Vietnam - My top 10 food places to visit in Hoi An

lorisolan
Jan 27, 2018
4 min read

If you are a food lover like myself then Hoi An is the place for you. In the same way Melbourne is the food capital of Australia, the same can be said of Hoi An, Vietnam. There is an eclectic mix of food and you can find anything you want. The street food is outstanding, the freshness is unbeatable and the flavours are mouth watering. In Hoi An the prices range from $0.50c for a bahn mi up to $70 for a fancy meal in one of the restaurants down along the Thu Bon river. It is so refreshing to come to a popular tourist destination and yet still be able to hunt down local food at their usual prices. Below is the list of my absolute favourites.

Ganesh Indian Restaurant (24 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Minh An) - $$

This may be one of my favourite Indian restaurants ever. Ganesh is a chain and there are eight different branches that can be found throughout Vietnam. We went to Ganesh in Dalat and while it was also very good the Hoi An restaurant blew it out of the water. The chicken vindaloo is a must.

Morning Glory (106 Nguyễn Thái Học, Minh An, Tp) - $$$

If you are not travelling on a low budget then Morning Glory should be on the list of restaurants to visit in Hoi. White Rose dumplings are a local Hoi An dish and are worth a try here. Bahn Xeo (crispy Vietnamese savoury crepes) is another popular dish at Morning Glory and is glorious when mixed with fresh vegetables and then dipped in MG's homemade sweet chilli sauce. I would advise making a reservation, especially if there are more than 2 people as it is an extremely popular place. Even though they were really busy the service was quick.

Hola Taco Mexican (9 Phan Châu Trinh, Minh An, Tp) - $$

Hola Taco is a delicious Mexican restaurant in a great location, with lovely decor inside, the food is very enjoyable and has just the right amount of spice. We loved the Chicken Enchilada and the Black Bean Taco. All washed down with the popular Mexican beer Corona, this place is a hit.

Mót Hội An - $

Mót is a really cute restaurant located right in the centre of Hoi An Old Town. The interior is simple yet pretty. The most popular item here is the herbal tea. We couldn't get over how many they sold from the time we sat down to when we left. The queue outside for takeaway was endless so we couldn't leave without trying it ourselves. It was beautifully presented with a lotus leaf placed on top and was so thirst quenching. We both ordered Cao lầu for the first time since coming to Hoi An. (Cao lầu is a regional Vietnamese dish made with noodles, pork, and local greens and can only be found in Hoi An) The noodles were so spongy and the crackling was perfectly crispy. After that I had Cao lầu nearly every day for the rest of our time in Hoi An.

Bánh mì Phượng (2B Phan Châu Trinh, Cẩm Châu) - $

Bánh mì Phượng was vouched for by Anthony Bourdain as being the best Bánh mì shop in Hoi An. Due to this, expect large queues especially around mid morning to early afternoon. The Bánh mì Ga (chicken) was really tasty.

Bahn Mi Queen (115 Trần Cao Vân, Sơn Phong, tp) - $

Madam Khanh - The Bánh mì Queen (115 Tran Cao Van Street) is my personal favourite. She is an older lady who doesn't say much to you however serves up the tastiest baguette. She packs in three different types of marinated pork, adds an egg, the vegetables and a sauce that is to be reckoned with. A must try. Just nod your head at her and she will do the rest!

Jim's Snackbar (552 Hai Bà Trưng, Phường Cẩm Phổ) - $$

If you are looking for a carb fix then Jim's Snackbar is the ideal place. The counter to order is on one side of the road and the seating on the other. The wooden wall and counter tops are filled with peoples own hand written reviews and their thoughts on the burgers which are all unsurprisingly super positive. Denver and I both ordered the 4-layered chicken burger and we had the poutine fries which were delicious. After our meal, we were so full we felt that we had eaten about seven burgers but the pain was so worth it.

Minh Hien (50 Trần Cao Vân, Phường Minh An) - $

Minh Hien is a popular vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An. The inside is made to look like a library. Aside from all of the wonderful dishes that are available, you can also get a fresh beer here for 3,000VND ($0.17c AUD). The Cao lầu, fresh spring rolls and tofu claypot are all good choices.

Central Market (73 Phan Bội Châu Sơn Phong tp. Hội An Sơn Phong tp) - $

If you are looking for the most authentic Cao lầu in Hoi An then take a trip to Central Market and order from one of the many local stalls that can be found inside. We went to a lady right down the back in the far left corner and she produced THE best Cao lầu dish for 30,000VND ($1.70AUD). We also ordered Bahn Xeo and she nailed both dishes with freshness and flavour.

Mì Quảng (found on lots of nameless street food stalls around Hoi An) - $

Mì Quảng is a popular local Hoi An dish and can be found at many small street stalls found dotted around Old Town. A lot of these stalls don't have names so I can't recommend which one to go to however you can't go wrong, at least not with all of them I tried. You can expect to pay between 30,000-50,000VND ($1.70-$3.00AUD). This dish is the perfect combination of part soup, part salad and with the addition of a small quail egg on top, it will leave you wanting more and more and more.