I did my first Vietnamese cooking class! It started off with a 30-minute cyclo {essentially a three-wheeled bicycle taxi} ride through the streets in Saigon's District 1 - also a first for me. The cyclos dropped a small group of us off at the famous Bến Thành Market where we learned the art of bargaining with the vendors and hand picked the freshest food items to include in our class. On the menu was shrimp spring rolls, green melon soup, bánh xèo {a savory Vietnamese pancake made with rice flour}, and fried chicken with lemongrass. While I'm no stranger to eating with them, I learned the art of using {extra long} bamboo chopsticks as the cooking utensil of choice. I also came away with some helpful techniques for chopping both lemongrass and shallots, two popular flavors in Vietnamese cuisine.
The best part of it all? Eating what I prepared for lunch. Delicious! I'm excited to incorporate some of these recipes into my own home cooking.
