ABOUT COMMUNE KITCHEN

Commune Kitchen is a Singapore-based cooking school led by head chef Payal Thakurani, a cooking instructor, consulting chef and author. At Commune Kitchen, we offer affordable, hands-on cooking classes for people of all ages. Conveniently located in Downtown Singapore, our cooking classes and team-building sessions are conducted in a state-of-the-art kitchen near Tanjong Pagar MRT. Join us for our signature cooking classes: Chinese dumplings, and xiao long bao, along with South-east Asian cuisines, and gluten-free, vegetarian, and plant-based cooking. 

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UPCOMING COOKING CLASSES IN SINGAPORE

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK
​​Roast Peri Peri Pumpkin w/ Feta & Pine-nuts

Roast Peri Peri Pumpkin w/ Feta & Pine-nuts

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JOIN US FOR A COOKING CLASS OR TEAM BUILDING 
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​SESSIONS IN SINGAPORE!

Click here for information about our upcoming cooking classes in Singapore

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REVIEWS

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I would like to thank you for the awesome food and the professional handling of everything. The food was really delicious; thumbs up from my side and my party guests.

Luise Bachmann

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​You have really made a positive impact on my family and in my life. What you taught me about balancing Thai food: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy continues to pay dividends and has allowed me to cook with more confidence. 

Len Pritchett

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Thank you so much for catering for our daughter's party. Everything exceeded my expectations far beyond. We all loved the food and the presentation was beautiful also. I will definitely be using your lovely food again.

Eva Papadakis

Client

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Payal, Thanks so much for sending the recipes and for such a fun day!  Both my sister and I had such a great time and sure loved the company and the food!!!  I really love the ‘no pressure’ atmosphere and the easy going fun time!!  You are awesome!

Christy Wittenbrink

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We were blown away by the food. Everyone loved it. Thank you for being so professional and lovely. Looking forward to working with you again.

Karin Reiter

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My daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease in February this year and it has been my mission to find ways of cooking that are free from any gluten, healthy and tasty. I am so glad I did the GF flatbreads class, it was fantastic!! I went home and have recreated the recipies for my family and they loved them all. I am so glad I found Payal , she is a wonderful teacher and makes the experience lots of fun. I can't wait to do more of her classes.

Julia Leimanis

Student

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Payal was lovely and a fantastic instructor. I feel quite confident to make my own dumplings and look forward to teaching my son too. We were able to eat the veggie, chicken and prawn dumplings after the class, which we had steamed, boiled or fried so got a few flavors and methods in the one class. Highly recommend.

Carolyn 

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Our team went to Commune Kitchen  to learn how to make dumplings. We had a great time and our chef taught us everything we need to know. I will never look at dumplings the same way again!

Jason  K

Manager

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Telenor

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​I attended the Xiao Long Bao making workshop today with my boyfriend and it was a really effective learning session. Payal was a wonderful teacher who patiently answered all out queries and brought us through the entire process with superb attention to detail. It leaves one feeling inspired to dig deeper into the Chinese cuisine. Highly recommended.

​-Sihan Lee 

​Pastry chef and food writer

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​Thank you so much for such a fabulous and enjoyable class. We were able to create restaurant-worthy dishes that are entirely achievable at home, we had a delicious lunch and it was so fun to both spend time with close friends and meet new people.
I will definitely be seeing you again.

​carol osborne

Student

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Awesome class and experience! Payal is personable, knowledgeable, upbeat, and a wonderful teacher! The recipes are, of course, fabulous and she ensures the ingredients used in the class are generally available in local grocery stores so that you can replicate the recipes at home. I would highly recommend her class to take either on an individual level or in a group for corporate team building (whenever it is allowed again)

​Amy Mayer

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I did the vegetarian dumpling class with Payal and it was amazing!!! She was so knowledgeable and efficient. I am gluten free and she was able to accommodate every aspect of it making sure nothing was contaminated. The dumplings were so delicious and she shared so many useful tips along the way. I cant wait to try another class!

