Ho Chi Minh City: Vietnamese Cooking Class & Market Visit

Cook Three Vietnamese Dishes, Then Eat Them in Ho Chi Minh City

You pick three dishes from nine options, visit a local market with your instructor to buy ingredients, then cook them step-by-step with a chef's guidance. After cooking, you eat the meal you made with a complimentary drink and coffee. The class takes three to three and a half hours and runs at 9am or 2pm.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to learn to cook Vietnamese food properly and eat it the same day, without arranging ingredients or figuring out recipes on your own — the market visit and chef's step-by-step guidance are what make that possible in a single morning or afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Morning or afternoon cooking class

• Choose dishes to cook
• Visit local market with instructor
• Return to cooking location
• Cook dishes with chef guidance
• Enjoy meal you prepared
• Drink egg or coconut coffee

The Experience

"So what are we actually making today?" you ask the chef as you walk into the kitchen, and she hands you a laminated card with nine dishes to choose from. That's the thing about this cooking class in Ho Chi Minh City — you pick what you want to learn, and then you make it. The class runs either at 9am or 2pm, lasts about three to three and a half hours, and starts not in a kitchen but at a local market with your instructor. You've got 45 minutes to an hour there, moving through stalls, learning what to look for, what's in season, why one vendor's fish is better than another's.

Once you're back at the cooking space, the chef and instructor walk you through each step — how to hold the knife, the right heat, when to add what. It's hands-on, not a demo where you watch from a stool. You're actually cooking. The market visit isn't a photo stop; it's where you source the ingredients you're about to use, so the whole thing connects. After you finish, you sit down and eat what you made. That meal comes with your choice of one non-alcoholic drink — beer counts — and the coffee at the end, either egg coffee or coconut, depending on what you want.

The class works with small groups and children can come along, though infants need to sit on an adult's lap. Public transport is nearby if you're not being picked up, and the whole thing is built around the idea that you leave knowing how to actually make something, not just having watched someone else do it.

Top questions

What time does the cooking class start?

You can choose either 9am or 2pm.

How many dishes do you cook in the class?

You cook 3 dishes. The chef offers 9 options to choose from at the start of the class.

Is the market visit included?

Yes. You visit a local market with your instructor for 45 minutes to an hour to select ingredients for cooking.

How long is the whole class?

The cooking class lasts approximately 3 to 3.5 hours, including the market visit and cooking time.

What's included in the price?

Chef and instructor guidance, the meal you cook, one non-alcoholic drink (beer included), and either egg coffee or coconut coffee at the end.

Can children attend?

Yes. Infants and small children can attend; infants must sit on an adult's lap. Strollers are also allowed.

Is transportation included?

No. Public transportation options are available nearby, but pickup is not included.

Can I choose which dishes to cook?

Yes. The chef presents 9 suggested dishes at the start of the class, and you choose which 3 you want to cook.

What’s included

Your class includes a guided visit to a local Ho Chi Minh City market with your instructor, hands-on cooking instruction from a chef, the complete meal you prepare, one non-alcoholic drink of your choice, and either egg coffee or coconut coffee served at the end. You select three dishes from nine options offered by the chef.