MY Kitchen – Vietnamese Home Cooking Class in Hoi An

Cook close to Hoi An’s heart. MY Kitchen turns a simple meal into a friendly, hands-on lesson in Vietnamese food, hosted by My Nguyen at her home about 3 kilometers from the city center. You choose three dishes from a long menu, then prepare and eat them together.

I like the small group of no more than seven, which gives the class a personal feel. I also like the fresh ingredients and no-MSG approach, plus the chance to request vegan or vegetarian dishes. The main point to consider is that you must make your own way to the house, and a market visit costs extra.

This is not a class padded with sightseeing stops. It focuses on cooking, conversation, and eating what you make. That suits you if you want practical food skills, although people hoping for a full market-to-table outing will need to arrange the market visit separately.

Key points at a glance

• Choose three dishes: Pick from options such as bánh xèo, phở gà, fresh summer rolls, caramelized pork with eggs, and Vietnamese salads.
• Cook in My’s home: The class takes place at A9-11 Trang Keo 8 Street, about 3 kilometers from central Hoi An.
• Small and personal: The group is limited to seven people, with English instruction from My Nguyen.
• Fresh, flexible cooking: Ingredients are described as high quality, with no MSG and menu changes possible by request.
• A meal is included: You eat the dishes you prepare, with drinking water provided.
• Good for mixed diets: Vegetarian and vegan requests can be arranged if you explain your needs ahead of time.

A home kitchen 3 kilometers from central Hoi An

MY Kitchen is at A9-11 Trang Keo 8 Street in Cam Ha Commune. It is close enough to Hoi An’s central area to reach on foot, though the exact comfort of that walk depends on the heat, traffic, and your starting point.

You do not meet at a restaurant school or a large commercial kitchen. You meet My at her home. That matters because the setting gives the class a more personal rhythm. You are there to cook with one host, ask questions, and sit down for a homemade meal rather than move through a busy production line.

The class lasts about three hours. Starting times depend on availability, so check the schedule before booking. The activity begins and ends at the house, and pickup is not included. Plan your route early, especially if you have a tight schedule afterward.

My teaches in English. The group limit is seven people, which is small enough to make questions easy and keep you involved. If the class fills, you should still expect a shared setting rather than a one-to-one lesson, but the group size is far more manageable than a large cooking demonstration.

Choosing three dishes from a serious Vietnamese menu

The most useful feature here is menu choice. Instead of being locked into one fixed meal, you can discuss what you want to learn and select three dishes from a broad list.

The choices cover several parts of Vietnamese cooking:

• Bún thịt nướng: Grilled pork or chicken with noodles and fresh vegetables.
• Bánh xèo: A sizzling pancake filled with pork, prawns, or chicken.
• Gỏi cuốn: Fresh summer rolls with pork, prawns, or chicken.
• Chả giò: Fried spring rolls with pork or chicken.
• Phở gà: Chicken noodle soup.
• Mì xào bò: Stir-fried noodles with beef.
• Bánh cuốn: Rice crepe rolls with pork and mushroom.
• Gỏi: A salad made with mango, papaya, or pomelo, with pork or prawns.
• Gỏi gà xé phay: Shredded chicken and cabbage salad.
• Cơm tấm: Grilled pork with broken rice.
• Cá kho: Braised fish.
• Thịt kho trứng: Caramelized pork and eggs.
• Gà xào sả ớt: Chicken with lemongrass and chili.

This range lets you build a meal around your interests. You might choose a fresh roll, a sizzling pancake, and a noodle dish to compare different cooking methods. Or you could focus on familiar comfort food such as phở gà and learn how Vietnamese cooks balance broth, noodles, meat, and herbs.

The flexibility is also useful for repeat visitors. If you have already learned spring rolls elsewhere, you can ask about bánh cuốn, cá kho, or gỏi instead. My asks you to share your preferences, allergies, and dietary needs, so do that before the class rather than waiting until you arrive.

The menu list includes pork, chicken, beef, prawns, fish, mushrooms, vegetables, noodles, rice, and eggs. Because several dishes contain common allergens or animal products, clear communication matters. Vegetarian and vegan options are available, but your request should be made in advance so the menu can be adjusted properly.

What the three-hour cooking session feels like

The class is built around cooking three dishes from scratch. You are not simply watching My prepare food while you stand nearby. The appeal is the chance to take part in the work and learn how the dishes come together.

The exact order can vary because the menu is flexible. A typical session might begin with ingredient preparation, followed by tasks such as slicing, mixing, rolling, frying, grilling, or assembling. The dishes require different techniques, so your chosen menu will shape the pace of the class.

A fresh summer roll gives you practice with assembly and balance. Bánh xèo brings heat and timing into play. A noodle dish or braised preparation shows another side of Vietnamese home cooking. The more varied your three choices, the more useful the class becomes as a short introduction to different methods.

You also get the chance to ask about the food as you work. My is described as passionate about healthy cooking, and the class emphasizes high quality ingredients and no MSG. That does not mean the food will be bland. Vietnamese cooking gets much of its character from herbs, vegetables, marinades, dipping sauces, aromatics, and careful seasoning.

The relaxed pace is part of the point. This is a home meal shared with the instructor, not a timed contest. You can talk while you cook, then sit down to eat what you have made. One especially appealing detail is that the class includes good company as well as ingredients and water. In plain terms, the social side is built into the visit.

