What and where to eat while in Hoi An

1. The bánh mì.

Definitely a “must eat” in Hoi An is the banh mi. The banh mi is the Vietnamese word for bread or more specifically the baguette that was introduced by the French during the colonial period in Vietnam. But the banh mi is more than just a baguette. In Hoi An, the Vietnamese had added local delicacies in between the sliced halves of the bread and made it into a super delicious meal. And it cost only 20,000 VND, less than 1 USD!

We went to try two of the best banh mi shops in Hoi An. The first shop was the Banh Mi Phuong, proclaimed as the “best Vietnamese banh mi sandwich in the world” by Anthony Bourdain, the American chef, author, and television personality. Surprisingly, Banh Mi Phuong is not a big, posh restaurant as you may expect but a small, nondescript shop by the road (address: 2B Phan Chu Trinh Street) instead.

Shop front of Banh Mi Phuong.

About half a dozen ladies were busy preparing the food behind the long food stand, laden with ingredients. Almost like a production line. A small sign overhead showed that this shop is opened from 6.30 AM to 9.30 PM.

The menu is posted on an overhead signboard like those in a Western fast food restaurant, indicating plenty of options for the  sandwich fillings. Ordering by number helps overcome the language barrier. We ordered item No 9 (bread with pork, ham and pate). Our banh mi came with pork, egg, tomato, green vegetables and a slice of fatty pork belly.

Most people ordered the food for take away but there are a couple of tables inside the relatively dark shop. There is a short queue even at this time of day (4 PM) and we managed to find a place to sit inside the shop.

It was interesting to find that our table has hundreds of small passport-sized photos below the glass top. Apparently, it is a trendy thing for visitors to place one’s photo under the glass. We enjoyed our delicious banh mi with cold local beer, while looking at the photos of people from all over the world. 

Banh Mi at the Banh Mi Phuong shop with the “passport picture table” in the background.

The second banh mi shop that we like is the Madam Khanh, also known as the Banh Mi Queen. This shop is located at 115 Tran Cao Van Street, within walking distance from our hotel in Hoi An (Tea Garden Homestay), so we had banh mi for breakfast at this shop after our sunrise morning tour to My Son Sanctuary.

We were one of the first customers that morning and an elderly lady was operating the stall. She is none other than Madam Khanh herself.

We were among the first customer at Madam Khanh’s shop on this day. The Banh Mi Queen (Madam Khanh) is the lady in the background.

Unlike the Banh Mi Phuong shop, this shop is much brighter inside. There were only three items in the food menu.

Spicy banh mi prepared by Madam Khanh, the Banh Mi Queen in Hoi An.

We ordered the spicy banh mi, with vegetable, pork, ham, egg, pate, papaya and cucumber.  This banh mi is just as good, if not better, than one we had at Banh Mi Phuong. The bread is crispy and yet soft on the inside.

For drinks, the hot Lipton tea with ginger is strong, thick and spicy. Perfect drink to go with the sandwich.

 

2. Cao Lau

Another food that is a “must try” in Hoi An is the Cao Lau, a noodle that can only be made in Hoi An.

Why?

The secret lies in the water. Authentic cao lau is prepared only with water drawn from ancient Cham wells hidden around Hoi An. Some even claim that the water used to prepare the noodle’s dough must be drawn from the town’s Ba Le well, famed for its purity. The noodles for the Cao Lau are pre-soaked in well water and lye made from wood ash brought from one of the eight Cham Islands near Hoi An. The result is noodles with a special flavour, firmer and more chewy. 

In search of the famed Ba Le well in the small town of Hoi An.

Hoi An’s Ba Le well.

Would you believe that the water used to prepare the Cao Lau noodle’s dough must be drawn from ancient Chan wells, such as the town’s Ba Le well?

Cao Lau is sold almost everywhere in Hoi An, ranging from roadside stalls, riverside stalls, stalls in the Central Market, cafes and bigger restaurants. The price varies from 20,000 VND at a roadside stall to 60,000 VND a bowl inside an established restaurant.

We ate our Cao Lau at the Miss Ly Cafe, a restaurant serving authentic Vietnamese specialities for more than 20 years. The Cao Lau came with the chewy, slightly brownish noodles, topped with tasty and smoky pork slices, fresh crisp herbs like mint, lettuce, crispy deep fried pork rind and crunchy bean sprouts. The noodles are served with very little broth.

