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Host: Viviana Acosta
San Juan, Puerto Rico
USD
$80-$174per person
- Puerto Rico
- San Juan
Host offerings
- House
- Professional cook
- Pets
- Vegetarian
- Alcohol
- Transportation
- Cooking class
- Market visit
- Food tour
MeetViviana Acosta
Viviana has worked as a professional in the food industry for 23 years. She has vast experience in the kitchen, having worked the line at numerous establishments and as a private chef abroad. Parallel to that she also built a career in publishing, working as a recipe tester and developer and as a food writer and editor for various magazines and cookbooks. Currently she owns and operates a catering business from her home cooking studio, where she also conducts cooking classes on traditional Puerto Rican cuisine for locals and tourists.
When we asked Viviana, what should travelers expect during their experience with you, this is what she had to say, “I believe that it is through tradition, food and the gathering at the table, that you can really get to know a country and its people. Knowing its food and its table antics, makes it easier for the traveler to navigate through the country they are visiting.” And we couldn’t agree more!
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:(1-11 guests)Viviana is professionally trained in French and International cuisine and is also very passionate about the gastronomy of Puerto Rico. Viviana is proud to share her abundance of knowledge and skill on Puerto Rican cooking through her family recipes, passed own passed down through generations and start a conversation of rich cultural exchange. A few dishes that you will share will Viviana at her dining table are tostones (smashed fried plantains), arroz con habichuelas (rice and stewed beans with Caribbean pumpkin) and piñón de amarillo y picadillo (sweet plantain lasagna with spiced ground beef). A sweet treat of homemade panetela de guayaba (guava shortbread) will be served with coffee to finish the meal.
Cooking experience:(1-11 guests)Join Viviana in her beautiful home cooking studio, a dream kitchen that has been built thoughtfully over the years. Learn to cook two traditional Puerto Rican dishes in your 1.5 hour hands-on cooking class. You will learn to make sofrito (a mix of aromatic herbs and vegetables, it is used as a vegetable base for Arroz con habichuelas, stewed beans with Caribbean pumpkin), and crispy tostones (smashed fried plantains). After cooking, share the meal you helped prepare with your host in her dining room.Viviana is is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in San Juan. Viviana can also accommodate vegetarian, vegan, lactose free and gluten free meal requests in her cooking class.
Notes:Viviana can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, lactose free and gluten free meal requests. Please let her know in advance, while booking your experience.
Languages spoken:Spanish or 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.
Tostones (smashed fried plantains)
Arroz con habichuelas (stewed beans with Caribbean pumpkin)
Piñón de amarillo y picadillo (sweet plantain lasagna with spiced ground beef)
Panetela de guayaba (guava shortbread)
Traveler reviews
5.0 (4)
Had an excellent time cooking with Viviana. Learned a lot about Puerto Rico. Viviana was agreat host. Highly recommend!
-joyjG25June 07, 2023
Viviana welcomed me into her beautiful home and provided a plethora of information regarding native ingredients, it’s culinary history and she catered to my palette and food interests :) She was very also generous with information on where I can find certain things both related and unrelated to food. I am excited to recreate these dishes at home!
-LovesTravvelJune 02, 2023
Amazing experience! Highly recommend! Viviana was an engaging host, cooking deliciousfood and teaching about the history of puerto rican cooking in her lovely home.
-I3493OMarch 09, 2023
I am an avid cook and have always wanted to take a class, while on vacation, to pick up the local flavor. Since this was my first time meeting up with someone in their home, I was cautiously optimistic. Viviana far exceeded my expectations!! Her home was lovely and her kitchen was a pleasure. She was warm and hospitable and full of knowledge. When I expressed curiosity about a particular dish, not only did she tell me all about it, but we, then, whipped it up on the fly. After cooking, we sat down for a lunch that would rival any restaurant. It was like an afternoon hanging out with and old friend. Thank you, Viviana, for such an amazing experience! I’m already dreaming about my next trip to PR, and you are at the top of that list.
-EndlessMarch 06, 2023
Pricing(per person)*
| 1 person | 2-4 ppl | 5+ ppl | |
|---|---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | $104 | $88 | $80 |
Cooking Experience + Meal | $174 | $142 | $120 |
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| 1 person | 2-4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | $104 | $88 | $80 |
Cooking Experience + Meal | $174 | $142 | $120 |
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
Experience Timings
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | 12:00pm-2:00pm | 5:30pm-7:30pm |
Cooking Experience+ Meal | 10:00am-12:00pm | 4:00pm-6:00pm |
MeetViviana Acosta
Viviana has worked as a professional in the food industry for 23 years. She has vast experience in the kitchen, having worked the line at numerous establishments and as a private chef abroad. Parallel to that she also built a career in publishing, working as a recipe tester and developer and as a food writer and editor for various magazines and cookbooks. Currently she owns and operates a catering business from her home cooking studio, where she also conducts cooking classes on traditional Puerto Rican cuisine for locals and tourists.
