Chef Duyen's Home Cooking Class & Local Market Tour

Just as excellent as the cooking lesson and food were,... we were equally, ... if not even more inspired by the life story of Chef Duyen and the resilience and resolve of this remarkable lady. She, and likely many others like her will be the future of Vietnam and role models for future strong and independent women around the world. We were truly and unexpectedly touched by her amazing story. If you would like an authentic experience, we highly recommend taking her class.

The chef is professional and gives a lot of insights in the Vietnamese kitchen. You feel welcome in her home as of the beginning of the class We really liked the dishes she planned for us and would definitely recommend it to others.

The class was absolutely perfect. Chef Duyen is very knowledgeable! She is very committed to satisfy her clients! She adapted the course to our preferred food! We learned a lot on Vietnamese food! We have enjoyed a lot the course! Congratulations !

The class was absolutely perfect. Chef Duyen is very knowledgeable! She is vey committed to satisfy her clients! She adapted the course to our preferred food! We learned a lot on Vietnamese food! We have enjoyed a lot the course!

Chef Duyen is so knowledgeable, she took is round the entire market and explained the different vegetables and their variants abroad. She changed the menu for us as vegetarians and helped us with the recipes as well as suggesting other substitutes. The food was delicious and we got to both prepare and cook the dishes under Chef Duyen’s supervision. Afterwards we all ate together with her family and she gave us some other additions to our recipes, such as vegan ‘pork’ with seaweed and vegetables for the spring rolls. All in all an unmissable experience if you’re in Hanoi!

It's the best cooking class in Hanoi. It's different because it takes place in the chef's home and you share the food you prepare with her family. She is a great cook and the experience is fascinating

We started with a market tour. Duyen speeks good english and showed us a lot of interesting stuff at the market. After that we went to her home with a large an nicely equipped kitchen. We prepared a meal with a variety of dishes. She provided us with a recipe booklet and even told us how we can replace specific incredients that might be hard to come by in Germany. Finally we got to eat the delicious food with her family in a nice atmosphere. All in all we can highly recommend Duyen's cooking class.

I recently took part in a cooking class with Chef Duyen and have nothing but positive things to say. The tour of the local market was fantastic and took us off the beaten track to a place not easily accessible by tourists otherwise. Chef Duyen’s guidance resulted in us producing a feast of Vietnamese food with her invaluable assistance and knowledge along the way. Alongside the food, it was great to be able to learn more about life in Vietnam. Would thoroughly recommend!

Brilliant experience! The tour is smaller in size and more personal. The food was also amazing and you get to share the meal you prepared with her family, making the experience even more meaningful. Fantastic communication, she went out of her way to pick us up from where we were staying and patiently answered all our answers! I would recommend chef Duyen’s tours and classes, just a great experience from start to finish!

It was a superb experience and we’d highly recommend it! Duyen is such a talented chef, amazing host and inspiring lady!!! I went with 3 girlfriends and in our class was another woman. We had a very cool tour of the wholesale market, then went to Duyen’s house for a cooking class, then we got to eat the meal with her family! Besides the cooking, which is fun and extensive, Duyen was also very forthcoming to share about her life story and about Vietnamese culture. We learnt so much and had a splendid time!

It was great to go to a market where we were the only non-locals selling food grown in Hanoi with an interested and friendly guide who was not only able to translate but also tell us about how the different products are used. The cooking was fun and we have experienced how different techniques are used and we finished by eating a delicious meal that we had prepared with the family.

Chef Duyan is really really nice and took us to the market explaining everything they do and how the market works. It was such a lovely experience I would recommend to everyone!!! The food we cooked was delicious and we had such a nice time.

We took a Cooking class with Chef Duyen. First we had a wonderful tour of the local market. We learned much from her on the intricacies of “shopping” at this local market. It was amazing how much fresh vegetables and herbs Vietnamese use in their cuisine. Then, we spent nearly 6 tours at her beautiful home with a professional kitchen to learn how to make Banana leaf salad, taro desert, soft spring rolls, soup, chicken. Once Duyen learnt I’m curious about bitter melon, she bought it at the market and we prepared a really unusual dish with it together. Duyen is such a  pleasant individual and her instructions are very clear and professional. Not only we learned much about Vietnamese cuisine and qualities of specific vegetables, we also learned its culture and history. It was not just a cooking class; it was an unparalleled cultural sensory experience. You don’t want to miss it if you are in Hanoi.

