Home > Beijing > Experience Beijing: Chinese Cooking Class and Market Tour
USD $70.00
Experience Beijing: Chinese Cooking Class and Market Tour
Beijing, China
Learn how to make authentic Chinese food during this Beijing cooking class, taught by an expert chef. Take a walking tour through a market to learn about the area’s food culture and pick out fresh ingredients. Then, head to a local family's home to discover the basics of Chinese cuisine. Either learn how to make several meat and vegetable dishes like kung pao chicken, stir-fried beef, and sweet and sour pork; or learn the ancient culinary art of dim sum. At the end, sit down to enjoy your homemade creation!
Meet your guide at Deng Cao Hutong in the morning and head to a nearby food market for a 1.5-hour walking tour. Browse fresh produce and listen as your guide, a professional cooking instructor, explains the different kinds of vegetables, spices and sauces. Gather up and purchase your fresh ingredients (included) and make your way down a hutong (alleyway) to a local family’s home to begin your class.
Depending on the day, your instructor teaches you to make dim sum — small savory snacks that contain a variety of fillings; or you learn to make main dishes, ranging from Sichuan-inspired to Cantonese and others. One day per week your chef prepares a vegetarian menu, which will be advised when you make your booking. Have the option to switch to another day if you wish.
Discover kitchen skills, like how to use woks and cleavers, and learn how to make delicious flavorful dishes. When cooking dim sum, you’ll make two tasty selections, which may include soup dumplings, wontons, egg tarts, barbequed pork buns, sweet sesame rolls, dandan noodles or stir-fried noodles.
In the class on main-course options, your instructor will demonstrate how to make four meat or vegetable dishes, and you’ll practice making three of the selections. The inspiration for the flavors range from Sichuan-inspired to Cantonese and other regional cuisines.
Meals that you make may include kung pao chicken, steamed fish with ginger, stir-fried beef and peppers, spicy chicken salad and sweet and sour pork. At least one vegetarian dish is prepared each day.
When you’re finished cooking, relax in the 150-year-old Qing dynasty-era courtyard and enjoy the meal you’ve created!
To see the map of your tour, click on the View Additional Info button below.
I loved this so much! The fact that I chose this tour during American Thanksgiving while I was alone meant so much more because I was able to spend it with some wonderful people, the friendly and knowledgeable Chef Chao, and the cute doggos he was watching for his neighbors. That morning, we cooked sichuan style food and it was DELICIOUS. I definitely want to stop by again for the Chef's table dinner if/when I come back to Beijing. I would also love to take the dumpling-making class!
Review by: wmckee56, December 2017
This tour was excellent and met all of our expectations. Chef Chao was very pleasant and explained things well. Really enjoyed the trip to the market and Chao pointed out many different items in the market with detailed explanations. It was also interesting to walk through the hutong on our way to and from the market. We were shown how to prepare four dishes using a knife, cutting board and wok and everything turned out well and we enjoyed a delicious lunch of Beijing style cuisine. My husband and I were so pleased that we took this tour and we thought it was well worth the price.
Review by: kutina.harmon, October 2017
This class was amazing! My spouse and I try to take a cooking class in every country we visit and this one did not disappoint. The chef and staff were very friendly, accommodating and informative. The market tour was fun and the food was delicious. We were also given recipes to take home that we use all the time to make quick and authentic Chinese meals. FYI- There is no outside sign alerting you that you have arrived at the cooking school pay close attention to the numbered addresses. This class comes highly recommended and I would take it again when in Beijing.
Review by: linda r, October 2017
Very nice time with Chef Chao. The market tour was interesting, so many things he identified for me. We cooked fabulous dishes that I will be trying at home. He's obviously an expert in his field and a very good teacher.
Review by: Orien, October 2017
On this day I was the only person cooking so it was a nice one on one experience. My host was very experienced and happy to answer a lot of questions. The market trip was an eye opener and I gained so much information on local cooking techniques. The home style cooking location was excellent and I am sure anyone who elects to do this tour will be very happy with the experience
Review by: Simone R, October 2017
Amazing! Catered well for my veganism, explained everything. Meals were tasty. Thanks, Chao!
Review by: Nadine C, October 2017
Excellent. Loved it. Guide (Chau) was brilliant. Food was great. Learnt a lot about sauces and marinades.
Review by: Jason G, October 2017
Well first off I turned out to be the only student so it was a one on one cooking class. We made way too much food for just little old me. However I strongly recommend the cooking class. Making Dumplings was a lot more trouble than I ever realized. Instructor and his helper were great was really the highlight of my Beijing experience. Only thing I would recommend have the instructor help you hail a cab that neighborhood was a nightmare find a cab back to my hotel.
