Tingly Thai Cooking Class: Tom Yum, Pad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice

The schedule is fixed and the school publishes it, which suits anyone who wants to know what the morning looks like before booking.

Half past eight at the school on Soi Phrachom, off Silom. Five minutes later you are in Wat Kheak fresh market, being shown the fruit, herbs, vegetables and spices that go into the dishes, and buying them.

Back at nine, and then three hours of cooking. Tom yum kung, the hot and sour prawn soup. Pad thai kung, fried noodles with prawns. A curry with chicken, and which one depends on the day: green on Mondays and Fridays, red on Tuesdays and Saturdays, panaeng on Wednesdays and Sundays, massaman on Thursdays. Then khao neeaw mamuang, mango with sticky rice.

The curry paste is made rather than bought, which is the part that changes how you cook at home, and every dish is assembled by you rather than demonstrated. Then you eat it. Noon, and the class is over.

Up to twelve people, in Thai or English, with all the equipment and ingredients provided and a recipe book at the end. Vegetarian versions are available. The school has other menus if you want a different set of dishes.