Chef Duyen is the warmest, most humble and passionate Vietnamese chef. We had such a great time cooking and talking to her. Chef Duyen's traditional dishes were splendid (we went with Menu B), and we even bought good quality fish sauce from her! She was extremely helpful when we asked her (too many) questions on food ingredients and where to buy them in Hanoi. She is a pro! Her house is clean, well-equipped, spacious for our group of 6-pax, and just a few minutes' walk from the wet market. More about the chef https://chefduyen.com/about-me/

Chef Duyen's is a very good teacher. It was delicious

Chef Duyen was a lovely host and very knowledgeable chef! I would highly recommend this experience for anyone looking to see some local markets and learn delicious recipes :)

We were a group of only three people, which was wonderful. Chef Duyen explained a lot when walking through her local market and took us to her home, it felt like cooking among friends rather than like a class. The food was delicious. She is a wonderful person, I would book her again.

Chef Duyen was prepared and very friendly! All dishes we prepared were interesting and tasty. The market tour was a nice touch and helped us recognise some exotic ingredients.

I did the morning "Dishes From My Countryside" menu cookery class with Chef Duyen and I couldn't have asked for anything better. Easy hotel pick-up, a fascinating tour of the food markets, and then a full few hours of talking about, preparing and eating an incredible feast. Chef Duyen is knowledgeable and extremely friendly, and the small class size (five of us) meant we all got to fully engage throughout. If you can go without, don't bother with breakfast as you prepare a LOT of food! And the dishes were delicious (despite my less-than-stellar cooking abilities). A truly memorable and excellent value five-hour cookery experience!

Chef Duyen's class was the best! She is down to earth, funny, caring, and talented. She creates a welcoming environment in her lovely home where we cook up a huge feats. I keep thinking about our market tour in the morning: We explored busy and vibrant markets and shops that are distinctly Hanoi... The whole experience was VERY worthwhile, and I have already suggested it to my extended family traveling to Vietnam in the future!! Thank you Chef Duyen!

Super inspiring and educative. Combination with market trip gave a unique understanding of food culture in Vietnam. Small class (only 6 participants), where everybody contributed. Learned some tricks: do not cut the garlic-just smash it with the knife, fry eggs, eat banana flowers! Duyen is a very nice host and was flexible to match food for one non-meat eater.

My partner and I had a great time. Chef Duyen is such a warm, funny, lovely teacher who will guide you through all the process. During the market tour we even got to see how they make tofu! We are vegetarian and we highly recommend this option for vegans as well.

We had a wonderful time with Chef Duyen during our market tour and following cooking class. Everything was perfectly organised and the cooking class location is really nice. We learned a lot new things and also got some recommendations for “must-eats“ in Hanoi. We also had a wonderful dinner at the end with Chef Duyen and her family which we really enjoyed! Many thanks to Chef Duyen for the great afternoon :)

Much more than expected. Don’t cheat yourself, take this class. So much more than cooking and eating delicious food

This cooking class is brilliant. Miss Duyen is a very good and proffesionel chef, and a lovely person. We had such a good time. All the dishes we made were excellent ! The Bun chau was the most tastfull dish I had in Vietnam . Wow! And the trip to the market , first, so very fascinating . Only that was a great experiance, with her introducing us to all the things there, and also telling about the everyday life in Vietnam .I can truls recomend Miss Duyens cooking class, I ’ve been to a few and this is in absolute top class.

We experienced so many new ideas in the kitchen, but also had a good time at the market. Chef Duyen was really cool. The food we prepared was quite delicious and the dinner with our family and her family was lovely. The facility itself for cooking preparation was well - appointed. Preparation of the meal was fun and the time went by quickly. The chef speaks English well, but her Vietnamese accent is difficult to understand at times. So go and enjoy and learn!

