Aruba

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Caribbean Cooking Class in Aruba

Name: Caribbean Cooking Class in Aruba
Brand: Kari Heron
SKU: 364486P1
Price: 160.00 USD
Rating: 5.0 (29 reviews)

Aruba

2 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Sample Menu

Starter

At least one drink

Starter

At least one starter

Main

At least one main with a side dish

What's Included

Lunch
Utensils, pots, pans

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Chef and Steward
Noord Bona Vista 36, Noord, Aruba
Directions using *Google Maps: Address 1. “Chef and Steward” on Google Maps 2. Bona Vista 36 Noord What to look out for It is a row of colorful Cunucu houses on Rte3 that tour buses usually stop

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible

This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers

Operated by Kari Heron

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Stephen_E

Kari was a wonderful host and became a new friend. We had a party of 10 and she delighted all of us with her conversation, music, dancing and of course delicious food. Caribbean cuisine was a little out of the box for most of us but I can guarantee that, with the help of Kari's instructions, we will be adding it to our menus. We will be visiting again next time we are in Aruba.

Reviews

5.0

29 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 29 reviews

A wonderful evening with a special person

William_C, Mar 2024

I was so lucky to have this experience. Yes I learned some cooking skills and had some wonderful food, five stars all around. Kari really knows her stuff and is a very good cook. But that’s not why you should go. I went to spend an evening with a very special person, in her home, and learn more about the real Aruba. We were also very lucky since there were only three of us. We had dinner at the table with Kari and her son Elijah and visited as though we were old friends. It was a special experience.

Fun and food with Kari!!

Stephen_E, Feb 2024

Delicious taste of culture

Farland_P, Feb 2024

Kari is a wonderful teacher and a gracious host! She provides detailed instructions on cooking techniques and shared insights from her travels around the world. At the end of the class, the food we made was fantastic!

Found my Aruba Family

Azwade_R, Dec 2023

An excellent course. Our instructor was so sweet and shared very personal stories. It felt like having dinner with family rather a an awkward class. Very accommodating.

She’s very sweet and...

Deeana_T, Oct 2023

She’s very sweet and knowledgeable. She makes you feel like family all throughout the session. She’s a very lovely lady. I highly recommend her class.

Remarkable time creating with Kari!

Amy_L, Sep 2023

My sister and I had such a wonderful time cooking with Kari. She generously shared her home, her culinary skills and her welcoming spirit with us. We loved all the delicious food we created and the hospitality with Kari and fellow travelers to Aruba! Don't hesitate to book a fun culinary experience during your stay in Aruba!

Delicious and Fun!

Tracie_T, Jul 2023

We had a wonderful time at Chef Stewards house. She graciously welcomed us and the others. We learned a bit of history about Aruba, Caribbean food and we all learned some new cooking skills. The food was delicious. We will definitely return.

Good food with a side of culture

Sabrina_L, Jun 2023

This was a great time. Kari not only showed us how to cook the menu, but offered a deeper and richer understanding of the culture behind the cuisine. Flexible, professional, and very engaging. Reach out to her prior to your appointment to discuss particulars and tastes. Bring a big appetite.

A Must Have Experience

Paula_S, Jun 2023

Kari was a very warm, personable, and welcoming host. The entire experience reminded me of my mother’s home, who I enjoy traditional Sunday dinners with. The menu was absolutely tasty. All of the flavors danced on my palate. I am also of Caribbean heritage and it was awesome to learn techniques in food prep that I did not know of before. We had a very intimate group and Kari not only gave us pleasing food to our stomachs, but also uplifting and encouraging food for our souls. We shared, we laughed, and we ate to our heart’s content. If you enjoy good food & good company in a warm and welcoming home with a generous host, this is the experience for you. Aruba is one of my favorite vacation places so as long as I find myself here, I’ll most definitely book Kari’s cooking class again.

Lots of fun

Teri_S, Jun 2023

Sharing cooking experiences, education in culture. Instructor/chef was very knowledgeable. Will be back!

Amazing addition to our vacation!

Genamarie_R, Jun 2023

Cooking, company and conversation! We had an amazing time cheffin’ it up with Kari. She is an overall great vibe and energy and really wants you to learn about the flavors and techniques she’s using. Be ready for some conversation! We vibed and connected with the entire group so well. Highly recommend!!! Two suggestions - I used Apple Maps by copying the address from Viator and we accurately got to the right address BUT with Google maps or Waze, other folks had some issues finding the right address. Secondly, if you are taking a taxi there, try to get the company info/phone number so you can easily request another taxi when leaving. Overall, an amazing addition to our vacation in Aruba!

Great Experience

Lori_F, Apr 2023

This is a must do on your visit to Aruba. Kari was awesome. She gave us a history of the food we were making and it was totally hands on. We made fried plantains, a wonderful pumpkin side dish, curried chickpeas, and Caribbean chicken. We bought a bottle of wine to enjoy with our dinner. It was a very informative, relaxed, delicious dinner and we absolutely would do it again the next time in Aruba.

