Host offerings
David first learned to cook from his mother, and then went on to pursue his passion for food at culinary school. Following culinary school he ran a successful restaurant where he stayed until last year, when he decided to shift his focus to rescue and enhance traditional Colombian flavors. Now, David owns a closed-door restaurant, only available by reservation, where he offers signature dishes that celebrate local flavors. An experience with David is like visiting a friend’s family for a celebration, you will get to cook and eat with the whole family – David’s lovely mom, Gloria, his brothers Luis and Mateo, and his beautiful girlfriend.
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
In-home meal (1 - 9 guests) David lives with his family in a beautiful home inside a gated community of Medellin that has a large backyard with a beautifully-crafted wooden patio and views of a picturesque pool. You will be welcomed by David's mom Gloria and escorted straight to the kitchen bar for a juice tasting. There are many interesting fruits native to Colombia that you may have never heard of or tried before - and some of them are even grown in David’s backyard. David will freshly squeeze 2-3 fruit juice shots for you to try; these might include lulo juice (an exotic fruit with a citrus flavor), tree tomato juice, blackberry juice or aguapanela (a sugarcane drink). While you’ll talk and get to know more about Colombian culture and culinary traditions, David will be adding some finishing touches to the meal he has prepared for you. Later, you will join David and his family for a traditional home-cooked meal using local ingredients. Your meal might include dishes such as chorizo antioqueño (sausage), morcilla (blood sausage and rice), a stew made with antioqueños beans, plaintains, chicharron (fried pork belly), or avocado and salchicha ranchera (ranchera sausage). End your meal with homemade ice cream cake drizzled with arequipe (dulce de leche) and aguardiente sherbet (anise-flavored liqueur derived from sugar cane).
Cooking experience (1 - 9 guests) David offers a hands-on experience where he will teach you to make two dishes from scratch using fresh ingredients and herbs from his backyard garden. Before you start your cooking class, David will give you a small tour of his garden and will show you all the fruits, vegetables and herbs he grows. After you pluck a few herbs from his garden, you will cook along with David and his family in their large, well organized kitchen. The cooking portion of the experience will last for about hour during which you will learn to make an appetizer and a main dish. Then sit down together at their dining table to enjoy the Colombian meal you helped prepare. David is excited to share his culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in Medellín. David can also offer vegetarian meals on request in his cooking class in Medellín.
Market visit (1 - 9 guests) After you meet David, he will drive you to the local market where he buys almost all of his produce. He will share more about locally-grown ingredients and how they are used in cooking traditional Colombian dishes. David will then allow you to choose fruits and other foods you’re curious about so that you can try them and cook with them in his home. After you buy your fresh ingredients, David will drive you back to his house for your cooking class.
Notes: David can offer vegetarian meals on request. On days David is unavailable his mother (Gloria castaño) and cousin ( Lina Oquendo) will host you.
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007f4bcd5773b0>
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.
For the adventurous traveler, David is the answer. David greeted us at our hostel by surprise and led us to his car where we began one of the greatest culinary adventures of our lives. I literally felt like Anthony Bourdain for the entire 5 hours! After giving us his story of how he got into the culinary field and owned his own high end Colombian restaurant, David began our tour by taking us to one of the biggest and more local markets of Medellin. Later we arrived at his beautiful home we were welcomed in by his mother Gloria who was already working hard preparing our meal. David joined in with his mother and started fresh pressing juices for us. As we sat down at the kitchen bar to watch this master at work, we were joined in by David’s two brothers Luis and Mateo who truly made us feel like we were a part of the family. We were also guided to the herb garden in the backyard where David let us try some of the herbs he grows and regularly uses in his cooking. There were many phases to our experience which we deeply appreciated. It was like Christmas over and over again! And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, a mention of Gloria’s cake was made to life when she insisted she bake us a cake on the spot. Happiness was an understatement at the end of David’s experience. We left with full stomachs and even fuller hearts. Culinary perfection!
Marc and Bavly, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Pricing (per person)*
| 1 person | 4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-Home Meal | $85 | $75 | $65 |
| Cooking Experience + Meal | $100 | $90 | $80 |
| Market Tour + Cooking Experience + Meal | $125 | $100 | $90 |
| Alcohol | $15 per person | ||
| Transportation | $35 per car | ||
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| In-Home Meal | 12:00pm - 02:00pm | 7:00pm - 09:00pm |
| Cooking Experience + Meal | 10:00am - 01:00pm | 5:00pm - 08:00pm |
| Market Tour + Cooking Experience + Meal | 10:00am - 02:00pm | 3:30pm - 07:30pm |
Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.
