Three Good Spoons

In a residential building on the corner of Dhammazedi Road and U Wisara you’ll find Three Good Spoons, a social business that provides practical cooking classes to build happy, productive home kitchens.

An unassuming doorway in a residential apartment building that opens up to one of the country’s best cooking classes

Up until last year, Alison Carter (the Managing Director) had focused solely on providing fee-based classes to help improve the kitchen skills, nutrition and hygiene awareness of housekeepers, domestic helpers and home cooks. Any profit made from this then goes towards funding the free hygiene, nutrition and cooking classes Three Good Spoons offers to disadvantaged and unemployed women.

Alison Carter introduces Three Good Spoons to shared class attendees

If this wasn’t already a good enough reason to get behind the brand, Three Good Spoons are now offering introductory Myanmar cooking classes to tourists and Yangon residents, with the aim of this being to generate an extra source of income that will help to further fund the social enterprise’s existing and future training initiatives.

Three Good Spoons now offers a classes that provide tourists and Yangon residents with a step-by-step introduction to some of the country’s most popular dishes

Led by Kevin Monin, a former private chef whose experience spans from working with the former US ambassador in Myanmar for 25-years to a German geologist who carried out two years of practical research in the wild and remote hills of Chin State, these classes provide lucky attendees with a step-by-step introduction to some of the country’s most popular dishes. Over a two hour period, you’ll create a salad, main and dessert, thus ensuring you’ll be ready to impress both culinary and culturally at your next hosted dinner session.

Kevin Monin, the Chef Trainer and a man whom has some amazing stories to tell

More often than not, Kevin’s accompanied by Sandar Win and Thwe Moe Thu (Bridjit), two ladies without whom the kitchen would be nowhere near as efficient, immaculately organised and hygienically conscious.

Sandar Win, a Shan national and perfectionist in the kitchen

Sandar is of Shan ethnicity and as you’d expect, very talented at preparing her home region’s food, which in our opinion is the best in Myanmar. She has limited work experience and applied to be a Three Good Spoons kitchen assistant after seeing their Facebook page and recipe photos. She has lived in Myanmar all her life and has relished the opportunity to earn certificates in Basic First Aid, Nutrition and Hygiene. She speaks limited English with a fantastic smile!

Bridjit talks about the importance of hygiene in the kitchen

Bridjit is Bamar and has a degree in Philosophy from a Yangon university, plus 8 years experience as a domestic worker in Singapore. She has excellent English skills and is a natural communicator and coordinator, delivering hygiene training and handling customer inquiries effectively. She has quickly applied new skills in computing to bring value to the company’s small busy team.

Alison supervises Kevin at Three Good Spoon’s first public cooking class (in September 2017)

Underpinning all of this is Alison Carter, an Australian national with a professional background in foreign diplomacy, advocacy, strategic communications and broadcast journalism. Having moved to Myanmar with her husband over three years ago, Alison has long dreamed of setting up a social enterprise business that would help empower and benefit disadvantaged women. Getting here hasn’t been easy and by attending a Three Good Spoons cooking class, you’ll get the opportunity to learn about Alison’s inspirational and equality-driven journey first-hand.

Three Good Spoons provides a pleasant and peaceful work environment for its trainees, regardless of sex, ethnicity or religion

On the subject of equality, one thing we really like about Three Good Spoons is that this goodwill doesn’t just extend to sex; it also applies to religion and ethnicity, which is particularly important in a country that’s working hard at present to bridge religious and ethnic divides.

Bridjit demonstrates how to garnish a delicious bowl of Ohno Khao Swe (chicken coconut noodle soup)

Supporting a very good cause and learning how to cook some of Myanmar’s culinary favourites aside, attendees will be able to eat their joint creations as soon as the last course has been prepared. Shortly after being seated at the long table that occupies the communal dining area, the Three Good Spoons team will serve the starter, main and dessert as quickly or as slowly as the featured dishes are gobbled up.

Having attended two classes within the last six months (yes, we love it that much!), here’s some more images we took mid-inspection, which we hope will provide an even better taste of what’s in store.

Prior to each class starting, the kitchen area was immaculately presented – this speaks volumes about the company’s dedication to presentation, organisation and hygiene

Did you know? Most bowls of mohingar you’ll find on Yangon’s streets contain a very small percentage of actual fish. This is certainly not the case at Three Good Spoons!

A cooking lesson at Three Good Spoons can be as hands on (or as hands off) as you’d like.

Kevin and his team source only the freshest of ingredients – this shows in the colour of the dishes

Three Good Spoons provide each attendee with an easy to follow instruction leaflet – this will come in handy when you attempt the recipe again at home