Hoi An’s vegetarian cooking class starts with shopping, not theory. You’ll get hands-on guidance from Chef Thanh, plus a practical trip to a local market to pick fresh ingredients for the dishes you’ll make. The biggest pluses for me are the clear, step-by-step teaching in English and the chance to choose produce like locals do; the only real catch is that vegetarian or vegan preferences sometimes need extra confirmation so your menu request is handled correctly.

This is a 3-hour experience focused on real food skills: you’ll cook popular Vietnamese vegetarian dishes using the ingredients provided, drink something at the start, and then eat what you make. You’re not just watching. You’re doing, with instructions designed for you to follow along.

One more consideration: it’s not set up for mobility issues or wheelchair users. You’ll also want to pack light because pets and luggage or large bags aren’t allowed.

Key Things That Make This Class Worth Your Time

• Market ingredient picking before you cook so you understand what matters in Vietnamese flavors
• English teaching with Chef Thanh that stays practical, not vague
• You learn and cook multiple local vegetarian dishes and then eat your results
• Welcome drink plus included lunch or dinner depending on the time slot
• Optional hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An to keep the day easy
• Vegetarian can go vegan on request, with the chef able to adjust what you cook

Why a Market-First Start Changes Everything in Hoi An

Vietnamese food is built on the small choices: what looks freshest, what smells right, what’s in season, and how the ingredient fits the dish. That’s why I like this class begins with ingredient shopping. Even if you already know Vietnamese cuisine, seeing how ingredients are selected in a local market helps you connect the food to daily life.

You also get a chance to learn what “good” looks like for vegetarian cooking. When you cook without meat, flavor has to come from herbs, vegetables, tofu, sauces, and aromatics—and the quality of those inputs shows fast. Walking through the market with your guide makes it easier to understand why certain ingredients are worth seeking out.

There’s also a cultural payoff. You’ll see how people purchase food, how vendors present ingredients, and how locals think about what’s fresh and ready. It’s not museum culture. It’s real-life habits you can actually use later when you cook at home.

Chef Thanh’s Teaching Style: Step-by-Step, Then Hands On

The core of the experience is the cooking lesson with an English-speaking master chef, and Chef Thanh is the name you’ll hear. What stood out most is how the class is taught from scratch, with instructions you can follow even if Vietnamese cooking feels new to you.

The lesson is structured so you can cook the dishes confidently:

• You’re guided through what to do, in sequence.
• You’re expected to participate, not just take notes.
• You can ask questions while you cook, so mistakes become learning moments.

A helpful detail: the chef can adapt to how you want your meal to be. If you’re vegetarian, you’re in the right place. If you’re aiming for vegan too, you’ll want to say so clearly ahead of time, but the chef has experience adjusting according to wishes.

One practical note from how these classes sometimes run: menu coordination can fail in the background. In at least one case, a vegetarian menu request wasn’t fully lined up at the start, and the chef improvised to make sure the group still ate well. To avoid stress, tell the operator and/or guide about your vegetarian or vegan plan before the class begins, and bring it up again at pickup.

What You’ll Cook: Local Vegetarian Dishes That Make Sense

You’ll learn to cook four local vegetarian dishes (the class is described that way), and then you’ll eat the food you made. That pairing matters. When you taste your own results right after cooking, you instantly understand what each step was doing—how aroma builds, how texture changes, and how seasoning comes together.

Because the class focuses on popular local vegetarian dishes, you’re not stuck making something complicated that nobody eats at home. Instead, you’re learning dishes that fit Vietnamese everyday cooking logic: fresh herbs, balanced sauces, and vegetables treated with care.

If your version ends up being slightly different—some sessions can result in a different final number of dishes—it’s usually more about pacing and how the group flows than about quality. Either way, you should plan to leave fed, not hungry.

The 3-Hour Flow: Pickup, Market, Cooking, and Your Included Meal

This experience is designed to feel like a tight, friendly food day rather than a half-day production.

Here’s how the timeline typically goes:

1) Optional hotel pickup in Hoi An

If you’re staying in the Hoi An area, you may be picked up by scooter or car. If you opt out of pickup, you’ll meet at 46 Huynh Thi Luu Street, Hoi An. Either way, the goal is to get you to the market and cooking space without turning it into logistics.

2) Local market trip (optional)

You’ll head to the market to observe how locals buy ingredients and learn how to choose items for your vegetarian dishes. This part is especially useful if you want to recreate the flavors later, because you’ll connect the ingredient choices to the cooking process.