OK, but not worth doing again or recommending to others

Andrea_K, Apr 2023

The confirmation email stated that the specific location would be in the ticket. There was zero information about location in the ticket, so Viator should do a better job on that. Kari was friendly and welcoming. The dinner "music" was mostly religious talk, which I respect, but is not a great accompaniment to dinner. My expectation based on the description and price was that the evening would be a bit more professional. The food (ginger tamarind drink, jerk chicken wings, smashed potatoes with amaranth, and green plantains with tomato salsa) was tasty, but rather minimal. I realize that this was Kari's home and we really appreciated her opening her home to visitors, but a few simple things would have made the experience better (in my opinion): 1) give us a sheet of paper with her accomplishments so that we could appreciate her talent/experience, 2) make the recipes available at dinner (or at least provide the URL at that time) versus me having to contact her days later to ask yet again, 3) have the dinner table set before guests arrive, 4) have something for dessert (there was none), even if it is just some store-bought chocolates with Caribbean spices (to stay with the Caribbean food theme). This was an OK, simple evening, but not something I would recommend to others.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Andrea, my home is a home of joy, peace and love and I come in peace. I’m still in shock at this review- because after hundreds of people have taken my cooking class across multiple platforms including direct bookings, I have 200 reviews and ZERO reviews of three stars and ZERO times has anyone ever stated that they would not do the class again nor recommend to others. Let me address your very detailed review as quickly as possible: 1. Thanks for highlighting that the food was tasty! And thanks for the tip you gave me at the end of the evening. Also thanks for highlighting that it was so good, you had to remind me to send you the link for the recipes for the FREE e-book that I promised you (that I actually sell on my site). Thank you for writing me that you actually wanted to make my jerk chicken wings that same weekend. Of course then, it is my surprise that having stated the experience was “OK,” food “was tasty”, that I was “friendly and welcoming” the overall experience was “an OK, simple evening” its shocking that you would say its not something you would recommend to others. Especially after you took so many photos of your experience! 2. It’s unfortunate that my playlist bothered you that evening. I usually play a wide selection of music in my other classes. The playlist that evening was what I had on before you arrived. Perhaps my spirit sensed the need to keep a more peaceful and worshipful tone that evening. I’m now seeing why 🙂 FYI the music was Caribbean and African Christian worship music in multiple languages and musical genres and nevertheless, still culturally appropriate. Caribbean people are very religious and it’s woven into our cultural fabric. We pray and sing in schools, in calypso and soca fetes, in the dancehall and even while reveling half naked in the streets during carnival! The Lord’s Prayer is done in calypso, reggae and so many other Caribbean genres because it’s a spiritual anchor for us. It’s a good thing to come into a house thats filled with love, peace and acceptance of all, no matter what. My clients are diverse and I hug everyone and receive them with love because this experience is a joy for me and a gift to be able to share with people from all backgrounds and beliefs from all over the world. But yes, if it bothered you, it would have been a quick and simple fix to change the playlist. 3. What made the evening not professional? Me not printing a bio and handing to you and your friend to justify my accomplishments, talents and experience and right to host an experience even though this was published in the listing? Why was the brief overview of the same in my verbal introduction in the class not enough? 4. I actually pay $200 MONTHLY to host the FREE resources I provide to my guests so they can access all the recipes, tools, and stay in touch. Of course, as I expressed during the class, the link is available anytime and you should remind me to send it because I cannot send it automatically to those who book on Viator because the site is not configured that way. It is automated for those who book me directly and those who book via other platforms. You could have gone to the URL during the class. 5. Because there were only TWO of you who booked that evening (you and your friend), I decided to show you how to actually professionally plate the dishes complete with the use of professional plating rings that chefs use in restaurants. This made for a stunning presentation, which was indeed minimal on the plate. But did you forget that we also served family style AS WELL? So there was a small buffet of each dish placed in the Centre of the table for all to eat to your content? I made 3lbs of potato for the Dutch stampot for TWO people. In fact, I still have leftovers in my freezer from that class that my son has been eating. There were leftovers of everything on the table, yet you now write that the SEVEN things you had for the class was “minimal?” Did you forget that I also offered you to take some of the leftovers with you but you were traveling the next day so opted out? 6. How could I have set the table for two people when the food was being cooked in the class? Or did you not realise it was a class and not a dinner event? 7. I don’t serve dessert for my class because with a family style setting, people are usually FULL. If there is a special celebration, I may have cake for a group or a bottle of bubbly! The beginning of a thing is the end of a thing. Just like in the class where you came through the front door complaining about the address not being on the ticket (when every other guest has managed to find the directions because they are listed outright in the listing), you started here complaining and end with an equally negative note. That’s rather unfortunate. I am still clueless as to what is the real core of the issue you had… but I do sincerely wish you well, and more than anything else, I wish you peace and lots of blessings. I hope you enjoyed the jar of my special spice blend that I GIFTED you! Be well, Kari Heron

An amazing experience with Chef Kari

RONALD_W, Mar 2023

Chef Kari is amazing!! She fed our mind, soul and bodies. The food was soooo good. I am definitely adding this experience to my must repeat list (10/10)!

Excellent, A MUST DO in Aruba

Pam_S, Feb 2023

Chef Kari is the ultimate cook and host! We so enjoyed the hands on prepping, cooking, eating, visiting and learning with Kari & her family.

20/10 recommend!

Taylor_s, Jan 2023

Kari was in incredible host. You could be a beginner or a master chef and still enjoy this class. She caters to everyone’s dietary restrictions, whether your meat, lover, fish, lover, or veggie lover! Options for everyone and everything tasted phenomenal. 8 strangers that prepared and ate together sharing life travel experiences as well as sharing their culture. Something that really stood out to me as a love for everyone as humans as we embraced culture and uniqueness around the table. Her son was also a bright light in the experience- he was too, very knowledgeable about food and it shows passion in the upbringing of their home. Loved the experience and would recommend 20/10. My parents and I have never done something like this together and it was a great way to enjoy the night. Thank you Kari and Elijah for blessing us with your presence.

One Class Act Excursion

Chrystal_M, Oct 2022

This was an amazing experience. Chef Kari infused her love of food, family, music, and love to help us create a truly delicious meal. We were very hands on—cutting, dicing, smashing, seasoning, stirring, searing, and of course eating! Loved every moment. We left with knowledge and a true friend. We will visit Chef and Steward again!!