Get Inspired
Experience An Authentic Meal Inside a Local’s Home
Have an authentic, once-in-a-lifetime meal with a local through Traveling Spoon's vast network of hosts. Plus, when you book with Bitesee, you'll receive a special discount.
While there are a few outfitters out there (Feastly and EatWith to name a couple) offering meals with locals in off-the-beaten path destinations—Traveling Spoon is unique. They focus on the intimacy of the experiences with private sessions, creating a chance that travelers might not have otherwise connecting with a local on a one-on-one level.
Not only that, it is challenging to find restaurants or navigate street food that really delivers the authentic flavors you crave. The ones you go home and dream about. The good thing about having a Traveling Spoon experience is also that, you can in fact recreate those dishes at home. As explained by co-founder Aashi Vel, “There are places in this world where the restaurant culture is a far cry from the culture’s true cuisine. Where access to the authentic food is limited unless you can find your way into a local’s home.” This is your ticket to finding your way into not just any random person who’s listed an experience with a peer-to-peer booking site, this is one in which you can trust. Trust to be sure it will be a true, once-in-a-lifetime experience with plenty of good food and conversation. The reason why we, without any hesitiation, recommend Traveling Spoon.
Photo Credit: Traveling Spoon
What to Expect:
Traveling Spoon offers a private experience for travelers to meet, dine, cook and get to know first-hand a country’s culture by sitting down at the table together. Their hosts are as passionate about sharing their culture as much as the diners are to receive it.
As is the case with Japan-based host Keiko. Before joining Traveling Spoon’s community of hosts, Keiko had never met a single foreigner. But she really wanted her kids to grow up having that experience she missed out on. So she happily opened the doors to her home to allow visitors to not only learn her favorite recipes and how her family eats, but how they live.
Photo Credit: Traveling Spoon
A similar sentiment can be found in India where the older generation of women, who once cooked big feasts for their families, are thrilled to be able to provide not only an authentic meal for out-of-towners, but to show off what they truly love to do—make people happy through food.
Bitesee’s Pick:
Given that Traveling Spoon vets all the hosts, you really can trust that any experience will be worthwhile. But should you be heading to Vietnam, we recommend going to Hanoi to cook with a grandmother-daughter duo, Hong and Hang. With them you will experience a traditional Hanoian meal of home-style dishes such as a seasonal salad, banana blossom, kohlrabi or papaya depending on what looks best at the market. That will be followed by a main dish of either cha ca, a Hanoian specialty of grilled, marinated fish stir-fried with dill and spring onions and eaten with vermicelli noodles or her excellent spring rolls and fresh herbs with a delightful dipping sauce made from scratch. For dessert, fresh local fruit of the season.
Photo Credit: Traveling Spoon
Hong also lives on a lively street that is closed to traffic during weekend evenings. On these days, you can frequently find musical performances that last from 7-9pm which can be viewed from Hong’s window and balcony.
Where Traveling Spoon Operates:
39 countries and counting
What’s Included:
Traveling Spoon offers four experiences: lunch or dinner with a host; cooking and dining with a local host; market shopping and dining, or shopping in a market or a garden tour, cooking and dining experience. All food is included.
Cost: Varies depending on location, averages $60
Dates: See calendar for dates
Group Size: 1-4 persons maximum
Length: Ranges from 1.5 hours – 5+ hours depending on the experience