels with Mohara before we arrived. My expectations were high, but she exceeded them! Mohara Dole is such a warm person and it started with us learning about the fruits and herbs in the garden in her home and her life story. We loved eating the Ambarella fruit from her tree and that resulted in it being added as an cooking item to the menu. We were introduced to the herbs and spices and the art of cooking in unglazed terracotta pots seem to improve the recipes. We landed up cooking 8 dishes and had a sumptuous lunch with that. There was enough and more food to spare. The staff there was very helpful and provided us with fruit juices to hydrate us during the entire session. At the end of the lunch, Mohara introduced us to this amazingly simple, but tasty dessert - I think it is called Kiri Pani. It is done by adding Kithul syrup (made from Palm sap) over thick buffalo milk yogurt. It was a delicious conclusion to the amazing class and lunch.

Buddhima was very friendly, knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. She was able to answer of all my questions not only about food but also about Sri Lankan culture and religion. She encouraged me to try new fruits walking round the market and purchased them for me to do so along with some traditional Sri Lankan snacks. The market tour was brilliant and having purchased the produce for the cooking class we drove to her house. I met her family and sat with them to have tea. The whole experience of being at her house and meeting her family I thought was such a nice touch and I felt very honoured to be there. Th cooking course itself was unbelievable I learnt so much. Buddhima explained the justification behind every ingredient and step. We made a range of dishes all of which she had chosen deliberately as she knew I could get those ingredients back in the U.K. The food was amazing and was easily the best meal I had whilst I was in Sri Lanka. I can’t rate the whole day enough.

Kodi and Meena were warm hosts and spent a lot of time with our group... we visited the fish market, vegetable market and enjoyed watching them cook up a feast! our lunch spread included - red rice, a special Sri Lankan fish curry and a variety of fresh vegetables, followed by a traditional dessert of yogurt with treacle. The setting of the house is also beautiful... in Galle Fort, which is a UNESCO heritage site. A great way to experience Sri Lankan cuisine and hospitality!

It was an enjoyable morning at Kodi and Meena's gorgeous heritage home in Galle. They were warm and welcoming hosts who made us feel completely at home. Kodi took us on a tour of the local fish and vegetable market after which we watched as Meena expertly churned out a few dishes while explaining how they were cooked. The meal was delicious with a variety of Sri Lankan vegetable preparations and a fish curry. Desert was jackfruit, yogurt and treacle which was the perfect end to a lovely meal.

Our hosts, Kodi and Meena, were extremely warm and friendly and I immediately felt right at home with them. Kodi took us on a market tour and was extremely knowledgeable about the local produce. Meena is a wonderful cook and expertly demonstrated how to prepare several flavorful vegetarian dishes. Their home is a piece of history on a quiet lane in Galle - I believe it's a 300-year-old Dutch house. I enjoyed the setting of our meal tremendously as the dining table overlooked a sunny garden. The meal included a wide array of traditional Sri Lankan dishes, all simply prepared and full of flavor. Overall, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who might be considering it. I was won over by the cooking and the warmth of the hosts.

Shasikala と彼女の家族に感謝しています。ひとり旅だったので最初は躊躇していましたが、行ってみて良かったです。料理レッスンというよりプチホームステイをしている気分で楽しめました。 I received a warm welcome from Shasikala's family. I enjoyed my first Traveling Spoon experience even I was solo trip. To tell the truth, it was a little different than I expected. ( I spent most of time watching their cooking. ) It was not just businesslike class, I liked that. They love Sri Lankan food and traditional ways of cooking. You should start your class from market tour with Shasikala's uncle, he knows a lot about local food. That was really interesting. I'm glad to know local family life. It's highly recommended.

I am so happy to have met Mohara and spent an evening in her home. The afternoon started with a welcome into her home with fresh chilled juice and an overview of what the next few hours would bring. We had informed her previously that one of our party was vegetarian and she made sure to accommodate! The entire cooking class was delightful. It was an informative, hands on, roll up your sleeves kind of cooking experience! The food was exquisite. We prepared 2 vegetable curries with vegetables I had never had before. 1) Loofah 2) Lotus Plant root. All ingredients used were fresh (including the chicken in one dish) and easy to work with. In total we prepared about 5 different curries and "fancy" rice to accompany the curries. After preparing our meal we all sat at the dining room table with Mohara and had a wonderful conversation about Sri Lanka and the city of Colombo while enjoying our meal. Would I do it again? Absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt!!

We loved our cooking class with Mohara. Not only is the set up so professional even though you are in her home it was fun & informative. Hearing her life story whilst cooking was truly inspirational & she’s funny & so lovely. The food was so yum & there was a real mix of flavours, colours, richness & freshness. Was the highlight of visiting Colombo. Thanks Mohara, we’re going to tell everyone to visit you & experience Sri Lankan cooking with colour.

Me and my girlfriend did a cooking class with Mohara at her home. It was a fantastic experience - she was very kind and funny and a very inspiring chef. We made four different currys which was better than most meals we’ve had during our three week trip around Sri Lanka. I really recommend everyone to cook with Mohara! Great way to learn about the local kitchen!