Hoi An, situated in the middle of Vietnam is steeped in history and culture. With its recognisable yellow plastered buildings detailed with touches of blue and wood, and lanterns... so many beautiful lanterns, this is a town not to be missed on your visit to Vietnam.
Hoi An is a melting pot of cultural beauty... with architectural influences from Japan, China, and Vietnam. When you walk through the old town you will see many beautiful examples of these buildings - there is truly no place like Hoi An... but Hoi An is not just beautiful buildings and glowing lanterns... The food is the real showstopper here. Fresh, crisp, sweet, sour, a blend of herbs, sauces and spices including chilli to make your mouth water!
Influenced by many nationalities, French, Japanese, Mexican, Chinese and of course traditional Vietnamese there is something for everyone.
The French influence can be best tasted in the amazing French bread used in the famous Bah Mi. Light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside this is French bread at its best. For the best Ban Mi we recommend Banh Mi Phurong made famous by the late Anthony Bourdain but you can pick a Banh mi up street vendors for $1 or $2
Croissants and French pastries are also available at bakeries and are certainly very close to the ones in France. 9 Grains in Hoi An and 7 Sons at An Bang Beach are a couple of our favourites.
Each region in Vietnam has its specialty foods and in Hoi An these are Cao Lau Noodles, Rose white dumplings topped with pork, Crispy pancake called Banh Xeo with bean sprouts, prawns and pork served with rice paper wraps and a selection of the freshest greens including herbs and a very yummy dipping sauce. And of course Pho and Bah Mi.
Food is very cheap and you can buy a Pho soup for $2 from a local cafe, it’s best to talk to locals to get advice on the best places to eat this, this is one we were taken to, delicious and so cheap - Quán Phở Tiến
Our other fave spots:
Morning Glory, their flagship restaurant is situated in the old town and is named after the vegetable similar to spinach, it is very famous and also has a great cooking school.
We love visiting Red Dragon on Cua Dai Rd serving very refined Vietnamese food at great prices (Their Charcoal Bun's and Tuna Rice Paper rolls are not to be missed).
Son Hoi An on the same street and Red Dragon, with a lovely outdoor area serving the more traditional food like Savoury Crispy Pancake but also a delicious orange duck.
Circle Cafe on the same road (Cua Dai is a great place for food, just out of the old town) makes the tastiest Burgers and Tacos and is run by a lovely Vietnamese lady.
Veranda Bar is situated at An Bang beach but not directly on the beach. They serve some great Vegan food, if you are lucky the owner might have her delicious vegan cheese cake on the menu, made by her with local berry jam. They also serve bagels with the yummiest toppings.
For a touch of Moroccan /Vietnamese fusion food and decor, Casa Soul is perfect for a relaxed outdoor meal.
Breakfast in Vietnam can be a yummy bowl of pho soup or traditional meals like brown rice porridge served with ground sesame seeds and little fried fish, but my favourite is the freshest banh mi French stick with eggs of your choice and some of the famous chilli sauce.
If you are wanting something more western then Rosie’s Cafe is definitely the place to go, their smoothie bowls are delicious.
We could go on forever, Hoi An (Well Vietnam in general) really offers the most incredible range of tasty treats to take you through from Morning to Dessert! One is for sure, you will never go hungry!
Want to know more about Hoi An and our top recommendations? Keep your eye's peeled for our Hoi An with Husk and Honey E-Book!! Coming soon xx
