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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Rex-Al

Nagcarlan, Philippines

USD
$72-$116 per person

Market Tour and Provincial Filipino cooking class in the countryside

Host offerings
  • Rural farmhouse
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Rex-Al

Rex grew up in the countryside south of Luzon in a family of farmers, local food artisans and passionate home cooks. Family recipes have been passed down from his grandparents to his parents and now to his generation. They have all worked in the fields and cook simple, fresh, local and seasonal meals. Rex and his family still use traditional cooking techniques and customs that they are proud of. Rex’s father is a cacao farmer and their home is surrounded by beautiful cacao trees. Rex and his family are excited to share their love for traditional Filipino provincial cooking in the countryside surrounded by nature. When asked why he would like to be a Traveling Spoon host, Rex answered, “What can be better than opening up our home to Filipinos and travelers from all over the world and laughing and sharing stories over good food with them!”

What to expect

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: (1-6 guests) Before you start your meal, enjoy a tasting of a few homemade wines and vinegars! The use of vinegar in Filipino cuisine is very traditional and Filipinos are known to make several types of vinegar. Your meal will be served in Rex's small hut, in an al fresco dining area just outside their concrete home. You will eat the traditional way on fresh banana leaves. Your menu might include dishes such as nilagang baboy (pork soup with vegetables) or sinigang na hipon (a Filipino sour soup dish with shrimp), ensaladang pako (fiddlehead fern salad), and ginataang carabao (water buffalo meat cooked in coconut milk). Your meal ends with a special stingless bee honey iced tea and fresh, seasonal fruit.

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Rex lives in a simple, rural home in a farm community in Nagcarlan, Laguna with his family. Rex's family is very knowledgeable about Filipino cooking styles, ingredients and culinary traditions. Rex and his father make wine from local berries at home. Start your provincial Filipino cooking class by learning to make coconut milk by pressing freshly grated coconut. Next use freshly picked pako (fiddle head fern) to make a salad with a honey dressing using honey made from stingless bees around their home. You will learn to cook carabao (water buffalo meat) in coconut milk and green papaya, picked from their backyard. All of the ingredients used for cooking are fresh, seasonal and picked from the farm or procured at the local community market. You will cook local dishes, from traditional recipes of East Laguna, that Rex grew up eating - something you will not find in restaurants!

Market visit: (1-6 guests) Meet Rex at SM City San Pablo Mall and together head to Pamilihang Bayan ng Nagcarlan, a local market in Nagcarlan. Nagcarlan is a 1hr 15 min drive from Manila and is also accessible by bus which takes about 2.5 hours. Walk around the market with Rex and discover local ingredients and delicacies used in provincial Filipino cooking. Purchase a few ingredients at the market before heading to Rex’s home using public transport. Once you reach Rex’s home, his family will welcome you with a cacao drink made from cacao from the backyard. Enjoy your cacao drink and local rice cakes cooked in coconut milk as you pick produce from the farm that you will use in your cooking class.

Notes: Please note that if you're coming from Manila there are many public and private buses from DLTB Bus Terminal Station that depart to Laguna. The buses will drop you off at SM City San Pablo Mall where Rex will meet you.

This is a true off the beaten path experience for those wanting to experience the Philippine countryside and to cook traditional dishes in a humble farmer's home. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear as you will be walking through a working farm. If you're an adventurous eater, ask Rex about including in your menu, taro leaves with snails or snail sisig.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

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.
  • Wine and vinegar tasting
  • Ensaladang pako
  • Sinigang na hipon
  • Ginataang carabao
  • Fresh fruit and honey iced tea
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

This is not a luxury home but a simple farmers home. The family is very knowledgeable about their craft and you will see a lot of cacao trees all over their home. The market tour was perfect. It’s a small market but green and fresh and full of ingredients like carabao meat, which is very popular in that area. I really liked everything I ate – the cacao, homemade wines and vinegar. I really liked the pako salad because it was so fresh and the carabao cooked in coconut milk. We also foraged most of the ingredients from their backyard farm, which was a delightful experience! I really love the exoticness of it!

