I had scheduled a cooking class for the first weekend in March. It was all set and confirmed- we had even picked the menu. I got an email two weeks before the date and they said that something had come up and gave me alternative dates. This event was for people out of town and needed to be that specific date. Luis emailed me back and said that another date would be the date. I was very frustrated that the date was changed. I made a booking elsewhere. Thai Fresh emailed me and said that they could actually do the original date. I emailed them back and told them that I already had another booking. My suggestion would be to keep bookings and not try to reschedule. Very frustrating working with them. read more

I was tasked to plan a bachelorette weekend trip in Austin with 5 girls. The cooking class came up on Groupon, and thought it would be a fun idea to add this to our itinerary. Since we were going to be in Austin a specific weekend, we didn't have much of a choice on what class to take. The only class available was Thai Vegetarians. All the girls ended up liking the food. We made Hot and Sour Soup, Bean Thread Salad w/ tofu and mushroom, Pad Prik King w/ tofu and red curry paste, and Pad Sea Ew w/ tofu and eggs. I thought they tasted as good as the dishes with meat. There were a total of 11 people in the class. Jam was feeling under the weather, but you wouldn't have known it. We all stood around an island while Jam explained the dish and the ingredients while guiding us on what to do next. The island was split up in three burners so there were 3-4 people making a serving of each dish. It was interactive and we all were able to contribute. She gave us a hard copy of the recipes at the beginning of class, and you can chose to follow them/take notes. There were a lot of leftovers and some brought them to go. It was a little warm inside. They needed to crank up the temperature just a wee bit. They also ran out of Thai tea. We ordered 5 but they only had enough to make 1. I do agree with the other reviewers about the cost of the class. I wouldn't have paid the full price for this type of class and am glad we purchased a Groupon. Overall, we had a great time. We left there full and more knowledgeable about Thai cooking. read more

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This review is for their cooking class only. I am very grateful that I used a groupon to pay for the class, otherwise I would have been very upset. It cost me $45 for two people, not the usual $90 which is very, very good. We learned to make pad thai, sticky rice, curry sauce and coconut soup. The instructor, Jam, did a lot of talking and much of the cooking herself. I was very disappointed that we didn't get to cook ourselves or at least get to cut up all of the vegetables and/or do some stirring. I was expecting a more hands-on class. I have no idea how to make the sticky rice since she made it beforehand and just served it to us. It was tasty, yes, but this is a CLASS. I want to do the things myself with her guidance. It was more of a cooking demo. I felt that the class was crowded, and judging by the fact that there were no leftovers (she told us to bring tupperware to take the extra home), it probably was overbooked. Originally it was supposed to be a BYOB class but this was changed last minute. She had beer/wine for purchase. I wouldn't pay full price to attend this cooking class, and I would NOT go on a weekend. read more

What: Thai Cooking Class Why: Because my pad thai was not up to par to what I like from a pad thai Who: Me + my boyf + dozen other eager folks + Jam (teacher) Like others that were in the class, I had a groupon for our class -- I'm not sure if I would pay $60 for the regular class price. The class was informative and exactly what I needed to learn how to make pad thai at home. I will say that if you're looking for a personal hands-on experience, this is not it (but they do offer it on their website). I didn't need to learn how to cut things or where to find certain thai ingredients, so it was the perfect class for me. Jam was lovely and made it a cinch to understand what was going on. All the recipes are in packet form that you can take home. I took the "Thai Favorites" class. The dishes were delicious and the homemade ice cream that they have on-hand is AMAZING. Jam isn't lying when she says their chocolate ice cream is the best in town. I would definitely suggest this class for anyone who is looking to make certain Thai dishes at home! read more

Took a cooking class here the other evening! Learned to make Lemongrass soup, Thai Omelet, Pad Sea Ew and Curry Pineapple Fried rice. Everything was as good as you get in the restaurant and surprisingly easy to make, once someone shows you. Further more she told us how to modify the recipes to make the soup with coconut milk or beef, how Pad Sea Ew is a flexible dish that will allow you use nearly any kind of veggie, and most importantly, where to get the ingredients. And the Thai Omelet easily becomes Thai Omelet Breakfast tacos which are awesome, as evidenced by the fact that they are the best sellers for breakfast tacos. Just add siracha! And if that wasn't enough, bottles of wine were half off Wednesday night. Great way to spend the evening either with the groupon or full price.. and bring a pen to take notes. read more

Thai Fresh Cooking Classes - Pad Sea Ew, Curry Fried Rice, Thai Omelet and rice from a cooking class on 5/8/12 - Cooking Classes Near Me - Austin, Texas

