If you couldn't tell by my multiple pictures of food and specific food-related posts - I am a huge foodie and Thai cuisine is my ultimate favourite in the whole world.
I knew during my second visit to Thailand I wanted to do a local cooking class and learn how to make some of my all-time fave dishes.
Doing some research, when I came across Kata Thai Cooking by Sally in Phuket, I knew I had found the one! For starters, one of their slogans is 'Food Coma' hahaha.
Seriously though, this was my favourite day of my week in Phuket; we went to a local market, I was made to eat bugs (ew!), I tried so many local delicacies and then back in class I learnt how to whip up first-hand three dishes: Red Curry, Pad Kra Prow and Pad Thai.
It was a fantastic and informative class that I will never forget! Sally was an absolutely fantastic (and patient) teacher and her humour and good nature was the icing on top.
Read on to hear all about the superb cooking class in detail:
The Classroom
I arrived at Kata Thai Cooking Class at 3:30 PM on a Saturday for the dinner with market tour session. It was easy to find and well signposted at the front of the building.
Inside, the classroom was spacious, bright, well-decorated and clean. I already knew it was going be a great class by the vibrant atmosphere and how well set-up and organised the room was.
Everything was all laid out and prepared for the lesson ahead. I was the only one there so far and was warmly greeted and given a cold bottle of water (which was very welcome).
We waited for a while for two others who had booked to show up but they never did, so I basically got my own private cooking class!
Market Visit
Sally and I jumped into her car and we went to a local market about ten minutes drive away.
We started by walking through the fruit and vegetable sections where I got quizzed on my shocking knowledge of the names of them!
We also went through the different parts of meat, fish, many spices and common ingredients. As we went Sally picked up different fresh bits we needed for our class.
Next, we passed by the uh, local 'delicacies' section. We started at a table full of different bugs like crickets, silk worms and frogs. Sally said the silk worms were her favourite and I was peer-pressured into trying one! It wasn't as bad as I thought, just the idea of it of course. I also nibbled on a frog leg which was crunchy and salty (I had tried it once before).
I also got to try a bunch of other Thai snacks at the many market stalls. We tried fried chicken, salmon and egg-white mousse crackers and a very spicy and delicious rice dish.
I hadn't tried or even heard of half of the fruit I was shown so Sally picked some up for me to try. Back in the classroom, she chopped up for me: farang, custard apple and starfruit.
Time to Cook
As I was the only student I luckily got to choose the dishes I wished to make. I picked three of my favourites Red Curry, Pad Kra Prow (Thai Basil Chicken) and Pad Thai.
We started with preparing all of the ingredients for the red curry paste. I loved learning all about each fresh ingredient as at home half of them come in jars.
I was shown first how to chop, slice and dice each ingredient and then did it all myself (a lot more slowly!). I am a complete novice at cooking but Sally and her lovely assistants were very patient with me.
After everything was prepared it was time to turn the heat up. We started with the Red Curry and Pad Kra Prow. Again, I was shown first exactly how to make it and then got to do it all myself (which is the best way for me to learn).
I somehow managed to burn my Red Curry and accidentally put a tablespoon of soy sauce instead of a teaspoon into my Pad Kra Prow (doh!) but they both still ended up tasting good.
I got to sit down and enjoy the first two dishes with freshly made rice and it was quite a feast. I got to make my Red Curry super spicy, just the way I like it - it was sublime!
I only had a small portion of each as I still had the Pad Thai to come.
I was most excited to learn how to make this dish, as I love it so much. Watching Sally first was a joy, she is such a pro at cooking and makes it look very easy. When it came to my turn I'm afraid I failed miserably, I just couldn't do it fast enough.
Once the ingredients go in one at a time you have to scoop, turn and scoop so quickly to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan.
I got there eventually (with Sally's help!) and sat down to eat it, still pretty proud of myself. It might not have been as pretty as Sally's one but I made it myself and that's something!
Just to cap off already a fantastic class we finished with my all-time favourite Thai dish - Mango Sticky Rice! I got to see how the rice is steamed in a traditional basket and learnt the ingredients for it. It was the perfect way to end and of course, I had room to eat all of that one. 😋
The leftovers were packaged up for me to have for lunch the next day. I also got to keep my chef's bandana as a souvenir and all of the recipes in detail were emailed to me.
Feeling extremely full and satisfied I was even dropped off to my hotel by Sally herself.
She was so generous and warm and I absolutely loved my class with her.
The Details
Cooking Class: Kata Thai Cooking by Sally
Times: Two classes run six days a week from Monday - Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Lunch classes start at 11 AM and dinner classes at 3:30 PM as it includes a market tour beforehand (except for Wednesdays, which starts at 4 PM).
Classes run between 2.5 - 4 hours.
Recipes: The recipes include three popular main Thai dishes and are different every cooking session, so choose the day depending on what you would prefer to make.
Location: 5 Ket Kwan Road, Karon, Kata Beach, Phuket 83100
Reviews: 5/5 stars out of 702 reviews on Trip Advisor and is #1 for Food & Drink in Phuket.
Price: Lunch and Wednesday dinner class 1,900 THB ($56 USD), Dinner class with market tour 2,200 THB ($65 USD).
Final Thoughts
Kata Thai Cooking Class by Sally is a definite must-do if you are in Phuket and love Thai cuisine. The class is so informative, fun, easy-going and would suit a wide range of people, from solo-travellers like me, to friends, families and couples.
Sally has been running her school for six years and is an absolute expert in her field. She is an incredible chef and her classes are very well organised. From start to finish, there was a perfect balance of verbal teaching and hands on learning, as well as a multitude of great tips and important facts about Thai cuisine and cooking.
I learned so much that day and it was a class I will remember forever. The dishes made were all excellent quality and delicious, I can't wait to impress the socks off my family and friends when I get back home!
I would 100% recommend this class to anyone visiting, even if you have no cooking skills whatsoever (cough, me), you will still have a fantastic time.
If I am ever back in Phuket I would do this class again in a heartbeat.
Thank you so much to Sally and her team for having me, it was a real pleasure.
Happy Travels,
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