Traveling Spoon

Our meal sharing experience with Traveling Spoon in Singapore was one of the highlights of our trip. Even with all the hawker centers and food options in Singapore, for us, nothing beats sharing a meal with a local.

A friend and I booked an evening class and dinner with Jyoti using the booking group "Travelling Spoon." Jyoti had arranged for transportation from the airport, then hotel, then her house and back, which was really helpful to have done in advance. The evening started with an education about Indian food and culture, which was nice because this was the beginning of a 3 week trip, and the information I learned was useful on a regular basis. We started by making some batter for pakoras, got some kheer going, and watched as some main dishes were put together. Later we watched rotis puff up to go with our food. It was overall, a great experience, though the food was much too salty for our tastes - we were starving and getting so excited, but then the salt almost ruined it for us. Oh well, I would still highly recommend the experience, and the kheer we created was the best I ever had!

A friend and I booked an evening class and dinner with Jyoti using the booking group "Travelling Spoon." Jyoti had arranged for transportation from the airport, then hotel, then her house and back, which was really helpful to have done in advance. The evening started with an education about Indian food and culture, which was nice because this was the beginning of a 3 week trip, and the information I learned was useful on a regular basis. We started by making some batter for pakoras, got some kheer going, and watched as some main dishes were put together. Later we watched rotis puff up to go with our food. It was overall, a great experience, though the food was much too salty for our tastes - we were starving and getting so excited, but then the salt almost ruined it for us. Oh well, I would still highly recommend the experience, and the kheer we created was the best I ever had!

I spent 3 months studying abroad in Tokyo. My classmates and I wanted a more local experience and Traveling Spoon was perfect. Even staying in the university dorms we did not feel really connected to the local culture the way we did during our cooking class with Keiko. It was great to get out into a more residential area away from the hustle and bustle of the city for the delight of a home-cooked meal. It was certainly a highlight of my time abroad and I have already suggested it to several friends headed overseas.

I traveled to India with a group of Google colleagues to consult on a project with a microfinance organization. We worked hard during our time in India and so we celebrated presenting our final project with a Traveling Spoon dinner! Our clothing soaked up the smells of ginger and cumin, we drank Indian wine and Kingfisher beer, and we wiped the biryani and butter chicken off our plates with rotis. It was wonderful to sample restaurants and street food, but being invited into a local person's home is an experience that just can't be replicated. I learned to love spicy food in India; tasting and smelling the different spices and learning to identify the different flavors will help me in all my future cooking.

We visited Thailand on our honeymoon and when we found that Traveling Spoon had hosts in Chiang Mai, we didn't hesitate and booked right away. Michael and I are both food-lovers and we enjoy cooking a lot. It was a no brainer that we wanted to learn traditional cooking and culture. There is no better way to do that than over shared food.Walking around Pea's amazing garden, picking fresh products to prepare our meal, and visiting her family shrine while Pea told us about her family and ancestors made it such a meaningful experience for us. We still reminisce about that entire day. The best Thai food that we ever had! The entire meal was delicious, but the green curry with chicken and the nam prik ong (ground pork in tomato sauce) were standouts. We even cook these two dishes regularly at home now. If other honeymooners are looking for an excursion, or an interactive and enriching experience, Traveling Spoon will definitely make it happen.

Highlight of my time abroad.