Cooking schools in Thailand
Oct 13th, 2011, 01:34 AM
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Cooking schools in Thailand
We were consider spending the xmas period in Mexico and/or Central America but decent flights from teh UK proved prohibitively expensive. In the end I managed to find some surprisingly cheap flights with Thai Airways from Heathrow and have booked those for early December.
We are planning on spending a few days over Xmas in Bangkok possibly at the new Aloft place which seems quite nice and has some good rates - anyone know anything about this place? http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofth...ropertyID=3211 seems like a reasonable location. An alternative is the Adelphi Suites which seems pretty popular with many here - any thoughts?
Other than Bangkok we would like to take a cookery course for a few days and have stumbled upon http://www.thaicookeryschool.com/ which can include a "homestay" anyone know anything about this place or of any other schools in Thailand worth considering?
Other than these stays we are looking at either incorporating some beach/diving time maybe in Khao Lak or perhaps one of the smaller islands (no news/no shoes type place). We stayed on Koh Libong a few years ago and really liked it but is was VERY quiet. One thought is koh Lanta but I am wondering how busy it will be these days - any thoughts.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
We are planning on spending a few days over Xmas in Bangkok possibly at the new Aloft place which seems quite nice and has some good rates - anyone know anything about this place? http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofth...ropertyID=3211 seems like a reasonable location. An alternative is the Adelphi Suites which seems pretty popular with many here - any thoughts?
Other than Bangkok we would like to take a cookery course for a few days and have stumbled upon http://www.thaicookeryschool.com/ which can include a "homestay" anyone know anything about this place or of any other schools in Thailand worth considering?
Other than these stays we are looking at either incorporating some beach/diving time maybe in Khao Lak or perhaps one of the smaller islands (no news/no shoes type place). We stayed on Koh Libong a few years ago and really liked it but is was VERY quiet. One thought is koh Lanta but I am wondering how busy it will be these days - any thoughts.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Oct 13th, 2011, 03:04 AM
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BLUE ELEPHANT BANGKOK Cooking School and Restaurant Blue Elephant Building 233 South Sathorn Road, Kwaeng Yannawa, Khet Sathorn, Bangkok 10120 ...
www.blueelephant.com/school/index.html
Good experience here in the past...
Best hotel deals for me www.betterbidding.com
5* amari.com/watergate $55 bidding priceline.com
www.otel.com good sales for no bid asiarooms.com agoda.com
www.kohtao.com the Lotus cheap beach hotel $14 for me last
great dive/snorkel sort of a remote little pretty island
Cheapest best SCUBA in Thailand for me.
Have a wonderful trip..sorry CA did not work out...
All the best,
www.blueelephant.com/school/index.html
Good experience here in the past...
Best hotel deals for me www.betterbidding.com
5* amari.com/watergate $55 bidding priceline.com
www.otel.com good sales for no bid asiarooms.com agoda.com
www.kohtao.com the Lotus cheap beach hotel $14 for me last
great dive/snorkel sort of a remote little pretty island
Cheapest best SCUBA in Thailand for me.
Have a wonderful trip..sorry CA did not work out...
All the best,
Oct 13th, 2011, 05:54 AM
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Someone here reported on getting ALoft for US$80 a night as a opening promotional rate. It appears to be some distance from the skytrain. though will probably have a tuktuk to the skytrain. If you decide on it, please report back.
The Blue Elephant in Bangkok offers well-regarded cooking classes (Craig took one). There are two excellent cooking schools in Chiang Mai that have been reviewed here. I'll try to find the names.
The Blue Elephant in Bangkok offers well-regarded cooking classes (Craig took one). There are two excellent cooking schools in Chiang Mai that have been reviewed here. I'll try to find the names.
Oct 13th, 2011, 03:58 PM
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We loved A Lot of Thai Cooking School in Chiang Mai. Yui the lady who runs it is absolutely sweet, knows her stuff and refuses to enlarge her small classes even though she has been featured on Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Bourdain and other TV shows.
Oct 13th, 2011, 04:06 PM
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Oct 13th, 2011, 04:42 PM
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A Lot of Thai has gotten stellar reviews from a number of people here, and Thai Cookery School has gotten a couple of good reviews here. I think you'd be happy with either one. We researched both a few years ago when we were considering this, but our plans changed and we never did it.
