Blue Butterfly Restaurant & Cooking Class — Restaurant in Hà Nội

I recently had the pleasure of taking a cooking course in Hanoi, and let me tell you, it was absolutely incredible! The chef, Hung, or as everyone affectionately calls him, Chef Pickles, was seriously one of a kind.

From the moment the class started, you could just feel Chef Pickles's passion for cooking. His knowledge and expertise in Vietnamese cuisine were seriously impressive, and he shared it all with such excitement and enthusiasm that it made the whole experience so enjoyable and engaging.

Throughout the well-structured and informative cooking course, Chef Pickles guided us through each and every step of the cooking process. His instructions were super clear, and he even gave us some awesome tips along the way. We got to learn how to prepare some classic Vietnamese dishes like Bun Cha, Pho, Banana Leaf Salad, and Spring Rolls. It was such a cool way to dive deeper into the local ingredients and flavors.

The cooking course also included a trip to a traditional market in Hanoi! Chef Pickles took us on a guided tour, showing us all the different local ingredients and telling us about their importance in Vietnamese cuisine. Let me tell you, that market was something else. The colors, the energy, and all the amazing food items... it was like a whole new world. It really helped us understand and appreciate the culinary culture in Hanoi even more.

Chef Pickles, thank you so much for an absolutely amazing cooking course! Seriously, it was such an incredible experience that we'll...

BEST COOKING CLASS IN HANOI.

Have you ever wondered what that secret ingredient in beef Pho noodles is? Or thought to yourself, how did they pack all of that into one spring roll? Or maybe you're looking for a new salad for home to surprise guests?

If you answered yes to one or all three, then read on, this cooking extravaganza is waiting for you. Nestled in the heart of Hanoi province sits a beautiful restaurant, called the Blue Butterfly, here a young man by the name of Chris holds the best cooking class I've ever experienced.

Not only do you get amazing food dishes, culinary secrets, and beverages, you walk the market streets of Hanoi with him and he takes you to the spots where the locals shop, barter and buy the essential items needed to create their meals.

From market to kitchen to plate:

Taking this newly purchashed produce, you dive back into the kitchen with Chris, where he professionally gives all his knowledge, expertise, and support that begins your egg-flipping egg-perience. Dish after dish you will whip up things that you never knew you could, learning, eating and laughing your afternoon away.

Once its all over, you then sit down to enjoy all your hardwork, over a couple cold ones.

This is a 10/10 cooking experience that has so many highlights I can't right em all, trust you'll enjoy every second.

Tips: Bring walking shoes, bottle of water and allow a good afternoon of time so you can get fully immersed....

This is a review on the cooking class. While both Chef Hung and Chef Chris were great, the class was poorly organized. In a nutshell, the restaurant isn’t really equipped to run a cooking class. No handwashing station, not enough chopping boards, and definitely not prepared to cater to different dietary preferences.

Our class, for some reason, was overbooked and had 15 people, so we ran out of space, chopping boards and aprons. They split the group into two and we did all the cooking and chopping on regular dining tables (makeshift station they set up). They offered a vegetarian menu but class was heavily focused on meat dishes and cooking - chopping and grilling meat for pho. That said, the market tour was great and both chefs were very good people and it was very hands-on. All the cooking and prepping were done by ourselves with little handholding which I liked. They also don’t have any spatulas so you better be a chopstick master! All in all, had this been a private class or cooking for a potluck dinner, it would’ve been a great experience. There are other restaurants who charge the same amount for a private class so Blue Butterfly isn’t cheap at all; still paid full price for the...