Cooking Classes in Vietnam: Part 2 The Cooking Class

In 2012, I took a trip to Hoi An, Vietnam and attended a cooking class at the Red Bridge Cooking School and Restaurant. The day started early with a trip to an organic farm where we picked up our herbs and learned about the different type of herbs in Vietnam and their role, both culturally and culinarily. Then we went to the morning market where we bought noodles, vegetables, fish sauce, herbs, spices, and meat. Then to the beautiful cooking school where we made friends and cooked up a storm. Many of these photos are also courtesy of my friend Susanne ....

Part 1: The Cooking Class 

The spacious and beautiful cooking area

Sesame seeds, peanuts, MSG, salt, sugar, black pepper, star anise. I was amazed at how big a role black pepper plays in Vietnamese cuisine!

Shallots, garlic, peppers, and lemongrass

After cooking, we had a little swim!

The lush garden around the cooking school

Me and our chef/trainer - note the LaRue beers that were available.

The chef/trainer (I think his name was Thanh) telling us about technique.

Preparing to make a papaya and green mango and carrot salad. 

Our first dish - shrimp cooked in banana leaves. Delicious!

Chopping while drinking beer might be a mistake? Nah!

Learning how to make rice noodles for our Pho.

Our fresh pho made with lots of fresh noodles, fresh broth with lots of star anise, and basil!

The master showing us how its done.

Making a marinade for the fish.

Me and my shrimps!

Bananaflower salad with chicken. Delicious!

After cooking classes, a boat ride back to Hoi An

Beautiful Hoi An river scape

Making the rice noodles.

The bones for the Pho stock.

Rock sugar, ginger, cinammon, onions, shallots for the Pho stock.

Making the shrimp packets. 

Opening up the Shrimp packets.

The secret to good Vietnamese cooking - a big mortar and pestle!

Get ready to make a paste!

Memorable meals from 2011

Blood Curry with noodles at the Chatuchak Market in February.

Korean Bulgogi up in the air on Business Class to New York from Seoul on Korean Airlines

Som Tam prepared fresh for me at the UN cafeteria for lunch every day.

Oysters and Muscadet on a little rooftop balcony in Paris with a handsome Swede that I was falling in love with.

Fish Amok in a beautiful old Cambodian house in Siem Riep

Laab Gai in Vientiane, Laos followed by Gin Brambles next to the Mekong river.

Crepe "Complet" with ham, gruyere, and a fried egg at the market in the Louvre.

Black eyed pea pancakes in Malmö with a suitcase filled with smuggled tropical fruit on top washed down with great black coffee and a bit of heart break.

Raw oysters with garlic and chili peppers on the street in Sukhumvit at 3 in the morning after an evening of Karoake.

All you can eat dim sum at the Landmark Plaza hotel with Alec and the look on his face as he bit into a black sesame dumpling cooked in ginger syrup... "Look at it." 

Thai food!

So I've moved to Bangkok... of course one of the things that drew me here was the food! So far it has not disappointed... I haven't yet ventured into the street food but today I went to a food court in the poshest mall in Thailand - the Siam Paragon Food Hall.  It was overwhelming!

I had so much to choose from that I had to be really strict with myself and force myself to choose the first thing I saw that I wanted. Otherwise, I would have been crippled with indecision! So I had Hainanese Chicken and Rice (which I discovered in Singapore) which was delicious. Its so simple but so good that I learned how to make it at home just so I could have it again! I washed it down with some Thai Iced Tea (so sweet it made my teeth hurt) and to counter balance the sweetness of the Thai Iced Tea, for dessert I decided to have Green Papaya Salad which they prepared right in front of me.

After I fed the beast within, I wandered through the food court looking at everything for offer just for future reference. Next time - I can choose between the Pad Thai stand, the noodle soup stand, the curry stand, the sushi bar, the satay bar or if I want to wander away from Thai food, I can have noodles from Vietnam, Japan, China, Singapore, or even Italy! And for the more discerning palate, there is McDonalds, Burger King, and Dunkin Donuts!

I love food and I love choices in food and I love trying things that I have never had before. This is the sad thing about traveling alone. There is a guy that I really like who I wish was here with me in Thailand right now. I know he would be as happy as I am in the food court and we could plot our strategy as to what we would eat and taste everything - double the pleasure - double the fun!