When we asked Viviana, what should travelers expect during their experience with you, this is what she had to say, “I believe that it is through tradition, food and the gathering at the table, that you can really get to know a country and its people. Knowing its food and its table antics, makes it easier for the traveler to navigate through the country they are visiting.” And we couldn’t agree more!
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:(1-11 guests)Viviana is professionally trained in French and International cuisine and is also very passionate about the gastronomy of Puerto Rico. Viviana is proud to share her abundance of knowledge and skill on Puerto Rican cooking through her family recipes, passed own passed down through generations and start a conversation of rich cultural exchange. A few dishes that you will share will Viviana at her dining table are tostones (smashed fried plantains), arroz con habichuelas (rice and stewed beans with Caribbean pumpkin) and piñón de amarillo y picadillo (sweet plantain lasagna with spiced ground beef). A sweet treat of homemade panetela de guayaba (guava shortbread) will be served with coffee to finish the meal.
Cooking experience:(1-11 guests)Join Viviana in her beautiful home cooking studio, a dream kitchen that has been built thoughtfully over the years. Learn to cook two traditional Puerto Rican dishes in your 1.5 hour hands-on cooking class. You will learn to make sofrito (a mix of aromatic herbs and vegetables, it is used as a vegetable base for Arroz con habichuelas, stewed beans with Caribbean pumpkin), and crispy tostones (smashed fried plantains). After cooking, share the meal you helped prepare with your host in her dining room.Viviana is is excited to share her culture through food and offer an authentic/traditional cooking class in San Juan. Viviana can also accommodate vegetarian, vegan, lactose free and gluten free meal requests in her cooking class.
Notes:Viviana can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, lactose free and gluten free meal requests. Please let her know in advance, while booking your experience.
Languages spoken:Spanish or 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.
Tostones (smashed fried plantains)
Arroz con habichuelas (stewed beans with Caribbean pumpkin)
Piñón de amarillo y picadillo (sweet plantain lasagna with spiced ground beef)
Panetela de guayaba (guava shortbread)
Traveler reviews
5.0 (4)
Had an excellent time cooking with Viviana. Learned a lot about Puerto Rico. Viviana was agreat host. Highly recommend!
-joyjG25June 07, 2023
Viviana welcomed me into her beautiful home and provided a plethora of information regarding native ingredients, it’s culinary history and she catered to my palette and food interests :) She was very also generous with information on where I can find certain things both related and unrelated to food. I am excited to recreate these dishes at home!
-LovesTravvelJune 02, 2023
Amazing experience! Highly recommend! Viviana was an engaging host, cooking deliciousfood and teaching about the history of puerto rican cooking in her lovely home.
-I3493OMarch 09, 2023
I am an avid cook and have always wanted to take a class, while on vacation, to pick up the local flavor. Since this was my first time meeting up with someone in their home, I was cautiously optimistic. Viviana far exceeded my expectations!! Her home was lovely and her kitchen was a pleasure. She was warm and hospitable and full of knowledge. When I expressed curiosity about a particular dish, not only did she tell me all about it, but we, then, whipped it up on the fly. After cooking, we sat down for a lunch that would rival any restaurant. It was like an afternoon hanging out with and old friend. Thank you, Viviana, for such an amazing experience! I’m already dreaming about my next trip to PR, and you are at the top of that list.
-EndlessMarch 06, 2023
Pricing(per person)*
| 1 person | 2-4 ppl | 5+ ppl | |
|---|---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | $104 | $88 | $80 |
Cooking Experience + Meal | $174 | $142 | $120 |
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
| 1 person | 2-4 people | 5+ people | |
|---|---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | $104 | $88 | $80 |
Cooking Experience + Meal | $174 | $142 | $120 |
| *Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout. | |||
Experience Timings
| Lunch | Dinner | |
|---|---|---|
In-Home Meal | 12:00pm-2:00pm | 5:30pm-7:30pm |
Cooking Experience+ Meal | 10:00am-12:00pm | 4:00pm-6:00pm |
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
- >Cancellations and refunds
- >Contact host
- >Dietary restrictions
- >More questions
- >Alcohol
- >Changing timing
- >Credit card and payment
- >Meeting location and directions
- >Pricing
- >Private experiences
- >Process and timing
- >Safety and security
- >Transportation
- >Traveling solo
- >Traveling with family
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.
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