Fresh ingredients and a no-MSG approach

Ingredient quality makes a big difference in a cooking class. You will handle the food yourself, so freshness is not just something you hear about. It becomes part of the lesson.

The class uses fresh, high quality ingredients and does not use MSG. That focus should appeal to you if you want to understand Vietnamese home cooking in a lighter, more direct way. Dishes such as gỏi cuốn and Vietnamese salads rely heavily on the quality of vegetables, herbs, fruit, and fillings. A grilled dish depends on the meat and its seasoning. A simple noodle bowl leaves little room for poor ingredients to hide.

The menu also gives you a chance to see how Vietnamese meals balance textures. A crisp pancake, soft noodles, fresh vegetables, herbs, tender meat, and dipping sauce all play different roles. You are not only learning recipes. You are learning how a Vietnamese meal is assembled so it feels complete.

Still, keep your expectations sensible. The class lasts three hours and covers three dishes. You will not become an expert in every regional style of Vietnamese cooking in one afternoon. What you can gain is a useful set of techniques and a better sense of how the ingredients work together.

Eating together at the end

The final meal is more than a convenient inclusion. It lets you taste the results while the instructions are still fresh in your mind.

You can compare the dishes directly and see which methods you would use again at home. If one dish needed more chili, herbs, or sauce for your taste, the meal gives you a chance to ask about it. That kind of immediate feedback is often more useful than taking a recipe card and trying to remember the lesson weeks later.

The meal is included in the $35 price, along with ingredients and drinking water. Alcohol is not included, and alcohol and drugs are not allowed. If you want an alcoholic drink with the meal, this class is not set up for that.

The shared meal also helps explain why the home setting matters. You are not just collecting dishes from a demonstration. You are spending time with the person who taught you, eating in the same place where the cooking took place. The class has a warm, social shape without needing extra entertainment.

Is $35 good value for Hoi An?

At $35 per person, the price is fair for a three-hour class that includes all ingredients, instruction, and a meal. The value is strongest if you want to cook rather than simply watch.

You are paying for several things at once: a small group, a private-home setting, a flexible menu, English instruction, and a meal. The chance to choose three dishes is particularly useful. Many cooking lessons ask everyone to prepare the same set menu, while MY Kitchen lets you focus on food you genuinely want to learn.

The price does not include transportation or a market visit. A market trip can be requested for an extra fee, so you should treat that as a separate add-on rather than part of the standard class. If you want the lowest-cost cooking activity possible, a larger group class may cost less. If you care about personal attention and menu choice, the $35 fee makes more sense.

The class is also a better buy for people who will use what they learn. If you enjoy cooking at home, choose dishes with techniques you can repeat. Fresh summer rolls, salads, stir-fried noodles, and spring rolls may be especially practical, while more involved dishes can give you a memorable challenge.

Who will enjoy MY Kitchen most?

I would recommend this class to couples, siblings, friends, and solo visitors who like a personal setting. The small group limit makes it easier to ask questions, and the cooking takes place in a real home rather than a large teaching venue.

It is a good choice if you have already eaten Vietnamese food and want to understand how it is prepared. It also suits people who prefer a flexible menu, since you can ask to learn specific dishes instead of accepting a preset list.

Vegetarians and vegans can request suitable options. People with allergies should communicate early and be precise about what they cannot eat. The menu includes meat, seafood, fish, eggs, and mushrooms, so dietary planning is important.

This may not suit you if you want hotel pickup, a built-in market tour, alcohol with lunch, or a very large social group. It is also not suitable for people over 95, according to the activity information. Wheelchair access is listed as available, which is useful if accessibility affects your planning.

Practical details before you book

Allow three hours for the class itself, then add time for reaching the house and returning to your next stop. Since there is no pickup, confirm your route to A9-11 Trang Keo 8 Street before the day begins.

Contact My in advance with three pieces of information: the dishes you want, any allergies, and any dietary restrictions. This is especially important if you want vegan or vegetarian cooking, since the menu includes many animal-based dishes.

You can reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Hoi An schedule is still changing. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Check the available starting times before you commit, since the class does not promise one fixed daily departure.

The activity is offered in English and is limited to seven participants. It begins and ends at MY Kitchen. You receive ingredients, drinking water, and the meal, but not alcohol or transportation.

Should you book this Hoi An cooking class?

Book MY Kitchen if you want three hours of actual cooking in a friendly home, with a menu you can shape around your tastes. The strongest reasons are the small group, fresh ingredients, no-MSG cooking, and the chance to eat the meal you prepared with My Nguyen.

I would skip it if your priority is a market tour included in the main price or a class with hotel pickup. You can request a market visit, but it costs extra, and transport is your responsibility.

For most food-focused visitors, the flexibility is the deciding factor. Pick three dishes you truly want to learn, arrive ready to participate, and you will get more from the class than someone who treats it as a passive lunch.

FAQ

Where does the cooking class take place?

The class takes place at MY Kitchen, My Nguyen’s home at A9-11 Trang Keo 8 Street, Cam Ha Commune, Hoi An, Vietnam. It is about 3 kilometers from the city center.

How long does the class last?

The cooking class lasts three hours. Starting times depend on availability, so check before booking.

How many dishes will I cook?

You will cook three Vietnamese dishes from scratch. The menu is flexible, and you can request specific dishes.

Is the class suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Yes. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. Tell My about your dietary needs in advance.

Is transportation included?

No. Pickup service is not included, and the activity begins and ends at the meeting point.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Reserve-now, pay-later booking is also available.