Review by: Samantha S, September 2017
This was one of our favourite experiences in Beijing. _br/_ Chao the chef was really friendly and speaks excellent English. He took us on a market tour, showing us various foods and letting us try things. _br/_ We then learnt how to make dumplings. Chao demonstrated the technique and then we made our own. He taught us knife skills and how to make the dumpling, fillings and cookings. He provided all recipes and techniques on pieces of paper for us to take home. _br/_ After a busy morning cooking we were then able to eat all our dumplings which are delicious. _br/_ It was really fun to also experience going inside a Hutong home. Overall I really recommend this experience.
Review by: Samantha S, September 2017
This was one of our favourite experiences in Beijing. _br/_ Chao the chef was really friendly and speaks excellent English. He took us on a market tour, showing us various foods and letting us try things. _br/_ We then learnt how to make dumplings. Chao demonstrated the technique and then we made our own. He taught us knife skills and how to make the dumpling, fillings and cookings. He provided all recipes and techniques on pieces of paper for us to take home. _br/_ After a busy morning cooking we were then able to eat all our dumplings which are delicious. _br/_ It was really fun to also experience going inside a Hutong home. Overall I really recommend this experience.
Review by: Samantha S, September 2017
This was one of our favourite experiences in Beijing. _br/_ Chao the chef was really friendly and speaks excellent English. He took us on a market tour, showing us various foods and letting us try things. _br/_ We then learnt how to make dumplings. Chao demonstrated the technique and then we made our own. He taught us knife skills and how to make the dumpling, fillings and cookings. He provided all recipes and techniques on pieces of paper for us to take home. _br/_ After a busy morning cooking we were then able to eat all our dumplings which are delicious. _br/_ It was really fun to also experience going inside a Hutong home. Overall I really recommend this experience.
Review by: Rosemary G, August 2017
I learnt a lot about chinese cooking. The chef was informative and helpful. Really interesting venue with a visit to the local market and a great cooking facility. Would highly recommend for a different and more local experience.
Review by: Julia M, August 2017
This cooking class was a great introduction to Chinese Cooking. We made several dishes, met some more advanced students, and thoroughly enjoyed eating everything we made. I highly recommend the class.
Review by: Rob G, June 2017
Chow's cooking class was one of the highlights of our trip to China. I learned to cook a number of authentic Chinese dishes and get a feel for a real Chinese food market. What I especially appreciated about the lesson was that I took home a real appreciation for the food we're all sort of familiar with. I highly recommend this class!
Review by: Preeti S, June 2017
It was one of our favourite experiences in Beijing. We always try and get a cooking class in every travel destination and this one lived up to the expectations. The chef was fluent in English, friendly and knowledgeable. We went in the morning and it was only two of us so we started by going through different types of sauces and spices. Then a walk to the local market through the alleys. The local market was an explosion of colours and flavours and our chef was very patient and explained all the interesting produce, spices n meat we saw around. After a short walk back, we started with the prep and cooking in the chef's kitchen which is in this really old building with a lot of character. One more person joined us for the cooking session and then we all ate the meal we cooked. All in all, a great experience and would definitely recommend it.
Review by: Dr. Denny G. Bolton, March 2017
Amazing day at the market and cooking in a private home. We made three kinds of dumplings from scratch. It was a wonderful way to meet new people and learn about local cuisine.
Review by: Bettina C, January 2017
So much fun! The market had an amazing selection of fresh produce...everything Westerners know including Rainier cherries and kohlrabi and many things not usually seen here every seen a black chicken?. Very educational and colorful. We made dumplings apparently their website posts their schedule, however, Viator does not provide access to it which turned out to be a very intricate and challenging undertaking...who knew there was so much detail in how you crimp the dough? Will never take another dumpling for granted! Fun way to round out a visit to Beijing once you're exhausted from all the historic grandeur...
Review by: Ann P, November 2016
I thouroughly enjoyed this experience. The trip to the market was great. Our teacher showed us all the different types of foods and explained to us how they were used in cooking etc. He taught us how to make three different types of noodle dishes. He was patient and friendly throughout. I learned so much and would do it again in a heartbeat
Review by: Kristen, October 2016
Wonderful experience. The market visit was great and a lot of fun. Enjoyed cooking all the dishes and hanging out afterwards.
Review by: Korey B, August 2016
Had a wonderful time learning the in and outs of the market, then heading back to create our own dumplings. We made everything from the dough, to the filling, to the sauce - and cooked them! Neat little apartment we were in - great cooking experience! Thank you!!
Review by: jennifer m, June 2016
This was one of the best things we did in Beijing! Highly recommend! The chef was a terrific teacher. We loved going to the market with him and seeing all the amazing foods there. The menu we prepared was absolutely delicious! Loved using the Chinese cleaver and the wok. The food he had us prepare was so good. We loved being in a hutong. This was the first morning after flying in and it was the perfect introduction to Beijing and to China!
