Blogs

Tips and Tricks for Cooking Beautiful Thai Food at Home

Thai food is all about bold flavours, vibrant colours, and exciting textures. If you've ever fallen in love with Thai dishes at a restaurant, imagine the joy (and bragging rights!) of recreating these favourites at home for friends and family.

Whether you’re whipping up a quick Pad Thai or hosting a Thai dinner party, we’ve compiled the essential tips and tricks to make cooking Thai food at home both fun and successful. Let’s dive in!

Whether you’re crafting delicate dumplings from scratch or enjoying a dumpling-making class at Otao Kitchen, no experience is complete without a bold and flavourful dipping sauce. Here are four must-try recipes that complement everything from pork and prawn dumplings to vegetarian gyoza.

Vietnamese Pork Roll Demystified: How to Make the Perfect Bánh Mì Thịt at Home

There’s no doubt that Melbourne is in love with bánh mì. Whether you're grabbing a quick lunch or craving something comforting, this Vietnamese pork roll has become a beloved, must-have street food classic.

At Otao Kitchen, we believe great food is best when shared—and made with your own hands. Our Vietnamese Cooking Class includes the legendary bánh mì thịt—and here’s how you can recreate it at home with all the trimmings.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Gỏi Gà) – A Light and Zesty Summer Favourite

When the Australian summer heat kicks in, there’s nothing more refreshing than a crisp, vibrant salad—and few are as satisfying as Vietnamese Chicken Salad, also known as Gỏi Gà. This light yet flavour-packed dish combines tender poached chicken with crunchy vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a zingy dressing that’s equal parts sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

At Otao Kitchen, we love this dish not only for its taste but also for the way it captures the essence of Vietnamese cooking—simple ingredients, fresh produce, and bold, balanced flavours. It’s easy to prepare, full of goodness, and guaranteed to impress your guests or elevate your weekday lunch.

One of the most exciting and flavourful dishes you’ll encounter during Lunar New Year celebrations is the Chinese New Year Prosperity Salad, also known as Yusheng or Lo Hei. This vibrant and symbolic salad isn't just a treat for the taste buds—it’s also a joyful ritual that celebrates abundance, health, and prosperity.

At Otao Kitchen, we celebrate cultural cooking traditions like these through our hands-on Asian cooking classes in Melbourne, where food meets fun and flavour meets tradition.

Unlike pasta or egg noodles, ramen noodles are typically made with wheat flour and an alkaline solution called kansui (or a substitute like baking soda). This is what gives ramen its signature chewiness, springy texture, and slightly yellow colour. When cooked right, ramen noodles hold up beautifully in hot broth without going soggy.

At Otao Kitchen Cooking School, we teach hands-on noodle-making techniques in our Japanese Cooking Class—from rolling out fresh dough to pairing it with broths, toppings, and sauces.