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Spend three hours at Berkeley Kitchen learning the craft of Vietnamese pho from Chef Mat. This hands-on workshop teaches broth technique, rice noodle timing, and spring-roll assembly—then you sit down to eat what you made.
Spend three hours at Berkeley Kitchen learning the craft of Vietnamese pho from Chef Mat. This hands-on workshop teaches broth technique, rice noodle timing, and spring-roll assembly—then you sit down to eat what you made.
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Operated by Kitchen on Fire · Berkeley, CA
Berkeley Kitchen at 1509 Shattuck Ave in Berkeley, California, is where Chef Mat leads a lively, hands-on Pho Workshop. In this three-hour class you’ll learn to build a classic beef pho and complementary sides—pork and shrimp fresh spring rolls and fried vegetable egg rolls—inside Kitchen on Fire’s professional teaching kitchen. The room smells of simmering star anise and charred onion as Chef Mat outlines the Vietnamese technique behind a clear, richly layered broth. Students break into small teams at shared cooking stations, blanching rice noodles, searing brisket, and tying bundles of herbs. The centerpiece here is process: tying toasted spices in muslin, clarifying broth, and timing the chew of flat rice noodles. Kitchen on Fire emphasizes real, local ingredients and the Bay Area’s produce culture; expect Meyer lemon, market herbs, and well-sourced beef to show up in your bowl. Chef Mat brings decades of restaurant experience and teaching to the class. His lecture traces pho to its Vietnamese roots and explains how regional variations change the aromatics and garnish. Alongside technique you’ll get practical tips—how to slice meat paper-thin, how to balance salt and acid, and how to plate spring rolls so they stay intact. At the end of class the group sits down to eat what it made, a convivial tasting that turns students into instant critics and friends. This workshop is a great stop for food-minded travelers in Berkeley and the greater Bay Area: you’ll leave with recipes, technique, and confidence to recreate pho at home. It’s especially suited to anyone who wants hands-on learning rather than a demo. Kitchen on Fire’s permits mean you can’t take food home, but you can bring a bottle for personal enjoyment under their rules. Practical details: classes run about three hours at Berkeley Kitchen — 1509 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709 — and require close-toed shoes and tied-back hair. The class accommodates mixed skill levels; knives and aprons are provided but you may bring a favorite knife. If you have allergies, contact [email protected] before booking. Plan to arrive 10–15 minutes early to settle in, and bring photo ID if you’ll be enjoying wine or beer. Classes suit cooks of all ages and experience levels; groups are social and often swap tips afterward. Kitchen on Fire offers themed classes and multi-session courses with Chef Mat for deeper skills—check the referral link to see availability and reserve a spot. Why book it? This Pho Workshop turns a complex, restaurant-style recipe into a reproducible home-cooking practice, guided by an instructor who’s worked at notable Bay Area restaurants. It’s an immersive cultural food experience that pairs technique with tasting—perfect for travelers who want to dig into the culinary fabric of Berkeley through their own hands.
The workshop runs about three hours and includes lecture, hands-on cooking, and a group tasting.
No — Kitchen on Fire’s zoning permit does not allow students to take prepared food home.
No — the class suits all skill levels; basic knife comfort is helpful but instructors demonstrate every technique.
Yes — guests 21+ may bring wine or beer for personal consumption; staff cannot serve or open bottles.
Close-toed shoes are mandatory and long hair must be tied back; aprons are provided.
Indicate allergies on registration and contact [email protected] to confirm ingredients before booking.
Kitchen on Fire is a hands-on cooking school and event producer that offers a broad calendar of culinary workshops, multi-week series, camps, and virtual classes. The school presents technique-driven, chef-led experiences ranging from single-session workshops to 12-week fundamentals courses. Classes focus on regional cuisines, baking, pastry, vegetarian and seasonal cooking — examples include Italian pasta and breads, Indian and Burmese dishes, Middle Eastern street food, Mexican and Latin specialties, and classic bistro techniques. Chef-led offerings feature named instructors and visiting chefs, with programs such as multi-week Basics of Cooking series, themed nights like A Night in Florence and A Night in Rome, specialized workshops including ricotta and doughnuts, and seasonal pie and baking classes. Kitchen on Fire also runs teen camps, school-break day camps, and virtual workshops to reach learners at different levels and schedules. Instruction emphasizes hands-on practice, practical skills like knife work and recipe fundamentals, and communal dining of the dishes created during class. Many classes run three hours or longer; multi-week series provide progressive skill development. In addition to in-person workshops, the organization publishes virtual classes and instructional series led by its roster of chefs. Kitchen on Fire’s program diversity — from single-session craft workshops to immersive multi-week courses and teen camps — reflects a commitment to accessible, skill-focused culinary education. The school’s transparent class descriptions, named instructors, and recurring series offer prospective students clear expectations and opportunities to build lasting cooking skills. Class sizes vary to prioritize engagement, hands-on practice, and personalized instructor feedback for students.
Book with Kitchen on Fire