If your self-isolation diet has been less than impressive (no judgement here – I made nachos with Savoys the other day) then we are here to help. And so is Melbourne Thai restaurant BangPop.
The South Wharf venue is running online Thai cooking classes to help feed and entertain you during the shutdowns. BangPop is no stranger to cooking classes, having previously run them IRL out of the restaurant. They’ve adapted these classes for online, using Zoom to remotely teach budding chefs how to cook classic Thai dishes.
Here’s how it works. Once you’ve signed up to the class, BangPop will deliver the ingredients to your house on the morning of the class. Then you’ll be invited to join a Zoom meeting via your smartphone, tablet or laptop where you’ll be guided through the dishes by BangPop’s head chef.
Past classes have taught students how to make everything from Pad Krapow Nua (spicy stir-fried beef with holy basil and egg), Tod Man Khoa Pod (Thai-style corn fritters with sweet chilli sauce) and Moo Pin (pork skewers with coconut and peanut sauce).
BangPop is kicking things up a notch for its upcoming classes, offering budding chefs the chance to learn how to make caramelised pork belly with mhu ping (herb salad) and gai yang (Thai marinated chicken). This class requires a little more kitchen know-how than previous classes, but if you've completed one of BangPop's pad thai cooking classes, you should be right.
All you’ll need to supply is a wok (or large pan), some sharp knives and a chopping board, plus an internet connection for the Zoom meeting. Classes include all ingredients delivered – if you'd prefer to source the ingredients yourself, you can do that too. Free delivery is available to selected metro suburbs, but Bangpop can also deliver the ingredients as far as 45km away for an additional fee.
Visit the website to book and to find out more.