Manohra Thai Cooking Class Review
Typically, the word 'class' brings to mind a controlled environment where, despite the teacher's best intention of imparting knowledge, students sit mindlessly at their desks battling with the urge to drift off into slumberland. The Manohra Thai Cooking Class is, however, far from all the blahs commonly encountered in the confinement of a four-walled classroom. Held on one of the Manohra cruisers, beautiful converted teakwood rice barges that are the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa's pride and joy, aspiring chefs get to equip themselves with Thai cooking skills while discovering what makes the Riverside one of the city's most fascinating areas.
Class Orientation
The meeting point is at the hotel's jetty at 7:30. (Useful tip: If you're staying somewhere else, take the BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin station and proceed to Sathorn Pier on the left hand side. The hotel's shuttle boat runs regularly so just wait around if you don't see one right away. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the hotel.) Once everybody is on board, a photo session (for certificates) is called upon, recipes and aprons are handed out, and a selection of tea/coffee and a delectable assortment of pastry are served while guests enjoy the late morning breeze and the serenity of the river's off-peak hours.
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The boat then arrives at Sathorn Pier, where Bangrak Market is only a short stroll away (the choice of the market depends on the river tide each day). The market is where you'll familiarise yourself with all the ingredients you'll be using later on. Accompanied by the hotel's chefs, the group is led through the stalls of fresh produce and a variety of local specialties and desserts. One thing to keep in mind is to abstain from buying goods from a shop or stall that doesn't display prices, as these tend to immediately inflate at the mere sight of tourists. However, if you really do need something from that shop, ask one of the chefs to ask and barter for you.
A kitchen with a view
The crew welcomes the now knowledgeable students back on board with a refreshing lemongrass-scented face-cloth and lemongrass juice. The barge has now been transformed into a kitchen with two cooking stations prepared and all the essential ingredients laid out on the side - a sure sign that the class is about to get cooking. Each of the two cooking stations can easily accommodate five persons (and since there are five menus to be prepared, taking turns to be in front of the stove is definitely doable).
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The boat drifts along the Chao Phraya River, flanked by the two banks revealing a series of world-famous landmarks. But don't worry about the sights now as you'll still get to appreciate them, together with lunch, on the way back. Your undivided concentration is vital at this point as the class is about to get into full swing with the preparation of 'moo manao' (spicy pork with chili and lemon sauce), an easy first dish that's both healthy and tasty with fresh, crispy kale and tender pork. Next on the menu are the surprisingly easy to make 'tom yum talay' (hot and sour seafood soup with Thai herbs), creamy 'gaeng kiew waan gai' (chicken in spicy green curry), flavour-bursting 'goong phad med mamoung' (stir-fried shrimp with cashew nuts and dried chili) and the fragrant dessert, 'mun gaeng buad' (sweet potato in coconut milk). |
