Hoi An Cooking Class: Learn Vietnamese Dishes with a Chef

Cook four Vietnamese dishes and eat what you make

A Vietnamese cooking class in Hoi An where you learn to prepare four dishes from a local chef, starting with a morning or afternoon visit to Trà Quế vegetable village to see how the ingredients are grown. The class includes a herbal cocktail at a garden restaurant, hands-on instruction, and printed recipes to take home; pickup and an air-conditioned vehicle are included for the morning tour.

The Experience

The morning starts at Trà Quế vegetable village, where you walk through the gardens and work alongside a local farmer to understand what grows there and how. It's not a quick look—you're in the fields, seeing the crops that will end up in your cooking class. After that, you head to a garden restaurant for a lemon basil cocktail before moving into the kitchen. The afternoon tour follows the same structure but departs at 2 p.m., so you choose the timing that fits your schedule.

In the cooking class, Chef Tâm teaches you how to make four dishes: papaya and banana flower salad, Vietnamese mushroom pancakes, grilled eggplant with peanut sauce, and chicken cao lầu—the noodle specialty Hoi An is known for. You're not watching a demonstration; you're doing the cooking yourself, using the ingredients and techniques the chef shows you. Once everything is cooked, you sit down and eat what you made. The class runs about four and a half hours total, and you leave with printed recipes so you can make these dishes again at home.

The tour includes pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle for the morning option. A live English-speaking guide is with you the whole time. If you have dietary requirements or prefer vegetarian dishes, the operator can adjust the menu.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle (morning tour).
• visit to Trà Quế vegetable village with time in the gardens.
• lemon basil herbal cocktail at a garden restaurant.
• hands-on cooking instruction for four Vietnamese dishes.
• the meal you prepare.
• printed recipes to take home.
• live English-speaking guide throughout.

Good to know

Public transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Hoi An Eco Tours Discovery

Is this one for you?Book the morning departure if you want hotel pickup included and prefer to start your day early; the afternoon tour at 2 p.m. works better if you're arranging your own transport or want to cook later in the day. Either way, you're in a small group with a chef who speaks English and teaches at a pace that lets you actually cook, not just watch.

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Top questions

What exactly do I cook in the Hoi An cooking class?

You prepare four dishes: papaya and banana flower salad, Vietnamese mushroom pancakes, grilled eggplant with peanut sauce, and chicken cao lầu noodles. You cook each one yourself under the chef's instruction, then eat what you've made.

How long does the cooking class take?

The full experience runs about four and a half hours, including the visit to Trà Quế vegetable village, the herbal cocktail, the cooking instruction, and eating the meal you've prepared.

What is Trà Quế vegetable village and what do I do there?

Trà Quế is a rural farming village where local farmers grow the vegetables and herbs used in Vietnamese cooking. You walk through the gardens, learn about the different crops, and work briefly with a farmer to see how the ingredients are cultivated.

Do I need cooking experience to join the class?

No experience is required. Chef Tâm teaches you step by step how to prepare each dish, so beginners and experienced cooks both learn the techniques and can recreate the recipes at home.

Is pickup from my hotel included?

Pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle are included if you book the morning tour starting at 8:45 a.m. The afternoon tour at 2 p.m. does not include vehicle pickup, though public transportation options are available nearby.

Can the class accommodate vegetarian or dietary requirements?

Yes. The operator can adjust the menu to cater to vegetarian preferences and other dietary requirements if you let them know when you book.