​Ana Lubar

Student

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I signed up for the Chinese dumplings class and it was incredible!!!!  Payal is super attentive and gives helpful tips on everything from using kitchen tools/appliances correctly to techniques on how to handle each ingredient to maximize its flavor.  The recipes were easy to follow and are so delicious! The class was a lot of fun too! Payal also gives good recommendations on which ingredients are the best to buy and where you can purchase them, so I will definitely be making them at home! 

​Claire DeMeo

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The entire experience with Payal at Commune Kitchen was amazing. She explained, demonstrated and guided us though the process of making dumplings very fluidly, all the way giving us cooking tips which made the entire experience wonderful. Highly recommend these sessions.

​Shubhra Jyotsna Sarma

Student

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Exceptional class and food! I highly recommend and it is great for all ages and skill level. Thank you Commune Kitchen for a great experience and I can’t wait for the next one.

​Nicole DeMeo

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Amazing class! Payal made sure it was as interactive as possible and the dumplings we made delicious.  As a bonus she also taught us how to make delicious noodles with leftover dough.

​Abhinav Vijay

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It was a great experience learning how to make Xiao Long Bao, Chef Payal's explanations were very clear and easy to follow. Always ready to assist and answer questions. Amazing time!

​Sharifah rawiah

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Had the Xiao Long Bao class with Payal Thakurani’s . Great ingredients, recipe and chef! Loved it!

​Cintia Johnson

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Payal made the learning process so easy to understand and I managed to replicate the dish at home the next day without hiccups. Highly recommended!!!

​Belinda Cheong

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Both my son (12 yr old) & I really enjoyed the class. It was a great mother & son activity. Payal is a great teacher who gives explanations and some history behind the food we are cooking. Directions were easy to follow and end product was delicious! Would absolutely make them at home to enjoy. Thank you!

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We had a fabulous time learning how to make dumplings. Payal was wonderful in adjusting the recipes to gluten free! Thank you so much, I will definitely be back for other classes.

Tammie Grass

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Great class. I enjoyed eating the xiao long bao as much as making them.

Francesca Rizzeri

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Payal takes a very practical approach to cooking. She's very logical and knowledgeable about substitutions and the different types of flavors each ingredient has. Thanks. See you soon.

Natasha Oliver

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Delicious, informative, easy to follow instructions . Our cooking class at Commune Kitchen was a great day out. Highly recommended. Go with some girlfriends and enjoy!

​Narelle Wallace Scritchley

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Payal is a wonderful instructor, and her gluten-free dumplings are the most delicious I have had, gluten-free or not. Will definitely take more classes here!

​Suzanne Löfgren Mackley

Student

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I’ve attended both the pork and chicken Xiao Long Bao classes. Loved them both. Easy to follow, great instructions and super tasty! The recipes are easy to apply at home as I’ve made 4 batches of chicken Xiao Long Bao at home for the family who’ve loved them. Looking forward to sharing my new skills with the family on the pork version when I make the next batch. This last class was post circuit breaker and all the safety measures are followed and classes are safe to attend. Highly recommend!

​Janelle Gavin

Student

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Payal made the xiao long bao making process so easy. I managed to replicate the dish at home the next day without hiccups. Highly recommended!!!

​Belinda Cheong

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First time attending a cooking class and it was an indeed an amazing experience especially having a non chinese Chef teaching on making Xiao Long Bao. Thank you Payal! Highly recommended.

​Lynn Phua 

Student

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Attended the Vegetarian Dumpling Class tonight and absolutely LOVED It❤️🥟❤️
It was very well organised, had a great variety of dumpling recipe fillings and Payal had many tricks and tips to make the dumpling mission a success at home! Many thanks and I can’t wait to put today’s learning into action in my own kitchen 😊

​Kristin Pauline

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“Chinese Wok cookery class”I joined the Chinese Wok cookery class. Excellent experience. Really well run. Ingredients were very fresh, instructions were really clear and food was delicious! Will definitely be coming back! I highly recommend to others.

Sharingiscaring3

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“Fun experience, amazing ingredients, great food”Payal was so friendly. Passionate about food. Fun experience. Felt very safe set up. Recommend others to come down and check it out.

