Besides the beautiful scenery of the old town, Hoi An also attracts visitors with its delicious food as the unique Hoi An cuisine is a mixture of Vietnamese and Chinese flavors. Our list of the most famous Hoi An dishes with the best places to eat them will help you to freely explore and enjoy Hoi An food.
1. Chicken Rice (Com Ga Hoi An)
Hoi An Chicken Rice (Com Ga Hoi An) is a specialty of the ancient town. Chicken rice is the dish that you definitely must try when visiting the ancient town of Hoi An. The perfect dish of chicken rice has a good combination of yellow colored rice, white shredded chicken, and green vegetables. The rice is cooked according to a special recipe, making it not only soft, fragrant but also greasy. The tender shredded chicken is tossed with Vietnamese spices such as coriander, onions, pepper, chili, laksa leaves, and lime juice to create a special taste. Depending on the taste, you can add a bit of soy sauce, chili or sour papaya. Chicken rice is served with a bowl of soup.
Hoi An Chicken Rice is cheap as the price of this dish starts from 20,000 VND per plate. If you want additional chicken or eggs, you'll have to pay extra. In the old town, it is very easy to find the place for trying local chicken rice, as there are many restaurants ready to serve visitors. The most famous chicken rice restaurants in Hoi An:
Com Ga Ba Buoi
Address: 22 Phan Chu Trinh, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: Starting from 35,000 - 50,000 VND
Opening hours: 10:30 -21:00
Com Ga Ty
Address: 27 Phan Chu Trinh, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: Starting from 35,000 - 50,000 VND
Opening hours: 11:00 -21:00
Com Ga Huong
Address: 56 Le Loi, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: Starting from 35,000 - 50,000 VND
Opening hours: 05:30 -22:00
Com Ga Xi Hoi An
Address: Address: 47/2 Tran Hung Dạo, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: Starting from 20,000 - 50,000 VND
Opening hours: 11:15 -20:00
2. Hoi An Noodles (Cao Lau)
Referring to Hoi An cuisine, Cao Lau is certainly always the top name on the list. Cao Lau appeared around the 17th century when Vietnam and neighboring countries had perfect trade relations. Although going through many years, the local people still retain the traditional features and very unique flavors that are not available anywhere else. Cao Lau dish is inspired by Chinese cuisine and Japanese people think that it is similar to their Udon noodles but differs in flavor and processing.
A typical Cao Lau bowl has soft, thick yellow noodles served with slices of barbecue pork, pork crackling, bean sprouts, lettuce, and slightly roasted peanuts and sprinkled with little sauce on top to keep the flavor. When eating this Hoi An dish, you will feel the texture of Cao Lau with mix of spices.
You can try Cao Lau in many cities around Vietnam, but if you want to get the most authentic taste of this Hoi An delicacy, try it at Hoi An Ancient Town.
In Hoi An, it is easy to find Cao Lau as the dish is widely served in various places, from the street vendors to the most famous restaurants. The places where you can enjoy the best Cao Lau in Hoi An:
Cao Lau Thanh
Address: 26 Thai Phien, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: Starting from 15,000 - 30,000 VND
Opening hours: 07:00 - 19:00
Cao Lau Lien
Address: 16 Thai Phien, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 20,000 VND
Opening hours: 10:00 - 19:00
Cao Lau Ba Dinh
Address: 138 Tran Phu, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: Starting from 15,000 - 30,000 VND
Opening hours: 08:30 - 21:00
Cao Lau Khong Gian Xanh
Address: 687 Hai Ba Trung, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 40,000 VND
Opening hours: 09:30 - 21:00
You can join this Hoi An Street Food Walking Tour to try Hoi An best food and unique flavors including Banh Mi (Vietnamese Baguette Sandwich), Goi Cuon (Spring Rolls), and Cao Lau (Hoi An Noodles).
3. Quang Noodle (Mi Quang)
Mi Quang is another must-try specialty of Hoi An. As the name suggests, this noodle dish originated from Quang Nam Province so enjoying this dish when traveling to Hoi An has a good reason. People tend to mistakenly consider Mi Quang to be Cao Lau because these two dishes are very similar. Cao Lau noodle is tough and thicker than regular Quang Noodle and the ingredients used are not as diverse as in Quang Noodle.
