Vietnamese Cooking Class in Hoi An: 4 Dishes in a Family Home

Cook four traditional dishes in a real family kitchen, not a commercial school

Cooking with Jolie in Hoi An is a 3.5-hour hands-on cooking class in a family home where you visit a local market, taste Vietnamese coffee, and prepare four traditional dishes (green papaya salad, pho, Vietnamese rice pancake and eggplant in claypot), then eat what you've made. Small groups max out at 10 people, and vegetarian options are available.

The experience

The morning starts at a local Hoi An market where you walk through stalls of fresh herbs, spices and produce with Jolie, picking out ingredients for the dishes you'll cook. After exploring what the market has, you sit down for a traditional Vietnamese coffee before heading to the family home where the cooking happens. This is not a commercial kitchen or a cooking school building. It's where Jolie's family cooks every day, and the recipes you're learning are the ones they've been making for years.

Once you're in the home kitchen, you prepare four dishes with hands-on guidance: green papaya salad, pho (beef or chicken), Vietnamese rice pancake with peanut sauce, and eggplant in claypot. You're not watching a demonstration. You're doing the chopping, the stirring, the timing. Jolie and her family walk you through each step, explaining techniques and the reasoning behind how things are done. The class keeps to a small group of no more than 10 people, so there's room to ask questions and get individual attention without feeling crowded.

When the cooking is done, you sit down and eat the meal you've made together. Water, tea and coffee are included throughout, and if you have vegetarian preferences, the class can adjust the dishes. A surcharge applies if your class date falls on a Vietnamese public holiday, payable when you arrive.

What’s included

• Local market visit.
• Vietnamese coffee.
• hands-on cooking of four traditional dishes.
• lunch (the meal you've prepared).
• water, tea and coffee throughout.
• small group capped at 10 people.
• vegetarian options available.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (11 to 90 years) · Child (4 to 10 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 12

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.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 9

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by HPT TRAVEL COMPANY LIMITED

Is this one for you?You do the cooking yourself in a working family kitchen, not a commercial school, which is what makes this different from a demonstration class. You leave with real skills and the taste of food you made with your own hands. Book this if you want to learn by doing rather than watching, and if eating lunch with the family who taught you matters more than a polished classroom setup.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

340 verified traveler reviews

5 ★339

4 ★1

3 ★0

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 10 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What four dishes do I learn to cook at Jolie's class?

You prepare green papaya salad, pho (beef or chicken), Vietnamese rice pancake with peanut sauce, and eggplant in claypot. All four are traditional family recipes, and you cook them yourself with guidance from Jolie and her family.

Do I visit the market before or after the cooking starts?

The market visit comes first. You explore a local Hoi An market to see the fresh ingredients and herbs, then enjoy a Vietnamese coffee before heading to the family home to begin cooking.

How many people are in a typical class?

Groups stay small, with a maximum of 10 guests. This keeps the class intimate and gives everyone space to work and ask questions in the family kitchen.

Is lunch included, or do I just cook and leave?

Lunch is included. After you finish cooking, you sit down and eat the four dishes you've prepared together. Water, tea and coffee are also included throughout the class.

Can I do this class if I'm vegetarian?

Yes. Vegetarian options are available, and Jolie can adjust the dishes to suit your preferences while keeping the traditional cooking techniques and flavors.

How long is the whole experience?

The class runs 3.5 hours from start to finish, including the market visit, coffee, cooking and lunch in the family home.