Private Market Tour & Cooking Class in Puerto Vallarta with Manu
Description
Learn to cook with a local chef in Puerto Vallarta during this private culinary experience! Your host for the day is Manu, a professionally trained chef who loves to create innovative, modern fusions of classic Mexican dishes. Manu will take you to the local market and show you his favorite vendors. After doing a bit of shopping you'll return to his home and cook a meal together. Manu will teach you to prepare traditional Mexican dishes with a modern twist, dishes you can replicate in your own kitchen at home. Enjoy the meal together in Manu's home, a small but typical home in central Puerto Vallarta.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Join Chef Manu at Mercado Cinco de Diciembre, a vibrant local market beloved by Puerto Vallarta residents. As you explore the market together, you'll discover the sights, sounds, and flavors of everyday Mexican life while learning how locals shop for the freshest ingredients. Visit colorful fruit and vegetable stalls, a traditional tortillería, butcher shop, and seafood market. Along the way, Manu will share tips for selecting quality ingredients and explain how these fresh local products are used in authentic Mexican cuisine. Together you'll choose the ingredients that you'll later use during your hands-on cooking class.
After the market visit, drive together to Manu's welcoming home and cooking studio for a hands-on culinary experience. An internationally trained chef who returned to Puerto Vallarta to celebrate the flavors of his hometown, Manu combines traditional Mexican recipes with techniques learned throughout his culinary career. Working side-by-side with Manu, you'll prepare a three-course Mexican meal using the ingredients you selected at the market. Depending on the season and your preferences, dishes may include fresh catch-of-the-day ceviche, panela enchiladas topped with traditional garnishes, and shrimp, octopus, or mushrooms al ajillo. As you cook, learn authentic techniques, ingredient selection tips, and the stories behind the dishes. Once the meal is complete, sit down together to enjoy the food you've prepared, accompanied by a local beer or wine. Menus can be customized for vegetarian guests and most dietary restrictions with advance notice.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please advise any dietary requirements at the time of booking; Manu is happy to accommodate most preferences, including vegetarian diets.
- Hosted by an internationally trained chef passionate about sharing authentic Mexican cuisine.
- This experience combines a local market visit, hands-on cooking class, and shared meal.
- This experience takes place in a real Puerto Vallarta home, offering an authentic cultural and culinary experience.
- Your experience ends at your host's home.
- Manu has a friendly small dog who can be kept in a separate room upon request.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate.
Reviews(246)
This was a fantastic experience! Met Manu at a local market to purchase the ingredients for our delicious dinner. Then to Manu's lovely home where Manu made ceviche and sea bass. Manu tailored our dishes to meet the needs of all 4 of us...one doesn't eat cilantro, so he substituted in basil! It was great. The sea bass preparation with black sauce was to die for...honestly the best sea bass I've ever eaten. I would highly recommend this experience and look forward to doing it again in 2027!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that your experience with Manu was such a highlight. Starting at the local market and then heading to his home for a hands-on cooking and dining experience is exactly the kind of immersive journey we love to offer. It’s great to hear how much you enjoyed the ceviche and sea bass, and especially that Manu thoughtfully adapted the dishes to suit everyone’s preferences, those personal touches make all the difference. We’re so glad the meal left such a lasting impression, “best sea bass ever” is high praise! We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Manu, he’ll be delighted. We’d love to welcome you back in 2027 for another memorable experience!
Wonderful trip to the local market and then watching chef Manu prepare a wonderful meal in his home. Max the dog stole the show!
My husband and I had a special experience today. We took a private cooking class with Manuel Zuliaga in Puerto Vallarta after reading so many positive reviews on Trip Advisor. He is a trained chef and a good teacher.We met Manu at a Mexican market and discussed options for the class. We decided on a fish dish with a smokey sauce and guacamole. Also we chose a delicious shrimp dish and made salsa verde . At the market Manu was so knowledgeable about some of the peppers and vegetables unfamiliar to us. Back at Manu’s home, we not only enjoyed an outstanding lunch but learned new techniques to use at our home when we recreate this meal. He made the class very fun and relaxing and he is sending me the recipes . We highly recommend this cooking class . You won be disappointed! Pat and Nancy Carroll
We had a wonderful day with Manu! We loved going to the market and seeing and learning about all the local produce and seafood. We appreciated being able to choose our two dishes, and that Manu adhered diligently to our allergies. The two dishes Manu made for us were EXCELLENT. Manu was charismatic and welcomed us into his home with his little dog Max. We did think that we would be involved in the actual prep and cooking, but perhaps that was my fault for not reading more of the reviews in advance. Overall, we really enjoyed the afternoon!
