Learning how to cook all the flavors of Thailand, in one of Bangkok's most chic restaurants, Blue Elephant. From sweet to sour to spicy and tangy!
Thai food is the type of food I absolutely love and never get sick of. It has all the flavours I love from sweet, sour, spicy, tangy to just delicious! Eating it has never been a problem, but cooking has been another story. I’ve always been intimidated by the chills, the fish sauce and the ingredient list that seems never ending. So ordering local take out has always been my saving grace.
When we started planning our trip to Bangkok, I knew two things - I would have amazing street food and finally learn how to cook a few Thai meals. I happened to come across the Blue Elephant restaurant and after a few mouth watering looks at their food options I realized that they had a cooking class. I quickly signed up and now looking back, I am so grateful eI learned a few tricks and have a few great recipes to take home with me.
Thai Food Isn't That Complicated!
When you walk up the Blue Elephant you are already quite impressed. The restaurant and cooking school is located just next to an MRT station and stands out with its colonial exterior and bright lights.
During the day and in the evening the Blue Elephant is home to one of the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok and on certain afternoons, on the top floor is one also one of the best cooking schools. Makes sense - great restaurant, great teachers!
We were taught several Thai dishes by Chef Sandra (daughter to owner Chef Naroor) which included stemmed fish, curry paste, pomelo salad, curry and Thai noodles. Chef Sandra showed us how to spice it up, or tone things down a bit. I appreciated that she took special care to teach us how to make healthier versions of the dishes as well.
Aside from taking home a few new recipes, I learned how to work with the different Thai spices. I learned how to mix different ingredients to develop a specific flavour, and I learned that Chris should probably stick to French cooking - Thai didn’t seem to be his forte.
We had so much fun spending a hot and steamy Bangkok day inside, trying our skills at Thai cooking. The class was fun, not to serious and very informative. Of course proper chefs were there to helps us along the way, so that our meals wouldn’t turn out too off. Once we were done with the two hour class, we all sat down in the restaurant and ate our home cooked dishes. I can’t wait to get home and try out my new recipes.
To learn more about Blue Elephant's cooking classes, visit their website: