Phosy Market & Private Cooking Class in Luang Prabang

Cook three Laotian dishes in a local home, then sit down to eat them together

A private market tour and cooking class in Luang Prabang where you shop at Phosy Market with your host Si, then cook traditional Laotian cuisine (bamboo shoot soup, charcoal-grilled fish and stir-fried pumpkin with pork) in his family home kitchen and share the meal you prepared. The experience runs five hours and includes hotel pickup, all ingredients, and instruction in English from Si, a former monk who learned these recipes from his wife Nee's grandmother.

The experience

Phosy Market, Luang Prabang's largest fresh market, is where the experience starts. Si picks you up from your hotel and walks you through the stalls to find the vegetables, herbs and proteins you'll need for the day's cooking. You'll see fruits and vegetables that don't appear in Western markets, and Nee will explain what each one is and how it's used in everyday Laotian cooking. The market visit is not a tour of sights. It's a shopping trip with a local who knows what to look for and why.

From the market, you drive to Si and Nee's home, where the cooking begins. You'll work in their family kitchen, chopping and stirring on a wood fire as you learn to make three dishes from scratch: bamboo shoot soup (a rainy season favorite with pumpkin and leafy greens), charcoal-grilled whole fish, and stir-fried pumpkin with pork. Nee teaches from family recipes passed down through her grandmother. You're not watching a demonstration. You're doing the work, learning the technique and the reasoning behind each step.

Once the cooking is done, you eat the meal you made together at the family's dining table, indoors or outdoors depending on the weather. The spread includes the three dishes you cooked, sticky rice, and homemade sides. Drinks and water are provided. If you have dietary requirements, you can request a vegetarian option or other adjustments when you book, and Si and Nee will plan the menu accordingly.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• private market tour at Phosy Market.
• all cooking ingredients.
• instruction in English from Si.
• three home-cooked traditional Laotian dishes you prepare yourself.
• the meal you cook.
• bottled water and alcoholic beverages.
• gratuities.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturday and SundayDeparts at 16:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (5 to 11 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Operated by Traveling Spoon

Is this one for you?You do the cooking yourself in a local home kitchen with Nee's guidance, not watching a demonstration in a restaurant or school. This suits anyone who wants to learn by doing and connect with a Laotian family over food, rather than attend a group class or take a market-only tour.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 11 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What is Phosy Market like, and what will I actually do there?

Phosy Market is Luang Prabang's largest fresh market, filled with local produce, herbs and proteins. You'll shop there with Si and Nee, learning to identify ingredients you might not recognize and understanding how they're used in Laotian cooking. It's a working market visit, not a sightseeing stop.

Will I actually cook, or will I watch someone else cook?

You cook the three dishes yourself. You'll chop, stir and work on the wood fire in Si and Nee's home kitchen, learning the technique as you go. Nee guides you through each step of the recipes her grandmother taught her.

What three dishes will I learn to make?

You'll cook bamboo shoot soup (a rainy season favorite with pumpkin and leafy vegetables), charcoal-grilled whole fish, and stir-fried pumpkin with pork. All three are eaten with sticky rice and represent everyday Laotian family meals.

How long does the whole experience take, and what's included?

The experience runs five hours from hotel pickup to drop-off. It includes the market tour, all cooking ingredients, instruction from Si in English, the three-dish meal you prepare, drinks and water, and hotel transportation. If you need a vegetarian option or have other dietary needs, let Si know when you book and he'll adjust the menu.

Do I need to cancel in advance if my plans change?

Si and Nee prepare ingredients up to two days before your experience, so you'll need to cancel at least 48 hours in advance for a full refund.