Chiang Mai Day 2 - Pantawan Cooking Class

Pantawan

We didn’t really have a chance to do a ton of research regarding cooking schools, so we may have got lucky trusting Trip Advisor. Pantawan is a family run cooking school. Pan, a former employee of The Four Seasons Chiang Mai, and her boyfriend Tawan opened up shop a short 6 months ago.

Part one of the trip consisted of picking up the other couple taking the class with us that day, Andrew and Joanna.  Andrew works as an importer from Thailand to America (mainly coconut chips) and his now girlfriend Joanna lives in Bangkok doing sell side for a big bank.  They were awesome, and a nice complement to our cooking expedition. We might even try to catch up with Joanna for a quick personal tour guide at the end of the trip during our last 24 hours in Bangkok.

After we picked them up, we headed to the local market to pick up some supplies for our class, and to taste a few local treats.

Katherine looking surprised.

Some Frogs

Assorted chicken parts, including grilled egg.

Chicken Tail - Actually quite delicious

The premises where the school is located are quite beautiful. They built a large annex on to their original house –  a fantastic structure, with all new appliances/cooking stations and very cool woodwork – full open-air design. We think the business model is great, and they likely have a bright future. Some more pics below from the class itself.

Katherine's chef skills

Ingredients for Som Tam

A well plated Som Tam

The Whole Meal!

Full menu:

     Som Tam - Spicy Papaya Salad (right)

     Nam Toke Moo - Spicy Salad with Grilled Pork (top)

     Tom Saab See Krong - Spicy Clear Soup with Ribs (front)

     Kai Yang - E-Sarn Style Grilled Chicken (left)

Us, the 'chef', Tawan, and Pan - you can see the venue fairly well in the background here.

One more of Andrew, Joanna and us!