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In the Vietnamese culture, creating a delicious meal does not end with the cooking. Food decoration is an important part of the culinary experience. So much so that it is considered an art. Villages even send their most skilled food artists to compete in regional food decorating competitions!

You, too, can learn this tantalizing and visually stunning culinary art during this full-day, guided adventure that has you taking lessons from an expert chef! It all begins at your pier where you will board an air-conditioned motorcoach for a scenic two-hour drive to Ho Chi Minh City.

Honking horns, cries of street hawkers, zooming vehicles and a sea of friendly faces! This is how Ho Chi Minh City greets you! Upon your arrival, enjoy a photo stop at two prominent landmarks: the Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the 1880s by the French and the vast Buu Dien Truong Tam (Post Office) which houses a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh.

Next, step into a pedi-cab for a ride to the famous Ben Thanh market. Considered one of the symbols of the city, this bustling market has been alive for centuries with the noise of barter and extravaganza of colors!

It is here you will meet your culinary expert - the chef from the luxury Rex Hotel. Together you will venture through narrow aisles crowded with vendors hawking their wares. Among them: local handicrafts, textiles, áo dài (the Vietnamese national costume), and delicious local cuisine. It's a perfect place to pick up souvenirs.

Your expert chef will peruse the food stalls, picking and choosing items to be used for your cooking lesson. Then it's off (via motorcoach) to the Rex Hotel to try your hand at food decorating!

With a backdrop of a high-end elegance that permeates this hotel, your chef will take you step-by-step through the process of carving food into lovely and intricate shapes and designs that not only please the palate but the eye as well. You'll practice constructing artful delicacies from seafood, pork, chicken and vegetables. You may learn to peel the skin of a tomato then roll it into the shape of a delicate rose bud. Or transform a slice of cucumber into a graceful design of curls and spikes!

As you fashion food into art, you'll learn all about the important role of skillful food decoration in preparing Vietnamese dishes. Then it's time to sit down and enjoy the results of your lesson! You may discover what the Vietnamese people already know - that enhancing the beauty of food actually enhances its flavor! Delicious!

Following your lesson, you'll enjoy a stop to marvel at the brilliant reds, vibrant yellows and glistening gold colors of the breathtaking Ngoc Hoang Pagoda (or Jade Emperor Pagoda). Featuring a mixture of Taoist and Buddhist styles, it is dedicated to various Chinese-Vietnamese divinities, and holds numerous statues and delicate woodcarvings.

A perfect way to fully immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty that is the Vietnamese culture.