Isa's Authentic Mexican Cooking School Reviews

This was an excellent class. Isla showed us and explained about the chiles and the different products. We cooked Pescado Vera Cruz. The meal was delicious! I felt like we were all family. I learned so much and I was so appreciative. She even cooked cactus and we made blue tortillas from scratch. I was impressed! I highly recommend her class!

We had a group of 6 people. 2 adults and our 4 children (19, 17, 12, 7) with us. Isa was so great. We met at a market and she taught us about peppers (mom was more interested than kids). We then took a short walk to her home and cooked the food. We did 2 types of quacamole, pico, salsa and shrimp tacos (with homemade tortillas) with a cactus salad. She also made a wonderful hibiscus passion fruit drink. She was so patient wtih the kids, teaching them how to use the kinfe, cut things and was educational through the process. The food turned out amazing and my daughter wants to make the mango ginger guacamole again. This is a great authentic experience with a great host and good food.

Isa was a total delight to work with. What a cool experience while on vacation. She was very detailed and generous with information and the food was outstanding

My wife and I had a fabulous experience during the cooking lesson. Everything we made was excellent, and we're looking forward to recreating those recipes at home now that we know how to do it. Isa, the chef, was amazing and very knowledgeable, guiding us through each step with expertise and enthusiasm. The entire experience was delightful, and we highly recommend it to anyone interested in improving their culinary skills while learning about the Mexican culinary culture.

Chef Isa was amazing! A wonderful afternoon eating and making incredible food. This is a must do if you love great food!

I recently had the pleasure of attending a cooking class with Isabel in Playa Del Carmen, and it was truly an unforgettable experience!

It all started when I went to a local market with Isa, she showed and explained a lot to me and we bought the ingredients fresh there. The apartment where the course takes place is very stylishly furnished. We cooked three different Ceviches and two Guacamoles and made our own tortillas at the end. It was incredibly tasty. My mouth is still watering. Isa is passionate about it and has a lot of patience. I can absolutely recommend it.

Had a great time and learned so much from Isa. She was engaging and fun. It was clear she is a professional chef and was patient with those of us who are not professionals but want to be cooks! It was hands on and we learned more the why as well of cooking some great food. Highly recommend a private class with her, well worth the money and time.

My girlfriend and I did a cooking class. It was my first time doing one and it was a great experience. Was fun to learn how to cook an authentic Mexican meal. It was one of the nicest Mexican meals I ever had. The food tasted so fresh, delicious and healthy. A friendly warm atmosphere by Isa and her colleague giving lots of good advice to us. I would recommend this class to everyone. BTW we did the Green Mole Chicken 👌👌👌

Thank you so much for a great cooking experience. It was definitely a highlight of our visit to Mexico. Chef Pavel lead the class and he was extremely knowledgeable and patient. The food we cooked was delicious. Highly recommended!!!

We have talked about taking a cooking class in Playa Del Carmen for years, but just finally did it. And let me tell you- this was the highlight of our trip! Chef Isa and Chef Patel worked together seamlessly to help us prepare 3 different dishes, multiple sides and aguas frescas. The 3 hours flew by, and we made great friends along the way with the other couples. We also took note of where the fresh market is for future visits as it was the perfect place to stock up your air bnb kitchen. 10/10 on this experience!

We had a group of 6 take the cooking class on a recent trip to Playa. Not everyone likes to cook but were willing to give it a try. Everyone was so glad we did - even the so-called non cookers who weren't enthusiastic about the class loved it. The trip to the market was very interesting and a nice way to learn about the authentic ingredients. We learned a lot in how to prepare the food. The chefs are wonderful and knowledgeable and great at answering questions and demonstrating. We enjoyed tasting all the foods. So much better than we get at most restaurants. We would do this again and highly recommend.

Please take this class it was great and this is the best tacos I've had. Wish I could have taken more classes with them.

