Published on Aug, 2018
Chef Tan is awesome! He taught us all about different herbs used in Vietnamese cooking (and all their medicinal uses!) as we wandered around the garden, picking things to cook later in class. We then got to cook 4 different dishes under his expert instruction. Almost everyone in the class had chosen a different menu, and he did a very impressive job keeping track of who was making what! He is the chef who first brought the concept of farm-to-table to Vietnam, and he has several restaurants all over the world, so you are learning from the very best! He has a big personality and makes the day highly entertaining!
We then went over to the Cu Chi tunnels, which was a sobering experience, but one well worth seeing. Given that they are so close to the farm, it makes sense to combine them into one trip. Our guide (provided by HCM Cooking Class) spoke English well and was very knowledgeable. All transportation was provided, even though my hotel was outside of District 1, which I appreciated.
One tip: click through to HCM Cooking Class's website, and book directly there...there are three reasons for this. 1) Chef Tan gets your email address ahead of time and coordinates with you so you can pick (from a list of ~100 options!) which dishes you want to make. 2) It's cheaper than booking through TripAdvisor if you don't mind joining a small group. 3) HCM Cooking Class gets to keep a bigger percentage of the profit. And trust me, they deserve every penny!
