MY Kitchen – Vietnamese Home Cooking Class in Hoi An

The best part of MY Kitchen is the choice. Instead of cooking a fixed menu, you can select three dishes from a long list of Vietnamese favorites and prepare them with My Nguyen in her home kitchen. That makes the class feel personal, not like a conveyor belt of spring rolls.

I like the small group limit of seven, which gives you room to ask questions and handle the cooking yourself. I also like the fresh, high-quality ingredients, with no MSG and plenty of scope for vegetarian or vegan dishes. The main consideration is the location: My’s home is about 3 kilometers from central Hoi An, so you must make your own way there.

Key points at a glance

• Choose three dishes: Pick from bánh xèo, phở gà, fresh rolls, salads, noodles, braised dishes, and more.
• Cook in a real home: The class takes place at My Nguyen’s private home, not a large commercial kitchen.
• Small and hands-on: With no more than seven participants, you should get plenty of practical time at the counter.
• Flexible for diets: Tell My about allergies, vegetarian needs, vegan preferences, or dishes you especially want to learn.
• Three hours with a meal: Ingredients, drinking water, and the food you prepare are included.
• Easy to combine with Hoi An: The meeting point is at A9-11 Trang Keo 8 Street, about 3 kilometers from the city center.

Why the choose-your-own menu matters

Many cooking classes in Vietnam give everyone the same three or four recipes. That can work well, but it may leave you making dishes you have already eaten several times. MY Kitchen takes a more useful approach: you choose three dishes from a menu of thirteen options.

The choices cover much of everyday Vietnamese cooking. You can make bún thịt nướng, grilled pork or chicken with noodles and fresh vegetables, or bánh xèo, the crisp sizzling pancake filled with pork, prawns, or chicken. Fresh summer rolls and fried spring rolls offer two different lessons in wrapping and texture.

You can also choose phở gà, chicken noodle soup, stir-fried beef noodles, rice crepe rolls with pork and mushroom, or salads made with mango, papaya, or pomelo. For a more substantial meal, the list includes broken rice with grilled pork, braised fish, caramelized pork with eggs, and chicken with lemongrass and chili.

This flexibility is valuable if you have a particular dish in mind. It also lets you build a balanced meal. You might choose one fresh dish, one noodle or rice dish, and one cooked main course. If you have already eaten plenty of fried food in Hoi An, you can lean toward salads, soups, and fresh rolls.

Send your preferences and dietary needs before the class. My can adjust the menu, and vegetarian and vegan options are available. The exact substitutions are not specified, so I would contact her in advance rather than assume every dish can be changed on the spot.

Arriving at My Nguyen’s home kitchen

The class meets at A9-11 Trang Keo 8 Street, Cam Ha Commune, around 3 kilometers from Hoi An’s city center. The activity begins and ends at the same address, and pickup is not included.

That distance is close enough to fit into a day around Hoi An, but it is not the same as meeting in the old town. Plan your route before setting out. The information provided says the home is easy to find and that you can walk there from the city center, though you should allow time for the distance and local streets.

The setting is part of the appeal. You are cooking in My’s home rather than in a purpose-built school designed for a steady stream of large groups. That gives the class a more direct connection to home-style food and leaves room for conversation while you work.

The activity is conducted in English. My’s friendly, informal approach suits people who want to ask questions as they go. You are not simply watching a demonstration from the back of a room. The purpose is to prepare the dishes yourself, with instruction along the way.

Three hours of cooking, eating, and conversation

The class lasts about three hours. That is enough time to prepare three dishes and sit down for the meal, without taking over your whole day in Hoi An.

The cooking is from scratch, so expect the class to involve preparation as well as final cooking. You may be chopping, mixing, wrapping, seasoning, shaping, and handling the ingredients before the dishes reach the pan or pot. The exact order depends on the three dishes you choose.

The strongest appeal here is the combination of practical work and relaxed conversation. My invites you into her home to cook authentic Vietnamese food and share a homemade meal. The class is not built around extra sightseeing activities or a long market program. It keeps its attention on cooking.

That focus is useful if you want to learn rather than simply collect photographs. You have time to see how the ingredients fit together and to ask why a dish is prepared in a certain way. The limited group size should also make it easier to see what is happening and take your turn.

At the end, you eat the meal you have prepared. Ingredients, drinking water, and the meal are included. Alcohol is not included, and alcohol and drugs are not allowed.

What you can learn from the thirteen-dish menu

The menu gives you a good look at the range of Vietnamese home cooking. Here is what each group of dishes offers you.

Fresh rolls and salads: Gỏi cuốn, or fresh summer rolls, is a good choice if you want to work on careful assembly and fresh textures. The filling can include pork, prawns, or chicken. Gỏi salads use fruit such as mango, papaya, or pomelo with pork or prawns, while gỏi gà xé phay combines chicken and cabbage. These dishes are useful for a lighter meal and for learning how herbs, vegetables, and protein work together.

Pancakes and fried dishes: Bánh xèo is a hands-on lesson in making a sizzling Vietnamese pancake, with pork, prawns, or chicken. Chả giò, or fried spring rolls, gives you a different kind of wrapping and cooking task. These are appealing choices if you want crisp textures, though choosing both may make your meal heavier.

Noodles and rice: Bún thịt nướng pairs grilled pork or chicken with noodles and fresh vegetables. Phở gà gives you chicken noodle soup, while mì xào bò offers stir-fried noodles with beef. Cơm tấm centers on grilled pork and broken rice. These dishes show how Vietnamese meals can move from cool and fresh to hot, savory, and filling.

