As the pouring rain made outdoor activities impossible for the day, we chose to partake in a cooking class that afternoon to learn how to recreate the delicious phở from breakfast this morning. The staff prepared a table of assorted ingredients, woks, and gas stoves to kickstart the class.
First, our chef and instructor guided us through making our first dish—Vietnamese summer rolls. A mix of noodles, thinly sliced vegetables, and slices of meat, wrapped in a delicate rice paper sheet, the process of building the summer rolls brings to mind the complex and artful process of constructing an origami.
Creating the next dish was even more challenging—a seafood dish cooked in a special clay pot. As we were all amateurs in this cooking business, the sous-chefs helped us restore order in our chaotic attempts at the dish. We pulled through with gritted teeth and created a delicious masterpiece. We couldn’t have done it without their help. The final dish we made was a hot and sour soup accompanied by the most excellent wine from the hotel’s cellar. This is a fulfilling rainy day in.