Why should you go there and how do you do it right?

Cooking classes in Bangkok range from tourist entertainment to genuine instruction, and this one definitely falls into the former category. The groups are small, so you don't have to just watch from the back. You chop, pound, and mix sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors yourself, and someone is right there over your shoulder to tell you if you've gone overboard with the fish sauce.

What I like about this format is that it's based on skills you can actually apply again and again. Ingredients selection, why a paste tastes the way it does, what each ingredient does in the pan. Absolute beginners will find it easy to follow, but even more experienced home cooks won't be bored. Afterwards, everyone sits down and eats what they've prepared – and that's precisely what makes the course such a successful afternoon. Come hungry and skip lunch beforehand.