Anilu and her husband Diego run a restaurant and B&B located in Urubamba, Peru’s Sacred Valley. Their home is an hour and a half drive outside Cusco through a beautiful, rugged mountain landscape. Diego is a professional chef and worked in restaurants in Lima. Anilu is not a chef, but she loves to eat and in her previous professional life she was a food engineer. They moved to Urubama for a slower pace of life and the chance to raise their young twins in the countryside. Their B&B has a warm, relaxed feel and is decorated with artisan furniture and curios made by local artisans. Diego cooks traditional Peruvian dishes with gourmet quality, so be prepared to eat well at their home!
Anilu says, “We believe the best way to travel is to get to know a place through it’s people!”
Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.
Cooking experience: (1-20 guests) Join Diego in their outdoor kitchen where he will show you how to make classic Peruvian dishes like ceviche (fresh fish cured in citrus juice), lomo saltado (marinated beef sirloin, sautéed with onions, peppers and fried potatoes), tacu tacu (rice and roasted beans) and papa la huancaína (potatoes with a spicy, savory sauce) or causa rellena (potato puree garnished with yellow aji sauces and lemon, stuffed with onion, avocado and tuna) or arroz chaufa (sautéed rice with green onions and sesame seeds, a chifa (Chinese-Peruvian) dish). During this cooking demonstration, learn how to properly cut the fish for ceviche and how to carefully balance the flavors while Diego teaches you some of his favorite cooking tricks. Diego can demonstrate how to cook the dishes, or you can have a hands-on lesson (please note your preference during booking). After your meal is prepared, sit down together to savor fresh, authentic Peruvian dishes while music plays in the background.
Market visit: (1-20 guests) When you arrive at Pakakuna, Anilu will greet you with a friendly welcome and explain the day’s activities. Then you will set off in a rickshaw to visit to the local market. As you walk through the market Anilu will introduce you to the regional products for sale. You’ll see fruits and vegetables as well as livestock like chickens, guinea pigs, ducks, sheep and alpacas.
Notes: Pakakuna is located a beautiful 1.5 hour drive from Cusco. Anilu can arrange roundtrip transportation from Cusco at an additional cost. Just book optional transportation when you make your reservation and be sure to tell Anilu where you are staying. Please note that while alcohol is not included in the cost of the experience, alcohol is available for purchase onsite at their bar where they have a variety of local beers and cocktails on offer.
Languages spoken: English, Spanish
Diego and Anilu were amazing hosts. The space had a great vibe with artisan furniture and great design, and their home was welcoming with plenty of character. We got to hangout and learn about their culture, their backgrounds and why they decided to start Pakakuna. Seeing Ceviche being made and then eating it fresh was awesome, and the Lomo Saltado was mouthwatering.
Zubin, Traveling Spoon Ambassador
Very fun and informative experience! We got to try many delicious fresh fruits from the region and the market tour was interesting. We made a ceviche and beef stir fry type fish. The nikkei ceviche was especially amazing! Highly recommend this experience!- jared April 13, 2026
I had an excellent alpaca meal. I would recommend this restaurant in a heart beat. The staff was courteous and professional. Thank you- Janusz September 15, 2025
We did the market tour and dinner with anilu. She took us to her local market and explained many of their local fruits and vegetables. Then a private dinner at their restaurant was amazing. The al fresco dining was really fun and the food was sooooo good. Definitely recommend.- Marissa November 10, 2023
Fantastic Peruvian Cooking Class! Our group of 5 had a fantastic cooking class with Diego and Anilu! We learned how to cook ceviche y lomo de saltido. The food, fresh beverages and location were all great, as was their hospitality.- Anna G October 11, 2023
My goodness, we got treated to some amazing experience with Anilou and Diego. We signed up for a market tour and cooking class and we ended up treated to the Peruvian food and when became friends as well. The market walk with Anilou, who speaks beautiful English was very informative, we learned a lot about locate fruits and vegetables and we ended up tasting everything we purchased during our dinner time as appetizers. After shopping a cool tuk-tuk ride took us to Diego and Anilou’s home, where they operate the restaurant named Pakakuña. Here we learned how to make fish and vegetarian ceviche. And then Diego shared with us his own creation, and the best vegetarian couscous meal, that I have ever had. The instructions are very clear and very descriptive of the ingredients needed. We truly experience a wonderful meal and company. I highly recommend it to anybody who has interest in cooking and enjoying original Peruvian food.- arpadski May 23, 2023
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