Cooking Class in Hanoi with a Vietnamese Grandmother

"Food was exceptional and easy to replicate at home. Hang and Hong were warm, welcoming and good teachers. We learned a lot about the local culture as the whole family was there. Location was good, in the center of Hanoi. This is our 4th Traveling Spoon event cooking with local chefs in four countries. Each was wonderful and each was unique, not only in the food prepared but the ambiance and approach. We head to our fifth shortly."

"I eat a lot of Vietnamese food so I had high expectations for this class, my friends and I loved it! One friend is vegetarian and Hong was able to come up with a great vegetarian substitute to include him. Would definitely recommend this experience if you are a food aficionado."

"Our family of 7 had a wonderful market and cooking afternoon and evening with Hang. From the minute we met Hang and her mom they were so hospitable and informative. They answered any questions we had and gave us great insight into Vietnamese food from shopping for the food to preparing it. The ultimate meal was delicious and we also really appreciated Hang’s humor and kindness. AWESOME experience"

"Myself, husband, brother and his partner visited Hang in her home a few nights ago to learn to cook Vietnamese food. Their home is in the old quarter steps away from beer corner very easy to find. We felt very welcome by all of Hangs family. We sat down to refreshing Vietnamese drinks and Hang explained to us how they were made. We then started preparing our meal. We made spring rolls, salad, grilled fish. It was all very hands on and fun to learn. We then sat down to a beer and dinner. It was delicious, I especially loved the grilled fish. Hangs mum helped us cook the food also she was very knowledgeable. It was great to meet them all, we had a great night. We look forward to trying to cook the foods again. "

"On the morning of my last day in Hanoi (while on a business trip), I visited Hang in her home in the Old Quarter. We walked to the nearby market and she generously answered my many questions. I saw some silkworms that I was curious about and she kindly bought some for us to cook. Back at her house, we prepared many delicious dishes and talked about a wide variety of topics. She's incredibly warm and kind and great to talk with. This class is a great way to get a new perspective on Vietnam and to meet wonderful people!"

"My friend and I booked this class a day in advance and Hang was kind enough accept on such short notice. She is super knowledgeable about Vietnamese cooking and explained that most she learned from her mother, whom we had the pleasure of meeting at the end. We couldn’t finish all the food we made. This evening was my favorite experience in Hanoi in our 5 day stay. And, her English is exceptional! "

"To celebrate my daughter and my birthday our family decided to go to cooking school while visiting Hanoi.Hang Nguyen and her mother instructed us on how to make amazing spring rolls, Viet salad and fish dish.Hang was easy to follow and the finished product was amazing. Her home was welcoming as were her 2 beautiful girls.We would definately recommend to friends and family for an authentic Hanoi experience."

"We had a lovely evening with Hang and Hong in their home in the Old Quarter. We were treated like friends at a dinner party while learning to make 3 local dishes. We so enjoyed learning about them and their family and seeing the Old Quarter from a new perspective. Great experience!"

"Our cooking class with Hong and Hang was the highlight of our stay in Hanoi! With expert guidance we created an authentic Vietnamese feast, including banana blossom salad, char grilled catfish and fried spring rolls. We enjoyed getting our hands dirty learning all the recipes, and even had the chance to cook on a charcoal bbq off the edge of the balcony! The food was all to die for, and we left the night with completely stuffed bellies, but what impressed us even more than the food was how open and welcoming our hosts were. Arriving in a brand new country can be overwhelming, but Hong and Hang make you feel like you're at home. In fact, the night that we had booked our cooking class happened to be Hang's daughter's birthday and they invited us to join their family celebration, complete with birthday cake!I would highly recommend this class to anyone who loves food, and would like to fully immerse themselves in authentic Vietnamese family and culture. We can't wait to try out all our new Vietnamese recipes back home in Sydney. Thank you Hong & Hang!!"

"Our visit to Hang and Hong's home was a real highlight of our Hanoi stay. Hanoi for us was full of kind, friendly people, and none were more memorably welcoming than this family. They were a delight to spend time with. The food we helped prepare was delicious, as was the experience of cooking it over open coals on the balcony, as a sea of humanity passed over the street beneath us. We had a long conversation over (and after) dinner, filled with laughter and good cheer, and left feeling thankful of the time we had to spend in this lovely home.Our son loved playing with Hong's daughter, Minh, and she kindly gave him a wind up toy upon our departure that he STILL treasures, 6 months on. Basically, we had a great experience, and I'd recommend their home to anyone who is interested in local Hanoi people, their food, and their culture."

"We had the pleasure to meet Hang in a previous trip to Turkey, and she invited us to a wonderful dinner with authentic home made vietnamese food. The chicken pho was a highlight. We had a lovely time with her and her husband and definetly recommend this experience to anyone who is lucky enough to be travelling in Hanoi."

"We loved our time with Hong and Hang, from walking through the market to spending time cooking and talking at their house in the old quarter. It was the perfect start to our trip to Vietnam - a must do and definite highlight. The food was delicious and Hong and Hang were so great to speak with and learn from."

"Hang and Hong could not have been more open and welcoming. We learned to make banana blossom salad, excellent spring rolls, and a green rice dessert that I doubt I will find again.The food was great, but the real highlight was learning about Vietnam and Vietnamese culture from a local. Hang is a fascinating young woman!"

"Going to Hang's house was a wonderful experience in Hanoi. It is situated in the amazing and hectic old quarter of the city. Hang and her mother cooked for us great and exotic Vietnamese food. Delicious!!! They were also great company and gave us a lot of tips to adventure into the city of Hanoi"

"Our second trip to Hanoi and Vietnam. This was an excellent opportunity to cook and share a meal with long time Hanoi resident Hong Nguyen in the family’s old quarter apartment, learn about her interesting life and history in the capital city and meet her engaging daughter Hong. Highly recommended experience, as much about culture and history as food."

"Hang and Hong were great, it was a pleasure to spend an evening with them and learn how to cook some authentic Vietnamese dishes. We had a great time learning about the cuisine and Vietnamese culture. I recommend this experience as it is quite unlike anything else we did while traveling in Hanoi and Vietnam."

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"Our host and her family were absolutely great and made us feel at home with them!"

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"We had a great time with Hong! Even though she didn't speak English, her grandson was there to translate. I wish we did more cooking with her though. We had cha ca, which is a traditional grilled fish dish that is cooked communally. She had prepped everything before we arrived so we didn't do much cooking, so I didn't feel like I learned how to make the dish as much as I just had a nice time with her."

"We had a great time with Zoom and Hang's mom at her place. They could not have been more open and welcoming. The food was great, but the real highlight was learning about Vietnam and Vietnamese culture from a local."

"It was wonderful. Zoom and hang's mom were lovely hosts, the food was delicious and we learned so much about Hanoi and Vietnam from having dinner with 2 locals!"

"I spent about three weeks traveling through SE Asia and can easily say that my Traveling Spoon experience was the best part of my trip. Our host family in Hanoi was extremely hospitable and friendly. They taught us how to cook three dishes (main course, side vegetable salad, and dessert) and fed us until we were stuffed. I would have eaten more, but I could not physically do it. The fish we made was the best thing I ate on the entire trip. Our interactions with the Traveling Spoon staff were also top notch. I would use this service again in a second!"