Chef Duyen is a great teacher!!! She is very passionate, lovely and professional! I was very amazed!!! Before the class, she took us to local local market and explained many beautiful ingredients of Hanoi. It was fantastic!!! After the market, she took us to her home!!! The all dishes we cooked were super home style and very new to me, but some of them are not difficult to remake at home!!! After class, I went to market by myself and got many skins for Vietnamese spring rolls. Besides, now I know how to make sweet Vietnamese sauce!!! Omg! I can’t wait to remake at home!!! When I come back to Hanoi, I definitely want to cook with her again:-) Highly recommended!!!

Was a completely different experience going to a locals house and learning how to cook. Duyen's a fun and bubbly person and also an amazing cook. Couldn't recommend this enough.

Chef Duyen was amazingly friendly and skilled. The tour of the market was very interesting and she was able to answer all the questions. The food we cooked was delicious and she was very helpful with her instructions and lessons.

Chef Duyen was very informative. The meal was delicious and we shared the meal with beers and her wonderful family.

I'm a Vietnamese-American who has been eager to get in touch with my family's culture through food. And though I have a working familiarity with Vietnamese recipes, I wanted a professional and authentic touch: and Chef Duyen's Home Cooking Class provides all that and more. Chef Duyen is incredibly accommodating and attentive — when we got a little lost on the way to her class, she smoothly guided us in the right direction. The tour she gave us of the Long Bien market near her house was super informative and educational, and brought an extra level of authenticity that we wouldn't have found in a more popular market. Not only was Chef Duyen well-informed on matters of food, she also gave us a quick rundown of the social and ethnographic issues at play at the market. It gave us a real holistic understanding of our food and where it came from. Onto the cooking class: Chef Duyen provided us with everything we needed, from a chopping board, to aprons, to her special branded knives (which looked totally rad). She moved quickly but offered an easy to understand step-by-step process, and would advise us on how to chop or peel things if we asked for her help. She always kept a soothing level of calm, no matter how many pots she had cooking (literally), which was really helpful for a beginner-level chef like me. During the long cooking process, Chef Duyen would ask about us and make easy conversation while her family flitted in and out of her kitchen as well, which made the environment warm and inviting. I'm excited to incorporate her recipes into my regular cooking rotation. And though I'm familiar with these dishes, Chef Duyen's cooking class is perfect for those unfamiliar with Vietnamese cuisine as well. I highly recommend it for both newcomers and Hanoi old-timers alike.

This was a very enjoyable class where we prepared delicious food. I especially enjoyed seeing the market and tasting food that I didn’t know before.

Chef Duden is so sweet. She takes you through a local market that most tourists don’t go to and explains what everything is and what time of day different meats, fish, fruit & veggies are sold. She then takes you back to her beautiful home & teaches you how to make a number of delicious dishes. Everything was easy to learn and very tasty. And we ended with dinner with Chef Duyen & her two adorable boys. We definitely recommend this class!

Wir hatten den Nachmittagskurs gebucht und waren zufälligerweise die einzigen, die für diesen Termin gebucht hatten, so dass wir einen privaten Kochkurs bekamen mit vorherigem Marktbesuch. Die Köchin hat uns auf dem Markt sehr viele interessante Informationen gegeben und wir durften auch das ein oder andere Produkt probieren. Wir haben sehr viel gelernt und haben auch Tipps für alternative Produkte erhalten, falls wir einige Lebensmittel in Deutschland nicht finden. Auf jeden Fall empfehlenswert.

Very personal, a special gluten free vegan menu for us, and made an extra dish not on the menu too. So friendly and Duyen’s 2 sons were adorable and joined us to eat.

Chef Duyen was an incredible host. She took us through the market and talked us through the process as she purchased protein and vegetables to be used in our class. We then prepared and enjoyed the meal in her beautiful home located nearby the market. She provided such wonderful conversation and taught us about Vietnamese customs and traditions. I will be highly recommending her to anyone visiting Hanoi!