The main ingredients for this dish are soft flat rice noodles, hard boiled quail eggs, slices of pork belly, Vietnamese herbs, lettuce, roasted sesame, roasted peanuts and rice crackers. You can choose the main meat for your dish as it can be shrimps, pork, chicken, beef or sometimes even snakehead fish. The dish is most commonly served with a small amount of broth made from pork, chicken and shrimp, some places also process it with beef or fish. The broth is infused with turmeric to give it a yellowish color with a taste of sweetness.
Another special feature of Quang Noodle is serving with the typical vegetables such as lettuce, cinnamon, cabbage, basil, onion, and cilantro, grown in the famous Tra Que Vegetable Village which is located northeast of Hoi An Ancient Town. Vegetables grown in this region give all aromatic flavors: spicy, acrid, sweet, bitter to enhance the taste of Quang Noodle.
In Hoi An, Quang Noodle is sold everywhere. The most famous places to eat delicious Quang Noodle:
Mi Quang 137
Address: 137 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 35,000 VND
Opening hours: 06:30 - 22:00
Mi Quang Ong Hai
Address: 6A Truong Minh Luong, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 30,000-35,000 VND
Opening hours: 06:00 - 22:00
Mi Quang Bich
Address: 272 Hung Vuong, Thanh Ha, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 30,000-40,000 VND
Opening hours: 06:30 - 20:00
4. Hoi An Pancake (Banh Xeo)
Pancakes is not only one of the most famous delicacies of Hoi An, but in Vietnam as well. Hoi An Pancake is a small, yellow-scented pancake with whole shrimps, thinly sliced pork and bean sprouts. Hoi An Pancake has a very unique flavor, unlike other places, especially because of the sauce.
There are many shops selling pancakes in Hoi An. These places often sell grilled meat and spring rolls as well. The best places to try pancakes in Hoi An:
Banh xeo Hai Đao
Address: 160 Ly Thai To, Cam Son,Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 40,000 VND
Opening hours: 24 hours
Banh xeo Hai Nam
Address: 409 D. Hai Ba Trung, Cam Son,Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 50,000 VND
Opening hours: 24 hours
Banh xeo Minh Tu Cho
Address: Cho am thuc,Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam
Price: 30,000 VND
Opening hours: 07:00 - 21:00
5. White Rose (Banh Bao Banh Vac)
White Rose, locally known as Banh Bao Banh Vac, is in the menu of many restaurants in Hoi An. You won't find White Rose in any other city of Vietnam. White Rose is actually dumplings with a poetic name. The dish is called "white rose" because the dumplings are small, pretty, white colored and shaped what roughly looks like a rose. White Rose looks simple but the process of making it is not as easy as it looks. It is made from translucent white dough which is filled with spiced minced shrimp or pork. Topped with crispy fried shallots and dipped in special sauce made from shrimp broth, hot chilies, lemon, and sugar.
The most famous and attractive place for tourists to try White Rose is White Rose Restaurant.
White Rose Restaurant
Address: 533 Hai Ba Trung, Hoi An, Vietnam
Price: 70,000 VND
Opening hours: 07:00 - 20:30
6. Hoi An Bread (Banh Mi)
Banh Mi literally means bread made from wheat, in other words, a baguette. Banh Mi is a national dish of Vietnam and each region has its own way of making it. However, bread in other places is not necessarily famous, but in Hoi An, bread is a specialty dish. In Hoi An, bread is considered as one of the best breads in the world and it has appeared quite a lot in the world travel magazines. The bread in Hoi An has a perfect combination of crispy bread with meats, herbs and sauce. There are various types of fillings and ingredients like in many other places, but Hoi An have special home-made sauces, such as butter sauce and chili sauce.
Finding an attractive place to selling this bread is not, especially in the early morning or late evening. In Hoi An Ancient Town, there are 2 famous bread shops that have been known for long and most tourists who have visited Hoi An complimented them. These bread shops are Madame Khanh and Banh My Phuong.