The cooking class with Chef Isa and Chef Pavel in Playa Del Carmen was a gastronomic delight. The tacos al pastor were a symphony of flavors, with perfectly marinated meat complemented by a medley of spices and a hint of citrus. The guacamole was a creamy masterpiece, blending ripe avocados with zesty lime and just the right amount of cilantro. Salsa, vibrant and fresh, added a kick to every bite. The mole, a complex fusion of rich, velvety chocolate undertones and a subtle heat, showcased the chefs' mastery of intricate flavors. Pollo tinga, tender and smoky, highlighted the perfect balance of spices. The homemade corn tortillas were a revelation, offering a warm, pillowy canvas for our culinary creations. Every dish unfolded like a culinary story, and the chefs' expertise and personal touch elevated the experience. It was an unforgettable journey through Mexican cuisine, leaving my taste buds dancing and my appreciation for the art of cooking greatly enriched. A resounding 5-star culinary adventure!

Our cooking class with Isa was awesome. We had booked a one week trip to Playa del Carmen and were looking for some things to do apart from going to the beach and other super touristy activities. After watching a YouTube video in which someone had suggested a cooking class, I did a quick google search and found Isa’s which had glowing reviews and was conveniently a 6 minute walk from where we were staying. The nearly 80 glowing reviews don’t lie — the class was fantastic and definitely the highlight of our trip. What I think sets Isa’s apart from some other similar experiences is that she starts the class by taking you on a short walk to the market to buy some ingredients. It was super informative and we learned about the different chiles and also how to properly pick an avocado :) Going to a produce market when you’re on vacation can sometimes be intimidating if you’re not familiar with the products and can’t read the signage, so we were grateful to have Isa show us around. We had some time to pick up a few things for ourselves too which we appreciated. After the market, it was a short walk back to the apartment which was a really cool space. I found myself simply admiring the decor, the art, the books, and the overall vibe of the place. Doing the class at the apartment was very fun and it honestly just felt like we were at a friend’s house cooking lunch. Isa and our other host, Miro/a (?) were gracious and lovely. We were lucky enough to be the only guests that day so it felt like a very intimate, relaxed, laid back afternoon. The food we made was all delicious: two types of guacamole, cochinita pibil with corn tortillas and pickled red onion, sautéed cactus and some hot sauce. We learned a lot during the class as Isa explained all the ingredients we were using. I loved that it was both engaging and very informative. I appreciated being able to taste and smell every ingredient as we used them, like these giant peppercorns, oregano from her balcony, the achiote paste, and the raw cactus. I look forward to sourcing all these ingredients back home so we can recreate the meal! In short, Isa’s cooking class was everything we thought it would be and more. If you’re visiting PDC and looking for something fun to do that’s also informative and delicious, book this class with Isa. You won’t regret it. Thank you Isa for an excellent experience!

Isa's Cooking Class - AWESOME Experience! My wife and I went to Isa's Cooking Class on our recent trip to Playa del Carmen. It was a fantastic experience! The home (where the classes were held) was an easy walk from the place we were staying. We were met by her husband (Chef Pavel). He took us to the local market, where we bought all the fresh ingredients to make the selected dishes. Pavel was our instructor, and he is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. A true chef. He really knew what he was doing, and we had a wonderful experience. The class was about 3 hours in total (started at 11:00am and finished at 2:00pm). I would highly recomment this for anyone wanting to do something different. If I had 3 thumbs... I'd give it 3 thumbs up! Unfortunately, we go so involved with the class (and chatting with the chef), that we forgot to take any pictures.

We had a blast with Chef Isa and crew! They took us to a local market and explained some of the ingredients that we would be using. The Mole Poblano and Chicken Pibil were amazing and she even gave us the recipe we used, which was her mother's recipe.

Estuvimos con un grupo de alumnos de una escuela turística de Austria en la clase de cocina de Isa y su equipo. Nos encantó la experiencia. Se tomaron su tiempo con nosotros, estaban super bien organizados, nos enseñaron muchas recetas típicamente mexicanas, estaba todo buenísimo! Isa y su esposo Pavel son un encanto, muy amables y eficientes en todo momento. Super recomendado, sin duda repetiremos!

I took a cooking class there in January 2024 and it was fantastic. We went to a local store and Isa explained all the chilis and vegetables. Then we cooked 3 dishes in 3 hours and Isa had not only very traditional recipes, but also told very helpful hints and tricks in the kitchen. If I ever come to the area again, I will book another class. Thank you!