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.
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