Hanoi Cooking Class: Private Market Tour & 5 Dishes of Your Choice

Summary

Private Vietnamese cooking class in Hanoi with hands-on market visit and your own menu

You’ll shop for ingredients in a lively Hanoi market with your instructor before heading back to cook five Vietnamese dishes you choose yourself. Learn real techniques, laugh over sticky rice paper moments, then sit down together for dinner (with homemade rice wine). You’ll leave full — and probably thinking about those flavors long after.

What’s the experience like?

“Try this one — it smells like lemon but it isn’t,” our instructor said, holding up a handful of wild herbs at the market in Hanoi. I’d already lost track of how many times I’d asked what something was. The air was thick with all these competing smells: fresh mint, grilled pork, even a hint of incense from a nearby stall. It was early but the street noise was already full throttle — mopeds, vendors calling out, someone laughing behind us. I kept thinking, this is way more chaotic than my kitchen at home.

We picked out ingredients for our five chosen dishes (I went for beef spring rolls, bun cha noodles, and egg coffee because I’m predictable). Our guide — Linh — showed us how to spot good fish sauce and which greens go limp too fast. She answered every random question I threw at her, even when I forgot the English word for galangal. Back in their family kitchen, it felt like being invited over by a friend’s mom: shoes off, sleeves rolled up, everyone talking at once. There was this moment when the rice paper stuck to my fingers and Linh just grinned and said “Don’t worry — first roll always looks funny.”

The actual cooking part? Messier than any YouTube video makes it look. We chopped and stirred and tried not to burn anything. The smell of caramelizing pork belly still lingers in my mind (and maybe my shirt). Lunch was loud and happy — we ate what we made around a small table while Linh poured homemade rice wine that tasted way stronger than expected. She told stories about her grandmother’s recipes and teased me for my chopstick skills. At the end there was a little certificate (“for surviving Vietnamese cooking,” Linh joked) and a recipe book that’s already stained with fish sauce splatters.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Private Vietnamese cooking class

• Go to market with instructor
• Learn about herbs and spices
• Return to kitchen to cook dishes
• Cook 5 chosen dishes
• Enjoy meal with homemade rice wine
• Receive cookbook and certificate

Top questions

Is this Hanoi cooking class private?

Yes, this is a private cooking class just for your group.

How many dishes can I learn to cook?

You can choose five Vietnamese dishes to cook during the class.

Does the class include a market visit?

Yes, you’ll go to the market with your instructor to buy fresh ingredients.

Are drinks or snacks included?

Bottled water, snacks, dinner, and homemade rice wine are included.

Is transportation provided?

No hotel pickup is listed; public transport options are nearby.

Can infants join the class?

Infants can join but must sit on an adult’s lap during the activity.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes, service animals are allowed at this class.

I have heart problems — is this recommended?

This tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health.

What’s included

Your evening includes bottled water throughout the experience, snacks along the way, all ingredient shopping at Hanoi’s local market with your instructor guiding you through each step, hands-on cooking of five Vietnamese dishes you select yourself in a welcoming home kitchen setting, dinner made from your own creations (plus homemade rice wine), as well as a recipe book and certificate to take home when you finish up.