This month, In My Kitchen takes place in a Vietnamese kitchen in Hôi An. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had arranged to do a private cooking class which took place in the back rooms of Minh Hiên Vegetarian Restaurant in Hôi An. What an amazing experience. Here is an excerpt from a future, still evolving post, highlighting some of the gems found in a Vietnamese kitchen.


Cooking classes not only introduce the participant to local recipes and new ingredients, but more importantly, they reinforce good technique, economy and the importance of mise en place. Vietnamese cuisine looks fast and easy to cook, but the flavour comes from careful and exacting preparation and the making of rich stocks beforehand.

The tools and gadgets used on that day were perfect for each task. Long chopsticks are used for cooking, frying and stirring eggs. Turning over tofu slices with long chopsticks stops them from breaking, once you get used to handling slippery tofu in hot oil that is. Scissors are used to cut the green ends of spring onions: this part of the onion is never wasted and is also never cooked. The green part is usually cut into 2 cm pieces while the white onion end is always cooked, and is usually cut vertically.


Using a strainer over a bowl or saucepan is an economical and efficient way to drain fried food, and makes more sense than using paper towels. The strainer placed near the stove before any frying takes place. Above, some Banh Xeò ( crispy rice pancakes) drain before wrapping and eating. The street version of Banh Xeò includes prawn and pork in the filling. This vegetarian version substitutes hand torn oyster mushroom and thinly sliced cooked carrot. These colours resemble the colour and shapes used in the original version. The fun comes in the eating. Cut the Banh Xeò, using scissors, into two, lay it in rice paper, add lettuce, long strips of cucumber and mint, roll and dip in a special sauce made from fermented soya beans. Recipe will be coming soon.
A couple of nice blokes playing in a kitchen is a joy to behold. Here Nhien and Mr T are discussing technique. More on this amazing cooking school in a future post.

Minh Hien Vegetarian Restaurant
50 Trần Cao Vân, tp. Hội An, Vietnam
A delicious cooking class in Hôi An!
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It was the best one I have ever done- I have done a few over the years.
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What a wonderful experience! I want one of those graters, too.
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I’d get you one if you lived a little closer.
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Glorious signora, glorious. Love the strainer idea over paper towels, will try that.
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Thanks Signorina, Miss piggy thinks about mangiare all the time here.
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Looks like a fabulous and delicious experience!
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Thanks Becky, it was the best.
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My mouth is watering, that tofu and crispy pancakes. Oh my. And that great grater! How tops is that? What a wonderful experience and that last photo is joyous indeed.
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Boys in the kitchen, gotta like that!
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What a great experience Francesca – me too for the grater! I hope you will raffle places at your kitchen table when you return:).
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Maybe I can get you a grater Jan- Debi lives in Greece but I suspect I can send you one when I get home.
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That looks so fantastic – the smells and tasting must have been amazing
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It was the best one I have done Chas.
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What fun! I am looking forward to the recipes. They look amazing. I like the idea of a strainer rather than paper towels, much more economical.
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I have pages of notes to sort. Will post them, even though some of the ingredients are unusual.
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Every image you have included is simultaneously beautiful, exotic, and informative for those of us who don’t know that type of cooking. Thank you for sharing your “kitchen” for July!
I’ve shared what’s going on in my own home kitchen here:
http://maefood.blogspot.com/2016/07/july-in-my-kitchen.html
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
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Thanks Mae
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Oh my! Such vibrant colors! what an experience that must have been!
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It was so good Mimi.
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Are you the one who told me about Vincotto Francesca?
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Yes, maybe, I do use Vincotto.
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I’m insanely jealous Francesca!! What a great experience, was it just a class of 2? Can’t wait for the recipes, those crispy rice pancakes are making me salivate
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Yes, just the two of us. I can’t do big classes anymore as they tend to waste time with basics and spring rolls. I am trying to do a post or two on this class but sometimes the brain is a bit overheated but they will come. Now I’m in Hue and thinking about doing another one- they have offered me the following menu- fish with caramel in clay pot and tofu in tomato sauce and eggplant with lemongrass and chili – but at $39 it is costly ( in local terms) and Mr T wants to spend his $39 on another pair of good shoes. Oh the dilemma of travel. I wish you were here, you could come with me.
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That would be fun, but I have to say that Mr T has his priorities all wrong. I reckon of pair of rubber flip flops should keep him happy
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Already I am learning new idea from your post even without doing a class 🌝 Wonderful. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks for coming along- are you still on the road Dale? I hope you and the GO are having a ball.
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Yes 😊 and will be for a while yet. At Wyndham in WA. Long way from TA but doesn’t feel like it. Having the best weather, time… moving at a pace we’re enjoying.
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I love cooking classes when overseas. You can learn so much when you’re there! 😀
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So True Lorraine.
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Those pancakes look absolutely scrumptious and I’m jealous, they have a double gas cooktop. I think every single traveller brings home one of those graters, but they are good. Don’t buy kiwi knives over there, much cheaper in asian grocers here. I’m still exhaling and slumping………
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I have a large order for the magic graters- now up to 10. At 58 cents a pop, pretty good value. And plan to buy one of those double gas cooktops in Victoria st on my return, or in your favourite suburb, Preston. Time to get my outside kitchen going. I feel your pain.
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Fancy looking grater .. mr T looks totally engrossed! Wonderful images Francesca 😃
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I’ll buy you one Julie.
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Really? 😃
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Yes, My order is up to 10!!!
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Lol ..
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This looks great. Bookmarked for my own future adventures. Banh Xeo are a fave – I am always disappointed when you go to a Viet restaurant and can only get them at lunch time and not dinner. A rare sighting of Mr T!
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Yes, he is not excatly a willing model but it was so nice to see him cooking.
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This cooking class would certainly be a highlight of my tour of Vietnam. What a great experience, Francesca!
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WOW what an experience learning from the masters of Vietnamese cuisine Josephine. It’s amazing the things you learn and never knew about before the cooking class, am I right!? I’ve done a couple of Thai cooking classes – one here & one in Thailand – and it’s a wonderful learning experience for sure. Thanks for sharing your cooking tips
https://missfoodfairy.com/2016/08/05/in-my-kitchen-august-2016/
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