As we often do when we visit an area, we looked for a chance to take a local cooking class. In our search on Cookly and other sites, we came across Ms. Mahn's Farm Tour & Family Cooking Class. Since we also wanted to get out of Hanoi city, we were very interested in Ms. Mahn's class. And we are so glad we made this choice.
Booking the class on Cookly was easy as pie. We got our confirmation quickly and then communicated directly with Ms. Mahn to work out the details and make our menu choices. Ms. Mahn also advised on booking an Uber car and stayed in contact with the Uber driver as he made his way out of the city and into the countryside, eliminating our anxiety about getting there without getting lost.
Our time with Ms. Mahn (Mandy) turned out to be the single most enjoyable part of our entire stay in Hanoi. Upon meeting Mandy, we instantly knew we had made a new friend. She met us by the roadside with the warmest smile I've seen in a long time.
We started our time with Mandy by taking a tour of the local farming community, in which she gave us very knowledgeable explanations about the crops being grown, the farming methods, the history, etc. Everyone she introduced us to along the tour was so warm, friendly and welcoming. Since we were visiting during Tet, we were basically visiting during the most important family time that Vietnamese have. And Mandy made us feel included in this spirit the entire time we were with her. For this, we are most grateful.
After the farm tour, Mandy took us to her home, introducing us to her neighbors and family along the way. And when we entered her home, we immediately felt relaxed and welcome.
The cooking class Mandy provides is very interactive. We had pre-selected our menu from a nice variety of choices she offers, so she had all the ingredients on hand and ready for us to enjoy. This was especially remarkable since we were there, as I said earlier, during Tet, and the local markets were working on limited schedules.
As we were preparing the meal, Mandy gave us instructions and tips and always related what we were doing to how it fits into the normal, daily life of her wonderful family. Her first grade daughter was there also which added more warmth and humor to our stay.
All the ingredients were farm fresh, either from the local fields or from Mandy's small herb garden just outside her kitchen. Mandy's genuine love for family and for cooking was in the forefront the full time, which made the food even better.
We highly recommend anyone who visits the Hanoi area to take advantage of the marvelous experience Mandy offers. We hope to return to Hanoi again some day and will certainly do this again with Mandy!
Enjoy.
CB from Beijing
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