3-Course Tropical Fusion Cooking Class

Costa Rica Culinary Adventure!

Our private cooking class with Chef Scott Alan at Costa Rica Cooking was one of the absolute highlights of our trip to La Fortuna! From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with Scott's amazing hospitality, quick wit, and wonderful sense of humor. He made the entire experience fun, relaxed, and incredibly engaging. It's obvious he's not only a talented chef but also a genuinely big-hearted person—learning that he also operates a local dog rescue made us appreciate him even more. The setting couldn't have been more spectacular. We cooked in an open-air kitchen with breathtaking views of the lush valley below and the majestic Arenal Volcano rising above us. It was the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable culinary experience. Together we prepared an incredible three-course feast. We started with a fresh, vibrant tilapia ceviche served with perfectly fried plantains. Next came two outstanding entrées: sea bass crusted with almonds and cashews, topped with a delicious fresh mango salsa, and a traditional Costa Rican chicken dish accompanied by an amazing pineapple and papaya chutney. Every dish was packed with flavor and taught us techniques we can't wait to recreate at home. To finish, we made an unforgettable banana flambé served with homemade chocolate sauce and ice cream—absolutely delicious! Chef Scott's passion for Costa Rican cuisine shines through every step of the class. He shares cooking tips, local culture, and plenty of laughs, making the experience feel like cooking with a good friend rather than taking a lesson. If you're traveling to La Fortuna and looking for an exotic, fun, and delicious culinary adventure, don't miss Costa Rica Cooking. We left with wonderful memories, new cooking skills, fantastic recipes, and full stomachs. This is an experience we will be talking about for years to come. Highly recommended!

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Unforgettable Experience!!

My boyfriend booked a private class and it was so much better than I could have imagined! We started off making our own mojitos and later they brought us pineapple mojitos and those were OUTSTANDING! Loved that chef Alan showed us techniques to cut tiny squares of onions….how to wrap cilantro and then use the chiffonade technique….how to cut and smash the plantains to get them picture perfect! I’ve done other cooking classes that were not as hands on as this one. Loved that we got to try making everything ourselves, too. Some classes are more about watching the chef and less about doing the cooking. Overall, Chef Alan made this a fun class and the food was out of this world! Plus, great views of Arenal volcano too. Hands down we’d do this again!

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Costa Rica Cooking - Pura Vida!

During my 11 day stay in Costa Rica, I visited Playa del Coco, Monteverde, then finally La Fortuna. I did zip lines, nature walks, butterfly tours, snorkeling, volcano hikes, hot springs, then finally the cooking class. The cooking class was the most enjoyable event of those 11 days, and that is saying a lot, because I enjoyed my entire stay in Costa Rica. The people were lovely and kind, and I never felt like I was treated as a tourist. Very much by accident I learned about the cooking class. We were having breakfast at the owner’s restaurant call the Gecko Lounge, just down the street from the Fortuna Waterfall. I noticed the literature about the cooking class. I really wanted to go home with an experience in Costa Rica that I wouldn’t forget, plus I wanted to learn some authentic Costs Rican dishes. My daughter Alyse also attended the class with me. The owner & chef - Scott - taught the class. In addition to the classes he offers, he has the Gecko restaurant, the Lava Lounge, and runs a nonprofit dog rescue shelter. We started the class with some Mojitos. Since I don’t drink alcohol, they accommodated me with a mocktail. We then went upstairs and started by chopping onions, bell peppers, and cilantro. Scott called these the trinity of Costa Rican cooking. From there, we proceeded to make a dish with salsa and Tilapia, then mango chutney, fried plantains, seared chicken breast, and nut crusted sea bass. We finished the meal with bananas flambé and ice cream. Throughout the lesson, Scott would explain the chemistry of how the ingredients worked together to make the dish. We had a great conversation throughout the evening, along with breaks to enjoy the food. Some of Scott’s shelter dogs would meander through the kitchen and look to get fed a scrap or get petted. When you looked in their eyes, you could tell there was a lot of love and good energy there. If you plan a trip to La Fortuna, I highly recommend taking time to attend the cooking classes at Costa Rica Cooking. You won’t be disappointed!

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What a blast!

On our first full day in Costa Rica, we attended this cooking class and we had such a good time!! The first order of business was to concoct our first coktail under the supervision of Chef Scott Bradley which set the mood for the rest of the class. The next four hours went by in a flash as we prepared two appetizers, two main courses and a dessert with locally grown or sourced ingredients. The atmosphere was relaxed, friendly and many entertaining anecdotes were shared. Chef Scott provided tips on techniques. The third floor kitchen was open to the surrounding area which provided additional entertainment in the form of monkeys playing in the trees across the road. At the end of four hours we were stuffed with delicious food and sad to have our time with the chef come to an end. We are looking forward to receiving the recipes as promised, because we are anxious to try them out at home. We highly recommend this experience. It was well worth the cost! Our only regret is that due to time restraints, we did not get a chance to check out Chef Scott's restaurant in La Fortuna.

Response from the operator: Thank you for such an incredible review! We are honored you chose to spend your first full day with us, and so glad it was full of memorable experiences. We hope you have had fun recreating the recipes at home. We would love to welcome you at Lava Lounge next time! Pura Vida

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One of our Best Experiences Ever!

This was such an amazing experience! My wife & I and our two adult daughters agree it was one of our best experiences ever. First, the location is amazing! The kitchen and dining room are on the top floor, high on a hill overlooking all of La Fortuna with 360 degree views of the volcano and surrounding area. We saw parrots, toucans and so many other birds during the cooking experience. Scott and his staff are extremely gracious hosts. We first learned how to make Mojitos, and enjoyed those while we cooked. As an appetizer we made Ceviche and Patacones with black bean puree... soooo good! For the main course we cooked two dishes; Nut crusted Tilapia with a mango salsa, and marinated pork shoulder over fruit chutney. Lastly, we cooked bananas foster and we have an amazing photo of my daughter cooking the bananas over the stove with fire. After cooking each course we all sat down with our drinks and enjoyed the amazing food and were continually entertained by Scott and his staff. They also have a dog rescue on the property and my daughters loved meeting many of the furry friends they have on the back property. The whole experience felt very relaxed and fun. It lasted about 4 hr total.

Response from the operator: Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a thoughtful review! We love that your family got to interact with our furry friends as well. We hope to welcome you and your family again! Pura Vida.

via Tripadvisor