Hoa Tuc Cooking Class

I've lived in Vietnam before, and after taking this lesson, I finally understood why Vietnamese food is so delicious! I was fascinated by dishes made with fresh lemongrass and other ingredients. The lesson studio is very clean and lovely. It's also conveniently located next to the Park Hyatt hotel. I went to the market with the instructor and bought rice flour. I was surprised to learn that the flour blend varies depending on the dish. We went to the market around 8 AM, but it gets hot, so if you're not confident about the heat, it might be better to just join the lesson directly. The lesson is taught in English. I gave it 4 stars for cost-effectiveness because I felt it was a bit pricey compared to the average cost of Vietnamese food. However, considering I had the instructor for over three hours, went to the market, and got to cook and eat three different dishes plus a dessert, I believe it was an invaluable experience. I highly recommend it, especially to people from Japan!

I found out that the restaurant where I had a delicious meal on my previous trip to Vietnam offered a cooking class tour, so I arranged it. In the morning, I took a Grab (self-arranged) from the hotel to the meeting point at the market. From 8:00 AM, Chef Phu and the other participants (a father and son from Taiwan, a cheerful couple from the Philippines, and two of us cooking enthusiasts from Japan) listened to Chef Phu's friendly and cheerful explanations while touring dried goods, grains, fresh fish, vegetables, fruits, and chè. We moved to the kitchen in a taxi arranged by the chef. We learned while relaxing, with considerations to avoid fatigue, such as sitting down to cut vegetables in a system where we cooked and ate three dishes. The quantity was so generous that we didn't need lunch, and the taste was excellent. There were so many dishes I wanted to recreate after returning home. Finally, while enjoying a dessert of white balls in ginger syrup prepared by the chef, we joined the classmates even though we only spoke simple English, asked the chef questions, and had a wonderful four hours. A local Vietnamese madam who hadn't participated in the market tour joined us from the kitchen. Everyone was interested and asked about the seasoning because they were using very good fish sauce in the lesson. I was convinced that "Hoa Tuc" is an attractive restaurant even for locals. I heard that they make different dishes on different days of the week, so I would like to change the day and participate again when I visit Vietnam. The lesson, a cute recipe book, and photos with everyone became souvenirs for myself.

Chef Yen is an amazing cooking instructor and a great market guide. She made our cooking class wonderful and we felt at home. Also, during our market tour, she made sure to introduce us to the local produce - she basically translated for us and let us buy what we like in the market. 10 stars for her! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To find this location, there will be signage on the outside and one of the workers from across will likely ask if you're here for the cooking class. You will then be guided inside a shop that sells kitchen supplies, snacks and other souvenirs. Go towards the end past the register and walk up the flight of steps. Yen the cooking instructor will warmly greet you upon arrival. For the class, we ended up making 3 dishes from scratch (springrolls, salad [with prawns and pork belly] & betel leaves with beef and noodles. Dessert is also included at the end, but due to time constraints, you will not get a chance to make this. For non meat eaters, there was also a vegetarian option as well (meats are substituted with tofu), and there was also a vegan friendly fish sauce. Yen was an amazing instructor, she was patient, friendly, explained the history behind each ingredient, and ensured each step wasn't rushed. This class is more geared towards beginners-intermediates (and honestly anyone who has a keen interest in Vietnamese food). After cooking and eating each of your dishes, Yen gave each of us a recipe book + souvenir to keep. I can safely say these recipes are beginner friendly and simplified, making them easy to make at home. Great experience overall, 10/10.

It is recommended! It is one of the best option to learn about Vietnamese cuisine & culture. The chef Uyen, taught us from the beginning till finish with the details. The class was fun & of course I enjoyed the foods because they're all amazing. The kitchen itself was very clean & tidy.

In addition to this, I have participated in cooking classes in Thailand and Korea, but this is the best one so far. The instructor, Lilia, was very interesting and showed me around the market, so I was able to spend the tour meaningfully. It is also a market, and it is a rainy area, so be careful as your feet will get wet. After moving to the restaurant where the cooking class was held, the air conditioning was on and it was comfortable. Also, we were able to make three recipes, but we made one and ate one, and made one and ate it immediately, so we could eat the freshly made food and it was easy to understand the taste. We were very satisfied with the recipe notebook and a little surprise souvenir. Also, since there were only five of us, it was very helpful that they taught us carefully and in a way that we could understand. Very satisfied! !

we really enjoyed being taken around the market and learning about the different things sold there! the cooking class was a lot of fun and would recommend it to anyone travelling, great way to learn how to cook some authentic dishes and more about the Vietnamese cuisine!

One of the best classes Ive been to. I got to know my classmates and chitchat with them. It felt like we’re all breaking bread and enjoying good food with good conversation. Our instructor chef helped us have that kind of environment. Ive been to several classes in different countries and this is by far the most personal. Thank you so much for this opportunity! x

We took a market tour and a cooking class. There was an incident where participants did not show up nearly an hour after the meeting time, but I was left with a good impression of how flexible they were in responding to emergencies. During the market tour, the participants answered each of our questions sincerely, and we had the valuable experience of procuring ingredients alongside the locals. In the cooking class, we made two appetizers and a main dish using fresh ingredients purchased at the morning market. Although I participated alone, I was able to spend a fun and fulfilling time interacting with other participants. All of the staff members are kind, liven up the atmosphere, and are fluent in English, so you can feel safe participating even if you are alone. There are plans that include just the cooking class, but I personally recommend the market tour + cooking class plan! If you are unsure, please try participating!

I skipped the market tour and went straight to the restaurant to participate in the class. We made 3 main dishes and the dessert was not prepared but just served. One of the other participants was vegan, and ingredients were prepared separately for him. Each time a dish was completed, the table was cleaned and tidied, so I was able to attend class comfortably. Cooking is easy to learn at a beginner level. It's a pity that the price is a bit higher than expected.