Cook with Wasantha
5
Cook with Wasantha
By cook with wasantha
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 8-70, max of 10 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- Lunch
- Private transportation
- Start:
- Wasantha's Sri Lanka Cuisine, 180/a Yaddehimulla Rd, Unawatuna, Sri Lankawe are located on the way to the jungle beach, just below villa thawthisa, if any confusions finding our place please contact the given number (Whatsapp) Sam's place unawatuna 0094772886761
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 191828P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 191828P1
From
ÂŁ31.54
per adult
Select date and travellers
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar experiences
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- MelinaMagh0 contributionsWonderful local experienceSuch a lovely experience shared with Wasantha and her family. I cooked and enjoyed 6 different curries (most were veggies and some had fresh fish and chicken) and learned about vegetables and fruits I had never seen before and their Ayurvedic properties. The place is very easy to get to and is nice and relaxing. I was greeted with some tea and later some delicious homemade ginger beer. Everyone was lovely! Highly recommend!Written 31 January 2025
- khaylr0 contributionsPerfect Food, Company & Ambience - Romantic too!Wasantha and her family are amazing people with amazing food in a beautiful location. Best meal of the whole trip, and enjoyed talking to Sam her husband until late into the night having drinks and trying his own special dish. What an awesome family. Happy birthday Wasantha (21st Feb)Written 22 February 2022
- moniquea4740 contributionsGreat curryHad a great meal at Wasantha’s restaurant. Great curry. I didn’t have time to take a class but I was told it was nice experienceWritten 23 March 2020
- K7389SVjaneh0 contributionsAuthentic Sri Lankan cookeryMy third visit to this wonderful restaurant. Beautiful spices and flavours. Food made with love. They also run proper cooking classes which seem really popular. Great family run place - relax and enjoy! Can’t recommend it enough. Always a joy to be here.Written 25 January 2020
- Wales11110 contributionsVery good experience with nice familyMet at the Green Market for an introduction to the fruit and veg of Sri Lanka - chose to cook beetroot, pineapple and aubergine. Two other veg chosen by the group then fish or chicken. Tuk tuk ride to the restaurant then a cooking demo with lots of opportunity help prep and ask questions. Food was great. Could photograph handwritten recipes. Lunch was very generous. Great value overall and lovely family including their adopted cats and dogs.Written 10 January 2020
- Wanderer7120190 contributionsGreat cooking class and amazing foodWasantha is a great cooking instructor. We learned a lot about Sri Lankan cuisine and made delicious rice and curry. Especially the eggplant curry is so tasty! We can totally recommend this place!Written 20 December 2019
- 708samit0 contributionsCooking classAfter 3 weeks of travelling in Sri Lanka and countless amount of different curries the best one I ate at Wasanthas so decided to go for a cooking class which turned out to be an awesome experience. Wasantha was good teacher and now I have knowledge to cook these amazingly delicious curries. Best regards SamiWritten 11 December 2019
- Eva_matz0 contributionsBest Curry, very friendly, very authenticWe were a group of five and got to cook different curries. Prior to the course we went to the market to choose vegetables etc. It was an awesome experience and a good opportunity to learn more about the culture as well as to taste different curries like Avocado or Mango curry. Highly recommend, would definitely do it again!Written 19 November 2019
- Clair9990 contributionsFantastic place - super family and recipesThis place is amazing - if you are in unawatuna this is a must as the food is fantastic and you will definately want to cook it againWritten 8 September 2019
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
161 reviews
Excellent
155
Very good
4
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
0
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
KelvinMD
32 contributions
Jan 2025 • Solo
Having eaten amazing food at the restaurant I decided to book a cooking class. It was fantastic in every respect. On arrival was met by the lovely Sasangi (unfortunately her mum Wasantha was seriously ill) given a cup of tea and introduced to the fellow students. We were then taken in tuk tuks to amazing markets in Galle to buy the ingredients vegetables, fish and spices and back to base to start cooking.
Sasangi was amazing and so knowledgeable. She has been so well taught by her mother to use traditional ingredients and secret spices (she tells you the secrets !). Everything was explained in great detail, and we were given time to make notes. Her enthusiasm and passion for cooking made for a truly memorable experience. On completion of the lesson, we all sat down together and enjoyed the fantastic meal together.
