Cha ca — turmeric-marinated fish sizzled tableside with dill — is Hanoi’s most iconic single dish, and Red Bean is one of the only cooking classes in the city built around it. Run by the La Siesta hotel group from three Old Quarter branches, it is also the most “premium hotel” of Hanoi’s classes, with tiered pricing from about $52 to $90 per person. Here is whether the cha ca specialty justifies it.
Direct answer: Red Bean’s cooking class is the best choice in Hanoi for travelers who specifically want to learn cha ca — the city’s signature grilled-fish dish — in a polished hotel-restaurant setting. Pricing is tiered by group size (about $52 per person for four, up to $90 solo), sessions run 10:30–14:00 or 14:30–18:30, and a market tour is included.
In this guide
- Red Bean at a glance
- The cha ca specialty: why it matters
- Tiered pricing: how group size changes the price
- Program and sessions
- The hotel-standard setting
- Honest pros and cons
- Who should book — and who should skip
- Frequently asked questions
Cha ca is on your must-learn list? Message us your group size and dates — with tiered pricing, the per-person rate drops fast as your group grows.
Red Bean at a glance
Direct answer: Red Bean’s cooking class is run by the La Siesta hotel group from three Old Quarter branches (94 Ma May, 12 Nguyen Quang Bich, 1 Cau Go). Official prices: about $90 for a solo guest, $62 per person for two, $52 per person for four, $14 for children under 12. Two sessions daily (10:30–14:00, 14:30–18:30), market tour included, cha ca as the signature dish.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Branches | Red Bean Classic (94 Ma May), Trendy (12 Nguyen Quang Bich), Central (1 Cau Go) |
| Official prices | 1 guest: VND 2,375,000 (~$90) · 2 guests: VND 1,625,000 (~$62 pp) · 4 guests: VND 1,375,000 (~$52 pp) · child <12: VND 375,000 (~$14) |
| Sessions | 10:30–14:00 or 14:30–18:30, includes market tour |
| Signature | Cha ca (Hanoi-style grilled turmeric fish with dill) |
| Includes | Own workstation, meal with local beer/wine, recipes + gift |
| Booking | Direct via restaurant site/email/phone (+84 24 3926 3641); La Siesta hotel guests |
The cha ca specialty: why it matters
Direct answer: Cha ca la vong — catfish marinated in turmeric and galangal, sizzled tableside with dill and spring onion, tossed with vermicelli, peanuts, and shrimp paste — is a Hanoi-only dish invented over a century ago at 14 Cha Ca Street. Red Bean is the rare Hanoi class that teaches it properly, making this the class for travelers who want the city’s signature dish, not just the standard bun cha lineup.
Context on the dish: a portion of cha ca costs 120,000–200,000 VND ($4.60–$7.60) at specialist restaurants, and the original Cha Ca La Vong serves literally nothing else. Learning it means learning dill-heavy northern technique you will not pick up in a generic class. Our full cha ca Hanoi guide covers where to eat it and what makes the Hanoi version unique.
Tiered pricing: how group size changes the price
Direct answer: Red Bean’s pricing rewards groups: about $90 for one guest, $62 per person for two, and $52 per person for four — a 42% per-person drop from solo to a group of four. Children under 12 are about $14. Full prepayment is required, with free cancellation up to 3 days before.
| Group | Total (VND) | Per person (~USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 guest (private) | 2,375,000 | ~$90 |
| 2 guests | 1,625,000 pp | ~$62 |
| 4 guests | 1,375,000 pp | ~$52 |
| Child under 12 | 375,000 | ~$14 |
At four guests, $52 per person lands Red Bean squarely in mid-range territory — comparable to Hidden Hanoi ($55) — but with a hotel-restaurant kitchen and the cha ca specialty. Solo travelers pay a real premium; if you are alone, a $32–$45 group class elsewhere is better value unless cha ca is non-negotiable. Older guides quoted $65/$55/$45 tiers — the current official VND prices above are the ones to use.
Program and sessions
Direct answer: Two sessions run daily — 10:30–14:00 or 14:30–18:30 — each including a guided market tour, hands-on cooking at your own workstation, and the meal with local beer or wine, plus recipes and a small gift. The afternoon session ending at 18:30 doubles as an early dinner.
