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VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Simawadee (April)

Harrislee, Germany

USD
$30-$126 per person

Authentic Phetchabun cuisine straight from April’s grandmother's kitchen

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

Meet Simawadee (April)

April began to explore the world of cooking at a very young age - she learned to cook authentic Thai food from her grandmother and even sold food and snacks together in the Phetchabun market. Her grandmother had a deep passion for cooking and liked to experiment with adding new flavors to traditional dishes. April thus learned not only to cook traditional Thai food but also to innovate and play with flavors and textures. April’s cooking skills made her very popular when she was a student in Hua Hin - her homemade spicy papaya was in great demand among the students. It even allowed her to earn a little extra pocket money. She gleams every time she thinks about how much everyone appreciated her simple salad. Through Traveling Spoon she wishes to share her grandma’s Thai recipes with a healthy twist.

Having lived in many different areas of Thailand (Phetchabun, Bangkok, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai), she has picked up different cooking skills from each city, making her an expert in all things Thai food related. Today, she continues to grow her culinary skills. Her secret is to talk to restaurant owners, cooks, and street cart vendors - she is always looking for new tips and advice for her to try in the kitchen! April believes that food has a unique way of bringing people together!

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: (1-5 guests) April moved to Germany and lives in a clean and modern home in a gated community in Harrislee with her boyfriend. She grew up in a small town in Phetchabun which is 454 kilometers away from Chiang Mai, and is passionate about sharing share the unique flavors of Phetchabun that she grew up eating. Phetchabun is famous for its curries, sweet and sour soups, salads and nam prik (hot chili sauce). April loves cooking healthy food with the freshest ingredients of high quality and without the use of MSG (monosodium glutamate). After an introduction to Thai food and culture over coffee, you will join April at the dining table to share an authentic Thai meal that she grew up eating. Dishes that you may try are chicken pineapple curry, green curry, massaman curry, beef khao soi (Chiang Mai beef curry noodles) and papaya salad.

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) Learn to make from scratch two of April's favorite dishes - pineapple curry and som tum (green papaya salad) - in your cooking class. The sweet and spicy flavor of these dishes reminds April of home. Her great grandfather and she shared a love for pineapple curry and that created a special bond between the two. She wishes to share this joy with you, while also recreating her grandmother’s som tum recipe in her kitchen. The cooking class will last 1-2 hours and will be very interactive.

Notes: April is more than happy to customize the menu for you, so please do let her know your preference when booking your Thai cooking class in Harrislee online.

Languages spoken: English, Thai

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.
  • Som tum (spicy papaya salad)
  • Beef khao soi (Chiang Mai beef curry noodles)
  • Pineapple curry with chicken
  • Rice
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

After two years in Thailand, my experience cooking lunch with April has easily become one of my favorites! When you taste the food she helps you prepare, it will become obvious that she has been cooking her entire life. She lives in a modern, clean, air conditioned townhome off of the superhighway, about 15 minutes outside of the main city. Upon arrival, April offered us some delicious local coffee and treated us like old friends, making us feel at home from the beginning. Talking with April was so easy and comfortable. She’s quite young, well-traveled, and speaks English perfectly, so there was never a shortage of conversation. We prepared some of her favorite dishes, my favorites being pineapple curry and a traditional Chiang Mai favorite: khaosoi. The meal we made is hands-down the best Thai food I’ve eaten. By the end of the experience, I left her home with a full stomach, a smile on my face, and a new friend.

Erin, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (2)
April was wonderful. We slept through our alarm because of jetlag which made us 2 hours late to dinner, but we called and she had us over anyways. She was nice and the food was amazing!
- November 02, 2017
We had a great time with April! The experience provided us with the two things we were looking for: (a) get to chat in a relaxed setting with a local about day-to-day life and culture and (b) taste delicious food (the Khao Soy and Pineapple Curry April prepared were amazing!!!).
- Patricio September 17, 2017
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Simawadee (April)

$30-$126 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+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $64 $38 $30
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $126 $86 $64
Alcohol
 $6 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $64 $38 $30
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $126 $86 $64
Alcohol
 $6 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 5:00pm-8:00pm

Meet Simawadee (April)

