Quinta Brava — Local services in Oaxaca

We took a cooking class here and we chose this place compared to the many other cooking experience options because of the great reviews they had on Airbnb and also because of how well Miguel described his place. It's a massive outdoor space with an outdoor and indoor kitchen. He has dogs and cats and chickens on the property but each space is well designed so you can escape all the wildlife or dive right in. Miguel is the star of the show, from his stories to his personality and experiences. A great person to know much less to get a private cooking class from. We ended up there with a woman from Lithuania who was living in NY. And Miguel had someone pick us up from our place in Jalatlaco and also drop us off. We cooked so many dishes and walked to the nearby market and walked to the nearby place to get everything ground up - what an experience. The atmosphere was fun and you can tailor it any way you want. Clean bathroom, places to lounge, some mezcal, and so much knowledge. I've been to cooking classes where it's like a bootcamp, this was like a private oasis. You really learn about ingredients, the history, and how a professional chef like Miguel learned his skills and how he thinks about flavors. You don't just meet Miguel there, your money supports the person who drives you, his sous chef who has been cooking longer than I've been alive, the person who is there doing a workaway gig, and the other people who help run the space. That makes...

DO NOT LEAVE OAXACA WITHOUT TAKING THIS CLASS!

I am disappointed that I cannot give 6 starts for this review. After a week in Oaxaca that can only be described as a heavenly gastronomic experience, I took Chef Miguel’s class on my last day there. My hope was to bring back the techniques of Oaxacan cooking with me to Boston. After touring their herb garden and the local market, he and his assistant, Chef Esteban, patiently walked us through the process of making tortillas & mole from their base ingredients.

We made 4 batches of salsa, each with tomatoes that were cooked by different methods. This allowed us to sense firsthand the effects of roasting, frying, boiling and grilling on the taste of the salsa.

All participated in the prep and cooking. We had a fried tortilla soup that was to die for. Though I did not have a bad meal in Oaxaca, our home-cooked lunch of pork ribs & chicken with three different mole sauces was clearly the BEST meal I had on my trip.

We even made our own dessert, but I don’t want to spoil all the experience for you. TAKE THE CLASS. I have just returned, and am searching for ingredients in my local Latino markets so that I can continue the journey launched for me by Miguel, Esteban and Casa Brava....

Miguel and Jess were absolutely incredible. I had come for the chocolate class while two other guests were there for the cooking class. They were kind enough to combine the two classes after checking with us so that we could all learn everything together. Miguel’s passion for food is evident and I learned a tremendous amount through his cooking style. We took a trip to the mill, the market, and made some really incredible dishes with a few key ingredients. The family was so welcoming and kind and made our group feel like we were old friends.

Finally, I had the pleasure of riding Rafael who drove us to and from Miguel and Jess’s home. Rafael was a joy to be around. He was excited to practice his English and patiently teach me some Spanish, and shared a lot about his love of Oaxaca on the drive. All together it is one of the best experiences I’ve had in Oaxaca and I can’t recommend it highly enough for anyone traveling...