Host offerings
Catherine learned to cook by watching her mother who is a wonderful cook. Since she was a child Catherine enjoyed helping her mother in the kitchen and later studied at Les Roches Hotel Management School in Switzerland. Catherine continues to experiment in the kitchen, and takes great pride in cooking home-made meals for her family every day. She calls herself a foodie and says that eating and cooking are the ultimate joys of life! <br><br>“By hosting travelers in my home, I would like to share more about my culture, my food and my country.”
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 - 4 guests) Catherine lives in a modest, cozy apartment in a residential Taiwanese suburban neighborhood. Her apartment is decorated with souvenirs from her travels, family photos and lovely plants - giving it a homely and welcoming feel! Catherine has a huge repertoire of traditional Taiwanese dishes, and she takes the trouble to select the dishes to cook based on what’s fresh in the market that day and her guests' food preferences. A few dishes that you might share with Catherine at her dining table are marinated smashed cucumbers, vermicelli with clams and luffa soup (a traditional Taiwanese home-cooked meal, often served in the summer), xiansuji (a Taiwanese night-market favorite – crispy salty chicken bites) or poached squid with spicy tomato sauce (a dish that is served at traditional wedding banquets), pork fried rice and stir-fried white water snowflakes with fresh shiitake mushrooms (white water snowflake is a crunchy local vegetable).
Cooking experience (1 - 4 guests) After a warm welcome into her apartment, Catherine will take you to her kitchen to being your cooking demonstration. As is typical in most Taipei homes, Catherine’s kitchen is very small, so she will be doing most of the cooking but you will help her whenever possible. Due to space constraints, this will be more of a cooking demonstration. Catherine will introduce you to the dishes that you be eating and during this one-hour demonstration, you will watch as she prepares 2-3 authentic Taiwanese dishes from scratch. Catherine will walk you through the entire cooking process giving you very clear instructions, and sharing many useful tips along the way. You will then enjoy your meal with Catherine at her dining table.
Market visit (1 - 4 guests) Meet your host at the Wende Metro station and together walk to the local, Taipei street market near Catherine's home. She will take you to the vendor shops from where she usually buys her ingredients and explain the local produce available and how it is used in the cooking process. After buying a few ingredients at the market, walk five minutes to Catherine's home. Along the way, she will show you some of her favorite spots and you might even meet her friendly neighbors.
Notes: Please note that Catherine does not have pets but sometimes her friends dogs stays with her. Catherine can offer vegetarian and Gluten free meals on request. Please let her know your preference when you book.
Languages spoken: #<HostLanguage::ActiveRecord_Associations_CollectionProxy:0x00007ffad5f28028>
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.
Catherine was very friendly and made me feel welcomed the minute we met. It was very easy to chat with her. Catherine has a huge repertoire of traditional Taiwanese dishes and takes the trouble to select the dishes to cook based on the guest’s background. I’d mentioned in our chat before the visit that I’d just attended a friend’s wedding banquet (hence the squid dish), that I was from Singapore (i.e. summer all year round, hence the Vermicelli dish) and I love Taiwanese stir-fries (hence the white-water snowflake dish). Catherine was very quick in preparing and cooking the five dishes, and lovely smells started to fill the kitchen and soon the apartment. I was truly looking forward to tasting the food. Soon enough, it was time to tuck in. Catherine and I had a lovely meal together as we polished off the delicious food and chatted non-stop about everything under the sun. My favorite was the vermicelli with clams and luffa soup, which was light and satisfying, and something which I’ll definitely be cooking quite regularly back home. Since I had a few more days in Taipei, Catherine also shared with me places to visit and where to buy some of her favorite food ingredients in town. It was a fabulous experience to meet her and dine with her in her apartment. Catherine made me feel very welcome during my visit and I really glad to say I’ve made another friend in Taipei!
Olivia, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Pricing (per person)*
| 1 person | 4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking Experience + Meal | $65 | $55 | Not offered |
| Market Tour + Cooking Experience + Meal | $80 | $70 | Not offered |
| Alcohol | $10 per person | ||
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Experience + Meal | 10:00am - 01:00pm | 6:00pm - 09:00pm |
| Market Tour + Cooking Experience + Meal | 9:30am - 01:30pm |
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.
