Note: This post is not sponsored in any way. Just sharing my personal experience. Unbiased reviews have been so helpful in planning our trips, so it’s time to pay it forward!
I visited Phuket, Thailand with my husband and our boys in November of 2019 (just a few months before the pandemic hit, air high-five!). I’ve written a lot about touring Phuket with children here, but this cooking class was one experience I enjoyed totally solo. Well, I wasn’t with MY people, but there WERE…people there. With me. You get it.
Why a cooking class?
I have a deep love and appreciation for cooking that’s been passed down from my mother and grandmothers. It’s important in my husband’s family, too. Food is so central to gatherings and celebrations for me. It’s fascinating to learn more about a specific culture’s popular meals, common ingredients, and traditions around food.
Needless to say, this was an item on our itinerary I was very excited about. I did a lot of research beforehand to find a cooking class that would work out. There were a few options that looked promising, but I ultimately decided on the Phuket Thai Cooking Class by VJ. I booked at the end of July (4 months ahead), but I’m sure there would be openings closer to date, too.
Cooking class menus often change depending on the day of the week, so make sure you search around to find the dishes that you want to eat on the day you have available in your itinerary.
Why Phuket Thai Cooking?? The reviews for the class were fantastic, it was in Kata Beach near where we were staying, and the menu had the most dishes I was interested in trying. As a bonus: the class included a local market tour, too. I couldn’t wait!
Let’s Talk Logistics
The total cost was 2000 Thai Baht, or about 64 U.S. dollars. Considering the cost of all of the fresh ingredients, time and labor spent setting up/cleaning up (the teacher and hard-working assistants), and four generously portioned (delicious!) courses we got to eat…I’d say it was a great value.
A driver picked me and a few others up at our hotels and dropped us off afterwards. It was very convenient! There were several other couples on the tour with me. It was a little awkward to be solo, but everyone was friendly.
We met up at a local market to begin the tour. There was a lot of produce I’d never seen before. We got to smell and feel herbs and veggies we’d be using in our meals later. We also sampled a fruit called longan (pictured above the display of green papayas)- small, clear spheres with a thin skin around the outside. Very unique & refreshing.
We saw a LOT of fresh seafood. I learned that you want shrimp that are curled nice and tight- those are the ones that have been caught the most recently. After awhile their muscles loosen.
This woman was making coconut milk, fresh! That large silver machine on the left would filter out the coconut pulp and pour out the liquid. Very cool.
The Four Courses
1. Tom Yum Soup
Apparently this is what many Thai people eat for breakfast each morning! It’s a hot (temperature-wise, not spice level) and sour soup. I really enjoy sour foods and found it fantastic. We had this dish other places while on the trip, but this version was the best by far.
2. Spring Rolls
These were so fun to roll up & assemble. They tasted crispy without feeling overly-oily. Looking at these pictures just makes me want to eat them all over again.
3. Pad Thai
For so many people, this dish is the first that pops in their mind when they think of Thai food. Pad Thai is the country’s national dish, so it’s a fair connection to make. It was cool to see it broken down by ingredient- I had no idea how many flavors went into the sauce.
I learned from our instructor that many Thai restaurants (even in Thailand) will add ketchup & MSG to their pad thai dishes as a shortcut for extra flavor. This version was from scratch and really tasted amazing. We used palm sugar for a sweetener which I’d never done before.
4. Massaman Curry
I’d actually never heard of Massaman curry before this class. At first I wondered how it would stack up to the typical yellow or green Thai curries. When I read a flavor description of Massaman curry, though, I got very excited.
It’s thick and rich, typically less spicy than the other Thai curries (though of course you can adjust it either way with chilies), and has warm spices like cloves. Yum.
We first made the curry paste from scratch in a mortar and pestle… and that was enough to make my arms tired the rest of the day. Ha!
The final result really was so dreamy. I’m so bummed I’ll probably never have access to all of the local ingredients needed to re-make it properly. Have you guys heard of Massaman curry before?? Was I just living under a rock??
Verdict
I left the class with a full stomach, to-go containers full of homemade deliciousness to share with the boys, and a filled-up bucket (metaphorically) after doing something I personally love.
I would definitely recommend taking a Thai cooking class while in Phuket! This class in particular was so well-organized and well-managed. VJ was a very competent cook and teacher. She learned from her family how to cook these dishes from scratch, and was clearly passionate about her culture.
What cooking classes have you loved?? Do you like Thai food??
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
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