My 1st Cooking Class - Gili Cooking School

My first cooking class ever

Sebelum ini, selalu jer tengok pamphlet tentang cooking class especially dekat Thailand. Boleh dikatakan semua cooking class di Thailand sangat popular di kalangan traveler. Walaupun kadang-kadang menu itu kita boleh dapat di Malaysia, cooking class sebenarnya adalah satu aktiviti yang sangat seronok untuk meluang masa di sesebuah tempat dan mengenali lebih dekat budaya mereka.

Before this, always saw the pamphlet about the cooking class especially in Thailand. I can say that all the cooking classes in Thailand are popular among the traveler. Even though the menus we can get in Malaysia, actually cooking class is one of the fun activity to spend at the certain place and getting to know more about their culture.

Selepas balik daripada sesi snorkeling sekeliling pulau Gili di Lombok dalam jam 3.30pm, aku signed up for cooking class dengan Gili Cooking School. Disini adalah satu-satunya kelas memasak yang ada di pulau ini. Dekat jer dengan hostel aku (Gili Hostel).

After I went back from the snorkeling session around Gili Island in Lombok around 3.30pm, I signed up for cooking class with Gili Cooking School. Here is the only one of cooking class on this island. Very near with my hostel (Gili Hostel).

My team from US, CANADA, UK & Malaysia!

Waktu aku tengah tengok course yang ditawarkan, seorang staf disitu pun datang dan aku pun tanya sedikit sebanyak info. Dia cakap boleh lagi kalau nak join untuk sesi jam 4ptg. Sebenarnya diorang memang ingat aku ni local warga Indonesia. Selepas aku cakap aku nak join, diorang pun tak percaya mula-mula ingat aku main-main. Sampai dia tanya aku “Serius ke nak ambik course ni?” Aku cakap memang, selepas aku cakap aku asal dari United Kingdom Malaysia baru dia gelak-gelak dan dia cakap datang jer before 4 sebab ada lagi kekosongan.

While I read the course they offered, one of the staff coming to me and I asked some info. He said I still can join the 4pm class. Actually they really thought I am local Indonesia. After I said that I would like join the class, they didn’t believe at first because I thought I’m bluffing. Until they asked me “Are you serious to join this course?”. I said yes, after I told them that I am from United Kindom Malaysia, then they laughed and told me that I just need to come before 4pm because still got vacancy.

Jam 4 aku datang, buat pendaftaran dan bayar yuran semua. Yurannya adalah 385k rupiah untuk 2.5hrs session. Selepas itu, dijemput aku untuk naek tingkat atas, iaitu tempat menunggu. Dia pun bagi topi chef ngan apron dengan aku. Sampai di tempat menunggu, aku lihat ada roommate aku 2 orang minah from UK, ada seorang couple from Canada and seorang perempuan middle age who are from US dan berkerja sebagai pramugari.

I came around 4pm, done the registration and paid the fees. The fees as 385k rupiah for 2.5hrs session. After that, I was invited to go upstairs which is waiting area. They gave me the chef hat and apron. Arrived at the waiting area, I saw my 2 roommates, who are the girls from the UK, a Canadian couple and a middle age lady who are from US and work as a stewardess.

The cooking class menu. Steam fish in banana leave, Chicken Taliwang, Kalepon, Fried noodles, Peanut Sauce and Basic Yellow Source. Photos credited to Gili Cooking School Website.

Coffee dihidangkan. So kami berkenalan . Kesemuanya ada 6 orang termasuk aku. Kelas memasak ini dijalankan secara berpasangan. Aku disuruh berpasangan dengan Lisa, pramugari dari US, sebab kami dua je yang solo.

Coffee had been served. We introduced ourselves. There were 6 of us. The class session done in paired. I paired with Lisa, the stewardess from US, because both of us were solo.

Instructor kami Fadia, sangat friendly dan seronok jugak bergurau dengan dia. Fadia dibantu oleh 2 orang pembantu yang hendak dilatih sebagai instructor. Aku pun dah lupa nama mamat 2 orang tu. Tapi dia cuba nak handle kelas, still lagi tak lancar sampai Fadia kena take over balik kelas.

Our instructor was Fadia, she is friendly and super fun to have a joke with her. Fadia been assisted by 2 assistant who been trained to become an instructor. I also forgot the name of the 2 guys. But when he tried to handle the class, still not really smooth until Fadia need to take over back the class.

Lisa & Fadia (My instructor) with our fried noodles

Sepanjang sesi kelas dijalankan aku sangat seronok. Maklumlah first time kelas memasak. Banyak jugak menu kena siapkan. Menu pertama kena buat kuih dulu. Sama je kuih dgn negara Malaysia. Yang kuih warna hijau tu, disalut dengan kelapa dan intinya adalah gula Melaka. Menu yang kedua adalah buat tempe goreng dengan sambal kacang. Sambal kacang ni ada yang buat kasar da nada kumpulan yang buat sambal yang ditumbuk halus. Aku suka yang halus lagi. Sedap. Selepas dari kelas ni, terus aku pandai makan tempe. Before nie memang aku tak pandai makan tempe pun.

