Overview
Join guest chef Andy Oliver of Som Saa on this masterclass in Thai cookery and experience the enticing flavours of Thailand cooked at their best.
A Masterchef finalist, Andy specialises in creating regional Thai food with uncompromisingly authentic flavours. Andy lived and worked in Thailand for many years, pursuing his love of Thai cuisine and ingredients. He then honed his craft at the Michelin starred Thai restaurant Nahm, working alongside his Thai food hero David Thompson.
Now head chef and co-owner at Som Saa, he has turned his East London pop-up into an extraordinary permanent restaurant in Shoreditch, London.
Guided by Andy, you will learn to cook an exciting variety of regional Thai dishes from a classic Penang curry to lesser-known recipes, all packed with flavour. The class will cover various Thai cooking techniques such as making pastes and fresh coconut cream. Most importantly, Andy promises to share plenty of invaluable tips and tricks for cooking truly authentic Thai food at home.
Menu:
- Isaan style salad of minced duck and roasted rice powder
- Penang curry with grilled beef, thai basil and peanut
- Hot and sour soup with tiger prawns, chilli jam and long leaf coriander
- Kabocha squash and tapioca flour dumplings, young coconut and sweet coconut cream
Demonstration
- Roasted chilli powder
- Roasted rice powder
- Fresh coconut cream
Menu may be subject to change
Course Structure
Cooking with your classmates is an integral part of your Leiths experience. You will cook some of your recipes in pairs, and some independently. Regardless, there is always more than enough food to go around, and often food to take home too.
Your day will comprise of a mixture of practical cookery and demonstrations performed by the teacher who is running the session. The exact format will vary from class to class depending on the style of cuisine and, in the case of visiting chefs, their individual teaching style.
Around 1pm, you will break for lunch and enjoy the dishes you have cooked with the rest of your class, accompanied by a glass of wine or other refreshments. In some classes, such as skills classes, where dishes may not be appropriate for lunch, a mezze lunch will be provided.
Practicalities
What’s included:
- Refreshments on arrival
- A recipe booklet
- All ingredients provided and weighed out for you in advance
- Lunch of your own making or sharing platters prepared by the school, with wines or other refreshments
- We do the washing up
What to bring:
- Flat soled shoes
- Long trousers and a long-sleeved top are advisable
Allergies and dietary restrictions
We are happy to make adjustments where possible. However, some classes are unsuitable for people with particular intolerances as the menu would need to be completely different. We require 10 days’ notice to check requests are possible and adjust our ordering. Please read our full policy on allergies and dietary restrictions here.
Your Teacher
Andy Oliver
View Profile
Masterchef finalist, Andy Oliver, specialises in authentic, regional Thai food. He is head chef and co-owner at renowned Thai restaurant som saa in Shoreditch, London.
Andy spent years living and working in Thailand, pursuing his love for Thai food, flavours and ingredients. His journey began working in the kitchen at the legendary Thai restaurant Nahm in London, alongside Thai food hero, David Thompson. Andy then moved to Bangkok to work at the high end Thai restaurant Bo.lan (currently ranked number 19 in Asia’s top 50 in 2019).
Andy, now joined by Tom George and Mark Dobbie, went on to develop som saa through various pop-ups, takeovers and a sell-out residency at Climpson’s Arch in Hackney. A successful crowdfunding campaign followed and som saa opened as a permanent restaurant in Spitalfields in April 2016.
Andy takes weekly Thai language lessons and continues to travel regularly to Thailand – to further his knowledge of the cuisine, culture and traditions.
