Feature Image: Me and Red with our chef hats on

Choosing our Cooking Class

I’d rabidly researched cooking lessons in Siem Reap, and spent so long researching and deciding which one to attend, that by the time I’d settled on my ideal choice, there was no availability.

We’d already decided to head to Battambang next, so I switched my search to there, and instead of searching blogs, I jumped onto Trip Advisor to see what the recommendations were.

Coconut Lyly’s and Nary Kitchen were there two most popular. Even though Coconut Lyly had the #1 spot in Tripadvisor, Nary Kitchen had a lot more reviews so I sent an email on Sunday requesting to attend Friday’s class, and they wrote back straight away to confirm they also offered free pick up from our hotel.

Cooking Class Street in Battambang

We ended up walking to Nary’s kitchen on the morning of the class, and along the way we passed Coconut Lylys, which is just a couple of doors away on the same street.

Both of these schools are also restaurants, and both offered classes at the same price, of $10 to make four different dishes.

Travel Tip: If you’re planning on booking a cookery class at any of your Cambodia destinations, and there’s a particular one you want to go on, then it’s a good idea to book it in advance to avoid disappointment.

Choosing between Coconut Lyly and The Nary Kitchen

If you can’t decide between these two popular cooking classes, you could do like the Trippin’ Turpins did, and do both classes. Read their summary of doing one class in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

2 Awesome Cheap Cambodian Cooking Classes!

A Visit to Phsa Nat Central Market

Our last visit to the markets in Siem Reap was meant to be our last for a while. The odor of the Phsar Leu Thom Thmey Market was still etched to the inside of our nostrils, but our cooking class included a one-hour tour of the Phsa Nat market to buy the fresh ingredients we needed to make our three dishes.

Our market guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, which is difficult to sustain unless you love what you’re doing, seeing as the Nary Kitchen hosts two classes per day, seven days a week.

Read about our walk around the market before the class.

Nary Kitchen Cooking Class

We had ten Europeans in our class, some couples, some traveling buddies, and a couple of singles, and for two hours we were joined in a single-minded crusade to master Cambodian culinary arts.

The Nary Kitchen is a fully functioning restaurant that just happens to host cookery classes. It’s not slick or high tech, but it was friendly and informative. Mrs. Nary (Ro), master chef, doesn’t speak a lot of English, but she’s good at sign language and is incredibly approachable. Toot (Mr. Nary) – had an excellent command of the English language, and took the lead during the class.

The recipes changes during the week, and the choice depends on the availability of the fresh ingredients. The main course was Beef Lok Lak, but we asked to make Green Mango salad instead of the meat dish.

Cookery Class: Tofu Amok

The class started with a demonstration about how to make Fish Amok, but with yesterday’s river journey fresh in our mind, we opted to make Tofu Amok instead.

We started off by pounding all of the ingredients to make a robust flavored paste, and then added coconut milk to create the sauce mix. Navuth showed us how to make the banana leaf cups used as the Amok’s cooking and serving dish.

We marked our Amok’s with a clove of garlic, and each student’s banana leaf boat was marked with something different so that we would end up eating the one we made.

Once all the Fish and Tofu Amok were prepped, they were put in a steamer and placed on the stove to cook, while we make our other dishes.

The Amok sauce had an intense depth of flavor, similar to our Vegetable Amok at last night’s dinner. But the version we created in class was less sticky, and didn’t have any vegetables in it. It was just one ingredient (fish or tofu) in a coconut Amok sauce.

If you’re looking for a recipe for chicken, fish, or vegetable Amok check out Adrian’s take on this Cambodian classic.

Cookery Class: Spring Rolls

We’ve eaten our fair share of spring rolls at different Thai restaurants, so I was eager to see how Cambodian spring rolls compared.

Despite clear and specific instructions and about how to create and fold spring rolls, ours failed the consistent size test!