I cannot recommend this experience more highly , it was brilliant.
Sasangi was amazing and so knowledgeable. She has been so well taught by her mother to use traditional ingredients and secret spices (she tells you the secrets !). Everything was explained in great detail, and we were given time to make notes. Her enthusiasm and passion for cooking made for a truly memorable experience. On completion of the lesson, we all sat down together and enjoyed the fantastic meal together.
I cannot recommend this experience more highly , it was brilliant.
Written 28 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zuzana G
Prague, Czech Republic5 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
My time in Wasantha's kitchen far exceeded my expectations of a cooking class. It was a full-scale cultural experience with some of the kindest, most knowledgeable people we met on our trip.
Within 4 hours we visited fruit and vegetable market, a fish market, and cooked 5 vegetable curries and 1 fish curry. Wasantha even threw in her signature coconut sambol for good measure. We were taken to the market by her husband, Sam, who is a tour guide, so aside from information on the different types of fruit and veg, he shared useful tips on pretty much everything related to Sri Lankan travel.
After each of us chose 1 vegetable we wanted to cook - this was particularly appreciated, as we got a chance to try foods not available in our home countries - we returned to the kitchen.
Wasantha's patience, clarity of instruction and years of experience led to a pleasant and educational final stretch during which we prepared the meals. We ate the curries together, listening to Wasanta's stories. When my husband returned to pick me up with our daughter, they were both invited to join us for lunch.
All recipes - and many others - were later shared with us with an invitation to send in any questions we may have when recreating the meals at home.
Overall, this was a stellar experience, which I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about Sri Lankan cuisine.
Within 4 hours we visited fruit and vegetable market, a fish market, and cooked 5 vegetable curries and 1 fish curry. Wasantha even threw in her signature coconut sambol for good measure. We were taken to the market by her husband, Sam, who is a tour guide, so aside from information on the different types of fruit and veg, he shared useful tips on pretty much everything related to Sri Lankan travel.
After each of us chose 1 vegetable we wanted to cook - this was particularly appreciated, as we got a chance to try foods not available in our home countries - we returned to the kitchen.
Wasantha's patience, clarity of instruction and years of experience led to a pleasant and educational final stretch during which we prepared the meals. We ate the curries together, listening to Wasanta's stories. When my husband returned to pick me up with our daughter, they were both invited to join us for lunch.
All recipes - and many others - were later shared with us with an invitation to send in any questions we may have when recreating the meals at home.
Overall, this was a stellar experience, which I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about Sri Lankan cuisine.
Written 31 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear sir/ madam.
Thank you so much for taking a moment of your time to write us this amazing review, we are so glad to know that you enjoyed your time at Wasantha’s
We hope that you will have a good time recreating the recipes that you learnt at Wasantha’s.
Thank you.
Wasantha
Written 9 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hels8769
Melbourne, Australia93 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
This was a great experience. Watching Wasantha cook and learning her tricks - as well as helping her to prepare the ingredients was a highlight. And, we were really impressed to receive her hand-written recipes. Sam (husband) and the family were delightful. We enjoyed our trip to the market in Galle with Sam's running commentary. Very much recommend this experience - the food was really, really delicious and just lovely people!
Written 3 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
thank you so much for taking a moment of your time to write us amazing this review,
it means a lot to us specially at a time like this.
we are glad to know that you enjoyed your time at Wasantha's
we hope that you will enjoy recreating our recipes thank you,
Wasantha
Written 7 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Voyage602511
1 contribution
First hour we visited the vegetable and markets where the uses and properties of various types were explained. Then onto fish market to select that mornings catch and head on to Wasantha’s house . She then prepared the dishes for our meal using the bought ingredients. The processes and reasons for these were explained and then we sat down to enjoy the chicken curry, spicy tuna, vegetable curries and aubergine and onion condiment. Fascinating , instructional and enjoyable. Wasantha clearly cooks with passion and great experience. You won’t find a better cooking lesson!
Written 31 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ilona Pettigrew
Lynton, UK11 contributions
Experience Authentic Lankan Cuisine with Wasantha
Don't be fooled by imitations or imitators – Wasantha's cooking class is the genuine article, offering an in-depth and truly immersive culinary experience. From the moment you arrive at her welcoming Sri Lankan restaurant, you'll know you're in the right place.
