Tom During our recent cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) to Corzumel, Mexico, we signed up for the Mexican Cuisine Workshop & Tasting at Playa Mia Grand Beach and Water Park. From the reviews, we knew that it was going to fun, educational and entertaining. But, we did not know we were gonna have SO MUCH FUN!
What we did during Norwegian Cruise Line Mexican Cuisine Workshop (Cooking Class) at Playa Mia Grand Beach and Water Park
As you can deduce from the picture above, our chef (and instructor), Luis, is a very humorous person. He greeted us at the entrance of the workshop by asking us
“Are you ready to get drunk, I mean cook?”
 |
 |
 |
Turns out, the cooking class is accompanied by Margaritas and Strawberry Daiquiris and LOTS OF IT! The alcohol content in the drinks were strong and they were UNLIMITED! That was probably why we enjoyed the session so much…
Before we started, we had to make sure that our chef hats & apron were properly worn. Hands had to be cleaned throughly with soap. While lathering our hands with soap, we sang to the tune of La Cucaracha (ie La Cucaracha, Lacucarach, la lalalalalala). That ensured that our hands were thoroughly cleaned before we touched our ingredients. First up, the dessert!
 |
 |
 |
The dessert was plantain. Of the same family of the banana. We started by placing the plantain over butter under low fire. Once the plantain turned slightly brown, we placed them aside and made the chocolate sauce. The sauce was made by melting chocolate over milk and let it simmer to a thick texture. Before it all came together, we had to decorate the plate and the end result…
Still can’t believe that Tom did that! But he did! To do the heart shaped rainbow on the top, you’d just have to do alternate dots of chocolate and cream and later draw along the middle in one direction using a toothpick. For the rose, first we did a base of circular chocolate, followed by a cream circle and dot in the middle. Using a toothpick, we drew inwards in north south east west direction and outwards in between. Lastly for the swan…since it looks more like a snake, we’ll leave it for you to learn during the class shall we ;P
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Remember that by this time, we probably already had 2 magaritas and moving to our third. But we somehow realised that its really simple to make this dish. First, we pan-fried the grouper and flipped them over once the sides of the fish turned white. Next, we sauteed some vegetables and placed both the fish and vege on an aluminum foil. Lastly, we prepared some tamarind sauce to be placed over the fish. To make the sauce, we had to adjust the taste. If it was too sour, we added some spice and if it was too sweet, we added some salt. (*caveat: it could jolly well be the other way around as we were a little tipsy at this point in time!) In this way, we slowly adjusted the taste to what suited us. Of course, we went for something a little spicier! After that, the folded aluminum foil went into the oven to be baked further. The result was an ultra tender and juicy fish. Luis is a genius!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
For our last dish, we made the appetizer. First we sauteed the prawns and once it changed colour, we added the tomato based sauce, “straight out of a can” as vividly described by Luis. Some chili was added to taste. At the same time, we started to work on the crust using a mexican tool “invented by the Mexican NASA” also known as “MASA” as we were told by Luis). With the MASA tool, we pressed the dough before placing it over the hot plate. Thereafter, we had to use our thumbs to open up the center to fit the prawns in. As you can see from the photo, Luis went to every table to individually teach us how to shape the crust. He is funny but he can be professional too!
If you enjoyed our content, “Like” us on Facebook Today!
All 3 dishes tasted FANTASTIC! Wonder who the chef was?! 😛 We enjoyed our meal on the top level with views overlooking the ocean. The setting was perfect and the company was great (everyone was shouting at the top of their voices – think Oktoberfest)
At the end of the class, we still had about an hour to enjoy the facilities at Playa Mia. You could go to the beach, enjoy a massage , play at the water park or simply chill by the pool. Drinks are still included during this time. But remember to get your drinks and wifi password early because most of the staff leaves at 5pm eventhough the park is only slated to close at 6pm.
 |
 |
 |
We hope you have enjoyed our review of the Mexican cooking class in Playa Mia Corzumel, Mexico. Would definitely recommend the Mexican Cuisine Workshop with Chef Luis @ Playa Mia Grand Beach and Water Park the next time you sail with Norwegian Cruise Line. Yeah, we could barely walk out by ourselves at the end of the workshop…
Related Posts
Remember to check out the best cruise packages at LastMinuteTravel.com – Last Minute Prices in Advance!
Norwegian Jade: The Most Comprehensive Coverage of Norwegian Cruise Line – Part 1: Ship Layout
Norwegian Jade: The Most Comprehensive Coverage of Norwegian Cruise Line – Part 2: Dining
Norwegian Jade: The Most Comprehensive Coverage of Norwegian Cruise Line – Part 3: Activities
Norwegian Cruise Line: Altun Ha Ancient Mayan Site and The Olde Belize River Cruise Review
Norwegian Cruise Line: Roatan (Honduras) Glass Bottom Boat & West End Village Review
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Ultimate Beverage (Drinks) Package: Is it worth it?
