The #1 Cooking Class in Phuket
Y’all…I broke a glass while cooking and I’m still embarrassed about it. Straight butter fingers! I was also the last one out of the kitchen after each dish. Nonetheless, I had an incredible time cooking a 5 Course Meal at Blue Elephant Cooking School in Phuket, Thailand. I am proud to say that I was able to walk out of the #1 Thai cooking class in Phuket with a full belly, new recipes, and a new experience under my belt.
Ok, so letâs get into it…
Choosing Blue Elephant Cooking School
We didnât just pick any class. We googled âTop Cooking Classes in Phuketâ and the SEO did not let me down.
This was my third visit to Thailand. During my first visit I attended Baipan Thai Cooking School in Bangkok and on my second visit, a cooking class was created for us at the resort in Phuket (I can’t remember or find the name of that resort for the life of me! It was back in 2011).
Blue Elephant Cooking School kept popping up at the top of every list. It included a market tour, five-course meal, and a few take-home items. It seemed like the most comprehensive cooking experience, so we decided to go with it!
Looking through the website, we noticed that the menu changes daily, so we picked the Thursday class because every course sounded amazing. Scalloped curry? Say less.
Getting There: Tuk Tuk from Patong to Phuket Old Town
We stayed in the Patong Beach area which was a little ways away from Old Town Phuket where the cooking class was located. We used the Grab App (think Uber’s cousin from Thailand) to book our 45-min ride.
One thing to note about Grab is that it is a reservation service. You still need to pay in cash when your driver arrives unlike Uber that charges your card in the app.
We hopped in the back of a souped out tuk tuk and enjoyed the scenic 45-minute ride from Patong Beach to Phuket Old Town.
The Market Tour at Ranong Market
Before the class, our instructor, a personable Thai chef who exuded the perfect balance of humor and culinary expertise, led us on a tour through Ranong Market.
She explained the herbs, spices, and local fruits (including the infamous Durian which is banned in many spaces throughout Thailand for its incredibly strong smell). I regret not writing down all the names of foods she shared with us during the tour. There were so much tasty samples that I would only know to say “that one” if I saw it again.
Don’t judge me. đ
The Class: Learn > Do > Eat
When we returned to the Blue Elephant, we entered this gorgeously restored building and cooking class. Immediately I felt like this was going to be an amazing experience. The classroom was so well laid out. Each desk was prepped with our aprons, folders with recipes, and a pencil. School was definitely in session and I was here for it!
Part 1: Learn
Our chef demoed all five dishes in a classroom setup one-by-one. There was a camera overhead projecting onto a screen so you could see her every move.
Part 2: Do
Between each dish, we walked over to an adjacent classroom where a cooking station was set up for each of us.
Now this is where things got…interesting.
We went to our individual cooking stations, and as soon as we turned on the burners, it was like we all forgot everything. I caught myself staring at the girl across from me like, âWhat did she say?â
A few times I had to run back to the classroom and get my recipe book.
In the midst of me struggling, I would look over at Lauren and she was over there acting like she had been working at a Bangkok street stall for years. If she were writing this blog, it would probably sound a lot different… but hey, here we are! You got me, the one who was struggling! LOL!
On the bright side, you absolutely could not mess anything up. Aside from our instructor, there were a few assistants milling about in the kitchen checking on us and making sure we were following directions. They were probably sick of me, but they made sure that my food was still amazing! I appreciated them for that.
To ensure that we call had the exact meal that we cooked, each station and cookware was assigned a number. When we returned to the classroom for the next lesson, the cooking assistants added the finishing touches and stored each dish as needed.
đ„ą Part 3: Eat
Y’all… THE FOOD was amazing!!! After we received our cooking class certificates, we went out into the main dining room where our table was prepped with meals that we cooked:
- Som Tom (Papaya Salad)
- Phad Thai Koong
- Grilled Fish with Thai Herbs
- Scallop Curry with Pineapple
- Banana in Coconut Milk
Sitting down to eat everything we made was a proud moment. I was so proud that the Thai food I cooked in Thailand actually tasted better any Thai food I’ve had in Atlanta. We received seasoning to recreate our meals at home in addition to our apron. Hopefully by the time you read this, I would have tried to recreate a meal…
But who am I kidding, as long as I have free delivery on Door Dash through my Chase card, I will probably just find new Thai restaurants to order from and see which one gets the closest to a real Thai experience.
Again, don’t judge me! LOL!
Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?
Absolutely! I had a ball! This was a great experience. It may seem like a touristy thing to do, but it is a touristy thing that is absolutely worth it.
Here’s what you can expect:
– A guided market tour with tastings
– All the ingredients and tools
– Instruction from a pro
– A full 5-course meal that you cooked
– Great convo with travelers from all over (our group had folks from the US, China, and Brazil)
– A moment of triumph you will remember forever (especially if you aren’t much of a chef on a regular day)
Would We Recommend This Phuket Cooking Class?
10/10. HIGHLY recommend.
Especially if:
- You want a real cultural experience
- You love food with robust flavors
- You enjoy a little challenge that ends with a delicious reward
- Youâve been saying âI wanna do something different this tripâ since 2018
Blue Elephant wasnât just a cooking classâit was a whole experience. From the market to the kitchen to the final bite, it gave us the flavor, the culture, and the laughs we came for.
Now, donât expect to become a Thai chef overnight. Or ever. But if you want memories, good food, and a story to tell about your trip to Thailand, this is it.
Planning a trip to Thailand? Save this to your travel board and add âBlue Elephant Cooking School in Phuketâ to your must-do list. You can thank us after your second helping of Pad Thai.
And listen, if I could do anything differently, I would have done this activity earlier on my trip instead of towards the end. It would have allowed me to get a better frame of kind of food I would encounter in the markets throughout the week. (And, maybe I would have done better with remembering the name for everything!)
Ready to Book?
See you on the next one!
