A Mexican Cooking Class

This was our first cooking class and we really enjoyed. Chef Andrea welcomed us into her home and was very engaging. We learned a lot about Mexican food, the whole family got to contribute and the meal turned out fantastic. Highly recommended experience. And a special shout out to Jamie who drove us back and forth and was a delightful companion.

The cooking class was wonderful and met the wildly diverse needs of a family with two adults and two young children: one academic who speaks Spanish and knows Mexico City really well, one passionate non-Spanish-speaking chef, a six-year-old who knows how to handle a knife, and a baby who isn't ready for a cooking class. All four of us had a blast. I am writing this review out of the sense of obligation that such stellar hosting and education should be praised, so others will take a chance on the day in the kitchen (starting at the market, of course). You could not ask for better fun than what this experience will give you. Completely worth it. A truly meaningful engagement with local thought and long-standing practices. If you are looking for an activity that kids and adults can do together, this one is great. Make sure your young child knows "claw hand" as a knife cutting skill before your day in the kitchen. Your child will rave about this class, and if you have a baby, you'll be out of the sun and able to take care of the infant while still looking on at the action. I give this experience my top recommendation. I would do it again, in fact.

Manuel is a wonderful teacher of gastronomy and the culture around food. Very informative and inclusive. Thank you so much.

From the second Jaime picked us up, we knew we were in for an exceptional experience. We met Ricardo who guided us through the wonderful and colorful market place. But first we had quesadillas. I tried the one with brains and flowers. My friend had tinga and cheese. Then we walked a few blocks to the kitchen, in a beautiful home converted to an AirB&b. Our marvelous chef and host was Manuelo. His friendly vibe, knowledge of cooking techniques, guiding us through various steps in preparing our meal was A+++++++. The hands on work stations allowed us to really feel as if we were preparing this delectable meal. Who knew I was opening an avocado incorrectly? Happy to learn the proper way. We were educated on chilies, different types of moles, blistering tomatoes and onions and so many other cooking procedures. We were given a choice of a 5 course meal, which included making horchata. Sharing a meal and great conversation with Manuelo, Ricardo, Jaime and my friend in the neighborhood of Cayoacan was one of the highlights of the trip to Mexico city. Highly recommend? ABSOLUTELY!

COOKING CLASS THAT WORKS FOR KIDS! This cooking class was awesome. Our 9 year-old loves doing cooking classes when we travel but virtually all México City cooking classes do not allow kids. This one does! Not only was the chef GREAT at teaching proper knife technique and other basics that I struggle with explaining to my kid, he was super engaging with my son and just FUN. We made guacamole, tortilla soup, chicken mole and amaranth cookies plus a nice limeade with chia. Then we ate it. You get a nice market tour at the front end and throughout they provide you with tons of history and detail about what you’re eating and its pre-Spanish origins. Highly recommend.

Mexico City - Saturday

The entire day was 1st class. Thanks Rene and @mannu.crie @ricardo_bonillac

Thank you for organizing a day beyond our expectations.

Chinapas tour, market, then back to Ricardo’s to cook and eat

This cooking class was amazing! The guides and chef were such excellent and patient teachers. We learned so much about the culture of Mexico as well as the food. You will be so happy if you book this tour, every part is fantastic!

Wonderful experience! Ricardo, Manuela & Derek were incredible. We learned so much about mexican cuisine, and really enjoyed the market tour at the start.

Pick up was on time. Driver, Jaime, was knowledgeable and friendly. Took us to meet Ricardo at the market in Coyoacán. Ricardo was extremely knowledgeable with Mexican cuisine and made starting the day a pleasure. Guided us through the market explaining the food and it’s origins. Then went to meet Manolo, the chef, where we began the cooking experience. It was fun and Manolo made sure everyone was involved in the food preparation. Food and drinks were delicious. It was one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommended.