The format is closer to a restaurant masterclass than a home cooking session: structured, well-equipped, professional pacing. You will not get the family-kitchen intimacy of Chef Duyen, but you will get consistency — the La Siesta group runs this to hotel standards, which shows in organization and English fluency.
The hotel-standard setting
Direct answer: This is a hotel-group restaurant kitchen, not a home or villa — expect professional workstations, polished service, and reliable organization across all three branches (Ma May, Nguyen Quang Bich, Cau Go). The parent restaurants hold a 4.9 TripAdvisor rating from 3,724 reviews, which speaks to the operation’s consistency even though that rating covers the restaurants, not the class itself.
An honest caveat: we found no class-specific review count in our research — the 4.9/3,724 figure is for Red Bean restaurants. The class inherits the group’s standards, but book it for the cha ca curriculum and the setting, not for a class-specific review score.
💡 Guide tip: staying at a La Siesta hotel? Ask the concierge about the class — hotel guests are the natural audience, and the team can coordinate session timing with your stay.
Honest pros and cons
Direct answer: Pros: the only premium class built around cha ca, hotel-standard kitchens in three Old Quarter locations, tiered pricing that rewards groups, and professional organization. Cons: the steepest solo price in Hanoi (~$90), a less personal atmosphere than home classes, and no verified class-specific review score.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cha ca specialty — unique in Hanoi classes | ~$90 solo is the highest price we surveyed |
| Hotel-standard kitchen, 3 Old Quarter branches | Less intimate than home/villa classes |
| Tiered pricing: ~$52 pp for groups of four | No class-specific review count found |
| Beer/wine, recipes + gift included | Full prepayment required |
Who should book — and who should skip
Direct answer: Book Red Bean if cha ca is your must-learn dish, you are a group of 3–4 (where pricing turns reasonable), or you want hotel-polished reliability. Skip it if you are a solo budget traveler, want a home-kitchen atmosphere, or just want the standard Hanoi dishes — cheaper classes cover those better.
Cha ca beyond the class: where to taste the original
Direct answer: After learning cha ca, taste the benchmark: Cha Ca La Vong at 14 Cha Ca Street — the Doan family’s 100+ year-old original, serving literally one dish at 120,000–150,000 VND per portion. Cha Ca Thang Long is the cheaper local alternative at around 200,000 VND per person. Going after your class turns dinner into a delicious exam: compare their version against yours.
What to look for: turmeric-marinated catfish sizzled tableside on charcoal, an avalanche of fresh dill and spring onion (dill this abundant is rare elsewhere in Vietnam), then tossed with vermicelli, peanuts, and a dab of shrimp paste (mam tom — pungent; ask for fish sauce instead if you prefer). Our cha ca Hanoi guide has the full story, prices, and etiquette.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Red Bean cooking class?
Tiered by group size: about $90 for one guest, $62 per person for two, $52 per person for four, and about $14 for children under 12 (VND 2,375,000 / 1,625,000 / 1,375,000 / 375,000). Full prepayment; free cancellation up to 3 days before.
Does Red Bean teach cha ca?
Yes — cha ca (Hanoi-style turmeric grilled fish with dill) is the class’s signature dish, and Red Bean is the rare Hanoi class built around it. See our cha ca guide for the dish’s story.
Where are Red Bean’s branches?
Three in the Old Quarter: Red Bean Classic at 94 Ma May, Trendy at 12 Nguyen Quang Bich, and Central at 1 Cau Go. Book direct via the restaurant website, email, or +84 24 3926 3641.
Is Red Bean worth it for solo travelers?
At ~$90 solo, only if cha ca is non-negotiable for you. Otherwise a $32–$45 group class (or joining with travel companions to reach the 4-person tier at ~$52 pp) is far better value.
What is included in the price?
Market tour, hands-on cooking at your own workstation, the meal with local beer or wine, printed recipes, and a small gift. Sessions run 10:30–14:00 or 14:30–18:30.
Related classes
- Red Bean — cha ca specialty, tiered pricing $52–$90
- Hidden Hanoi — customizable menu incl. cha ca option, $55
- Apron Up Cooking Class — budget group alternative, $32 direct
Related dishes
- Cha ca — Hanoi’s iconic grilled fish dish, the star of this class
- Bun cha — the other Hanoi classic worth learning
Traveling as a group? Tell us your group size and dates on WhatsApp — we’ll confirm which tier you fall into and whether Red Bean (or a better-value alternative) fits.