Madame Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen
Madam Khanh, the name of this popular bakery has spread online, causing many visitors to Hoi An to come here and enjoy this famous traditional dish. Madam Khanh is not only famous in Vietnam but even the world knows this unique bread of Hoi An. Madam Khanh is over 80 years old but still resourceful with her business and her own taste. Foreign tourists call her the Bread Queen. The bread here is crunchy crust outside and soft inside with more than 10 different types of filling.
Address: 115 Tran Cao Van, Phuong Minh An, Cam Chau, Hoi An, Vietnam
Opening hours: 06:30 - 19:30
Price: 15,000-30,000 VND
Banh My Phuong
Banh My Phuong is a simple stall but they sell 2,000 pieces of bread every day. The bread here is very rich, with more than 20 different types of fillings such as pork floss, grilled pork, pork patty, spring rolls, chicken with butter, cheese and onions, beef rolls with cheese, and bacon. You can also add pickled papaya, tomato, chili and cucumber slices, spring onion, cilantro and mints if you wish. If compared to Madame Khanh, Banh My Phuong offers more "Western" fillings. The secret of the delicious bread lies in the sauce of all kinds to the loaf of bread.
Address: 2b Phan Chu Trinh, Cam Chau, Hoi An, Vietnam
Opening hours: 06:30 - 21:30
Price: 15,000-20,000 VND
7. Grilled Meat Skewers in Rice Paper (Thit xien nuong)
Grilled Meat Skewers in Rice Paper is a delicious dish originating from Hue. In Hoi An, this dish is a very common street food and popular among tourists.
Normally, Grilled meat skewers are served on a plate with barbecue skewers, rice paper, raw vegetables, and dipping sauce. The meat can be marinated in different styles of sauce depending on where you eat it but the most common ingredients include salt, pepper, five spice, rice wine, coconut milk, green onion, garlic, chili, and lemongrass. Hoi An people often use soy sauce with peanuts to create a thick and spicy sauce. Many shops also add roasted sesame seeds to increase the flavor.
Cool evening is an ideal time to enjoy the grilled meat in Hoi An. The area on the bank of Hoai River in Hoi An Ancient Town is famous for these grilled meat skewers. These shops often start selling from noon but get crowded in the late afternoon. There are more than 5 small street stalls lined up to sell this dish with low plastic chairs for guests to eat. The price of grilled meat skewer is about 5,000 - 6,000 VND per stick.
8. Tea
If you have enjoyed all the famous dishes in Hoi An, tea will be a suitable refreshment for you when walking around Hoi An Old Town. Herbal tea sold here is very diverse.
The popular place to try refreshing herbal tea in Hoi An is Mot Cafe, the restaurant and herbal tea shop. The signature herbal tea is a blend of herbs such as cinnamon, honeysuckle, lemongrass, lime with great scent of lotus. The price is usually only 10,000 VND per cup, low price for a healthy drink.
9. Corn Pudding (Che Bap)
Corn Pudding (Che Bap), originated from Hoi An, has been handed down for generations and is now widely available in all regions. Ingredients for making pudding include baby corn of Cam Nam Village, which is famous for growing corn, tapioca and coconut cream.
There are many places in Hoi An selling corn pudding and you can easily find them along the street. Every afternoon, small tea shops are busy with customers. Some of the best places to try corn pudding in Hoi An:
Che Ba Thọ
Address: 3 Nguyen Hue,Cam Chau, Hoi An, Vietnam
Price: 7,000-10,000 VND
Quan Cam Nam
Address:679 D. Hai Ba Trung, Phuong Minh An, Hoi An, Vietnam
Opening hours: 09:00 - 22:00
Cafes in Hoi An
A specialty that makes many visitors remember Hoi An forever is ancient city’s beautiful cafes that offer a nice atmosphere and relaxing time. The characteristics of these Hoi An cafes are that they have been opened in old houses, in the middle of golden walls, ancient tile roofs where you can find yourself a delicious cup of coffee or cocktail and delicious cake.
Here is the list of incredible cafes in Hoi An that you should visit: 12 Best Cafes in Hoi An.