The most common "fancy" dinner at my house consists of small and slightly seasoned chicken chunks (from the freezer), green pepper slices, thin spaghetti and a good ole jar of Prego. That's on a good day. So, to say the Thai Favorites cooking class at Thai Fresh was out of my comfort zone is an understatement. Rome wasn't built in a day and "fancy" cooking takes work, but the cooking class was a great inspiration to my future cooking greatness. Jam, Thai Fresh owner and cooking class instructor, is incredibly passionate about Thai cooking. She explained a lot about the foundations of Thai cooking, where ingredients came from and why they are used. My favorite thing was tasting the curry's before and after fish oil is added. Each person got a printed packet of the recipes, and we made 4 different things in the class: coconut soup, red curry, pad thai and sticky rice with mango, the favorite dishes of people who aren't Thai. After the dishes were made, we sat down with a plate and chowed down. The dishes were really good, and my favorites were the red curry and sticky rice with mango. I'm now ready for my rise to fame as a Thai chef! Ok, not really, but the class (and any of the different classes) is legit for you to start learning Thai cooking. If you come to a cooking class, don't forget tupperware to take home extras! Also, Thai Fresh has a grocery section so that you can easily buy all the ingredients right then to try making the dishes at home. If you come to eat, know that the food might not be what you're expecting. The pre-made food heated in a microwave isn't the best, but the food is fresh and it would be a good take-out option that you can heat up in your own skillet or pot. I'll definitely come back for the homemade ice cream. They have interesting flavors, such as carrot cake or thai tea, and they also have vegan ice cream choices. A couple of people in the cooking class got ice cream, which is surprising because I was stuffed after all that food, and they said it was great. Now, off to plan my new, real "fancy" dinner! read more

This may quickly become a favorite of mine. I haven't actually eaten here, well, I guess I have, but it was via a cooking class. I took the "Thai Favorites" class yesterday and really liked it. Jam, the owner, taught us how to make Coconut Soup, Pad Thai, Red Curry & Sticky Rice. In addition to being a Thai restaurant, they also serve a variety of international teas, ice cream and there's a coffee shop next door owned by the same people. They also are an Asian market although they were out of a lot of stuff yesterday. This place is super cute and in a great location, I can't wait to go back and hang out in the coffee shop/eat some Thai food/do some grocery shopping! read more

My girlfriends and I went to do the Wednesday night cooking class. I ran late and ended up hanging out. But they had a good time cooking up some pad thai, red curry, and sticky rice. I had a bite of everything and it tasted pretty good. The homemade ice cream they make is a must try, they have flavors like thai basil, orange coconut and many many more. Consistency is more like a gelato. Yummy. The owner was super nice and we bought a lot of ingredients from the grocery store to make thai food at home. The atmosphere is really neat. Very organic of course. I had arrived late and went to the deli to grab a beer and it was open mic night. Fun stuff. Pecan porter on tap. I very much enjoyed it. read more

Three of us took a Thai cooking class from Jam here. She is fantastic. We learned about how she makes the restaurant food and there are not many shortcuts to her good food! She even told us how we can start our own Thai Garden (Austin has the perfect environment for growing Thai veggies). I took the class about what Thai people order when they eat out. The dishes have so many ingredients in them-which gives Thai food such a variety of flavors in every bite. Jam works hard to buy local fresh ingredients. This place is also a store; with hard to find Thai ingredients (saves us a trip to North Austin). I definitely recommend any cooking class-a great way to meet new people, eat well, and spend a relaxing evening. We were stuffed after a long meal but still found a way to try the homemade Thai icecream flavors-who would have thought corn icecream or Thai Basil icecream would be so creamy and sweet? read more

I went for a Thai cooking class thanks to a Groupon that I had. I'll start by saying that I am happy for the Groupon, I would have been significantly more disappointed had I paid full price. Having been to cooking classes at Central Market and Whole Foods, for the price and the description, I expected classes to be more like those. The hands on classes at either location gives you the chance to make your own portion of it, really letting you learn how to make the dishes. This class was more of a group demonstration of recipes. I am very happy to have the recipes but I probably wouldn't take another class there. I had planned on getting an additional serving of red curry to take home for the boyfriend so we could share what I had made in class, but what was in the case looked less than appetizing and due to food allergies I didn't eat any of the food we made in class (again another bonus to Central Market and Whole Foods). I ended up stopping at a fav Thai restaurant to get dinner instead. Jam was really nice and entertaining and had lots of cool info to share. read more