During the class session, I was very excited. It my first cooking class by the way. There were a lot of menu we need to prepare. The first menu was a traditional cake. It is the same with Malaysian cake. Only different name, here called "Kelepon", in Malaysia called "Buah Melaka". The cake is green in color with coconut around it and inside is a palm sugar, or we called it Malacca Sugar. Second menu was Fried “tempeh” with peanut sauce. After this class, now I can eat “Tempeh” because before this I really can’t eat this thing because of its taste. 
*"Tempeh"=Fermented Soybean Cake

Menu yang ke-3 adalah ikan stim masak dalam daun, dikukus. Sedap jugaklah tapi pedas… tapi memang takda kelainan. Mungkin sangat unik untuk mereka yang berasal dari barat. Menu yang ke-4 adalah sangat istimewa sedikit sebab ini adalah makanan istimewa untuk Lombok. Ayam Taliwang. Seriously Ayam Taliwang sangat sedap ok. Menu yang terakhir adalah mee goreng.

The third menu was the steamed fish in the banana leaves. Really delicious but a little bit spicy but still no different with Malaysia. Maybe it is unique for westerner. The fourth menu was very special because this is the signature dish of Lombo. “Ayam Taliwang or “Taliwang” Chicken”. Seriously I can say that this menu is superb and really delicious. The last menu is friend noodles.

During the cooking class

Apa yang menarik, sepanjang kelas, memang penjelasan sangat jelas senang difahami. Bagi aku bahan-bahannya adalah sama sahaja kecuali kebanyakan kuah di sini diorang wajib letak kacang MACADAMIA. Patutlah sedap. Macadamia adalah salah satu my fav jika aku beli chocolate kat Japan. Aku boleh macan chocolate Macadamia itu tanpa berhenti. Kebanyakkan kuah diorang akan letak satu Macadamia untuk bagi rasa lemak.

The interesting are, during the class, the instruction was very cleared and easy to understand. For me the ingredients are not ordinary but usually the sauce here they usually put the Macadamia. That is why it very delicious. Macadamia is one of my favorite when I bought chocolate in Japan. I can eat the Macadamia chocolate non-stop. They put Macadamia in the sauce to give the extra taste in the cooking.

This is what actually I cooked, different looks from what been advertised. LOL

Untuk kelapa parut, kamu kena parut sendiri ok. Aku tengok Lisa gigih giler memarut kelapa tu. Apa yang dapat aku tengok, Lisa ini pun bukan yang jenis suka memasak jugak. Kekok je dia memasak. Resepi-resepi yang kami masak ada di dalam website Gili Cooking School. So, time kelas memasak nie tak payah lah sibuk-sibuk nak salin resepi. Minuman-minuman di sini adalah free flow, minum je jika anda haus.

For the grated coconut, we need to grate the coconut by ourselves. I saw Lisa was really doing her thing to grate the coconut. What can I say that Lisa also not a cooking person. She cooked awkwardly. All the menu recipes we cooked today, are on the Gili Cooking School’s website. So, during the class, no need to busy copying the recipe. All the drinks here are free flow, just drinks whenever you thirsty.

Yummy, having a "Kelepon" or "Buah Melaka" with Lisa

Setelah habis memasak semua menu, makanan yang kami masak tadi dihidangkan di tingkat atas. Ala-ala candle light. Kami pun menikmati makanan yang kami masak tadi. Banyak giler. Memang tak habis. So hari tu, memang malam aku tak makan dah sebab perut pun penuh.  

After completed cooking the menu, all the foods had been served at the upstairs. They provided the candle light dinner. We all enjoyed the foods we just cooked. These were so many. We cannot finished it all. So on that day, at night I didn’t take my dinner as my stomach still full.

Selepas makan, Lisa pun ajak aku lepas kat restoran hostel aku sebab aku bagitau Lisa yang hostel aku sangat happening dan memang port tempat lepak2. Byk jugaklah benda yang kami borak2 time tu. Macam-macam gossip je. Aku ngan Lisa jadi rapat jugak. Apa-apapun aku sangat enjoy sepanjang kelas. Ini lah kelas memasak aku yang pertama sepanjang aku bergelar backpacker.

After eating, Lisa asked me to hang out at my hostel bar because I told Lisa that my hostel is so happening and one of the hang out spot in Gili. We chatted about a lot of things including all the gossips. Whatever it is, I enjoyed during the cooking class. And this was my first cooking class for me as a backpacker.

All you can eat! Yay!

Macam mana dengan anda? Pernah join kelas memasak sepanjang kembara anda? Saya cadangkan sila cuba, mungkin ini satu kelainan yang akan mewarnai perjalanan kembara anda.
How about you? Ever join the cooking class during your trip? I suggest you should try, it might be a different and wonderful experiences during your trip 

You can check Gili Cooking School

Wesbite: http://gilicookingschool.webs.com

TripAdvisor: Here