Overview:

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This is a Culinary tour in Quito that includes an Ecuadorian cooking class. You will visit one of the oldest bakeries in Quito and watch them make some traditional pastries. You also visit one of the local Market Place, and then take a cooking class at the home of an expert Chef. She shows you how to cook a few traditional dishes like tamales and empanadas.

 

What to Expect:

 

You are given a designated time and location to meet your guide. The day of our tour happened to be a "last min" holiday. The President decided to declare it a couple days earlier and as a result we were forewarn there may be some limitations with what we see with the Marketplace (if they would even be open). The bakery chose to remain open for us to visit and the Chef allowed the tour as well. 

 

Our first stop was the marketplace, luckily it was open. We saw different fruits and vegetables and tried an awesome mixture of juices in smoothie form. Once we spent roughly 45-60mins there, we continued onto the Bakery. Once there we were presented with aprons, foot covers and hair nets. This was required in order to enter the bakery area. During our tour we learned about the popular pastries and how since it was a holiday there were a higher number of request due to people getting together with their families. We watched a team of people prepare the dough for the quesadillas (cheese filled pastries) and set it up to go into the oven. We even sat and folded a few of the quesadillas ourselves. Afterwards, we went to the café area and enjoyed a hot chocolate with mozzarella cheese (that you break up and place inside the drink). We weren't sure about that initially but when we did it- the taste was different but great! It was accompanied by the quesadillas which complimented the overall experience. The bakery also had gelato for purchase which a couple people in our group partake in (but later regretted because it took up space in their stomach for lunch later). The gelato itself was excellent but filling- so be careful! 

 

On our final stop we headed to the southern side of Quito to make our way to the Chef's home. This is where we met a wonderful woman who walked us through the making of tamales and empanadas. We had the chance to do a few but the majority of the work was completed by the Chef and her assistant (Son). I did think it would involve more interaction and actual cooking like the class I did in Bali- so I was a little disappointed for the price (around $100 USD). I think it could have been made clearer on the description online. Everything that took place was very intimate and perfect for the 5 of us on the tour (4 of us are friends). Just know that it won't involve you really getting down and working over a hot oven or fryer. After we participated in some of the preparations- we were seated at the dining table and served a variety of items: Quesadillas, Tamale, and empanadas. It was accompanied by a tomato mixed drink that taste like different flavors exploding in your mouth.

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We ate, chatted and laughed- it was like a gathering amongst friends. Our tour guide was great and very informative (the company was Urban Adventures) but I booked through a third party. Apparently, they have tours in several different Countries and based on this experience I would recommend using their services. Just come with an open mind and the expectation of learning about the people and culture of the tour.

At the conclusion of our tour- we were dropped off  (by request) in a different location that was closer to our Airbnb called Plaza Foch original meeting place. 

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That's it! Great time, Great Eats, Great People!

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Things to know B4 you go:
 

Here's what is included on the tour:

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• Visit to the Market

• Visit to the Bakery

• Cooking class

• A Professional guide and Chef

• Transportation from pickup location by private vehicle

• The samples/snacks

• Small group tour (no more than 12 ppl)

• The cost at the time (April 2018) $104 USD per person

• The tour was a half day (8:30AM-2PM)

 

*Tips are accepted but not included in the tour cost.*

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