6 Cooking Classes in the Philippines to Build a Day Around

1.Manila Filipino Cooking Class: Meryenda Favorites

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · from $60Our pick

In central Makati, Chyl guides a small group of up to four through a Filipino meryenda menu: a filling noodle dish, savory spring rolls, and sweet treats. You get your own cooking station, ingredients, equipment, and a nonalcoholic drink, then return to Somerset Olympia Makati after about two hours.

“Chyl was extremely friendly and helpful both guiding the class and talking about Manila and the Philippines.”

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2.Hands on Manila Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 2 hours · from $60

Cook a full Filipino meryenda with Chyl, an English-speaking local instructor who teaches pancit noodles, lumpia spring rolls, and sweet turon. You will prep, cook, and eat all three dishes in a small group of up to four, with ingredients, equipment, and a nonalcoholic drink included.

“Cooking with Chyl was amazingly fun! The weather was perfect, Chyl has a beautiful personality and welcoming demeanor. She and staff had everything prepared nicely for us to dive in and start cooking on-time. We loved how Chyl incorporated her childhood and family background to the teaching of this class. The food was AMAZING, simple ingredients that make mouth watering snacks from the Philippines. It was so much food, we had left overs for dinner and breakfast 😊. This class is definitely worth 2-hours out of your day if you want to relax and learn how to cook the Filipino way!!”

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3.Private Filipino cooking class in a local Manila Home

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $90

Join Isi in her Taguig home for a three-hour Filipino cooking experience. Pick calamansi and lemongrass from her garden, prepare family recipes by hand or watch a demonstration, then sit down for lunch or dinner with beer. Expect personal stories, fresh ingredients, and a relaxed look at Filipino food culture.

“Isi was a wonderful hostess and taught me how wo make 3 different dishes. I go real hands on experience in her beautiful home. I highly recommend taking this class as it was fun, tasty, and educational.”

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4.Private Market Tour and Filipino Cooking Class in Manila with Isi

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $120

Meet Isi in Taguig for a private 4.5-hour experience that pairs a local market visit with a Filipino cooking lesson in her home. Shop for seasonal ingredients, see her lemongrass and calamansi garden, prepare family recipes, and sit down to dishes such as garlic, coconut, chili, and fish-sauce specialties followed by dessert.

“The whole experience was amazing : sourcing the ingredients from the market, the host and the food! Isi exceeded expectations!”

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5.Private Filipino Cooking Class in the Heart of Manila,Makati City

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $110

Meet Cinty at Wildflour Restaurant in Makati, then learn Filipino cooking in her home kitchen. You’ll prepare two dishes from scratch, with menus adapted for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or lactose-free diets. Add the market option for a guided visit to Guadalupe Public Market before lunch or dinner.

“The Chef provides history and details about the ingredients, and I recommend including the trip to the market as part of the experience. I felt welcomed in her kitchen. I learned a lot about Filipino dishes and how to prepare them, and the detRead more”

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6.Cebu Traditional Bamboo Cooking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $109

At Hadsan Cove Resort in Lapu-Lapu City, guide Lorelie Kalalang Ledesma leads a four-hour private class in cooking Filipino chicken, seafood, salad, rice, and dessert inside bamboo over charcoal. You will prepare the ingredients, swim while the food cooks, then eat what you made. Recipes and photos follow by email.

“This is an experience you do not want to miss. Our guide, Lerelei, was excellent, and the food was absolutely outstanding. Lot of fun cooking and you get to take a swim while the food is cooking in the bamboo.”

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