I found this place a couple of years ago while looking for a Thai cooking class. I have attended a couple classes and they are great. You learn how to make the real Thai recipes hands on and get to eat your creations right there. The food served at the restaurant is excellent and we recently tried the brunch which did not disappoint. I tried the gluten free thai fried chicken and waffle and it was amazing! They offer a lot of gluten free dishes and desserts as well. read more

Great little Thai place, next to a beer selling coffee shop. We came here thanks to a Thai cooking class we bought on Groupon. The restaurant has a uniquely home-kitchen vibe as soon as you walk in. The coffee shop next door sells some draft brews, but you'll wait a while as the baristas have to poor in between coffee orders. The owner is a good teacher, as we learned just how easy and fun it can be to cook your own Thai food. The only problem is, now that I know how to cook it, I have no reason to go back. read more

If u really enjoy cooking then you will appreciate the cooking class Thai Fresh. The instructor was very knowledgeable about each ingredient that she used. The curious George in me loved listening to all the neat tidbits on how to chop, store, and even grow some of the items. The pad Thai comes out amazing! And all the people in the class were super friendly. I had a great time! However there was barely any leftovers. I could tell that alot of the people came prepared to take things back, I for one was excited to share my cooking w my boyfriend when I got home. After all he bought the class for me as a present. I talked to a few girls that also wanted to take things home to their other half and weren't too happy about the small amount left over. If they hadn't said to bring containers bc there's lots of leftovers I wouldn't have cared that much. But almost everyone was counting on taking stuff back. Honestly there was hardly enough soup for the class to eat. If they want a five star rating then they need to cook up some more soup, rice, and noodles. One girl even said she felt like she was scavenging for food, not cool. read more

I took a second cooking class at Thai Fresh (My Favorites). I have to say that although these classes are more of a cooking demonstration, I have learned a lot, and they have really de-mystified Thai cooking for me. Now that I have eight recipes under my belt, I may never go out for Thai food again! I can just make it at home. If you see a Groupon for a Thai Fresh cooking class, it's well worth it. I've made some of the dishes I learned for my friends and family and have received glowing reviews. Jam is really passionate about Thai cooking and now, I am too. read more

I came to Thai Fresh for the Thai Favorites cooking class, thanks to a Groupon that ran back in August or September. I had low expectations going in to the class, but the experience was just lovely. The class was "full" (I can't recall precisely, but there were between 12 and 16 of us in the class), and I was pleased to see a wide variety of participants, with various levels of cooking experience and interest. I personally attended by myself, but many seemed to be there in couples or in groups of friends. I think the class structure was extremely effective. To me, the class was demonstration heavy and had most of the prep work in place. This means that a lot of the class was spent discussing the unique attributes of Thai cuisine and ingredients, and participation was limited to adding ingredients in to active pots and sometimes chopping an ingredient or so. The instructor, Jam, was effortlessly wonderful. Her expertise and passion are both evident and infectious. She was so laid back and conversational - like working with an old friend. At the end of the day, we all left with recipes and ingredient lists for successful Thai cooking. When all was prepared, the food was beyond delicious - and we had the benefit of knowing just how simple it was to put together those great flavors. Emails prior to the start of class encouraged us to bring containers to take home leftovers, and I made the mistake of not following this directive. We all stuffed our faces and enjoyed a friendly and leisurely meal, and the few smart students with tupperware took the leftovers home. The most pleasant food surprise was the sticky rice dessert, normally served with mango. Since the kitchen was out of fresh mango, Jam suggested we try it with some Thai ice cream. I swear, it was the most indulgently rich and satisfying concoction I have ever tasted! I would definitely head back to Thai Fresh for another class, and would especially enjoy signing up with a big group of friends. Parking is tight in the lot, but there are tons of spaces in the surrounding neighborhood. read more

I took the Thai cooking class. It was basically about 10 or so people standing around one pot and watching the instructor cook. What they claim as hands on experience is sharing 3 cutting boards amongst 10 people and taking turn in cutting some ingredients. I felt like paying $35 (got a Groupon deal/normally $65) for watching cooking channel. Also there was no instruction given about cleanliness, so people, let alone the instructor, were wiping sweat (the place is super hot) and touching hair while handling foods. I felt so grossed out and came home empty handed, though I brought a few Tupperware. The foods tasted good so that's the only consolation for wasting money for something I could have accomplished by a Thai cookbook or food channel. read more

