Is there a good cooking class in BJ?

My bf and I are interested in Chinese cooking very much. Just wondering if there is a good cooking class in BJ?

Thanks for your help!

Recently, I've been thinking about signing up for something like this too. The school I'm currently thinking about (found after a bit of web-surfing one afternoon) is this one, however I haven't yet been to see what it's like, so I can't really tell you whether it's any good. The price seems not too unreasonable, RMB 1150 for 20 classes, with classes being held on saturday and sunday afternoons, and it seems to be quite comprehensive in terms of the dishes that you learn to make. I'm guessing the instruction will be all in Chinese, so that might also be something you'd need to consider.

I have absolutely no clue if it's any good, but diqiucun has a cooking class on Saturday and Sundays, usually it costs about 8-12 yuan depending on what is being cooked that day (you may have to rsvp a day in advance, but that's it). They generally rotate the dishes they teach (i.e. they only teach a dozen or so i think)... i just keep on waiting for the basipingguo dish to be taught so i stop wasting oil and sugar trying to figure it out myself again:mrgreen:

wow, that's in interesting link Imron....I'm hungry now...

My friends have just been to one cooking class last week and said it was really good! They are near Houhai in a nice small courtyard, I have visited their webiste - seems good! Can check this out www.chef-at-work.com

Admin note: This user registered with an email address containing chef.at.work, so it's quite likely they are connected with this place in some way. However I'm letting the link through as it's relevant to the topic and some might find it useful.

Thank you all for your help! Yes, the chefatwork website looks really attractive, might try that first. Just not sure what kind of dish they teach, I am interested in learning dumplings and chaomian.

I dunno. I found the website annoying, especially the fact that there doesn't seem to be a way to skip the flash introduction. This is maybe not really an issue the first time you visit the site, but if you go back a second or third time (say to find the price or the address or something), then you have to wait through a minute or so of introduction before you can find the info you want. Also, 220 kuai seems far too expensive just to learn to make dumplings. If you have Chinese neighbours or friends, they'd probably teach you for free if you asked - that's how I learnt to make dumplings.

In addition to that, chef-at-work appears to use underhand methods to try and promote their business on online forums. I mean, why sneak around pretending to be an interested customer or a friend of someone who'd tried them. Surely if chef-at-work was any good, they wouldn't need to resort to such tactics.

I do know the lady working there, but haven't been to the class myself. But my friend's mum and sister came from US went to the class last week and said it was good, so I have confidence to tell people. (Because it is to help her to let more people know her class, so I am using her address then she can view more comments easier). In order to make this clear, I asked the lady to provide more comments for the class, can check the link below

http://www.localnoodles.com/review/business_detail.aspx?businessid=11642

I heard there is another cooking class called XinDongFang, haven't been there so can not give comments. But their price is much cheaper and you can also learn how to make roast duck. But I think different places offering different price always have their own reason, people may need to check out themself and see if it is worthy. And sorry I am by no mean to misleading people, anyone who has been there please provide more comments in the future.

Well, I"m thoroughly confused. First we get these two ads. Fair enough, it might be useful for someone, no problem with that. Then smilecherry registers to ask a question. Fair enough. Then we have sky9999, from the same IP address as smilecherry, registered with the email address from the chefatwork ads, recommending chefatwork but apparently only 'knows the woman'.

Perhaps someone at chefatwork would like to explain what they're doing, and why the free advertising wasn't enough? Oh, and I wouldn't recommend using your fourth account . . .

I do know the lady working there, but haven't been to the class myself. But my friend's mum and sister came from US went to the class last week and said it was good, so I have confidence to tell people.

Hmmm, and how do you explain the fact that both you and smilecherry have the same IP address?

Registering on the forums as one user to post a question, and then registering as another user to give an answer that promotes you or your friend's business is a pretty sneaky way to advertise if you ask me.

In order to make this clear, I asked the lady to provide more comments for the class, can check the link below

But when it's proven that you are known to register more than one username on a forum to promote a business, how can we know that all of those replies weren't written by you or someone else connected with chef-at-work? This sort of behaviour only serves to undermine the trust that people will have in your business. And definitely, in the future, any post I see promoting chef-at-work is going to have a cloud of suspicion over it.

