Cooking at home in Hoi An feels like family. In My’s private home kitchen, you’ll cook three dishes from scratch, learn the why behind the flavors, and sit down to eat a homemade meal you made yourself. There’s also an optional trip to Hoi An’s biggest market if you want to shop like locals.

What I like most is how practical it all feels. My focuses on simple, easy-to-find ingredients and shares techniques you can repeat later, not just a one-time cooking demo. You can even request specific dishes, and she’ll work with allergies or dietary needs.

One possible drawback: there’s no pickup, and the home is about 3 kilometers from the city center. If you don’t want to arrange a ride, make sure you plan how you’ll get there before 1:00 pm.

Key Things That Make This Class Worth It

• Cook 3 dishes from scratch in about 3 hours, not just watch and taste
• Private tour: only your group with My, ideal for couples, friends, and families
• Dishes are chosen by you (request ahead) and adjusted for allergies or diets
• Market option to visit the largest market with advance booking and an extra fee
• Real home-kitchen teaching with ingredient explanations and alternatives for home cooking
• Meal included along with drinking water; alcohol drinks are not included

A Private Home Cooking Class That Feels Personal, Not Performative

Hoi An is great for food. But most food tours are built around eating, not learning. This experience flips that. You’re not herded into a group class where everyone’s competing for burner space. You’re in My’s home, cooking with her, learning her approach, and ending with a meal that feels earned.

The private setup matters more than it sounds. When it’s just your group, you can ask questions as they come up—about ingredients, substitutions, spice levels, or how Vietnamese cooking balances savory with freshness. You can also share dietary concerns without making it a big announcement. If you’re traveling with kids, a smaller setting tends to help everyone stay calm and engaged (and hungry).

You’ll also notice the tone of the class is friendly and conversational. My talks about Vietnamese cooking culture while you work. That means you’re not only collecting recipes—you’re picking up a way of thinking about food. And that’s what lets you re-create dishes later without guessing.

Meeting My at Trảng Kèo: What the Timing and Location Mean for You

The class starts at 1:00 pm, lasts about 3 hours, and ends back at the meeting point. The meeting point is listed as Trảng Kèo 8, Cẩm Hà, Tp. Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam.

Here’s what you should plan for: the home is about 3 kilometers from the city center, and there’s no pickup service. That’s not a dealbreaker, but it does affect your day. You’ll want to line up transport ahead of time. The practical options are straightforward: bicycle, motorbike, car, or GrabBike/GrabCar.

If you’re staying in central Hoi An, think of this as a short ride out of the tourist core, followed by a relaxed afternoon. If you prefer walking everywhere, this isn’t that kind of class. But if you’re already using Grab or rides locally, getting there is usually the easiest part.

Another small detail that helps: you get a mobile ticket, and confirmation happens at booking time. Service animals are allowed too, which is worth noting if that applies to your situation.

Picking Your Three Dishes: How Customization Works in Real Life

This is a class where you cook three dishes from scratch. That’s a sweet spot. You get enough variety to taste and learn different flavors, but you’re not stuck doing the same thing for the whole session.

My also offers customization. You can:

• request specific dishes in advance
• let her know about allergies or dietary requirements

The class description emphasizes simple ingredients and tools, chosen so you can recreate the dishes later. Based on what previous groups cooked, dishes can include things like Vietnamese pancakes, beef noodles, and chicken soup. You don’t get to invent the menu from scratch—but you do get a say, and you’ll still learn the techniques behind each dish.

This matters for home cooks. The real test of a cooking class isn’t whether the food tastes good in Hoi An. It’s whether you can find the ingredients where you live and still get the same vibe. My’s approach is meant for that. You’ll be shown what to buy and how to use it, plus how to handle ingredient swaps when you can’t get a perfect equivalent.

From Scratch Cooking: Ingredients, Health-Conscious Spices, and Clear Technique

The most praised part of the experience is how well My teaches while you’re actively cooking. People consistently mention that she explains what you’re making and what each ingredient is doing in the dish. Even if you’ve cooked Vietnamese food before, you’ll likely pick up new reasoning—why certain flavors show up in a particular order, or what makes a dish feel balanced.

Three themes show up in how the class is described:

1. Simple, easy-to-find ingredients and kitchen tools
2. Authentic recipes passed down through My’s family, including her grandmother and mother
3. High-quality ingredients and health-conscious spices

That combination is what makes the recipes feel both traditional and practical. Health-conscious spices doesn’t mean bland food—it usually means more thought about what goes in, how much, and how the flavors work together.

In a lot of cooking classes, the instructor talks for 30 minutes and then everyone cooks “somehow.” Here, you’re moving through the full process with guidance. You’ll learn enough technique to recreate the dishes, not just copy a plating style.

Another detail I appreciate: My helps with alternatives for home cooking. One of the strongest review notes is that she supports substitutions for ingredients you might not find back home (for example, in the UK). That’s the difference between a fun meal and a class that keeps paying off weeks later.

Eating Together: What’s Included at the Table

When you finish cooking, you eat. The package includes all ingredients, a meal, and drinking water.

