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VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Maia

Hanoi, Vietnam

USD
$32-$74 per person

Traditional Vietnamese cuisine in Hanoi

Host offerings
  • Cooking studio
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Maia

Friendly, curious, exuberant Maia welcomes you to her restaurant in Hanoi. Here, she will introduce you to her style of Vietnamese home cooking. Maia is a social butterfly who loves to share her culture, knowledge of the Vietnamese coffee and cuisine with visitors. She runs a travel agency and will offer recommendations for places to explore and eat in Hanoi.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-10 guests) Join Maia for a casual, fun meal of some of her favorite dishes. She prepares seasonal Vietnamese dishes like stir-fried morning glory, bun cha nem (grilled pork and fried spring rolls on fresh vermicelli), stir-fried squid with vegetables, banana flower salad, and crispy fried tofu in tomato sauce. Finish your meal with a traditional Hanoi egg coffee or seasonal fruit. The menu will vary based on the season.

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Maia (or someone from her team) will teach you to prepare two authentic Vietnamese dish from scratch. She will teach you to cook some of her favorite Vietnamese foods which you will later enjoy along with a few dishes that she will have prepared in advance. Your hands-on cooking lesson will last about 1.5 - 2 hours.

Market visit: (1-6 guests) For the market tour, Maia (or someone from her team) will take you to the neighborhood Yen Phu market, which is a short taxi ride from her restaurant. At the market she'll show you a variety of goods for sale, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood. Maia will show you how to pick the freshest vegetables from the vendors, and how to bargain and buy a few items for use in your meal. You will take a five minute taxi ride back to begin your cooking experience.

Notes:
1. Please note that unlike a typical Traveling Spoon experience that takes place in a host's home, this experience takes place in your host's restaurant. While there may be other people present, your experience with Maia will remain private.
2. When Maia is not available, an equally trusted team member hosts on her behalf.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Crispy tofu in tomato sauce
  • Papaya or banana flower salad
  • Caramel stewed pork
  • Stir-fried morning glory
  • Bun Cha
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Our lunch with Maia was a great experience. She was friendly, inviting, curious, patient, and a great cook. Maia’s food was simple and clean and delicious and the presentation was excellent. She prepared many items for us and they were all quite different. She was curious and asked us questions and let us ask many questions as well. She is charming and should definitely earn a spot on the TS map!

Christina, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (11)
Thank you so much Maia for a wonderful cooking class. It started with a tour of the local market before returning to Maia's home for a cooking class. My 11 and 9 year old sons got right into the food preparation. It was particularly nice to feel like you made a real connection with life in Vietnam - which is hard to do sometimes as a tourist. We all felt it was a highlight of our trip. Thank you again, Maia!
- robbo1111 January 28, 2019
My girlfriend and I visited Maia's home in Hanoi while on vacation in SE Asia. We were looking for a hands-on introduction to Vietnamese food and found exactly what we were wanted in this experience. Maia was a delight to spend an evening with, knowledgeable about her craft, and very hospitable. Would recommend to anyone looking to learn about authentic Vietnamese food in an intimate setting.
- Jonathan K September 16, 2018
Maia was a lovely host! She met us exactly where she specified, hopped into our cab to get to the market, and was very knowledgeable about showing us around. The cooking class experience in her home was lovely - her home was very clean and a great space for doing some cooking. Maia was great at letting us help with the process, explaining the dishes, and telling us about Hanoi and Vietnam.The one thing I'd say is that I was really looking forward to the market tour, but unfortunately the market isn't really open at night. There were a few open stalls, but most everything closes after the morning. I wish there had been a notification about this, as I might have changed our plans to a different tour time.
- Abigail B May 21, 2018
Maia has a bubbling witty personality and this energy adds greatly to the experience. I have done an individual course with her two years ago which was absolutely wonderful - she took me to her local market, then put me to work as we made various dishes including Hanoi spring rolls (I rolled about 60!! - great practice for home), pork with quails egg, several vegetable dishes and a soup. This year I brought 8 tour members with me to her home. This was Maia;s first big group and that was evident. The food was delicious but we did not do as much hands-on cooking as my friens would have liked. I talked to Maia baout this afterwards and she will learn from this and improve things, I know that for sure. My advice; talk through the details of the class with her ahead of time if you are in a large group (more than 4) and then TRUST HER to come through......In my experience she always does!
- John R April 20, 2018
Travel spoon provides experienced and rich gastronomic experiences. No the average ones, they provide the authentic and real ones. I felt involved in the local culture visiting markets I wouldn't have visit by my own. This is a experience for real foodies.
- Juan September 29, 2017
Maia was a great host - we met her and her business partner, as well as her mom and her niece. They were all really sweet. Maia did a great job of making sure we were comfortable during our time there. In addition to making some incredible food, Maia also sent us off with tons of recommendations of different places to go in Hanoi, which we did the next day. Overall, an amazing experience, highly recommended!
- Brian C July 07, 2017
Maia was a fantastic host. We enjoyed every aspect of the experience. Maia took us to a nearby market where we purchased fresh ingredients and interacted with the ladies at the market. We then spent time at Maia's lovely home and met her Mom and nephew. Under Maia's instruction, we cooked and talked like old friends right from the beginning! It was wonderful to sit down at the table with her family and eat Vietnamese food as locals would. We learned a lot more than just cooking as we shared information about our cultures. We left as friends and continue to keep in touch on facebook! A fantastic experience.
- Debbie C June 29, 2017
Maia was a great host - we met her and her business partner, as well as her mom and her niece. They were all really sweet. Maia did a great job of making sure we were comfortable during our time there. In addition to making some incredible food, Maia also sent us off with tons of recommendations of different places to go in Hanoi, which we did the next day. Overall, an amazing experience, highly recommended!
- Brian May 02, 2017
Maia was a fantastic host. We enjoyed every aspect of the experience. Maia took us to a nearby market where we purchased fresh ingredients and interacted with the ladies at the market. We then spent time at Maia's lovely home and met her Mom and nephew. Under Maia's instruction, we cooked and talked like old friends right from the beginning! It was wonderful to sit down at the table with her family and eat Vietnamese food as locals would. We learned a lot more than just cooking as we shared information about our cultures. We left as friends. A fantastic experience.
- Jack and Debbie Cooley April 17, 2017
spending an evening with Thanh and her family was one of my best memories of Hanoi.
- Dan Nevill February 08, 2017
I did not cook with Maia. However I spent some time with her during the housewarming she invited me too (the reason she couldn't accept my request). So this review is about Maia herself. Maia is extremely friendly and hospitable: she threw her house open to a group of strangers with no material incentive. She is both curious and knowledgeable about food and It's preparation. I loved spending time talking to her about Hanoi and Vietnam's culture (both food and general), and got a great deal out of the encounter even without cooking.
- WillJ December 31, 2016
Read More