The perfectly structured class begins with a fascinating trip to the local vegetable market. Here, Wasantha, with her 40+ years of culinary expertise, will introduce you to the vibrant array of Sri Lankan vegetables and herbs, sharing her extensive knowledge. You'll even be invited to hand-pick some of the fresh ingredients you'll use in your class. I chose banana flower, snake gourd, onion flower … Next, it's off to the bustling fish market to select your protein – I chose a beautiful fresh tuna fish (though other options are available). Watch the fisherman prepare the fish for you. It’s a sight to see.
Back at Wasantha's, the real magic begins. You'll participate in the preparation, learning the proper techniques for chopping and preparing the ingredients, all while Wasantha generously shares her wealth of knowledge and time-honoured secrets. It was a genuine joy to learn from her. She's passionate about equipping you with the skills to recreate these mouth-watering dishes back home. (Pro tip: Do listen carefully – her gentle manner belies the depth of her culinary wisdom)
Wasantha, her husband Sam, their daughter Sasa (who also teaches classes occasionally), and all their dedicated staff, along with their well-loved dogs and cats, work tirelessly to ensure a truly worthwhile and memorable experience. This isn't just a cooking class; it's a taste of authentic Sri Lankan hospitality and a deep dive into the heart of its delicious cuisine.
Don't be fooled by imitations or imitators – Wasantha's cooking class is the genuine article, offering an in-depth and truly immersive culinary experience. From the moment you arrive at her welcoming Sri Lankan restaurant, you'll know you're in the right place.
The perfectly structured class begins with a fascinating trip to the local vegetable market. Here, Wasantha, with her 40+ years of culinary expertise, will introduce you to the vibrant array of Sri Lankan vegetables and herbs, sharing her extensive knowledge. You'll even be invited to hand-pick some of the fresh ingredients you'll use in your class. I chose banana flower, snake gourd, onion flower … Next, it's off to the bustling fish market to select your protein – I chose a beautiful fresh tuna fish (though other options are available). Watch the fisherman prepare the fish for you. It’s a sight to see.
Back at Wasantha's, the real magic begins. You'll participate in the preparation, learning the proper techniques for chopping and preparing the ingredients, all while Wasantha generously shares her wealth of knowledge and time-honoured secrets. It was a genuine joy to learn from her. She's passionate about equipping you with the skills to recreate these mouth-watering dishes back home. (Pro tip: Do listen carefully – her gentle manner belies the depth of her culinary wisdom)
Wasantha, her husband Sam, their daughter Sasa (who also teaches classes occasionally), and all their dedicated staff, along with their well-loved dogs and cats, work tirelessly to ensure a truly worthwhile and memorable experience. This isn't just a cooking class; it's a taste of authentic Sri Lankan hospitality and a deep dive into the heart of its delicious cuisine.
Written 4 February 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hans-Peter T
24 contributions
Jan 2024 • Friends
The secret of Singalese cuisine is revealed right here. If you've always wanted to know why the curries you try to cook at home just don't taste the same as they do in Sri Lanka, Wasantha's Cooking Course is the place for you. In 4 hours, you will buy your vegetables at the market, choose a fish at the fish market and learn in a small group the little subtleties of why the cuisine of Wasantha's restaurant is known far beyond the borders of Sri Lanka. Because once you have been to her restaurant and experienced how extraordinarily good the food is cooked and served there, you might want to know more afterwards. We did just that and listened to Wasantha for around 2.5 hours and were able to ask her questions and experience the tips and tricks she uses to cook these enchanting curries. On top of that, there are 20 recipes to cook, the spices for which we didn't buy in the supermarket, but at "Freelan" in Matara. There's no need to tell you any more, it's best to book the course. It pays off. Our word of honor.
Written 15 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
thank you so much for taking a moment of your time to write us amazing this review, it means a lot to us specially at a time like this
we are glad to know that you enjoyed your time at Wasantha's
we hope that you will enjoy recreating our recipes
thank you,
Wasantha
Written 21 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Andreas
Frankfurt, Germany12 contributions
We like curries a lot, but we have never really managed to cook a good curry ourselves. At Wasantha we learned in one afternoon how to make an excellent curry.