The ingredient that made this dish so special at this restaurant is the crispy pork rind. It was like the flavourful, crispy pork skin you get from a suckling pig in a posh Chinese restaurant, but without the fats underneath. 

Cao Lau at the Miss Ly Cafe in Hoi An at 60,000 VND a bowl. So good that you may want to go for a second bowl.

3. White Rose dumplings

We also ordered the other Hoi An specialties at the Miss Ly Cafe, namely the White Rose dumplings and the Crispy Fried Wonton.

White Rose dumplings, on a sauce of light vinegar, at the Miss Ly Cafe. A plate like this cost 60,000 VND.

The white roses dumplings are made from translucent white dough which is filled with spiced minced shrimp, and bunched up to look like little white roses. Known locally as the Banh Bao Vac, the name ‘white rose’ was apparently given by the French. There is only one family in Hoi An that produces these dumplings using the original secret recipe and distributes them to all the local eateries in Hoi An.

If time permits or you want to eat from the source, the family that produces the white rose operates the White Rose Restaurant at 533 Hai Ba Trung Street.

 

Crispy Fried Wontons topped with small chunks of shrimps, pork, fresh tomatoes, greens and herbs at the Miss Ly Cafe. This plate cost 100,000 VND.

We actually prefer the crispy fried wontons to the white rose dumplings. The crispy deep fried wontons topped with small chunks of shrimps, pork, fresh tomatoes, greens and herbs is a “must try” dish at this restaurant.

Overall, we enjoyed the food and dining experience at Miss Ly Cafe. This restaurant accepts cash payment only. Address: 22 Nguyen Hue Street.

 

4. Xi Ma – black sesame sweet pudding

One of the street food we tried in Hoi An is the Xi Ma, a dessert made with ground black sesame seeds, sugar and local well water. We went in search of this stall, based on raving reviews from other visitors to Hoi An. It was well worth the little effort to go find this stall.

Looks can be deceiving. This bowl of thick black liquid does not look appetising. I went for a second bowl after finishing the first bowl.

This lady vendor is the daughter of the man who created the secret recipe for this delicious dessert.

The Xi Ma stall is located on Nguyen Truong To Street, about 50 meters away from the crossroad of Nguyen Truong To Street and Ly Thuong Kiet Street (near to Hoi An Centre for Orphans and Disabled Children). This stall has been operating for over 70 years using a secret family recipe.

 

5. Iced Vietnamese Coffee at Faifo Coffee

Iced coffee is a staple in tropical Vietnam and we had many coffee breaks while exploring Hoi An.

The best place for the iced Vietnamese coffee that comes with a unique bird’s eye view of Hoi An old town is the Faifo Coffee. It is located at 130 Tran Phu, not to be confused with Faifoo Cafe, a few doors away on the same street. 

Faifo Coffee serves a wide variety of coffee and also sells its own coffee beans and powder. In addition to the nice coffee served, many people come here for the photo opportunities at the roof top.

The best place for a unique bird’s eye view of the Hoi An old town is the Faifo Coffee.

 

The best time to come is just before sunset. Head straight to the roof top terrace, enjoy watching the sun set while sipping delicious coffee, snap plenty of photos and stay till the lights in the streets below are lit.

Unique bird’s eye view of the Hoi An old town from the roof top of the Faifo Coffee.

6. Vietnamese cuisine at Morning Glory Restaurant

I am not recommending that you try the most commonly eaten vegetable in Vietnam but rather, I am recommending the Morning Glory Restaurant, a restaurant that all visitors to Hoi An should try. Operated by Ms Vy who also runs a cooking school, this restaurant offers gourmet Vietnamese dining experience within the ancient town. The menu is extensive, prices are slightly higher than what you could expect in Hoi An but the food is value for money. The food is so good that we went there twice for dinner during our 4 days stay.

Dinner at Morning Glory Restaurant – Deep fried fish (tilapia) with mango salad and sauce and sauteed prawns served in a coconut. I normally dislike tilapia for its muddy taste but this fried tilapia was different.

Second dinner at Morning Glory – Beef Stew served with noodles and baguette and Curry Duck with potatoes.

Reservation is recommended but we managed to get a table pretty fast on the two nights we ate there. September is not the peak season.

The Morning Glory Restaurant at Hoi An.

The Morning Glory restaurant is located right in the middle of  Hoi An Ancient town at 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. There are chairs placed outside, ready for the queuing customers. An indication of the restaurant’s popularity.