Somrom Space

I had the best, best day cooking at Ying and Daniels beautiful home and learning all about traditional Thai cooking methods. We met at a quiet market full of local people and Ying was super knowledgable explaining all the local thai ingredients (some of which I had never seen, or even heard of). After picking up some fresh ingredients, we headed back to Ying and Daniels beautiful home, which is set in a secluded jungle location, and features amazing outdoor cooking facilities with a stunning garden where they grow all sorts of produce to be used in the cooking. Before we did any cooking we had a long chat about the history of thai cooking and how it has evolved through various influences. I sampled all the typical ingredients and we discussed the flavours which was itself an amazing experience with me learning so much. We then proceeded to cook 3 dishes that I had chosen from a list of dishes Ying shared the week before. These were not typical meals you would find in a restaurant back home,  but traditional dishes based on seasonal ingredients and using original cooking methods. I had so much fun cooking and then eating all three dishes toughout the day. I have been to other cooking classes in the past, which have been fun, however they have been more of a social activity to kill a few hours whilst on holiday. This was completely different, with one to one guidance throughout the whole day, and was far more educational eith detailed tastings and briefings on the food. In one day I have come away with more knowledge than I could ever have imagined. I cant wait to get home and bring it into my own cooking. Ying and Daniel told me they have had lots of professional chefs visit to learn about original cooking methods and refine their cooking skills, and I can see just how valuable and informative a one to one session with Ying would be to even the top worldwide chefs. I am somewhat at the other end of the spectrum, a home cook who only cooks for myself and girlfriend throughout the week, but Ying was still so pasionate in explaining the cuisine she loves so much to me, and passing on as much of her wisdom to me (a keen learner) as she could. This truly was an amzing experience and i would recomend to anybody with a true passion for thai food and who wants to learn about the original roots of thai cuisine. I hope to return one day 🙏

It was a long lesson of 6 days, and it was a tough lesson to make 5 dishes a day, but it was a lot of fun every day, and the 6 days flew by. Instead of the usual green curry or pad thai, the menu is full of traditional local dishes from Koh Samui. It seems that some ingredients on the menu are difficult to obtain, so they ordered various ingredients from the Internet and cooked them. On your first day, Ying will accompany you to the market, where you will learn to taste herbs and fresh produce. And her husband Daniel takes pictures from various places every day and sends me the data. In class, we used whiteboards to carefully explain the history of each region, how to use ingredients and seasonings, and the meaning of using ingredients. It will be a practice to be able to cook intuitively without looking at the recipe many times. Thanks to this, it became easier to think about how to substitute ingredients that are not found in Japan. In addition, Ying goes to the market every morning to buy fresh ingredients. my chose an octopus recipe. On days when there are no octopuses, we serve extremely fresh squid, and on days when we have fresh oysters, we change the menu! Ying’s attitude toward ingredients is also wonderful. Her teacher’s original recipe was very delicious and I was impressed! I would like you to choose dishes that use fruits. Also, the curry with freshly squeezed coconut milk is very delicious and recommended. All of them are delicious, so I think it will be a good experience no matter which one you choose. I highly recommend coming to Koh Samui just for this experience and meeting Ying, Daniel, his 3 cats and Ying’s father. Because they are very friendly and nice people. Ms. Yin is a very enthusiastic teacher who tries to teach all knowledge and I love her attitude and way of thinking about her teacher’s cooking.

A must- do experience in Koh Samui ✨ It wasn’t just a cooking class, it was learning about the traditional Thai cooking, culture, history not to mention the important and role of each and single one ingredient that we used. We started in the morning at the local market together with Ying, where we purchased all needed ingredients and she showed me spices and vegetables that I didn’t know existed (or that there are 4-5 types or Thai basil) 😂 Later on, we arrived at Ying’s traditional Thai house that looks like an amazing retreat where we were greeted by her lovely husband Daniel. We cooked for a few hours together, doing everything from scratch (even coconut milk and curry paste). The flavours were very deep, layered and absolutely unique. Ying and Daniel created such an amazing creative cooking space and lovely, fun and relaxed atmosphere with great energy and vibes💕 It literally felt like cooking with friends kind of a day - highly recommended!! It’s a must do experience in Koh Samui.