Oct 13th, 2011, 11:27 PM
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Thank you all for the responses.
qwo - I have dived Koh Tao a few times over the years during which time it has changed from a quiet pretty little island to somewhere very busy indeed. December, despite the assurances of some dive operators is not really the season for diving on the gulf coast (unless climate change has altered things radically!)
bob - interesting suggestion of the cooking school on the Mahnora but Carolyn has informed me that I am accident prone enough in kitchens on dry land to even think about cooking on water!!
kathie - it was the post here that prompted me to look at the Aloft place and we we hopefully give it a try for one or two days at least (and I will of course report back if we do saty there). Thanks for pointing out the issue re distance from the BTS they do lay on a tuk tuk shuttle service (3 mins) or it is a 10 min. walk to the MRT. I don't mind walking and am more concerned with local resatrants etc. in the surrounding area so I guess more research is required..
irecommend - thanks for the cooking school suggestion - looks good. Did you just do the one day course ? I am looking for a "serious" course that teaches in depth. Do they have there own accommodation? any info you can give would be appreciated as their website is "under construction" at the moment. What attracted me to the Thai Cookery School was that they have multi-day courses and have their own homestay although i get the impression that the class sizes may be quite large.
simpsonc510 - I couldn't recall who it was that was a regular user of the Adelphi - who knows, if we stay there maybe we can meet up for a beer or 3. In the meantime what is it that keeps drawing you back - the apartments, the location/area?
qwo - I have dived Koh Tao a few times over the years during which time it has changed from a quiet pretty little island to somewhere very busy indeed. December, despite the assurances of some dive operators is not really the season for diving on the gulf coast (unless climate change has altered things radically!)
bob - interesting suggestion of the cooking school on the Mahnora but Carolyn has informed me that I am accident prone enough in kitchens on dry land to even think about cooking on water!!
kathie - it was the post here that prompted me to look at the Aloft place and we we hopefully give it a try for one or two days at least (and I will of course report back if we do saty there). Thanks for pointing out the issue re distance from the BTS they do lay on a tuk tuk shuttle service (3 mins) or it is a 10 min. walk to the MRT. I don't mind walking and am more concerned with local resatrants etc. in the surrounding area so I guess more research is required..
irecommend - thanks for the cooking school suggestion - looks good. Did you just do the one day course ? I am looking for a "serious" course that teaches in depth. Do they have there own accommodation? any info you can give would be appreciated as their website is "under construction" at the moment. What attracted me to the Thai Cookery School was that they have multi-day courses and have their own homestay although i get the impression that the class sizes may be quite large.
simpsonc510 - I couldn't recall who it was that was a regular user of the Adelphi - who knows, if we stay there maybe we can meet up for a beer or 3. In the meantime what is it that keeps drawing you back - the apartments, the location/area?
Oct 14th, 2011, 01:13 AM
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For reasons like my husband, in a past life, cooked in an Asian restaurant for a living, we were traveling with a 7 year old and we already cooked a lot of Thai food at home, we wanted a private and custom advanced class.
Thai cookery school wouldn't deviate off of their set schedule and menu. Yui - a Lot of Thai - worked with us to create an amazing menu of foods we didn't already know, shopped with us for ingredients, prepared the recipes for us so we could take home and have us her standard cookbook. $100 for a whole day, 6 dishes, private. Excellent. Really excellent. Price may be more now but I'd pay double or more easily for what we got.
Thai cookery school wouldn't deviate off of their set schedule and menu. Yui - a Lot of Thai - worked with us to create an amazing menu of foods we didn't already know, shopped with us for ingredients, prepared the recipes for us so we could take home and have us her standard cookbook. $100 for a whole day, 6 dishes, private. Excellent. Really excellent. Price may be more now but I'd pay double or more easily for what we got.
Oct 14th, 2011, 05:20 AM
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Crellston, I love the Adelphi location. My friends are in that neighborhood. I like getting a meal in the lobby at Monsoon or across the soi at Via Vai/White Bar for a great pizza. I like the people watching. It is a fairly quiet soi, but I've seen it get busier over the last several years. I like that the skytrain is 2 minutes away... the best location I've found so far for getting to/from the skytrain quickly and easily w/lots of pkgs in my hands! (I won't stay at On8 because rooms don't have windows) I also like the staff. Obviously, they know me, as I've now stayed at Adelphi probably a dozen times or more. They also welcome me 'back home' and AS feels like home to me, when I'm in BKK. I have a regular hair dress right on that soi. The taxi drivers know me and wave. Why NOT keep on returning??!!