April began to explore the world of cooking at a very young age - she learned to cook authentic Thai food from her grandmother and even sold food and snacks together in the Phetchabun market. Her grandmother had a deep passion for cooking and liked to experiment with adding new flavors to traditional dishes. April thus learned not only to cook traditional Thai food but also to innovate and play with flavors and textures. April’s cooking skills made her very popular when she was a student in Hua Hin - her homemade spicy papaya was in great demand among the students. It even allowed her to earn a little extra pocket money. She gleams every time she thinks about how much everyone appreciated her simple salad. Through Traveling Spoon she wishes to share her grandma’s Thai recipes with a healthy twist.

Having lived in many different areas of Thailand (Phetchabun, Bangkok, Hua Hin, and Chiang Mai), she has picked up different cooking skills from each city, making her an expert in all things Thai food related. Today, she continues to grow her culinary skills. Her secret is to talk to restaurant owners, cooks, and street cart vendors - she is always looking for new tips and advice for her to try in the kitchen! April believes that food has a unique way of bringing people together!

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: (1-5 guests) April moved to Germany and lives in a clean and modern home in a gated community in Harrislee with her boyfriend. She grew up in a small town in Phetchabun which is 454 kilometers away from Chiang Mai, and is passionate about sharing share the unique flavors of Phetchabun that she grew up eating. Phetchabun is famous for its curries, sweet and sour soups, salads and nam prik (hot chili sauce). April loves cooking healthy food with the freshest ingredients of high quality and without the use of MSG (monosodium glutamate). After an introduction to Thai food and culture over coffee, you will join April at the dining table to share an authentic Thai meal that she grew up eating. Dishes that you may try are chicken pineapple curry, green curry, massaman curry, beef khao soi (Chiang Mai beef curry noodles) and papaya salad.

Cooking experience: (1-5 guests) Learn to make from scratch two of April's favorite dishes - pineapple curry and som tum (green papaya salad) - in your cooking class. The sweet and spicy flavor of these dishes reminds April of home. Her great grandfather and she shared a love for pineapple curry and that created a special bond between the two. She wishes to share this joy with you, while also recreating her grandmother’s som tum recipe in her kitchen. The cooking class will last 1-2 hours and will be very interactive.

Notes: April is more than happy to customize the menu for you, so please do let her know your preference when booking your Thai cooking class in Harrislee online.

Languages spoken: English, Thai

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.
  • Som tum (spicy papaya salad)
  • Beef khao soi (Chiang Mai beef curry noodles)
  • Pineapple curry with chicken
  • Rice
PERSONALLY VETTED REVIEW
A Traveling Spoon ambassador visited this host. Here is their personal review.

After two years in Thailand, my experience cooking lunch with April has easily become one of my favorites! When you taste the food she helps you prepare, it will become obvious that she has been cooking her entire life. She lives in a modern, clean, air conditioned townhome off of the superhighway, about 15 minutes outside of the main city. Upon arrival, April offered us some delicious local coffee and treated us like old friends, making us feel at home from the beginning. Talking with April was so easy and comfortable. She’s quite young, well-traveled, and speaks English perfectly, so there was never a shortage of conversation. We prepared some of her favorite dishes, my favorites being pineapple curry and a traditional Chiang Mai favorite: khaosoi. The meal we made is hands-down the best Thai food I’ve eaten. By the end of the experience, I left her home with a full stomach, a smile on my face, and a new friend.

Erin, Traveling Spoon Ambassador

Traveler reviews

5.0 (2)
April was wonderful. We slept through our alarm because of jetlag which made us 2 hours late to dinner, but we called and she had us over anyways. She was nice and the food was amazing!
- November 02, 2017
We had a great time with April! The experience provided us with the two things we were looking for: (a) get to chat in a relaxed setting with a local about day-to-day life and culture and (b) taste delicious food (the Khao Soy and Pineapple Curry April prepared were amazing!!!).
- Patricio September 17, 2017
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
 $64 $38 $30
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $126 $86 $64
Alcohol
 $6 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $64 $38 $30
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $126 $86 $64
Alcohol
 $6 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 7:00pm-9:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 5:00pm-8:00pm
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 3% 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.