The Travelista

  • Home
  • About
    • Collaborations
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Travel
    • Destinations by World Map
    • Hotels
    • Airlines
    • Restaurants
    • Itineraries
  • Life
    • Yorkshire
    • Style
  • Motherhood
  • Inspire Me
    • Adventure
    • Beach
    • City
    • Culture
    • Mountain
    • Tropical
  • Shop
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

My First Time at a Vietnamese Cooking Class

21/11/16 ᛫ 8 Comments

It’s no secret that cooking isn’t one of my fortes. I love to eat food from around the world, but if you were to ask me to recreate any of my favourite dishes, I’d probably do a terrible job. Before we went to Vietnam so many friends told me ‘you must do a Vietnamese cooking class, especially if you go to Hoi An!’. I nodded along and pretended to look vaguely inspired but deep down I knew it wouldn’t be at the top of my list.

We went to Hoi An and feasted on the best Vietnamese food of the trip, but as I suspected, the cooking class didn’t get a look in. We said goodbye to pretty Hoi An and moved on to our next destination; Six Senses Ninh Van Bay. I thought the cooking class ship had sailed, until we were invited by Kuoni to take part in a private Vietnamese Cookery Class for two. Despite my disregard to the idea before, we decided to accept and go along for the experience. What’s the worst that could happen?

the-travelista-jess-gibson-travel-blog-six-senses-cooking-class

Tour of the Organic Garden

We arrived in the Organic Garden and were met by Nguyen Thi Hanh, the resort’s Junior Sous Chef. Nguyen Thi Hanh gave us a tour of the organic garden, talking us through all of the Asian herbs, spices and fruits that are typical in Vietnamese cooking. The herbs smelt so fragrant and reminded me of the aromatic dishes I had been feasting on in the weeks prior. Smelling the herbs made me realise how much of an important part herbs play in perfecting the local dishes.

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class1

Dish 1: Vietnamese Hand Roll with Meat and Prawns and Vietnamese Peanut Sauce Dip 

With a refreshing passion fruit mojito in-hand, it was time to get started on the first dish. The cooking station had been set up before hand, with all of the ingredients in convenient pre-prepared bowls (this made everything a lot easier). Nguyen Thi Hanh demonstrated how to build the filling and roll the rice paper to make the perfect hand roll. After a few attempts, we got the hang of the technique and made 3 rolls each.

Taste Test: After each course we sat down at a table to sample the dish we had just made. I wasn’t sure if I would like the hand rolls as I usually like my meat to be hot, but the combination of flavours was absolutely delicious and the crunch of the vegetables and herbs made it taste so fresh.

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class3

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class7

vietnamese-hand-roll-cooking-class

Dish 2: Hot and Sour Fish Soup

This typical Vietnamese dish started with a flavoursome fish stock before adding chunks of pineapple, tomato, okra and chilli. Once the soup was bubbling away we threw in the fish, which slowly cooked within the sauce. The pineapple gave it a delicious sweetness and adding all the ingredients myself helped me to understand where all the different flavours come from.

Taste Test: The first hot dish was like a Vietnamese comfort food dish; warming, hearty and delicious. The soup itself was bursting with flavour and tasted like it could have been served at a top Vietnamese restaurant. I couldn’t believe I had put it together myself (with expert instruction of course!)

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class6

hot-sour-fish-soup-vietnamese-cooking-class

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class8

Dish 3: Seafood Simmered in Clay Pot

This was our main course dish, which also featured mixed seafood. As with the soup, this dish started with a magic combination of base ingredients including shallots, fish sauce, chilli and caramelised sugar. As the clay-pot simmered away, more flavours emerged.

Taste Test: By the final dish I was incredibly full but had just enough room to sample a bit of everything in the bowl. As it was our main dish, the simmered seafood was served with a bowl of rice, which soaked up the sauce beautifully.

seafood-clay-pot-vietnamese-cooking-class

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class9

six-senses-ninh-van-bay-vietnamese-cooking-class2

What I learnt from the experience  

Firstly, I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed the whole experience. Tasting the food was so much more satisfying than eating at a restaurant, as I had see each delicious course come together from the raw ingredients (with such exotic dishes, I usually never see this process). I was fascinated by the finesse and skill of our chef and how she knew exactly what was missing when she tested our dishes. Eating the dishes in between each demonstration made the whole thing feel like a unique dining experience and ironically, it turned out to be the highlight of my stay at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay.

So is this the start of a long and fruitful cookery career for The Travelista? Perhaps not. But Scott and I are planning to host a Vietnamese dinner party for our friends, where we will recreate every dish listed above. I can’t wait to give it a go and crack out our new Vietnamese chopstick set!

Click here to download the Six Senses recipes for each dish shown

Want to know more about Six Senses Ninh Van Bay? Read my full review post

What did you think of my attempt at a Vietnamese cooking class? Has it left you craving Vietnamese food? If you enjoyed this post please leave me a comment in the box below x

This post has been sponsored as part of a content collaboration with Kuoni. All views are my own. To experience Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and a private cooking class for yourself, speak to the travel experts at kuoni.co.uk

8 Comments

Related Posts

  • 12 things you need to know before visiting Vietnam
  • What to Expect when Visiting Chichen Itza
  • 17 Reasons to visit Sri Lanka
« As Featured in Thomson’s Inflight Magazine
Why I Loved Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa »

Comments

  1. denimfish says

    29th November 2016 at 10:01 am

    Wow, my mouth is watering reading this. Looks amazing! Vietnam is on my list.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      29th November 2016 at 10:12 pm

      It was all so delicious! The recipes are available via the link in this post if you want to have a go yourself 🙂

      Reply
  2. Tale of Nine says

    24th November 2016 at 9:46 am

    This looks like a great foodie experience, thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      24th November 2016 at 11:39 am

      Thanks for your comment Tale of Nine! I always enjoy blogging about things like this as it’s a memory of the experience for me too 🙂

      Reply
  3. Beverley Haston says

    23rd November 2016 at 6:32 pm

    Wonderful post! Thank you for leaving the recipe link. I am going to have a go at those hand rolls. Beverley.