Wasanath gave us many tips on what to consider. Also our son (teenager) was well guided and had a nice experience. We were limited in time, but Wasantha still allowed us to do this cooking class. Thank you for the flexibility.
So that we can cook something ourselves at home, we got numerous recipes.
In the future, we will certainly also prepare our own curries at home, which will then be better than what is offered there in most restaurants.
Wasanath gave us many tips on what to consider. Also our son (teenager) was well guided and had a nice experience. We were limited in time, but Wasantha still allowed us to do this cooking class. Thank you for the flexibility.
So that we can cook something ourselves at home, we got numerous recipes.
In the future, we will certainly also prepare our own curries at home, which will then be better than what is offered there in most restaurants.
Automatically translated
Written 27 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear sir/ madam,
Thank you so much for taking your time to write us this amazing review, it means a lot
We are so glad that you chose our cooking class among many others
We really hope that you will enjoy cooking the dishes that you learnt at Wasantha’s with love
Thank you.
Wasantha
Written 8 November 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
James H
5 contributions
Mar 2023 • Solo
We started the day by meeting the family and chatting, as well meeting the other people who had booked the class.
We then went to the market then fish market to choose ingredients and returned to the restaurant to help preparer and cook them.
The tour was well organised, and a lot of fun.
We met several family members who were all lovely and really chatty, going above and beyond to make us feel welcome and to make the experience 10/10.
The cooking side of it was really informative, and the curry very tasty. I learned a lot and it was a nice relaxed class with a good vibe.
Honestly for how much it cost, and the other people I met while doing It, if I was staying I might do it again.
Thanks!!
We then went to the market then fish market to choose ingredients and returned to the restaurant to help preparer and cook them.
The tour was well organised, and a lot of fun.
We met several family members who were all lovely and really chatty, going above and beyond to make us feel welcome and to make the experience 10/10.
The cooking side of it was really informative, and the curry very tasty. I learned a lot and it was a nice relaxed class with a good vibe.
Honestly for how much it cost, and the other people I met while doing It, if I was staying I might do it again.
Thanks!!
Written 21 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
thank you so much for taking a moment of your time to write us amazing this review, it means a lot to us specially at a time like this
we are glad to know that you enjoyed your time at Wasantha's
we hope that you will enjoy recreating our recipes
thank you,
Wasantha
Written 23 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brian L
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Solo
Just an amazing experience. While there is usually a group, I was alone on this day but treated with full time and energy. First a trip to the old Dutch market to select and buy vegetables. (Wasantha prepares the spices herself). Each, and the rice and papadums are prepared separately and done with precise method and spices. Student participates (gladly). In the end, I get to sit down and enjoy an exceptional meal. Full written recipes are included. At every stage the host family are friendly and helpful. This activity is highly recommended if you want to know the culture of this friendly island nation.
Written 22 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear sir/madam,
Thank you so much for choosing us as your cooking school among many others, we are so glad that you enjoyed your time at Wasantha’s
We hope that you will have a wonderful time cooking the food that you learned with wasantha.
Thank you so much for your review, it means a lot to us
Written 30 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Adriana B
4 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
Everything was great! We first went to the market with her daughter who showed us the different veggies for the curries and made us choose to cook the curries later. Back in the restaurant Wasantha told us the tricks of how to make the perfect curry (even without tasting!). She's a fantastic cook and you can see that she's passionate. She told us she learnt from his mother and that they learnt to prepare the food perfectly because they would be cooking for the monks. She's lovely and the cooking class is a very nice experience. I would definetely recommend to anyone staying in Unawatuna. Thank you for the experience!
Written 4 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Sir/ Madam,
thank you so much for taking a moment of your time to write us amazing this review, it means a lot to us specially at a time like this
we are glad to know that you enjoyed your time at Wasantha's
we hope that you will enjoy recreating our recipes
thank you,
Wasantha
Written 18 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We are arriving by ship 26 March 2023 for a day in Galle. We would very much like to visit you and enjoy the cooking with you. Please advise us how to best get to you from the port, how far it is, etc. Thank you for your kind assistance Michael
Written 5 September 2022
You can get a Tuk Tuk from Galle to Wasantha’s
Written 6 September 2022
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Buy it with
Top rated
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.