This was one of the best experiences I have had traveling. Ricardo, Manolo, and Patricia made sure we had the most special day while also helping us to better understand and appreciate the history, complexity (and deliciousness!!!) of Mexican cooking. It felt like spending the day with your family, it was relaxed, fun, and I feel like I learned so much and am ready to cook at home. The fact you get to spend so much time with people so knowledgeable and so passionate is unmatched by any other experience like this i have done. Do not hesitate, book this experiece, it will make your time in Mexico City so much more rich.

What an incredible experience!! If you’re thinking about doing this, stop thinking and just do it! By far the best thing we did in CDMX!
Patricia was a wonderful driver and tour guide, Ricardo was such a wealth of knowledge! I was so impressed with how much time we got with such a knowledgeable and connected person in the food industry. Finally Manolo! He said he wanted to create an atmosphere of cooking with Grandma, and he nailed it! Low pressure environment where any question is welcomed.
We have always been intimidated by cooking Mexican dishes like Mole, and Manolo made it so approachable.
Five stars- would recommend!!

Our cooking tour was fabulous. We chose an afternoon tour rather than breakfast. First our pickup driver and translator, Jaime, was charming and informative. On our first stop at el mercado de Coyoacan, we were met by Ricardo, a gastronomical expert and food critic whose breadth of knowledge was amazing. If it weren’t for the fact that our « Chef » awaited us we could have happily spent hours with him! Then an amazing cooking class and meal with Chef Alfonso. We chose to continue our evening by adding a specialty coffee tasting to our tour when we realized that Alfonso also had a passion for coffee as we do. But the best part was getting to know a bit about the lives of these three Mexicans and simply enjoy laughing and enjoying an afternoon and evening together.

This was an interesting experience. The guide was knowledgeable. However, it was a very long night. Although there was plenty of time cooking, we felt rushed when were finally able to eat the dishes prepared and did not really get to enjoy the fruits of our labors. Also, my friend asked about having a cup of coffee with dessert (chef owns the coffee shop next store). We didn't realize that this was interpreted as signing up for another "experience" regarding the history of Mexican coffee and chocolate. We were charged for that additional 2 hours that we really didn't want, but it was too late to say no. It was just too much for one night.

An outstanding experience from the moment we were picked up from our hotel to the very end. Gracious hospitality, so much knowledge being shared of the history and culture, and a fantastic cooking class that was informative, fun and extremely delicious!

Our culinary adventure with Stepping Mexico surpassed our expectations! You start at the Mercado. It's packed with local products and ingredients. Here you tour the market, with a stop at one of the establishments, getting a taste of what locals eat. Next you arrive at the cooking class, which is intimate and personal. We learned not just the recipes and about their ingredients but also about the history and origin of our meal. This is a hands on class where you will be part of the process in the kitchen. After preparing the food, we all shared our multi-course meal together. An immersive Mexican experience with our hosts Jamie, Ricardo and Chef Alfonso who were just amazing, we can’t say enough about them!

What an amazing experience and when I can highly recommend! Jamie picked us up from our hotel and gave us a history lesson about Mexico City and their neighborhood. He was a joy and so easy going. Then we met Ricardo at the market and we were blown away by his experience w the history of Mexican food and the culture and his explanation of everything in the market , then we walked to our cooking class and again had a nice history lesson.

We met our amazing Chef and we started our cooking class. I travel all over the world and have attended many classes, but this one beats them all. What fun we had, and I picked up many cooking techniques to take back home w me. Food was amazing and I would highly recommend!!

Do not think twice about booking, great experience!

Imagine meeting up with Alton Brown for a trip to the biggest farmer’s market ever, complete with explanations of all the foods and people there…and then he takes you to his friend Bobby Flay’s kitchen where he and Bobby teach you to make a classic meal—including sending you home with the recipes. Ricardo Bonilla and Luis Alfonso Garduño are leaders in the effort to recognize Mexican cuisine as a global heritage. They are wonderful teachers and hilarious guys. They even succeeded in teaching my husband to use an immersion blender. Our guide Jaime gave us unique insights into CDMX and gave us the scoop on which pan dulces to order for breakfast at El Cafe Popular. Highly recommend this experience and can’t wait to make these dishes at home!