3) Cooking class with a welcome drink

After shopping (if included), you’ll move to the cooking area, enjoy a welcome drink, and then start the lesson. The included welcome drink is a small detail, but it makes the start feel like someone actually planned your comfort, not just handed you an apron.

4) Hands-on cooking with your English-speaking chef

You’ll cook with step-by-step guidance, learning the dishes as the chef teaches. Expect the chef to talk you through the why, not only the what—so you can adjust if something looks a little different during cooking.

5) Eat what you cooked

After the lesson, you’ll enjoy the vegetarian food you prepared. The experience is built so the meal isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of the learning.

6) Optional return to your hotel

At the end, you’ll be returned to your hotel if pickup was arranged.

Since everything is included inside that 3-hour window—chef instruction, ingredients, and food—this is a good option if you want a cooking class without committing to a full day.

Price and Value: Why $27 Can Make Sense in Hoi An

At $27 per person, you’re paying for much more than the recipe sheet.

Here’s what you’re getting included:

• English-speaking master chef
• Optional hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An
• Optional market trip
• Welcome drink
• All ingredients for the cooking class
• Vegetarian lunch (morning slot) or vegetarian dinner (afternoon slot)

Out-of-pocket extras are mainly drinks, plus anything not mentioned. That matters because in Vietnam, meals can be affordable, but the chef time plus ingredients add real value fast. You’re also getting the market learning component, which is often the missing piece in cheaper cooking experiences.

Is it the cheapest activity in town? Probably not. But for a 3-hour class where you eat what you cook, chef-led instruction is the real product—and that’s what you’re buying here.

Who This Vegetarian Cooking Class Is Best For

This experience is a strong fit if you want practical cooking skills and you like learning through doing. It’s especially good for:

• Food lovers who want Vietnamese vegetarian dishes without guesswork
• Couples or solo travelers who enjoy a guided market stop
• Anyone trying to understand which ingredients matter most for vegetarian Vietnamese flavor
• Vegetarians, and even vegans if you clearly request it

It’s less ideal if you need mobility-friendly access. The activity isn’t suitable for people with mobility impairments or wheelchair users. Also, you’ll want to wear comfortable clothes and shoes because you’ll be moving around during the market and cooking parts.

Kids under 3 are free of charge, but they won’t join the cooking and will share services with their parents. If you’re traveling with small kids, that’s a detail worth planning around.

Practical Tips Before You Go (So the Day Stays Easy)

You’ll get the best experience if you show up prepared.

What to bring

• Comfortable shoes (you’ll likely stand and walk more than you expect)
• Comfortable clothes (you’ll be cooking)

Plan around what’s not allowed

• No pets
• No luggage or large bags

If you have allergies

Let the operator know about any food allergies. The chef is teaching vegetarian dishes using included ingredients, so it’s important your allergies are handled before cooking starts.

Contact

The tour instructions mention easy contact via WhatsApp. If you’re not using hotel pickup, you’ll especially want the day-of contact info so you can meet smoothly at 46 Huynh Thi Luu Street.

Should You Book This Hoi An Vegetarian Cooking Class?

I think this is a good booking if you want something more useful than a sit-down meal. The market stop gives you ingredient context, and Chef Thanh’s English instruction helps you translate Vietnamese cooking into real habits you can reuse later.

Book it if you’re vegetarian and want classic local dishes made with care. If you eat vegan too, ask clearly about vegan adjustments before you go. And if you need guaranteed accommodation for mobility issues, look for a different format, because this one isn’t described as wheelchair-friendly.

If you’re looking for a 3-hour food experience that includes learning, cooking, and a full vegetarian meal, this class is one of the more practical ways to spend your time in Hoi An.

FAQ

How long is the cooking class?

The experience lasts about 3 hours.

Is hotel pickup and drop-off included?

Pickup and drop-off in the Hoi An area are optional, and when included they’re offered as part of the service.

Do I get to go to a local market?

A local market trip is optional. When included, you’ll observe how people shop and learn how to choose fresh ingredients for your vegetarian dishes.

How many dishes will I learn to cook?

Your chef teaches you how to cook four local vegetarian dishes. In some cases, the final set of cooked dishes may vary by session flow.

Is lunch or dinner included?

Yes. You’ll receive a vegetarian lunch for the morning slot or a vegetarian dinner for the afternoon slot.

What should I do if I have food allergies?

Let the operator know about any food allergies before the class so the chef can plan the cooking accordingly.

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