Review by: Ann H, May 2016
This was a great tour. We made chinese dumplings. We prepared 3 different fillings vegetarian, pork and beef and we prepared them 3 ways steamed, boiled and fried.. It started with a visit to the local market to purchase ingredients for the cooking class. Then we returned to the instructors house to prepare the dumplings. The class was fun, informative and the results were delicious.
Review by: Susan A, May 2016
This class was a lot to f fun! The trip to the market was great because the chef took the time to walk through pointing out all the different items, their taste, origins, etc. the food was amazing and was fun to learn the techniques. Would definitely take more classes here if I had the opportunity!! Thank you for a great experience!!
Review by: Jennifer S, April 2016
We loved this tour!! The market was so interesting to see, our guide was personable and knowledgeable, and the dumplings we made were amazing! We were so glad we took this class.
Review by: Jamie K, April 2016
My teenage daughters, husband and I all cooked at this class and had a fantastic time. The market tour was very interesting too. I have to eat gluten free and they were very accommodating, substituting ingredients so I could have all the recipes. Everything was tasty and we had a relaxing time. I bought a handmade knife for my kitchen at home. Our only challenge was getting there during rush hour. Metro was our best bet.
Review by: Paul Samuel C, March 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed the cooking class I learnt a lot from the chef and it was very hands on. The market tour was great too but I preferred the class more. Overall it was a terrific experience to learn about Chinese cuisine.
Review by: Michael B, February 2016
After a very long flight from Chicago, we arrived in Beijing and got to our hotel pretty late at night. We woke quickly the next morning thanks to jet lag and excitement to take the Market Tour and Dumpling cooking class. It was the perfect first day for our 5 day trip to Beijing. The market tour was my wife, our chef, and myself and we had a great time venturing through the seasonal vegetables, noodle counters, and protein areas fish area, pork, beef, etc.. After we returned we prepared for the cooking portion and were joined by three women from Norway. The chef was personable, patient, funny, and make the entire experience something that I'd do again anytime I am in Beijing. Thanks again!
Review by: Gail W, January 2016
This cooking class was truly worth it. From start to finish it was informative and interactive. Our instructors were pleasant and attentive to every detail. The market tour was to a lovely market nearby to buy the ingredients for the meal we were cooking. A worthwhile addition to our Beijing experience. A tour not to be missed.
Review by: Anna M, January 2016
Highly Recommend! I had the most delightful and instructive experience with Chef Zhou Chao and was lucky enough to be the only student in class. He is knowledgable, skilled, charming and an excellent teacher. After a detailed description of the differences between the wine, soy sauces and vinegars we would be using, we headed off to a gigantic indoor market to buy vegetables, tofu and meat for our menu.
Review by: leona.tooley, November 2015
Wish I could rate this tour 5 stars!!! This was one of the highlights of my trip to Beijing. My travel buddy and I arrived to find that we were the only two people in the cooking class that day, so we basically had a private cooking class all to ourselves! Our class started with a trip to the local market in the hutongs. This was surprisingly very enjoyable as our tour leader walked us through all the key fruits, veg and spices that are important to Chinese cooking. Upon returning to the kitchen, we then cooked a Szechuan feast of Gang Bai chicken, Stir-fried green beans, Ma Pao Tofu and Beer duck. Our tour guide was an experienced chef and he was incredibly patient with us as he walked us through every step of the cooking process. The food was AMAZING! I have since cooked the recipes again since returning home to Australia using the take home recipe cards as a guide! and the food was great and I certainly impressed my family with my efforts. All up, the tour guide was incredibly professional and easy to get along with and the experience was a whole lot of fun. Highly recommended!
Review by: Jera O, November 2015
Excellent! Perfect way for a traveler with limited time in the country to delve deeply into an aspect of Chinese culture. All the food was delicious. Another student bought some Dragon Eyes and a Pomello from the market to share, so that made it extra special. Since you make a few dishes, the first one is a little cold by the time you sit down to eat it, but a restaurant-type heater can easily fix this.
Review by: Jessica B, October 2015
The hosts were very nice and the cooking class was fun. It was easy enough and tasted great. A little long of a class, but left very full!
Review by: Timothy B, October 2015
This was an amazing cooking class, they are not messing around giving you an extremely immersive and intense cooking experience. Delicious and way too much food but in a great way :.
Review by: Elaine B, September 2015
What nice people and what a great day _br/_ I would do any class with this bother and sister they were fantastic._br/_ Market visit was great and the cooking was a great experience_br/_ Come hungry as you prepare a lot but you can get a doggy bag
Review by: KELLY REGINA L, August 2015
The dishes were great, really tasty. But they should work out a little bit more on the presentation. _br/_
Lot's of moskitos outside, they can work something to help it. _br/_
Otherwise, I would recommend it.