Home-style braises and stir-fries: Cá kho is braised fish, and thịt kho trứng is caramelized pork with eggs. Gà xào sả ớt combines chicken with lemongrass and chili. These choices are especially useful if you want to learn dishes that feel suited to a family table rather than only street-food favorites.

The menu descriptions do not specify every ingredient or spice in each dish. If you have an allergy, ask My before choosing. That is more reliable than trying to identify every component after cooking begins.

A private kitchen instead of a busy group class

The setting and group size shape the whole experience. The class is limited to seven participants, and the home kitchen makes it feel more like an invitation than a formal cooking school.

That does not mean the class is completely private for every booking. A couple, family, or small group may have the space to themselves, but the stated group type is small group, not guaranteed private booking. If privacy matters to you, ask about the group arrangement before paying.

A small group is a good middle ground. You get more social energy than you would in a one-on-one lesson, but less waiting than in a large class. The strongest praise for MY Kitchen centers on this personal feel, the chance to choose the dishes, and the clear explanations during the cooking.

The class also includes time to chat with My and share the food together. That matters in Vietnam, where a meal is often as much about sitting down together as it is about the recipe. You should expect an informal atmosphere rather than a polished restaurant demonstration.

Fresh ingredients and dietary requests

MY Kitchen emphasizes fresh, high-quality ingredients and does not use MSG. That will appeal to you if you want a straightforward introduction to Vietnamese cooking without added flavor enhancers.

The ingredient quality matters most in dishes with simple preparation. Fresh vegetables make a real difference in bún thịt nướng, gỏi cuốn, and salads. Good herbs and produce also carry much of the flavor in Vietnamese food, so these dishes can be a smart choice if you want to understand how freshness shapes the meal.

Vegetarian and vegan options are available, but the published menu is mostly described with meat, seafood, or eggs. Contact My before the class and explain exactly what you eat. The same advice applies to allergies and other dietary restrictions.

Because the menu is flexible, you have a better chance of building a suitable meal than you would in a fixed-menu class. Still, the information does not promise separate facilities or a guaranteed allergy-free kitchen, so people with serious allergies should ask specific questions before booking.

Is $35 a fair price?

At $35 per person, the value depends on what you want from a cooking class. You are paying for three hours of instruction, all ingredients, drinking water, and a meal in a small home setting. You are also paying for the chance to choose the dishes instead of accepting a preset menu.

That is a reasonable package for someone who wants actual cooking time. If you only want to watch a short demonstration, a cheaper food tour might suit you better. If you want to practice several dishes and eat what you make, the price has more weight behind it.

There are a few extra costs to remember. Pickup is not included, so you must arrange your own way to Trang Keo 8 Street. A market visit can be requested for an additional fee, and alcohol is not included.

The class may be especially good value for couples, siblings, or friends who want a shared activity. One especially useful feature is the ability to choose dishes in advance, so you can focus on recipes you are likely to cook again at home.

Who should book this Hoi An cooking class?

I would choose MY Kitchen if you want a personal, food-focused activity rather than a full-day excursion. It suits people who want to learn several Vietnamese dishes and prefer a small setting with direct contact with the instructor.

It is also a strong fit for repeat visitors to Vietnam. If you have already seen markets and taken a standard street-food tour, you can use this class to spend more time with the cooking itself.

Families and mixed-diet groups should ask about the menu before booking. The flexible choices can help, but the class involves hands-on preparation, hot cooking surfaces, and several food tasks. The supplied information confirms wheelchair accessibility, but it does not describe the exact kitchen layout or working height, so contact My if you need detailed access information.

This may not be ideal if you want hotel pickup, a market visit included in the base price, or a large social class. It is also not suitable for people over 95 years old, according to the activity details.

Booking is flexible: you can reserve now and pay later, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the activity for a full refund. Check the available starting times when you book, since the class lasts three hours and schedules can vary.

My verdict on MY Kitchen in Hoi An

I would book this class if your priority is learning Vietnamese dishes in a relaxed home kitchen. The choice of three recipes, fresh ingredients, small group, and meal at the end give you more control than a fixed-menu class.

The main drawback is practical rather than culinary. You must get yourself to the home, and a market visit costs extra. Still, for $35, the class offers a useful mix of instruction, cooking practice, conversation, and food.

Choose dishes that you genuinely want to make again. Ask about allergies and dietary needs before arrival, and allow time to reach the address outside the old town. If you do those things, MY Kitchen is a sensible choice for a hands-on Hoi An food experience.

FAQ

How long does the MY Kitchen cooking class last?

The class lasts three hours, including the cooking experience and meal.

Where does the cooking class take place?

It takes place at My Nguyen’s home at A9-11 Trang Keo 8 Street, Cam Ha Commune, Hoi An, Vietnam.

How far is MY Kitchen from Hoi An’s city center?

The home is about 3 kilometers from the city center.

Is transportation included?

No. Pickup service is not included, so you must make your own way to the meeting point.

How many people can join the class?

The class is limited to seven participants.

Can I choose which dishes to cook?

Yes. You can choose three dishes from the available menu, and the timing and menu can be flexible.

Are vegetarian and vegan options available?

Yes. Vegetarian and vegan options are available. You should tell My about your diet or food allergies before the class.

What is included in the $35 price?

The price includes all ingredients, the meal you prepare, drinking water, and the cooking class. Alcohol and any requested market visit are not included.