These vegetable spring rolls were fried and tasted delicious. The crispy shell was light and flaky, and the vegetable mix still retained part of it’s texture.

Cookery Class: Green Mango Salad

I’d tasted a couple of Green Mango Salad’s in Siem Reap, and on a hot day when you’re not really feeling very hungry but know you need to eat, the fresh crunchiness of the vegetable, mixed with the citrus and spicy chili dressing was really refreshing, so I was excited to master this salad.

While Toot was busy showing the rest of the class how to make the Beef Lok Lok, a popular Cambodia dish, which is served with a fried egg on top of the beef,

Ro pantomimed her way through the instructions on how Red and I should be making the Green Mango Salad.

I was really looking forward to eating this salad, but because of the timing of the Beef Lok Lok, our salads had to sit on the side (because there was no refrigeration available) until we were all ready to eat, so by the time we sat down to enjoy it, it was luke warm and had lost a bit of its appeal.

Eating Lunch after Class

Red decided not to eat his Mango Salad, but I polished mine off. I couldn’t leave the first Green Mango Salad I’d ever made, could I?

Oh! I almost forgot, we made a dessert of tapioca and coconut milk. I still have nightmares about rice pudding and semolina pudding desserts we were forced to eat during school dinners, so I really didn’t want to cook this dish, let alone eat it. But I was pleasantly surprised by it’s moreish appeal. But after the Spring Rolls, Tofu Amok, and Green Mango Salad there wasn’t a lot of room left for pudding.

Nary Kitchen Cookery Class Summary

I would have been happy to make three dishes rather than four. But I was pleased that we were able to substitute our fish and meat menu for vegetarian options. We weren’t the only ones who did a switch. A couple of German girls switched their Spring Rolls for a Green Mango Salad. So it’s good that Nary Kitchen provides that flexibility.

It’s only a small kitchen, and 10 really was the maximum class members that should be allowed in here. Not least because of how hot it was in the prep area. We had the side doors open and fans blowing on us, but the cloying, still heat, made for a sweaty lesson. The pink nylon chef hats didn’t help much either.

We certainly appreciated the much needed complimentary bottled water that was on endless supply.

A cookery class is an excellent way to learn a little bit about the local cuisine, and get some in-depth knowledge about the individual ingredients that are needed to make traditional Cambodian dishes.

Next time I’m in Battambang, I’m going to give the Coconut Lyly class a whirl. These really are the two most popular cookery classes in Battambang, and based on the reservations board at The Nary Kitchen, a cookery class is a popular tourist attraction.

Free Recipe PDF

Each class member was given a printed copy of the recipes we cooked. Not ideal if you’re backpacking around long-term and space is limited, and you don’t want to lug extra things around for your trip, but it was a nice touch.

More Information:

NARY KITCHEN is located in Battambang city center, near the central market (Phsa Nat or Psaa Nat), in the middle of the favorite tourist area, at walking distance of most hotels and guesthouses in Battambang.

• Phone number: 012 763 950
• Address: N. 650, Group 32, Prekmohatep, Svaypor, Battambang, Cambodia.
• Email: navuthk@yahoo.com

Additional Resources

Nary’s Kitchen Cooking Class video Playlist I created on YouTube (Contains 4 videos)

1. Jannell and Reid, blog over at My BF is GF, and they’ve done a fabulous review of their Nary’s Kitchen Class here
2. World Travel Family Living Differently have blogged about their Nary’s Kitchen Class here

Flashpacking through Cambodia

Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in.

I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B.

If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here.

Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:

• Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
• Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
• Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
• The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
• Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
• Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
• Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
• The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
• Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
• Where to Stay in Siem Reap
• Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
• Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
• Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
• What to See and Do in Siem Reap
• Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
• Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
• Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
• Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
• Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
• Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
• An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
• Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
• Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
• The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
• A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
• Phnom Penh Photo Diary
• Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
• Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
• A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
• Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
• The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
• Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
• Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
• Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
• Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
• Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
• Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
• Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
• Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
• Christmas Eve in Kampot
• more coming

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