Review by: Randy H, July 2015
Very enjoyable day. I had to travel quite a ways by subway, but found the place with ease. It was nice to see how people lived and shopped in that area of the city. Well worth the money it cost for the class. The instructor was easy to understand and enjoyable to learn from.
Review by: eaglediva, June 2015
I had a little trouble finding the location, but once inside I had an amazing experience. The market tour was interesting. I found foods I never saw before but learned how to cook with them. I had a fantastic time learning the recipes and want to return to learn more!
Review by: Andrew D, June 2015
The tour and the cooking class was everything i could hope for . It was the perfect date day .
Review by: Danny J, June 2015
This cooking class really showed us some techniques for cooking Chinese style dishes that i have never known before. Our market tour allowed us to ask lots of questions about what the fabulous fresh fruits and vegetables we saw. Our instructor picked up the best ingredients here and had replacements back at the school for the ones not up to her standards. The class was small to allow for real individual instruction. My advice, download the map to find the location. We followed the text directions and walked confidently there, but the map you can find on the website or here uploaded by another reviewer will be very helpful.
Review by: Jonathan A, March 2015
A great way to cook chinese food and lear to do so the visit to the market is great too. The guide will provides you really good help, advices to have a tasty meal and be ready there will be lot of food to eat !
Review by: Tracy S, December 2014
Great class. Lots of fun. Recommend
Review by: dirtwidow, December 2014
This was one of the highlights of our trip. The market tour was very interesting, seeing everything so fresh and well displayed -- along side some ingredients that were very far removed from our North American diet. The instruction was easy and we all were responsible for cooking the recipes after Chef demonstrated each one. I would recommend this experience to every person who likes to cook and wants to learn about other cultures -- a truly great time, money well spent!
Review by: C and A, September 2014
The experience was very good... finding the location was very easy, clearly marked even with the streams of local folks going about their day. The Market visit was good but it would have been better to be able to pick our own food. Then the cooking class..Chunyi was very friendly and good at explaining why we're doing what we did. The food we prepared tasted almost as good as her version... the only thing I thought was disappointing was that I asked Chunyi to join us for dinner she declined, stating it was too early for her to eat lunch...which is fair enough...however, I went into the hutong for water and found she was eating with her colleague...
Review by: Molly O, July 2014
It was an excellent class with great people.
Review by: Susan M, July 2014
This was terrific! We went early and accompanied the Chef to the local market - really fascinating. the class and the food were great. Really yummy! I had my 13 year old son and there was another Mom there with a 12 year old daughter and they loved it too. really great to learn more about Chinese cuisine - we got to keep the recipes and can make them at home.
Review by: psutton, July 2014
Great tour, great chef. Very knowledgeable instructor gave an excellent insight to the markets, the ingredients we used, and the cooking techniques employed. A very worthwhile class, and I have been a chef more than 35 years, so I am a hard marker!
Review by: Paul S, June 2014
A great experience. Market tour for ingredients then back to the Kitchen to cook some yummy food
Review by: David M, May 2014
We had a lovely morning with Chunyi. It was only my wife and I on the course and it was our last day in Beijing. We had great fun. We arrived early (I have attached a map downloaded direct from Chunyi's website the entrance is down a small hutong approximately 100 yards on the left of DengCao Hutong from DongSi South Street and there is a sign on the door reading hutong cuisine (No 35). Go to the website and have a look for directions and contact details if you have any problems you can call the school although we found it very easy to find) The market tour was really interesting and only a short walk from the school. Chunyi showed us all the ingredients we would be using so that we could buy them when we are back in the UK. Then it was back to the school to prepare and then cook 3 dishes before watching her cook desert for us. On Chunyi's website you can find out what you will be cooking on your course as they are listed months in advance with pictures as well, we did beef, chicken and cabbage dishes. All the food was amazing and we will certainly be trying to make it again now we are home. Make sure you don't eat too much breakfast as there is a lot of food and we were stuffed by the end of the course. Thank You Chunyi for a lovely end to our amazing holiday in Beijing.
Review by: Timothy M, March 2014
A very enjoyable tour. The one negative I had was that I expected that we would buy some of our ingredients at our market stop. We did not. We walked around the market and left. All the ingredients had already been bought when we returned to the kitchen. Oh well.....
Review by: Alison E, December 2013
Fantastic. Interesting, knowledgeable and fun. Chunyi spoke excellent english. The market tour was interesting and the cooking class simple and fun. Her cooking space is clean and well laid out. A great day!
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