Maia

$32-$74 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $40 $34 $32
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $56 $54
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $72 $70
Alcohol
 $4 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $40 $34 $32
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $56 $54
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $72 $70
Alcohol
 $4 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-9:00pm

Meet Maia

Friendly, curious, exuberant Maia welcomes you to her restaurant in Hanoi. Here, she will introduce you to her style of Vietnamese home cooking. Maia is a social butterfly who loves to share her culture, knowledge of the Vietnamese coffee and cuisine with visitors. She runs a travel agency and will offer recommendations for places to explore and eat in Hanoi.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-10 guests) Join Maia for a casual, fun meal of some of her favorite dishes. She prepares seasonal Vietnamese dishes like stir-fried morning glory, bun cha nem (grilled pork and fried spring rolls on fresh vermicelli), stir-fried squid with vegetables, banana flower salad, and crispy fried tofu in tomato sauce. Finish your meal with a traditional Hanoi egg coffee or seasonal fruit. The menu will vary based on the season.

Cooking experience: (1-6 guests) Maia (or someone from her team) will teach you to prepare two authentic Vietnamese dish from scratch. She will teach you to cook some of her favorite Vietnamese foods which you will later enjoy along with a few dishes that she will have prepared in advance. Your hands-on cooking lesson will last about 1.5 - 2 hours.

Market visit: (1-6 guests) For the market tour, Maia (or someone from her team) will take you to the neighborhood Yen Phu market, which is a short taxi ride from her restaurant. At the market she'll show you a variety of goods for sale, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and seafood. Maia will show you how to pick the freshest vegetables from the vendors, and how to bargain and buy a few items for use in your meal. You will take a five minute taxi ride back to begin your cooking experience.

Notes:
1. Please note that unlike a typical Traveling Spoon experience that takes place in a host's home, this experience takes place in your host's restaurant. While there may be other people present, your experience with Maia will remain private.
2. When Maia is not available, an equally trusted team member hosts on her behalf.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Crispy tofu in tomato sauce
  • Papaya or banana flower salad
  • Caramel stewed pork
  • Stir-fried morning glory
  • Bun Cha
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

Our lunch with Maia was a great experience. She was friendly, inviting, curious, patient, and a great cook. Maia’s food was simple and clean and delicious and the presentation was excellent. She prepared many items for us and they were all quite different. She was curious and asked us questions and let us ask many questions as well. She is charming and should definitely earn a spot on the TS map!