Heading back there on Monday morning (17th Oct) for two weeks.
Carol
Heading back there on Monday morning (17th Oct) for two weeks.
Carol
Oct 14th, 2011, 05:29 AM
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Crellston, I just saw your question re: restaurants on soi 11. They are plentiful, very plentiful. I like the Tapas place that is in the little sub soi (where old Pickled Liver used to be) behind the 7/11 and where Suk 11 'hotel' is located.
The Grand Business Inn has a coffe shop (24 hr) that I've not tried, but my son says it's really good.
You'll have Bed Supper Club very close by. I believe there is an Italian place across from Grand President apt hotel. Can't come up with the name of it right now. There is also a German place that is not too bad.
Closer to Sukhumvit there are places like Zanzibar where you can dine outside (put bug spray on your legs though) and listen to nice live music ... jazz... easy listening. We've eaten at Zanzibar several times. Always a good meal. You can also eat inside and avoid the bug bites on your legs.
My only concern about ALoft is the distance from the skytrain. I've walked from Grand President, as I've stayed there in the past. That walk was a good 7-9 minutes, and I think it is much closer to Sukhumvit (Nana) than ALoft will be. I think I'll have a walk down soi 11 and check it out next week when I get back to BKK.
The Grand Business Inn has a coffe shop (24 hr) that I've not tried, but my son says it's really good.
You'll have Bed Supper Club very close by. I believe there is an Italian place across from Grand President apt hotel. Can't come up with the name of it right now. There is also a German place that is not too bad.
Closer to Sukhumvit there are places like Zanzibar where you can dine outside (put bug spray on your legs though) and listen to nice live music ... jazz... easy listening. We've eaten at Zanzibar several times. Always a good meal. You can also eat inside and avoid the bug bites on your legs.
My only concern about ALoft is the distance from the skytrain. I've walked from Grand President, as I've stayed there in the past. That walk was a good 7-9 minutes, and I think it is much closer to Sukhumvit (Nana) than ALoft will be. I think I'll have a walk down soi 11 and check it out next week when I get back to BKK.
Oct 14th, 2011, 03:37 PM
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Yes, it looks like Yui's site at A Lot of Thai is down for maintenance . It said she is taking her kids on a beach holiday until the end of October I believe.
Class sizes are small.
They will pick you up wherever you are staying in Chiang Mai.
She also has a page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/alotofthai
Class sizes are small.
They will pick you up wherever you are staying in Chiang Mai.
She also has a page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/alotofthai
Oct 15th, 2011, 02:52 AM
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bob - you are quite right we do tend to walk everywhere. Since you drove us around Boston in Karen's open top it has spoilt us for other form of car travel! PS - the Queen only travels in a gilded state coach and horses. Don't tell me you missed teh royal wedding!
Thanks for the extra info irecommend I will give the facebook page a try and email her towards the end of the month.
Kim your comments re lack of flexibility of Thai Cookery School are noted. We are both "enthusiastic amateurs" when it comes to cooking so I want to be sure that the course is not too basic and a bit more than the usual hotel based one day cooking courses.
I have booked Aloft for the xmas period and will report back. We have had some good experiences (and some bad!!)with newly opened hotels/soft openings and this does seem to be a good deal pricewise. Just need to decide where else to go??
Thanks for the extra info irecommend I will give the facebook page a try and email her towards the end of the month.
Kim your comments re lack of flexibility of Thai Cookery School are noted. We are both "enthusiastic amateurs" when it comes to cooking so I want to be sure that the course is not too basic and a bit more than the usual hotel based one day cooking courses.
I have booked Aloft for the xmas period and will report back. We have had some good experiences (and some bad!!)with newly opened hotels/soft openings and this does seem to be a good deal pricewise. Just need to decide where else to go??
Oct 15th, 2011, 03:16 AM
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Crellston, we used that cookery school in fact it was the reason we originally went to CM. Whilst we didn't do the home stay the schools and teacher Sompon were fantastic and the school that is located at his home is wonderful. ( an open air sala) couldn't recommend it highly enough.
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