What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Easy going pace, loads of fun, interesting facts , great host & team, 100% amazing experience !!!

  Tour12785350040,Mar 12, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Myself and wife booked this direct with the Riverside website, whilst in Thailand and got immediate confirmation, as well as WhatsApp communication directly from Apple herself, answering our queries. The day was totally planned to perfection by Apple and her team. Pick up from our hotel was on time and we were driven to an authentic Thai public, market, almost hidden from the main roads, just 2 mins outside Bang Niang (known in the Khao Lak areas for its tourist night market ). Unless you can speak Thai, a solo visit to these local markets can seem tricky or even scary , if it's your first time, but walking alongside Apple and listening to her explanation and fun facts, will change that perception and make you feel comfortable immediately. It's nothing like a tourist market, there is no touristy crafts or printed t-shirts etc, but an abundant variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, fresh and dry cooking pastes, spices, oils , sauces, pans and everything else (Thai cuisine related) used daily by the locals. After Apple bought, (whilst explaining about them too) all the ingredients we needed to cook the 8 dishes (bespoke for our day) and which had been chosen in advance by each of us , we were driven for about 15-20 mins to the purposely built premises, in an idyllic quiet countryside location, sourounded by nothing else, but lush tropical nature and an array of bird, frog and other pleasant distant sounds and noises. The kitchen area has a solid roof, so the place is shady and protected from a possible rain, but also it's open from three sides, which makes it a naturally cool and bright area, so for comfort I recommend light clothing, as everyone wears an apron too. (Note: You will need to remove your shoes when you enter, so keep that in mind if you prefer to wear socks rather than just bare foot, but the floor is a totally smooth polished PVC style decking , and clean too , so no worries there). Everyone gets tasked to chop and prepare ingredients, not only for your own chosen dish , but to assist others too, as their chosen dish may require a lot more preparation, chopping peeling etc. It's all part of the fun anyway and a way to "break the ice" , with the rest of the group. Apple and her team have already worked out the order of which dishes need to be cooked or started first, because of their cooking time and/or complexity, so with extreme ease, the group gets to cook all 8 dishes, seamlessly and in a relatively short time. Although everyone gets their own allocated preparation station/area, there are only 2 live cooking stations, so the hosting team will tell you when it's your turn to step forward to cook your chosen dish. Whilst the 2 (at the time) people cook their dishes, under the guidance and supervision by Apple and her team , the rest of the group are gathered around the 2 cooking stations to observe the surprisingly (easier than expected, even if you have little or no cooking skills) straightforward techniques and participate in the informal chatting and funny bunter. I was genuinely worried about that part, where the rest are watching whilst I would be cooking my dish, but somehow the hosts have tactfully already made the whole session so informal and easy flowing, so it almost feels that the group of total strangers, already know each other, to the point that you will find yourself fully relaxed and naturally immersed and even chatting to Apple and/or her team and/or the rest of the group, as if you were at home, simply boiling your spaghetti. All the Riverside hosting team speak very good English and their communication was clear, with easy to follow instructions on each step, both during the preparation and the cooking stages. Also they will be able to answer immediately any questions you have or to provide any additional help you my need. As I mentioned, due to the perfectly ( in advance, behind the scenes) planned timing schedule from Apple's team, all dishes were cooked in a specific order, one after the other but were all finished within minutes apart and remained hot under a cloche/cover, which meant that as a group, we were all able to sit down together and enjoy sampling all the 8 dishes which we had just cooked. I highly recommend this experience, especially for the ones who love Thai food, as it will more than likely demistify what you may have considered as "out of my league to cook". This also applies to the ones who may have been hesitant to try certain, or less known Thai dishes, as not only you can see how simple they can be to cook , but also you can taste how delicious they are too, in a safe environment. Many Thanks 🙏 to Apple and her team for making that session so easy and fun. It took me and my wife, 8 visits to Thailand, before we finally booked this and to be honest, this was purely because we had pretty much exhausted the list of trips, excursions and things to do, in our previous visits, all the "highlights" etc... I can confirm and confess that we were wrong, this was one of the most authentic Thai experiences and one which we now wish that we had done previously. For sure we will do it again and cook different dishes next time. My 2 tips to anyone attending this cooking experience: Tip 1: Eat as little as you possibly can for breakfast that day, as the food cooked by the group on the day, is plentiful and you will regret it big style, if you are too full to sample everything and have extras too, not just from your own dish but from all the cooked dishes on that day. I had read a similar tip on somebody else's review and I thought they exaggerated... once again I confess that they were totally correct, so for the best experience, a maximum personal pleasure and the ultimate reward for your efforts, arrive hungry and trust me you will definitely leave full and very happy that you did that. Eating starts quicker than you think anyway, cooking and sampling the extra/bonus snacks, ie 2 types of spring rolls, sweet/desert and savoury , halfway in the session, so maybe around 10:30 to 11:00 ish. By around 12:00 to 12:30 ish, the group gets to eat all the cooked dishes. Then, after the final bunters and goodbyes, you will be simply driven back to your hotel, with the memory of a great experience. Tip 2: Choose reasonably, meaning considering not only what you simply love to eat when eating out, but also something that you will more than likely feel comfortable to also attempt to cook when you are back at your own home. I have nothing negative to mention about the whole experience, simply said, the satisfaction was way higher and more enjoyable than any of my expectations.