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      24th November 2016 at 11:39 am

      Oh I am so pleased to hear this Beverley! I’d love you to send me a photo of your finished result 🙂

      Reply
  4. Georgina Goodman says

    23rd November 2016 at 4:11 pm

    Cooking wasn’t the top of my list when I was in Thailand but it sounds like it was pretty fun! Maybe next time 🙂

    http://www.georginadoes.co.uk

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      24th November 2016 at 11:41 am

      Hey Georgia! Good to know you weren’t too fussed about the cooking either. But maybe this means you’ll really enjoy it if you try it too 🙂 x

      Reply

Spark a conversation! Cancel reply

Jess is an an award-winning UK travel blogger based in North Yorkshire, providing you with inspiration for both local and global adventures.

Read More

Looking for something in particular?

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!

Latest Posts

Mediterranean Cruise Itinerary: Visiting 6 ports in 7 days

Family-friendly glamping in the Lake District with Feather Down Farms

An Indulgent Escape at Columbia Beach Resort, Cyprus

Follow on Instagram

What can I say, ya gals a foodie 😝🍴 #trave What can I say, ya gals a foodie 😝🍴 

#travelfoodie #eattheworld #globaleats #worldeatery #eeeeats #worldfood
Hello 2023! 🤍 A clean page, a fresh start. I h Hello 2023! 🤍 A clean page, a fresh start.

I had too many words about 2022 for a caption, so I’ve put them all into a blog post. 

My “2022 year in review” is live on The Travelista. It’s a longer, personal blog post about lessons, learnings, achievements and travels from year just gone, as well as my hopes and goals for 2023. I’ve put a link on stories for anyone interested. 😊

Wishing you a healthy, happy, adventure-filled New Year ✨

Photo: collecting shells on Cleethorpes beach during Twixmas 🐚
My 2022 travel recap ✨ 17 destinations across My 2022 travel recap ✨ 

17 destinations across 9 countries. My son stepped foot in 3 new countries and I got to bring him on 6 trips with me, including his first cruise. Wow ♥️

I’m finding a new rhythm for travelling with (and sometimes without) a little one and can’t wait for what’s to come in 2023.

Whether you’re new here or you’ve followed my journey for years, thank you so much for being here, for every like, comment and share. It is this amazing, supportive and loyal community that has enabled me to quit my job this year and return to doing this full time again post Covid. 

What was the most memorable place you’ve visited in 2022? ♥️

Where I went in 2022: 

Abu Dhabi
Cyprus 
Marbella 
Bruges 
Amsterdam
Guernsey 
Lake District 
Newcastle
Edinburgh 
Whitby
Lake District II
Almuñécar
Barcelona 
Gibraltar 
Marseille 
Rapallo
Florence

That’s a wrap! See you in 2023 🎥
A little snapshot into our Christmas, the first on A little snapshot into our Christmas, the first one in our new home, blending our families and hosting for 9. ☺️🥂 Hope you all had a lovely day 🎄

Merry Christmas from my family to yours ♥️.
Before I sign off for a little Christmas social me Before I sign off for a little Christmas social media break, here’s a festive photo dump of the past week + sharing my favourite poem🕯🎄🥂

Featuring 

➕ A lunch to @bettys with the girls. Making a new tradition. 
➕ A family visit to @castle_howard for their spectacular #IntotheWoods Christmas experience. Phenomenal. We go every year and it just gets better and better.
➕ Carols by candlelight at our local church - magic - but so many layers because the heating was broken!
➕ Dust if you Must by Rose Milligan. The perfect tonic in the (potentially stressful) build up to Christmas. 

We are hosting family this year and I’m excited! I’d love my house to look like a festive show home but it doesn’t, and that’s ok. (I have a 4 year old making mess twice as fast as I can tidy it). 

Fellow hosts, don’t be so busy ‘dusting’ that you miss all the little moments of magic! I’m reminding myself of this too. Swipe to read the poem and you’ll get it. ♥️

Wishing you a perfectly imperfect Christmas 🎄 

Love Jess x
ad Come with me and my Mum to do some last minute ad Come with me and my Mum to do some last minute Christmas shopping at @junction32. 🎁 

We are all feeling the pinch this year with the rising cost of living, so I set myself a challenge to find gifts for under £30. By shopping at outlets like Junction 32, which has over 80 brands offering up to 60% off the retail price, your money truly does go so much further. ♥️

What gifts I bought;

✔️ Slippers from @radleylondon RRP £40 J32 Price £20
✔️Himalayam charcoal gift set from @thebodyshop RRP £36.00 J32 Price £29.50
✔️Wax cheese wheels from independent retailer @themousehouse_lincoln £3 for £16
✔️Children’s cutlery set from @procookuk RRP £10 J32 Price £7

As usual J32 had some brilliant items on offer and a huge amount of choice, even this far into December.

Have you got any last minute Christmas shopping to do? I think I am finally done! 🛍 

#outletshopping #junction32 #junction32shoppingcentre #j32 #yorkshireoutletshopping

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Subscribe for Travelista updates and newsletters

The Travelista on YouTube

  • 3847likes
  • 19680followers
  • 9865followers
  • 2070subscribers

Copyright © 2023 · Design by Gatto

Copyright © 2023 · The Travelista on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Contact