You’ll chop fresh Thai herbs in an open-air kitchen, learn classic recipes from a local chef with decades of experience, and share laughs over homemade noodles. With tuk tuk pickup in Aonang and lunch included, it’s a hands-on day that lingers long after—especially if you can still smell kaffir lime on your fingers.
I’ll admit, I was nervous about the papaya salad — the chilies looked almost angry sitting there on the table. Our teacher, Khun Somchai, just grinned and said, “Spicy is good for you!” He’s been teaching at this Thai cooking school in Aonang longer than I’ve been alive, and somehow made even my clumsy slicing seem like part of the process. The kitchen was open-air, so you could hear birds and scooters outside, and every now and then a breeze would bring in the smell of lemongrass from someone else’s chopping board. I tried to say “som tam” properly; Somchai laughed and corrected me gently. It’s harder than it looks.
We started by picking out herbs — real ones, not the sad supermarket kind — and he explained which leaves go into what. There were only six of us (they keep it small), so everyone got to actually cook their own dishes. My hands still smelled like kaffir lime hours later. The stir fried cashew chicken was sweet and crunchy, but honestly, the Sukhothai noodles were my favorite. I didn’t expect to get them right on the first try (I didn’t), but eating what you made while chatting with people from Germany and Chiang Mai felt pretty great. Oh, they let you take leftovers home too — my sticky rice dessert survived about ten minutes after class.
The tuk tuk pickup in Aonang was a nice touch — no stress about finding the place or getting lost in midday heat. If you’re vegetarian, they’ll help you choose your menu (but heads up: no allergen substitutions). Everything felt relaxed but real; Somchai told stories about his childhood while we waited for things to simmer. I still think about that mango sticky rice sometimes when I’m back home staring at my sad cereal.
Tuk tuk pickup is available for guests staying in Aonang or Klong Muang areas.
The maximum group size is 10 students per class.
Yes, vegetarians can choose from the regular menu options.
No, unfortunately students with food allergies cannot be accommodated.
The morning course starts at 9:30am and ends at 12:30pm.
Yes, lunch is included as part of the class—you eat what you cook.
Yes, students can take away their cooked food or enjoy it at the school.
Private classes are offered only on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
Your day includes tuk tuk pickup within Aonang or Klong Muang, all ingredients for seven dishes (including Sukhothai noodles and mango sticky rice), bottled water throughout class, insurance coverage while cooking, plus lunch—either enjoyed onsite or packed up to take away after your lesson with a local chef.
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