We both had an excellent time wandering through a local market to select seafood and fresh produce. Manu was extremely knowledgeable about all the local dishes and ingredients; we learned a great deal about peppers, limes, unknown vegetables, and the fresh seafood being packed for shipment out to the restaurants. The actual class at his home was both delightful and educational, and the dishes oh-so-tasty. Learned new techniques, had a great conversation with the very personable guide, and felt we both had a most wonderful experience.
This was such a cool experience! We met up with Manu at the market, which had no other tourists in sight. He asked us a bit about what dishes we like, and curated a menu on the spot. After that, we shopped for ingredients at the market, and he explained some of the nuances of the different seafood and groceries there. After that we went back to his place, which was absolutely charming! And best of all, we met his sweet dog, Max! Manu cooked for us while explaining the steps of the recipes, and we all chatted (very easy conversation). We learned so much from this talented chef and would absolutely recommend the experience!!
We knew this would be a great experience based on the stellar reviews Manu has received for this class. Here are just a few extra tidbits. The market was spotless, the fish and produce fresh and plentiful, and our chef and the vendors like family. Manu’s culinary skills are world class. Ingredients simple with some unique herbs and spices added, preparation creative and masterful, and conversation open and friendly. The time flew by. It is no wonder that many of this chef’s students are repeat customers!
The market tour and cooking class with Manu was EXCELLENT. He gave a wide range of options for us to select the meal we wanted and the final creation was DELICIOUS. We learned a lot: from local shopping in Puerto Vallarta, to knife skills, to do's and don'ts with hot peppers, how best to cut fish etc.
This is our third year with Manu and he continues to provide an amazing experience with his great personality and his extraordinary culinary knowledge and techniques. He meets us at the market and starts the incredible experience explaining the different fish and flavors while suggesting a meme and adapting it to your preferences. He then welcomes you into his home and proceeds to explain his methods and interjects cultural elements to his cuisine as well.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and generous review. It truly means a lot to hear that this is your third year with Manu and that he continues to deliver such a memorable experience each time. Manu’s passion for food, deep culinary knowledge, and warm personality are exactly what make his experiences so special. We love hearing how he brings the journey to life from the market visit to welcoming guests into his home, thoughtfully adapting the menu to preferences while weaving in cultural stories and techniques along the way. We are incredibly grateful for your continued trust in Traveling Spoon and for returning to cook with Manu year after year. We hope to welcome you back again in the future for many more unforgettable meals and moments together.
Steven and I had a once in a lifetime experience with Manuel. We’ve actually done this at least twice, but it’s beyond wonderful! It’s a market visit to shop for the ingredients that Manuel prepares privately in his home and it is a cooking class like no other! I’ve included some pictures from the Mercado. The place has virtually everything and more. Manu had the fishmonger filet and trim a Sea Bass and a Yellow Bellied Snapper for our “class” and we continued to gather ingredients for the dishes. I was too busy enjoying the guacamole that Manu made especially for me (because I cannot eat onions). He uses celery and cucumber to imitate the texture and flavor in the guacamole. Deeeeeeeeelicios!!! He prepared a Mayan Pescado Recado Negro (Wow!!!) and a Veracruz Pescado with a Tomato based sauce that was amazing. It was truly an experience I will never forget. Manu is a genius, a fabulous host and chef. If you have an opportunity to visit Puerto Vallarta, I highly recommend you book a private foodie experience with Manu…you may even get a chance to meet the real star of the afternoon, Manu’s chihuahua, Max! 🐾🤩
