Vietnam Cookery Center

The basics

Many classes at the Vietnam Cookery Center begin with a visit to Ben Thanh Market, a short walk from the school itself, to discover essential herbs and ingredients and perhaps chat to a vendor or two. From there, students work with professional chefs to create four different dishes—generally a starter, a soup or a salad, a main course, and a dessert—from a regularly changing menu, then share them for either lunch or dinner. Professional cooks can also arrange one-on-one tuition.

Things to know before you go

• The top-floor terrace at the center offers views across downtown Saigon. Don’t forget to get a picture.
• Vietnamese cooking is extremely regional and Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City all have different cuisines. Keen cooks might want to try a course in each city.
• The Vietnam Cookery Center is not wheelchair accessible.

How to get there

The Vietnam Cookery Center sits off Dong Khoi in the heart of Old Saigon, just a block or two from the Saigon Opera House and Saigon Central Post Office. It’s about a 0.5-mile (800-meter) walk north of Ben Thanh Bus Station on Ham Nhgi.

When to get there

The Vietnam Cookery Center offers two sessions most days of the week, with private options by arrangement. If seeing a market in action is important to you, Ben Thanh is livelier during the morning class.

How to Choose a Vietnamese Cooking Class

Vietnamese cooking classes run the gamut from simple, child-friendly options such as assembling rice paper rolls to full-day extravaganzas with farm and market visits. If you’re interested in a specific dish, such as pho or banh xeo, search for a class that focuses just on that; if you’re after a closer encounter with Vietnamese culture, consider a private course with a local in their home; and, for a farm-to-table experience, try a Mekong Delta tour.