Hoi An: Grandma’s Island Cooking Class & Boat Trip

4.99

(146 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Li handed me a glass of something bright and cold the moment we stepped off the boat—she called it nước ép, some sort of fresh fruit juice, but honestly I was too busy watching her grandma wave at us from the porch. The river was quiet except for a couple of kids splashing near the bank. I’d expected a class, but not this—more like walking into someone’s real life for a few hours. Grandma’s laugh is sharp and quick; she showed me how to roll rice paper for eggrolls and then grinned when mine fell apart. “Try again,” she said, patting my hand.

The kitchen smelled like lemongrass and wood smoke. We made banh xeo—those crispy crepes that crackle when you fold them—and grilled pork on sticks over charcoal. The guide (Li’s cousin?) explained every ingredient, but also kept telling stories about growing up on the island. At one point I tried to say “papaya salad” in Vietnamese; everyone laughed, including me. The sky was heavy with clouds but warm, so we ate outside under mango trees—pumpkin soup first, then everything we’d cooked ourselves. There was black sesame pudding for dessert, which tasted earthy and sweet at the same time.

I didn’t really want to leave after lunch. The boat back to Hoi An felt slower somehow, maybe because I kept thinking about Grandma’s hands shaping rice paper or just the way the whole family moved around each other in that kitchen. It wasn’t what I expected from a cooking class—it felt more like being invited home by people you barely know but wish you did. Still thinking about that garden table under the trees.