When you travel to a new place, such as Hong Kong, China, you can experience the local cuisine several ways. You can dine at authentic restaurants serving dishes that reflect the local culture, or you can try your hand at not only eating the local cuisine but cooking it as well. Whether you are in Hong Kong for a short time or an extended stay, you can expand your skills with cooking classes for beginner and professional chefs. You can learn to prepare authentic Chinese dishes, as well as foods from other countries in Asia and Europe.
Martha Sherpa’s Cooking School
Martha Sherpa’s Cooking School offers courses in Chinese and Thai foods, bread, and dessert dishes. Courses are taught in English, Cantonese or Mandarin. The school promises to teach students professional techniques needed for cooking “home-style,” using a wok, a ladle or spatula and a gas stove. Full-day courses, from about 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., cost $200 per person (1550 Hong Kong dollars), while evening and beginner courses, from about 7 to 10 p.m., cost $116 (900 Hong Kong dollars), as of August 2009.
Martha Sherpa’s Cooking School
Flat B, 1/F, Lee Kwan Building
40-46 Argyle Street
Mongkok
Kowloon, Hong Kong
(852) 2381 0132
Young Women’s Christian Association
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) English Speaking Department offers various cooking courses for American and other English speakers. The courses, both demonstration and hands-on, include lessons in baking bread as well as cuisines from China, Thailand, Japan, India and Europe. Classes are offered at varying times and days to accommodate the other types of courses the center offers, so check ahead for the schedule. Both member and nonmember pricing are available, with discounts for members; consider joining the YWCA if you will be in Hong Kong for an extended stay and want to take several courses. Some classes last for one day, some are multiple days. Costs range from $39 to $64 (300 to 490 Hong Kong dollars) as of August 2009.
Young Women’s Christian Association English Speaking Department
3/F MacDonnell Road
Central
Hong Kong
(852) 3476 1340
Home Management Centre
The Home Management Centre offers a variety of courses in cooking dishes from northern and southern China as well as from Southeast Asia and Europe. The cost ranges from $11 to $58 per class (85 to 450 Hong Kong dollars) as of August 2009. Courses are from one to eight lessons each and last from 90 minutes to two hours. Sessions are offered in the morning, afternoon or evening. They are in English as well as Cantonese, although more options are available in Cantonese.
Home Management Centre
10/F Electric Centre
28 City Garden Road
North Point, Hong Kong
(852) 2510 2828