Triona1234

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“Thai Cooking”Great course , fun , relaxed and amazing food at the end . Commune Kitchen have so many great course this is 4th one I have done . They all be great

​melbournegirl66

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​I went for a regular dumplings class and the chef accommodated my GF needs. It was a fully hands-on cooking class and great fun with a group of friends. Chef Payal took time to explain things and helped us along the way. The dough consisted of three things and one of them was water. Can you believe it? If you’re celiac or gluten- intolerant I’d highly recommend the gluten-free dumplings class. The chef is very knowledgeable so trust me you’re in good hands.

​Greta S

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​I’ve taken a lot of cooking classes and yours was one of the best here in Singapore!!!  You are a very good teacher!!  I love your hands on approach and how you constantly check for our understanding which is such a valuable trait.  Thank you!!

​Joan Taylor

Student

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We made Xiao Long Baos with Payal Thakurani today. It was an amazing and fun experience! Payal is highly professional, very skilled, very enthusiastic and is an excellent cook and teacher.
I highly recommend this experience for anyone looking to learn a new skill or for those that want to learn the art of making Xiao Long Baos!
Thank you Payal for the experience! It was worth every penny.

Kazuki Sato

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Excellent to come here with your friends, family or as a team building activity.
She is crystal clear in her instructions and it’s a completely hands on class.
I really enjoyed the experience and would certainly recommend it . Been in Singapore for 12 years and I’m glad I got to this before I leave .

Dipali Gupta

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spent a brilliant morning learning how to make xiao long bao and then eating them
for lunch. couldn’t recommend this enough - professional, friendly and fun. will be back. thank you so much!

Victoria & Thomas Costilles

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Great cooking class for making Soup Dumplings. Absolutely delicious! And great teacher, we got some extra to take home. Highly recommended.

​Coen Tijhof

Student

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I went for the Veg Dumpling class for a foolproof veg recipe that I can use to add more veggies to my daughter's diet. Mission accomplished! For a kid who doesn't eat pretty much anything green, the veg dumplings did the trick. These dumplings are a regular staple in our family's diet now. What more, she likes to make the dumplings herself.

​Natasha Sareen

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Fun, well organised cooking classes with a lovely host. I highly recommend.
I’ve now learned Thai, Chinese, Indian and Taiwanese recipes. What will be next?!

​Georgia Mor

Student 

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Never knew gluten free could taste this good! Great class for any level with easy recipes, great tips and easy to source ingredients. Payal’s vast knowledge of food and cooking shines through in this interactive and fun class.​

​Sharon Jacotine

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Absolutely brilliant course - highly recommend!! Great instructor and delicious dumplings!

​Cristina Peliza

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I’ve taken so many classes at Commune Kitchen and have enjoyed every single one. Payal is truly one of the best cooks out there. Her bao is the BEST I’ve ever eaten and I’m Chinese! Go sign up for one of her class, you won’t regret it. ;)

​lay nina

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Took Xiao Long Bao class. Everything is hands on from zero scratch. Great learning not only how to make Xiao Long Bao but also Chinese ingredients. And the most important is, what we made was amazing!!! Absolutely delicious!!!

​Saori S. Onuki

Student

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Great class! Dumplings were delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed making them. Chef Payal was a great instructor. Would definitely recommend!

​RueMoreau

Student

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Had such a fab time in this class. Payal was a great chef and made it as simple and as easy as possible. Dumpling turned out great and tasted amazing. Thank you so much for a great experience.

​loops84

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Very comprehensive and fun class. It’s suitable for anyone from beginner to experienced ones! I’m definitely coming back for another class.

​Riza 

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Excellent fully hands on class. Really enjoyed the experience. Will definitely be back for more cooking classes.

​vinodkt

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Getting to eat what we prepared. Very well organised and lots of good tips. We got to make pita, salad, meatballs and Tahiti yoghurt sauce. All delicious

​Carolyn D 

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Such a wonderful experience. I am so glad my wife chose this as a birthday activity for me/us to do together. I will happily attend another class! ❤️

​Joseph G 

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