The “meal” part is important because it keeps the experience from feeling like busy-work. You don’t just cook, take photos, and leave. You sit down and share the food you made, which also makes it easier to ask questions while you’re eating.

Alcohol drinks aren’t included, so if you want a drink with dinner after, plan to do that separately. This class is more about cooking and conversation than dining like a restaurant.

And yes, it’s also described as a chance for good company. My welcomes you into her home style of cooking, and the chat is part of the value. Expect conversation around Vietnamese ingredients and cooking culture, with stories woven in as you go.

If you’re a solo traveler, that social side helps. If you’re with friends or family, the shared meal creates a natural “we made this together” moment—less awkward than group tours where everyone just buys the same dish and moves on.

The Optional Market Visit: Worth It If You Want the Ingredient Backstory

There’s an optional add-on: you can visit Hoi An’s largest market. If you want that, you need to book in advance so My can prepare, and there’s an extra fee of VND 150,000.

Is it worth it? For people who love food details, it often is. Seeing ingredients in a market setting gives context to the recipes before you cook. You’ll also get more of the “how locals source flavor” angle rather than only learning how to assemble it.

If you’re short on time or you’re not that interested in shopping, you can skip it and still get a full, hands-on class. You’ll still learn the recipes and techniques from scratch. The market is a bonus, not the core.

Price and Value: How $38.72 Adds Up When You Actually Break It Down

The price is $38.72 per person, and it’s commonly booked about 13 days in advance on average. A fair question: is it a good deal?

For me, the value comes from four things you don’t usually get together at this price:

• Three dishes from scratch instead of one small tasting
• All ingredients included
• A full meal included
• Private time with a host in a home kitchen

If you were to replicate this on your own, you’d pay for ingredients anyway, and you’d still be missing the instruction and the family-recipe context. The class saves you the guesswork. Plus, My’s focus on healthy, high-quality spices and simple ingredients makes it easier to repeat at home without hunting for rare items.

Also, the class doesn’t rely on fancy gear or gimmicks. It relies on teaching you the real mechanics and helping you translate Vietnamese flavor into what you can cook at home.

Getting There Smoothly: No Pickup, So Ride Smart

Because there’s no pickup service, you’ll want to treat transport as part of your planning. The home is about 3 kilometers from the city center, and the meeting point is specifically Trảng Kèo 8, Cẩm Hà.

If you’re staying centrally, GrabBike or GrabCar is usually the simplest. If you’re comfortable with local traffic and want a fun, low-cost option, a bicycle or motorbike can work too—just plan it so you arrive a bit early. The class starts at 1:00 pm, and you’ll want time to settle in.

The good news: once you’re there, the rest of the experience runs at a relaxed home pace. You’re not sprinting between stops or waiting for a van that’s stuck in traffic.

Who This Class Suits Best (and Who Might Prefer Something Else)

This experience fits best if you want:

• a hands-on cooking lesson with real instruction
• authentic home-style recipes from a local host, not a generic demo
• a meal that ends the class in a natural, satisfying way
• flexibility for dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and more)

It’s especially great for:

• solo travelers who want conversation and a warm social setting
• friend groups who want a shared activity with less awkwardness than big groups
• families with young children, since a private home setting is easier to manage than a crowded classroom

You might skip it if you strongly prefer restaurant-style dining only, or if you don’t want to handle transport without pickup. Also, if you only want a quick snack and don’t care about technique, another short food tasting might feel more efficient.

Should You Book MY Kitchen in Hoi An?

If you want to leave Hoi An with more than photos and a full stomach, I’d book this. The class is built around what actually helps you cook later: simple ingredients, clear guidance, and family-style recipes taught in a home setting.

I’d especially recommend it if:

• you have dietary requirements and want those handled directly
• you like cooking but want help making Vietnamese flavors make sense
• you’d rather spend 3 hours learning at a home table than chasing another stop on a checklist

Just be honest with yourself about the one trade-off: you’ll need to get there on your own. If you’re good with local rides, this becomes an easy win.

FAQ

What dishes will we cook?

You’ll cook three Vietnamese dishes from scratch. My can also accommodate requests for specific dishes.

How long is the cooking class?

The class runs for about 3 hours.

Is pickup included?

No. The tour does not include pickup, and you’ll meet at Trảng Kèo 8, Cẩm Hà.

Is the market visit included?

The market visit is not included by default. You can add a visit to Hoi An’s largest market with advance booking for an extra fee of VND 150,000.

Can you handle dietary restrictions?

Yes. My can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary needs if you note them at booking.

What’s included in the price?

All ingredients are included, along with a meal and drinking water. Alcohol drinks are not included.

FAQ

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

Is it private?

Yes. It’s a private activity, so only your group participates.

You Might Also Enjoy

Endangered Monkeys Watching – Red Shanked Douc LangursFrom Da Nang/Hoi An: Ba Na Hills Golden Bridge small groupMekong delta cycling tour 3 days5 Dishes Cooking Class with Market Trip in Da Nang