Then smilecherry registers to ask a question. Fair enough. Then we have sky9999, from the same IP address as smilecherry, registered with the email address from the chefatwork ads, recommending chefatwork but apparently only 'knows the woman'.

Perhaps someone at chefatwork would like to explain what they're doing, and why the free advertising wasn't enough? Oh, and I wouldn't recommend using your fourth account . . .

Ouch, busted! I'm sure there's a very good explanation for all of this, and I'd love to hear it.

Registering on the forums as one user to post a question, and then registering as another user to give an answer that promotes you or your friend's business is a pretty sneaky way to advertise if you ask me.

(Let me rephrase what I originally wrote)

Take 2: Yes, but unfortunately, it's a very common way of doing things here.

And to clarify, by "here" I'm NOT referring to our lovely forum.

To the OP: 不许骗老外!

Dear all readers, I am sorry to have used two names on this forum to try to promote the business. Yes, I am from Chef-at-work cooking class, and this is the first time to try to do an online promotion - which apparently a very silly one. Please accept my apology for the bad feelings I brought you and of course this won't happen again. Since I am not able to remove this thread, so there might be more people reading this, if so please take this as a laugh about a silly person who has done a silly thing(I told my friend about this, and they all laughed at me). But if you still feel bad, you can always contact me and we will apologize directly to you and can also try to provide you a free cooking class (asume you are still interested in learning).

Have a good day!

we will apologize directly to you and can also try to provide you a free cooking class

Gosh, Roddy, how many forum members are there? Or is this offer only for admins? A sort of, what's it called, bribe? ;)

Haha, Heifeng maybe now's the time to ask how to make Basipingguo

But if you still feel bad, you can always contact me and we will apologize directly to you and can also try to provide you a free cooking class

You sure learned a lot about PR in the last few days

Good Idea Imron!

My apology will be happily accepted in the form of a dummy proof basipinguo recipe!

Ok, well, I've finally done a bit more research about the cooking school I mentioned in my earlier post.

The home-cooking class is run at the 新桃酒店, which is not too far from 大钟寺 metro stop on line-13. The classes are held on Saturdays and Sundays between 1 and 5pm, and altogether there are 20 different lessons (which continually repeat) meaning that you can start at any time. 1 day = 1 lesson, which involves learning how to make several dishes. The cost for 20 lessons is RMB 1,150, and includes both a demonstration of how to cook the dishes by a teacher as well as a practice session. You can also take individual lessons at a cost of 100 RMB per lesson + 50 RMB if you want to actually practice making the dish. If you like, you are also allowed to attend one lesson for free to see if you like the classes.

They said that on average there are about 20 people taking the classes.

I'll probably go along to the class this afternoon to see what it's like, and if seems good then I plan to sign up for all 20 classes. I'll report back on the results later.

Ok, things went pretty well, and in today's lesson they made 水煎包, 肉卷，金银卷 and 花卷

The classroom conditions were quite reasonable, however the room was barely large enough to fit everyone (there were 18 students including myself). However, after the demonstration section (which lasted the first 2 hours), about half the class left, so things were less crowded for the practice session. I'm not sure how the practice session would work out if more people hung around, however that also lasts for 2 hours, so I guess there's still plenty of time.

Here are some pics of the classroom.

The ingredients for that day's dishes are written on a whiteboard at the front of the classroom, and it's up to each student to copy this down for themselves (there are no handouts or other printed materials). Students also need to keep their own notes about the preparation and cooking methods. If you can't read and speak Chinese this is probably not going to be the type of cooking class for you.

The teacher seemed to know her stuff pretty well and gave good explanations about why things needed to be done a certain way, or answering questions about what/what not to do.

Tomorrow's class is the beginning of the 20 class cycle, and they'll be starting from the basics - knife/chopping skills.

Looks like a lot of fun, Imron. Were you the only guy there (not to mention foreigner)?

I noticed in the last photo they have some serious studio lighting going on - was the session videotaped?

So when are we going to hold a chinese-forums potluck/Wii tournament?

Yep, I was the only foreigner, but one of three guys. The lighting stuff is just lying around in the corner. I guess they must use it occasionally, but normal classes aren't recorded.

As for the potluck/Wii tournament, we're all still waiting for you to buy a Wii

As for the potluck/Wii tournament, we're all still waiting for you to buy a Wii

I got one actually. Barely using it, but if you're making dinner, I'd bring it along