Learning the Art of Thai Cooking

If you love Thai food and appreciate quality, The Oriental Thai Cooking School at the Mandarin Oriental is the number one activity for you to do in Bangkok.

The Thai Cookery School first opened in 1986. Today the school continues to teach the art of preparing fine Thai cuisine while gaining insight into the culture and traditions.

The school is located across the river from the hotel’s main property. To access the school, every student rides the complimentary shuttle boat – a great way to take in the atmosphere of Bangkok at the start of the day.

The school is truly a cooking school with a professional kitchen, demo kitchen, hands-on cooking stations, and a dining area.

 

Chef Narain

The head chef, Chef Narain Kiattiyotcharoen (don’t worry, you can call him “Chef Narain”), and his team dedicate themselves to the class with fervor. They are eager to share the love of Thai cooking.

The class starts with an optional morning market visit. Back in the classroom, students are introduced to the basic ingredients – spices, sauces, fruits, vegetables, herbs. After the introduction, Chef Narain demonstrates the four dishes of the day.

The courses change every day of the week, and the lessons are updated every quarter. This allows students to come back to the school throughout the year, and then year after year.

 

Hands-on Cooking

After the demonstration, students experience a completely hands-on education. With assistance and knowledge from the chef, students get their hands on knives and in ingredients. Grinding pastes, chopping meat and vegetables, stir-frying, deep-frying, stewing. All of it.

The size of the class is kept small to retain its exclusivity and personal attention from the chef. Throughout the morning, students learn all the insights and tips from Chef Narain and his years of experience.

 

Eat what you cook

The class concludes with lunch. Students enjoy the dishes they made themselves and dine together with Chef Narain. The lunch is a true chef’s table experience.

The Oriental Thai Cooking School is truly a must for every Thai food lover. The school shares the highest quality of ingredients and a most knowledgeable, highly trained kitchen team. It is more than worth it. And you’ll come back again and again.

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The Classroom. The demo kitchen and classroom welcome students eager to learn the art of Thai cooking
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An introduction to Thai ingredients. Spices, sauces, and all the basics at the heart of almost every dish
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Fruits, vegetables, and chilies. All the fresh, local ingredients, many of which are grown on the property
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Sweet treats to start. Awaken your palate with a sweet start
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Chef Narain cooking and demonstrating techniques. The mirror above provides perfect visuals of the kitchen counter and stove top to watch every step
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Chef and his team preparing one of the dishes
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Khanom Krok. Siamese baked rice pudding. A little taste after the demonstration of this traditional dessert
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Gaeng Som Malakaw. Spicy and sour soup with green papaya. Another little taste of the dish after the demonstration. These samples help teach your palate how it should properly taste when it is your turn to cook it in the kitchen
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The Hands-On Kitchen. Every student is provided their own cooking station, complete with cutting boards and knives
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Chef Narain teaching the proper way to slice kaffir leaves. Techniques taught in this class are from years of experience from Chef himself
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Lunch is served. After the demonstrations and the hands-on cooking, students are treated to a lunch from the fruits of their labor. For even more exclusivity, Chef Narain himself dines at the table with guests, sharing more stories of his years of experience
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Dip with preserved soy beans. Thai cuisine places so much importance on vegetables, from raw to blanched to cooked
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Sakhoo Sai Moo. Tapioca balls with pork filling
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Gai Takrai. Fried chicken with lemongrass
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Pad Thai. The most known Thai dish. There are three parts to this: the paste, the sauce, and the whole ingredients which are mixed together just before serving
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Mun Thawd. Sweet potato fritters. This can also be fritters of bananas, taro, pumpkin, and so on. Chef Narain shares alternative ingredients if students cannot find local Thai ingredients in their own countries

 

The Oriental Thai Cooking School | Website | TripAdvisor
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok
+66-2-659-9000 ext. 7330
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