Chef Duyen is knowledgeable, personable, and makes this market tour and cooking class a must do in Hanoi! The food was delicious, the kitchen and atmosphere was relaxed and organized, and the market tour was great for those looking to buy some local products. Thank you so much, Chef!

Great experience done with a lot of love. Learned a lot and had great fun!

Duten's Home Cooking Class was exactly what we were looking for. We got to know more about vietnamese food specalties and insights about the local markets. The Kitchen was very nice and clean. We loved the food that we made together and Duyen was a really nice host with very good english skills. We would recommend this class to everyone.

My partner & I had a great time on the market Tour and cooking class with Chef Duyen! We got picked up from our homestay and she even organised our ride back using Grab - so easy! Duyen was very warm and bubbly, full of interesting stories to share about Vietnamese culture and food. We enjoyed our hands on cooking class and lunch feast with Duyen & her brother! Amazing experience from start to finish. Can't wait to cook this menu for our family and friends back home. I absolutely recommend :)

The class was amazing. Chef Duyen gave us an in-depth market experience. She is really warm and friendly and shared a lot of her own stories. She was patient and kept us on track to make delicious food from the countryside. She also shared tips and tricks for us to make these dishes at home. Wish we could have done the wholesale market tour as well!

I had an incredible experience with Chef Duyen and the rest of my cooking class! After picking me up from my hostel, we walked through the local market and she pointed out an array of unique ingredients that I’d never even heard of before. We were allowed to smell, taste, and ask questions about anything we passed by. Back at her house, she and her brother set us up with refreshing iced tea and got us familiar with the menu. It was a nice mix of informative demonstration with hands-on cooking. We ended up making bun cha, fresh spring rolls, shrimp and sweet potato fritters, Che, and green papaya salad. All was delicious, and our dinner conversation was a ton of fun. Definitely take your class from Chef Duyen - you won’t be disappointed.

Chef Duyen was warm and engaging and told us many interesting things about Vietnamese ingredients and culture. After the market-area walk through to gather some supplies, we moved to her home, where she has a well-appointed kitchen that was cool - a welcome respite in HaNoi. Her instruction was accessible, and together we made a large lunch with various salads, spring rolls and caramelized pork. I would absolutely recommend spending a morning with Chef Duyen.

From the beginning, when Chef Duyen came to pick us up, she was amazingly warm and inviting. She led us around a local market and kindly explain to my partner and I about the differences between the local markets and the more commercial markets. She even gave us the chance to try some 'wedding cake' made from mung bean. Long story short, it was delicious. Once we started cooking, Chef Duyen quickly assessed our cooking skill levels and helped us with all of the techniques, timings, and ingredients with great patience and understanding. Because of her kind instruction, we were able to make absolutely wonderful food (Banana flower salad, tofu cakes, braised pork, and a wonderful taro dessert she made). Coming to cook under Chef Duyen's supervision for the day definitely was one of our favorite things during our time in Vietnam. Highly recommended for anyone looking to maximize their experience in Hanoi.

It was a fantastic class and Chef Duyen was very welcoming, a lot of fun to talk with and was very informative not only in the cooking but also in the cultural aspects of Vietnamese food. I particularly liked that the menu wasn't just the typical Vietnamese food I was familiar with but also included local dishes. It was a lot of fun and feel like I learned a lot. Highly recommend.

Class was very nice, Duyen told us about vietnamiese cuisine, cuture and living

My brother and I were lucky enough to have a cooking class with Chef Duyen. She took us to the local market and explained about the food,culture and the woman working there. Chef Duyen was very friendly and welcomed us into her home where she taught us to cook a few Vietnamese dishes which we got to enjoy afterwards. The food was delicious. We are excited to try cook the dishes for our family. Highly recommend Chef Duyen. I recommend taking the morning class so you can see the market in in full force.

Loved the market tour of streets and learning new flavours through the recipes Chef shared

Chef Duyen is a great person with a wealth of knowledge on traditional Vietnamese food and history a great teacher who explains everything clearly and shows you how to prep and cook some awesome food I would highly recommend doing this cooking class

Chef Dugyen is a lovely person who makes the cooking experience truly worthwhile! She explains everything well and let's you do a lot by yourself!