Christina, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (11)
Thank you so much Maia for a wonderful cooking class. It started with a tour of the local market before returning to Maia's home for a cooking class. My 11 and 9 year old sons got right into the food preparation. It was particularly nice to feel like you made a real connection with life in Vietnam - which is hard to do sometimes as a tourist. We all felt it was a highlight of our trip. Thank you again, Maia!
- robbo1111 January 28, 2019
My girlfriend and I visited Maia's home in Hanoi while on vacation in SE Asia. We were looking for a hands-on introduction to Vietnamese food and found exactly what we were wanted in this experience. Maia was a delight to spend an evening with, knowledgeable about her craft, and very hospitable. Would recommend to anyone looking to learn about authentic Vietnamese food in an intimate setting.
- Jonathan K September 16, 2018
Maia was a lovely host! She met us exactly where she specified, hopped into our cab to get to the market, and was very knowledgeable about showing us around. The cooking class experience in her home was lovely - her home was very clean and a great space for doing some cooking. Maia was great at letting us help with the process, explaining the dishes, and telling us about Hanoi and Vietnam.The one thing I'd say is that I was really looking forward to the market tour, but unfortunately the market isn't really open at night. There were a few open stalls, but most everything closes after the morning. I wish there had been a notification about this, as I might have changed our plans to a different tour time.
- Abigail B May 21, 2018
Maia has a bubbling witty personality and this energy adds greatly to the experience. I have done an individual course with her two years ago which was absolutely wonderful - she took me to her local market, then put me to work as we made various dishes including Hanoi spring rolls (I rolled about 60!! - great practice for home), pork with quails egg, several vegetable dishes and a soup. This year I brought 8 tour members with me to her home. This was Maia;s first big group and that was evident. The food was delicious but we did not do as much hands-on cooking as my friens would have liked. I talked to Maia baout this afterwards and she will learn from this and improve things, I know that for sure. My advice; talk through the details of the class with her ahead of time if you are in a large group (more than 4) and then TRUST HER to come through......In my experience she always does!
- John R April 20, 2018
Travel spoon provides experienced and rich gastronomic experiences. No the average ones, they provide the authentic and real ones. I felt involved in the local culture visiting markets I wouldn't have visit by my own. This is a experience for real foodies.
- Juan September 29, 2017
Maia was a great host - we met her and her business partner, as well as her mom and her niece. They were all really sweet. Maia did a great job of making sure we were comfortable during our time there. In addition to making some incredible food, Maia also sent us off with tons of recommendations of different places to go in Hanoi, which we did the next day. Overall, an amazing experience, highly recommended!
- Brian C July 07, 2017
Maia was a fantastic host. We enjoyed every aspect of the experience. Maia took us to a nearby market where we purchased fresh ingredients and interacted with the ladies at the market. We then spent time at Maia's lovely home and met her Mom and nephew. Under Maia's instruction, we cooked and talked like old friends right from the beginning! It was wonderful to sit down at the table with her family and eat Vietnamese food as locals would. We learned a lot more than just cooking as we shared information about our cultures. We left as friends and continue to keep in touch on facebook! A fantastic experience.
- Debbie C June 29, 2017
Maia was a great host - we met her and her business partner, as well as her mom and her niece. They were all really sweet. Maia did a great job of making sure we were comfortable during our time there. In addition to making some incredible food, Maia also sent us off with tons of recommendations of different places to go in Hanoi, which we did the next day. Overall, an amazing experience, highly recommended!
- Brian May 02, 2017
Maia was a fantastic host. We enjoyed every aspect of the experience. Maia took us to a nearby market where we purchased fresh ingredients and interacted with the ladies at the market. We then spent time at Maia's lovely home and met her Mom and nephew. Under Maia's instruction, we cooked and talked like old friends right from the beginning! It was wonderful to sit down at the table with her family and eat Vietnamese food as locals would. We learned a lot more than just cooking as we shared information about our cultures. We left as friends. A fantastic experience.
- Jack and Debbie Cooley April 17, 2017
spending an evening with Thanh and her family was one of my best memories of Hanoi.
- Dan Nevill February 08, 2017
I did not cook with Maia. However I spent some time with her during the housewarming she invited me too (the reason she couldn't accept my request). So this review is about Maia herself. Maia is extremely friendly and hospitable: she threw her house open to a group of strangers with no material incentive. She is both curious and knowledgeable about food and It's preparation. I loved spending time talking to her about Hanoi and Vietnam's culture (both food and general), and got a great deal out of the encounter even without cooking.
- WillJ December 31, 2016
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $40 $34 $32
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $56 $54
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $72 $70
Alcohol
 $4 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $40 $34 $32
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $62 $56 $54
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $74 $72 $70
Alcohol
 $4 per person
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 11:00am-2:00pm 6:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm 5:00pm-9:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 4% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can't make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host's profile doesn't work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host's family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the "Notes" section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.