Hoi An may well be the best place in Vietnam to take a cooking class. Access to fresh produce, lively markets and a long culinary tradition all set the scene. Add to that some very cool locations, great instructors, good value for money, and you’ve got a pretty compelling case for those interested in getting a better understanding of Vietnamese cuisine.
There are plenty of classes on offer around town covering the range of foodie fixations. The scene is competitive too.
Red Bridge Cooking School
Red Bridge Cooking School and Hai Cafe (they’re owned by the same people) are among the most established cooking classes in Hoi An.
They offer daily classes suited to a range of interests. Red Bridge is located a little out of town in a picturesque riverside setting - a big plus.
Longer tours for more serious foodies include market stops and a boat trip to the cooking school.
Red Bridge Cooking School (website)
Address: Thon 4, Cam Thanh Hoi An, Viet Nam
Hai Cafe offers an introductory level cooking class in the evenings in an outstanding heritage building located in the heart of the old town.
Hai Cafe
111 Tran Phu St, Hoi An
Photo: Mark Bowyer Red Bridge Cooking School, Hoi An
Green Bamboo Cooking Class
Ms Van at Green Bamboo offers a more personalised cooking class experience than some of the more established players. She runs the show herself and she's a great character and teacher. Her growing popularity will no doubt see her class expand too.
Green Bamboo's cooking centre is located in a private home right by Cua Dai beach, around 5kms from Hoi An's old town. It's convenient for anyone staying near the beach and easily accessed from Hoi An too.
Green Bamboo Cooking Class (website)
Address: Truong Minh Hung, Cam An, Hoi An - near Cua Dai beach
Photo: Mark Bowyer Van from Green Bamboo Cooking School, Hoi An
My Grandma’s Home Cooking
We haven’t checked this tour out yet but we met a bunch of travellers who had just finished the class on a cycling tour. They were very happy with their tour. It’s run by the same people who run Heaven and Earth bicycle tours. We have tried them.
The concept here is more is very rustic and local - much more so than the other cooking classes listed here. Targeted more at travellers wanting a local experience rather than a slick cooking class.
Classes are conducted in the traditional family home of the owner of the company on an island just outside Hoi An. The cooking tour can also be combined with a cycling tour.
My GrandMa's Home Cooking (website)
57 Ngo Quyen St.
Quartier de An Hoi.
Hoi An - Vietnam
Taste Vietnam - Ms Vy’s Cooking classes
One of Hoi An’s most established restauranteurs - owner of Cargo, Morning Glory and Vy’s Market, is also behind some of the town’s most successful cooking classes. There are various options ranging from a dabble for casual foodies to master classes for more serious amateurs and professional chefs.
The facilities are professional and the classes we checked out were slick. Of course Ms Vy doesn't run the classes as she did back in the 90s - but she has a competent team on the job.
Taste Vietnam cooking classes are now run from a dedicated training facility upstairs at Vy's Market restaurant (not Morning Glory as they were in the past).
Ms Vy’s Taste Vietnam cooking classes (website)
3 Nguyen Hoang Street, An Hoi Islet, Hoi An
Photo: Mark Bowyer Ms Vy's Taste Vietnam cooking school, Hoi An
Rusty Compass listings are always independent. We recommend the places we think you should know about.That’s it. We have checked out the cooking classes listed above (except My Grandma’s). We visited the schools without charge to see how they work. We did not participate in the classes. No money changes hands for a listing.
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