It’s no secret that cooking isn’t certainly one of my fortes. I love to eat meals from world wide, however when you had been to ask me to recreate any of my favorite dishes, I’d most likely do a horrible job. Earlier than we went to Vietnam so many pals instructed me ‘you should do a Vietnamese cooking class, particularly when you go to Hoi An!’. I nodded alongside and pretended to look vaguely impressed however deep down I knew it wouldn’t be on the high of my record.
We went to Hoi An and feasted on one of the best Vietnamese meals of the journey, however as I suspected, the cooking class didn’t get a glance in. We stated goodbye to fairly Hoi An and moved on to our subsequent vacation spot; Six Senses Ninh Van Bay. I believed the cooking class ship had sailed, till we had been invited by Kuoni to participate in a non-public Vietnamese Cookery Class for 2. Regardless of my disregard to the thought earlier than, we determined to simply accept and go alongside for the expertise. What’s the worst that might occur?
Tour of the Natural Backyard
We arrived within the Natural Backyard and had been met by Nguyen Thi Hanh, the resort’s Junior Sous Chef. Nguyen Thi Hanh gave us a tour of the natural backyard, speaking us via all the Asian herbs, spices and fruits which can be typical in Vietnamese cooking. The herbs smelt so aromatic and jogged my memory of the fragrant dishes I had been feasting on within the weeks prior. Smelling the herbs made me realise how a lot of an necessary half herbs play in perfecting the native dishes.
Dish 1: Vietnamese Hand Roll with Meat and Prawns and Vietnamese Peanut Sauce Dip
With a refreshing ardour fruit mojito in-hand, it was time to get began on the primary dish. The cooking station had been arrange earlier than hand, with all the elements in handy pre-prepared bowls (this made every little thing lots simpler). Nguyen Thi Hanh demonstrated learn how to construct the filling and roll the rice paper to make the proper hand roll. After just a few makes an attempt, we acquired the hold of the approach and made 3 rolls every.
Style Take a look at: After every course we sat down at a desk to pattern the dish we had simply made. I wasn’t certain if I would really like the hand rolls as I normally like my meat to be sizzling, however the mixture of flavours was completely scrumptious and the crunch of the greens and herbs made it style so recent.
Dish 2: Scorching and Bitter Fish Soup
This typical Vietnamese dish began with a flavoursome fish inventory earlier than including chunks of pineapple, tomato, okra and chilli. As soon as the soup was effervescent away we threw within the fish, which slowly cooked inside the sauce. The pineapple gave it a scrumptious sweetness and including all of the elements myself helped me to know the place all of the completely different flavours come from.
Style Take a look at: The primary sizzling dish was like a Vietnamese consolation meals dish; warming, hearty and scrumptious. The soup itself was bursting with flavour and tasted prefer it might have been served at a high Vietnamese restaurant. I couldn’t consider I had put it collectively myself (with knowledgeable instruction after all!)
Dish 3: Seafood Simmered in Clay Pot
This was our foremost course dish, which additionally featured blended seafood. As with the soup, this dish began with a magic mixture of base elements together with shallots, fish sauce, chilli and caramelised sugar. Because the clay-pot simmered away, extra flavours emerged.
Style Take a look at: By the ultimate dish I used to be extremely full however had simply sufficient room to pattern a little bit of every little thing within the bowl. Because it was our foremost dish, the simmered seafood was served with a bowl of rice, which soaked up the sauce fantastically.
What I learnt from the expertise
Firstly, I couldn’t consider how a lot I loved the entire expertise. Tasting the meals was a lot extra satisfying than consuming at a restaurant, as I had see every scrumptious course come collectively from the uncooked elements (with such unique dishes, I normally by no means see this course of). I used to be fascinated by the finesse and ability of our chef and the way she knew precisely what was lacking when she examined our dishes. Consuming the dishes in between every demonstration made the entire thing really feel like a singular eating expertise and paradoxically, it turned out to be the spotlight of my keep at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay.
So is that this the beginning of a protracted and fruitful cookery profession for The Travelista? Maybe not. However Scott and I are planning to host a Vietnamese banquet for our pals, the place we’ll recreate each dish listed above. I can’t wait to provide it a go and crack out our new Vietnamese chopstick set!
Click on right here to obtain the Six Senses recipes for every dish proven
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This submit has been sponsored as a part of a content material collaboration with Kuoni. All views are my very own. To expertise Six Senses Ninh Van Bay and a non-public cooking class for your self, communicate to the journey consultants at kuoni.co.uk