493585 Tue Feb 26 13:46:37 -0800 2008 7 48 Greater Asia 0 3437378 Has anyone had any experience with any of the cooking schools in Singapore or KL? Would you recommend any of these? How close are they to the downtown/public transit? How well taught were the classes? Any help would be greatly appreciated. -MM Tue Feb 26 13:46:37 -0800 2008 28871 MaggieMuffin 1 3438168 I live in KL. While I'm not one for cooking classes Malaysian friends have heaped highest praises on this cooking instructor. Her classes, which run the gamut from Malay to Chinese to pasta, fill up quickly so booking ahead is essential. http://rohanijelani.com/ Tue Feb 26 17:29:30 -0800 2008 3437378 13368 foodfirst 2 3442964 Thanks for the tip. I gather you are the tipster on all things foodie in KL. Do you have any other recommendations for things that I must do while I am there? I am really just coming to explore food for a few days. Thu Feb 28 06:22:44 -0800 2008 3438168 28871 MaggieMuffin 3 3491395 Maggie, I'm afraid my day-to-day in KL revolves mostly around food. The wet markets are worth a visit - I recommend Pudu market which is mostly Chinese with a bit of Indian and Malay and Chow Kit Market, which is much more of a 'wet' market and more obviously Malay. Go early for the former (it's really by 8) but later for the latter (doesn't really get going till 10am or so and Sundays are very quiet). I always enjoy a walk around Brickfields, one of KL's Little Indias -- up and down Jalan Tun Sambanthan (which is behind Sentral train station) and then further back, along the quieter shady streets. Especially nice in the morning bec you can stop for a hot roti and teh tarik. The Islamic Museum is pretty good. Lake Gardens are fine for a stroll but KL is so hot I'd do it early in the morning. Thu Mar 13 22:40:47 -0700 2008 3442964 13368 foodfirst 1 3475094 I don't know if this reply is too late, but I just got back from a week in Singapore. While there we took a class from the At-Sunrice cooking academy. At-Sunrice is a professional culinary academy located in Fort Canning Park but they offer classes for tourists as well. The first botanical garden in Singapore was in Fort Canning Park (founded in 1822) and we took a class that included a tour of the garden (many spices, herbs and fruit trees). Our instructor was great, very knowledgeable and passionate about his subject. We didn't stay for the full-on cooking part, but he demonstrated making a curry paste and five spice powder. I think the full class included 3-4 recipes and lunch. The class is offered three times a week so it's pretty easy to schedule. We booked and paid in advance through their website and they were very prompt with confirmation. Fort Canning Park is really close to central Singapore and just a few minute walk away from the Dhoby Ghaut metro station. http://www.at-sunrice.com/main_idx.html Sun Mar 09 10:48:23 -0700 2008 3437378 10171 ks in la 1 3491445 I took a cooking class from Ruqxana in 2006, and enjoyed it greatly. She's a Singapore native, of Indian descent, but teaches Malay and other cuisines. She speaks perfect English, has a good sense of humor, and is a good teacher. The class was presented in house in a residential district near the Marina, as I recall. I took a taxi from downtown. http://www.cookerymagic.com Here's a writeup of the class. She was well prepared, gracious, and I was the only student! (cost a little more, but well worth it for the ability to ask questions and fiddle with the ingredients). http://www.chowhound.com/topics/339929 BTW, see if you can find 'Singapore Heritage Foods' by Sylvia Tan while you're there (Kinukuya or Borders), and read James Oseland's 'Cradle of Flavor' before you go. Thu Mar 13 23:10:05 -0700 2008 3437378 43747 Leucadian 1 3550937 Report? Tue Apr 01 16:24:15 -0700 2008 3437378 43747 Leucadian 1 3574241 Thanks for all of the tips. I just returned from my trip and am able to report. I tried a number of places, all of those listed below plus some I found on websites. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that most of the schools offered general cooking classes or stuff like French and desserts on the days that I was there and I was not so interested in those. I had also reserved spots in a few classes that were eventually canceled due to low enrollment. Perhaps late March/early April is a very slow travel period. However, I did manage to take one class at the Coriander Leaf restaurant in Singapore. The space was beautiful, set on the water in Clarke's Quay. The menu was Singaporean, we did everything from Pepper crab, to veggies, to black rice dessert. The food was excellent, the instruction was very good, however, I think I had hoped for something much more interactive (we sat while they cooked) especially at about $100 a head. But overall I enjoyed the experience. I did manage to eat like a pig while I was in the area. So the trip was definitely worth it! -MM Tue Apr 08 13:24:47 -0700 2008 3437378 28871 MaggieMuffin