Bamboo Sue Cooking Class

January 3rd, 2015

I have a confession to make- this trip was actually pretty reckless. I went to Asia for almost 3 weeks with a pretty gnarly food allergy to all nuts. So, you know, death-by-Pad-Thai style.

For that reason, Asia hadn’t been too high up on my travel list. But after spending a fair amount of time bopping around Europe and Latin America in my early 20’s, I felt like I needed to take the plunge. To experience what it’s like to be somewhere so foreign, asking for directions is a Broadway-worthy song and dance. And I realize a huuuuuge part of the Asian experience is the food! And I would still love nothing more than to pull up a plastic chair in the middle of a street market, pretend I’m Tony Bourdain, and chow on whatever the locals recommend. And while that’s not in the cards for me anytime soon, I still felt like I owed it to my other 4 senses to take it all in.

And so, I packed 10 Epi-pens and hoped for the best.

I did bring a couple camping meals and a ton of Luna bars for desperate times. But mostly, I lived off white rice, noodle soups, safely steamed veggies, and beer. And I lost 7 pounds. It was nicknamed the “starvation vacation”. But it was 100% worth it.

Which brings me to Inle lake, and the one thing we secured practically before even finding our first hotel. This cooking class came up on Wikipedia, of all places, and I figured if I actually prepared and cooked the meal, I could experience some authentic local cuisine, which is what Myanmar is somewhat famous for on the backpacker circuit. It’s (allegedly) like if Indian, Thai, and fresh Vietnamese food had a delicious baby.

So it would be an understatement to say I was excited for this- I think my first “real” meal since Hong Kong or finding the odd pizza place (shamefully). And it did not disappoint! Sue and her husband are THE epitome of hospitality, which she credits to her late father who fed and sheltered travelers back in the 50’s and 60’s when it was not frequent or entirely safe to do so.

First, her husband Leslie took us to the local market to pick out all the ingredients. Our class also included an adorable Irish couple, and we all had a blast taking in the sights and sounds. Not so much when Leslie told us never to eat the street meat kebabs, because it’s probably just rat meat disguised as pork. Awesome how that’s a thing.

With goods in tow, we headed back to their house where their entire front yard has been transformed into an epic outdoor kitchen. Just getting to cook and eat outside in their garden with all the neighborhood children running around was an amazing experience. They had some very handy sous chefs already on hand to do the gross parts to the meat, some serious chopping, and sorting of spices. I probably would have learned a bit more if we’d been made to do absolutely everything ourselves, but Sue was more focused on making us appetizers to sample everything and teaching us about local Inle culture than the hard work. Which was quite enjoyable.

They did normally cook with a peanut oil blend for flavoring, as many local cultures do, but they made the exception back to olive and canola oil for me, which was much appreciated.

Lots of stirring and simmering later, we had a feast of curried meats and vegetables, fried and grilled fish, local fave pennywort salad (with a peanut-free option for me) and tucked in. All in all, it was an epic afternoon- and she even sent us away with copies of the recipes we made and small bags of spices and curries to take back with us. Who wants to come over for dinner??

If you’re ever in the area, Bamboo Sue’s class should be the first place you stop. A thoroughly awesome experience not only for this allergic human, but for anyone looking for a delicious home-cooked meal and world-class hospitality. Sue and Leslie mentioned wanting to expand their cooking class to include a guest house or small hostel. I can’t wait to come back and see it.

This is Bamboo Sue. She is a saint among humans.

These are all the neighborhood children who Sue watches during the week. The other parents know they’re safe with her. A few are also her own. “Aunty Pascale” is apparently a French woman who stayed with her and encouraged her to open the cooking class a few years ago.