Last Christmas my husband and I received a Groupon for a cooking class for two at Thai Fresh, and we finally got around to redeeming it tonight at Jam's Vegetarian Favorites class. We learned to make tom kha soup, pad Thai, red curry, and sticky rice with mango. The class had approximately 10 people, which didn't feel crowded at all, and still allowed for every person to contribute to the cooking process. Jam is a great instructor, and she is very warm and funny. She took the time to inform us about each unique ingredient that may have been unfamiliar and passed a sample around for each person to taste/smell/experience, and even advised that some of them can be grown here in Austin quite easily. She also had us each cut up or prepare some of the ingredients, although she did have some of them prepped before-hand so that we would have enough time to cook all the dishes planned. I really liked this approach because I'm not a beginner cook, and don't need to be shown how to do each little step, such as mincing chili peppers or shallots. Also, I feel that one of the best ways to learn to cook is by doing things on your own and making mistakes and learning from those mistakes, so not cooking the rice, for instance, ourselves to me is not a big loss in the process of learning to make Thai food. Jam did have us do all the cooking, which was really satisfying and made us feel proud of what we had accomplished. Speaking of what was accomplished, the end result was amazing! The whole process was so much fun, and the food we made was sooo delicious. I left class feeling excited, invigorated, and confident. Jam totally demystified Thai cooking for me, and I'm so anxious to try it out on my own at home. read more

I took my fiancé to the Thai Curries 1 class as a Christmas present, and it was great!! We had never been to Thai Fresh before, but we will definitely be back and probably for another class! Jam (the teacher/owner) was incredibly informative, we learned so much! She laid out for you what all of the ingredients are, where/when to find them, how to store them, how to cut them, and lets you smell them. They also carry most of the ingredients in the store part of the restaurant which is great! She also described what many recipes mean when they say certain things such as "roast the spices." We made three different curries, so the class of about 10 split up into three groups and we each made a different curry. But we were all able to go around and talk to each other about the curries we were making and smell them all and whatnot. Jam was there the whole time explaining what to look for and how you know when a certain step is done and whatnot. At the end, we all ate our creations and they were amazing! We even got to take leftovers home! Additionally, after the class my fiancé and I purchased ice cream from them as well and it was incredible! Definitely going back!!! read more

Jam's curry class rocked! She was friendly, engaging, and entertaining! Oh - and the curries! I will not give away too many details - but just go if you are curry fanatics! read more

We took Jam's curries class and had a lot of fun. She was informative and fun, and we enjoyed learning about things like making curry paste, seasoning with fish sauce, and using asian produce and groceries like dried shrimp and keffir limes. The whole class prepared 2 of the 4 dishes together and then we split into two groups to each make the remaining dishes. Everything was really tasty and we had a nice time with our classmates. The printed recipes don't precisely match the way we prepared the dishes, but they're close enough and remind you cooking doesn't have to be that exact. We attempted to make the green curry at home last week and it really didn't turn out. However, we were missing some key ingredients and didn't use the brands Jam recommended, so we'll have to try again. read more

This was the 3rd class I've taken with Jam, and it was once again fantastic! She's shares plenty of detailed information that a cooking book will never share, and keeps the class entertaining. I honestly can't say enough good things about this place as well as the classes. read more

I love Thai Fresh! I have taken already 2 of the cooking classes and I enjoy them so much. You have to take a class if you want to learn how to make your favorite Thai dishes. Jam loves cooking and sharing her experience and skills and it makes the class super fun and easy. I get easily intimidated by noodles and things I have not cooked before, I have experience only making Bulgarian dishes, but Jam is so friendly and so easy-going, that she makes cooking look simple, Those extra tips she gives are so valuable! Thai Fresh has a market and you can buy what you need while eating there or after your class. Who does not want to save a trip to yet another store? I highly recommend both the food and the classes! :) Support the local businesses who support also local businesses! read more

I haven't had a meal meal here but I did the Thai Favorites cooking class and had the BEST time. It was very hands on and informative. The food we made was delicious and I genuinely feel that I could now make it. I like the pace of the class, you cook one thing and then sit to eat it, cook the next thing, and then sit to eat it. It is a very real cooking situation, you aren't in a super fancy kitchen with appliances that you can never afford. They use things that you would have in your house and help you learn where you can buy the best ingredients at good prices. I will go back. read more

Great cooking class! Hands on and very well explained. The restaurant is very much what I think Austin to be so nt an odd set up at all, it was very cool. Can't wait to go for anther class and eat more delicious food. read more

Just did my long awaited class. Food was excellent, Jam very informative, ate way too much! Too bad I live so far away and can't get here often. Bought some ingredients to make Thai meals at home. read more