Isi, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
This is a must do Just relax and enjoy the culture enjoy the food enjoy everything around you and soak in the atmosphere this is a must do on any trip to the Philippines I will come back here again and again and again it is just very relaxing and great fun
- tylersY4 March 14, 2024
Caac097d 9237 4504 92f2 38d6289c5a49

Rex-Al

$72-$116 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $86 $72
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $86 $72
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-3:00pm 3:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Rex-Al

Rex grew up in the countryside south of Luzon in a family of farmers, local food artisans and passionate home cooks. Family recipes have been passed down from his grandparents to his parents and now to his generation. They have all worked in the fields and cook simple, fresh, local and seasonal meals. Rex and his family still use traditional cooking techniques and customs that they are proud of. Rex’s father is a cacao farmer and their home is surrounded by beautiful cacao trees. Rex and his family are excited to share their love for traditional Filipino provincial cooking in the countryside surrounded by nature. When asked why he would like to be a Traveling Spoon host, Rex answered, “What can be better than opening up our home to Filipinos and travelers from all over the world and laughing and sharing stories over good food with them!”

What to expect

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: (1-6 guests) Before you start your meal, enjoy a tasting of a few homemade wines and vinegars! The use of vinegar in Filipino cuisine is very traditional and Filipinos are known to make several types of vinegar. Your meal will be served in Rex's small hut, in an al fresco dining area just outside their concrete home. You will eat the traditional way on fresh banana leaves. Your menu might include dishes such as nilagang baboy (pork soup with vegetables) or sinigang na hipon (a Filipino sour soup dish with shrimp), ensaladang pako (fiddlehead fern salad), and ginataang carabao (water buffalo meat cooked in coconut milk). Your meal ends with a special stingless bee honey iced tea and fresh, seasonal fruit.

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Rex lives in a simple, rural home in a farm community in Nagcarlan, Laguna with his family. Rex's family is very knowledgeable about Filipino cooking styles, ingredients and culinary traditions. Rex and his father make wine from local berries at home. Start your provincial Filipino cooking class by learning to make coconut milk by pressing freshly grated coconut. Next use freshly picked pako (fiddle head fern) to make a salad with a honey dressing using honey made from stingless bees around their home. You will learn to cook carabao (water buffalo meat) in coconut milk and green papaya, picked from their backyard. All of the ingredients used for cooking are fresh, seasonal and picked from the farm or procured at the local community market. You will cook local dishes, from traditional recipes of East Laguna, that Rex grew up eating - something you will not find in restaurants!

Market visit: (1-6 guests) Meet Rex at SM City San Pablo Mall and together head to Pamilihang Bayan ng Nagcarlan, a local market in Nagcarlan. Nagcarlan is a 1hr 15 min drive from Manila and is also accessible by bus which takes about 2.5 hours. Walk around the market with Rex and discover local ingredients and delicacies used in provincial Filipino cooking. Purchase a few ingredients at the market before heading to Rex’s home using public transport. Once you reach Rex’s home, his family will welcome you with a cacao drink made from cacao from the backyard. Enjoy your cacao drink and local rice cakes cooked in coconut milk as you pick produce from the farm that you will use in your cooking class.

Notes: Please note that if you're coming from Manila there are many public and private buses from DLTB Bus Terminal Station that depart to Laguna. The buses will drop you off at SM City San Pablo Mall where Rex will meet you.

This is a true off the beaten path experience for those wanting to experience the Philippine countryside and to cook traditional dishes in a humble farmer's home. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear as you will be walking through a working farm. If you're an adventurous eater, ask Rex about including in your menu, taro leaves with snails or snail sisig.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

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.
  • Wine and vinegar tasting
  • Ensaladang pako
  • Sinigang na hipon
  • Ginataang carabao
  • Fresh fruit and honey iced tea
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

This is not a luxury home but a simple farmers home. The family is very knowledgeable about their craft and you will see a lot of cacao trees all over their home. The market tour was perfect. It’s a small market but green and fresh and full of ingredients like carabao meat, which is very popular in that area. I really liked everything I ate – the cacao, homemade wines and vinegar. I really liked the pako salad because it was so fresh and the carabao cooked in coconut milk. We also foraged most of the ingredients from their backyard farm, which was a delightful experience! I really love the exoticness of it!

Isi, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (1)
This is a must do Just relax and enjoy the culture enjoy the food enjoy everything around you and soak in the atmosphere this is a must do on any trip to the Philippines I will come back here again and again and again it is just very relaxing and great fun
- tylersY4 March 14, 2024
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $86 $72
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $116 $86 $72
Alcohol
 $0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 10:00am-3:00pm 3:00pm-8:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

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.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.