  

  

  

  

  

• Perfect Little Team

  Joanne W,Mar 10, 2026

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  From the moment we met Apple we knew it was a good choice booking our cooking lesson with her. She was friendly, knowledgeable, funny and professional and even gave us some fresh Aloe Vera and told me how to prepare it for my partners sun burn! It was very interesting/eye opening visiting the market with her beforehand and the class venue is lovely and quaint. It was a great idea that you get to try everyone else’s food as I have now discovered I have new favourite Thai dishes. I would absolutely recommend this trip and would definitely do it again. Also a big shout out to the two young ladies helping in the kitchen unfortunately, I didn’t get their names but they were fabulous, very helpful, friendly and polite. Also thank you to the driver who also helped my partner (😬) find some rehydration sachets as he was feeling a bit wobbly, also from the sunburn! All in all Apple and her team were perfect!

• Lovely experience for novice cooks.

  Malcolm H,Feb 28, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Lovely experience with Chef Apple at Riverside Cookery School. Very efficient, informative and friendly class. Would highly recommend.

  

  

• Authentic Thai cooking class – an unforgettable experience!

  katrinsG2423EX,Feb 23, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  A completely successful experience! The Thai cooking class was fantastic. We had a great group, a great cook named Apple and a super friendly team. The ambience was also very nice and authentic. The course began with a visit to a weekly market where Apple already explained many ingredients and foods – very interesting and educational. Then we started cooking, of course under professional and easy-to-understand guidance. In the end, we all ate together, and everyone could taste every dish. Everything tasted incredibly delicious! A really great experience that we can fully recommend. Highly recommended! 🌟

  

  

  

• Fantastic cooking experience

  Roam625999,Feb 20, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  I was bought this as a gift for my birthday. I was a little apprehensive as I am a novice cook. It was a fantastic experience which I would highly recommend. You could choose what to make from an extensive menu, you then visit the local market for your ingredients and then cook in a beautiful setting before enjoying what you and the others in your group prepared.

• Amazing experience

  Vacationer814417,Feb 20, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Apple was amazing! She was very progressional and spoke very good English. She explained everything at the market and while we were cooking. It was the highlight of our trip and would highly recommend her class! Jim and Linda

• Cooking with Apple

  Traveler38647366007,Feb 18, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  From the moment Apple picked me up from the hotel, I knew I was in for a treat. Apple is the loveliest person and makes the cooking so easy. I learnt 7 recipes in one morning - enough to keep my family happy for months! If you get a chance to cook with Apple - grab it!

• Amazing apple

  Richard E,Feb 15, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Was a really great day and very informative from apple and her staff .I can now cook some Thai dishes .apple and her staff were great. Would highly recommend this trip

• Incredible cooking class!

  407naamal,Feb 13, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  This was an incredible experience! Could not recommend more. From the market to Apple’s garden and her lovely staff. It was all 1000/10. Apple was a wonderful guide, incredibly knowledgeable, fun and energetic. The dishes we cooked were honestly the best we’ve had in Thailand. Cannot wait to recreate them at home!

  

• Great and fun experience!

  KARIN B,Feb 8, 2026

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Apple is a really wonderful chef, her energy and knowledge of Thai cooking are contagious and great fun. I learned a lot and had a delicious meal as a reward. Worth every Bath!

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