Food Adventure Around Hoi An

When talking about Hoi An, people often recall a small ancient town with yellow houses along Thu Bon riverside, the narrow lanes, the winding walking streets with bougainvillea blossoming in sunshine... It is really nice being a traveler wandering around, but it would be all the greater spending a day living like a local. Hoi An local food tour will bring you to that exotic experience. 

Getting inside Hoi An local market 

This is the main source of foods supply for the town, containing a lot of vendors selling various kind of food and other products. Getting inside, you will have the feeling like standing in the heaven of street food!

There are many types presented: fresh vegetables & herbs such as cucumber, cabbage, onion, carrot, chili and plenty of tropical fruits, for example pineapple, guava, star fruit etc.

All are sold at quite a low price, and they will be perfect choices if you want to cook a meal by your own. Most of the sellers here are women, even the young ones. They dropped out school early, follow their mothers or grandmothers selling goods and earn money for the whole family's living. Many women try to learn English by talking with tourists everyday, that's why they can communicate quite well.

Give "Cao Lau" a try

"Cao Lau" is one of the most must-try dishes when it comes to visit Hoi An. Huffington Post magazine once said, "this is an unforgettable dish". Its name has a very interesting meaning: people have to go upstair to enjoy it. In the past, Hoi An was a dynamic trading port in South East Asia, and it attracted a lot of businessmen from all over the world. When going to the restaurant, these men usually choose to sit on higher floors, where they can eat and have a great view of the town; and can take care of their goods more easily at the same time. The name "Cao Lau" dated since then. 

This dish was made from rice noodles served with a little broth, some slices of fried pork, herbs, and "top mo" - a type of fried pork skin. You can eat "Cao Lau" like a local inside Hoi An market or along side the river bank, many street vendor are selling it at an easy price. 

A unique taste of Hoi An chicken rice 

Hoi An chicken rice is also a dish that you should not miss. It is different from any other type of chicken rice in the world you've tried, neither Hai Nam chicken rice nor Singapore chicken rice... Only in Hoi An, and just Hoi An. 

One of the best addresses in town for you to choose is Dzung Restaurant in Phan Chau Trinh St. The chickens here are raised in the house's garden, so their meat taste excellent. First it will be boiled, and then roasted/ grilled/ made roti. People then use the boiling soup to cook rice, that's why it has such delicious taste and amazing color: a little natural white, a little natural yellow. Finally, they put chicken meat on the top of dish, adding onion, pepper and cucumber and all you need to do is enjoy your meal! 

Banh Mi Phuong - "the best bread in town"

Hoi An is the orginal land of the best bread in Viet Nam with Banh Mi Phuong - a banh mi shop has been proudly praised and featured by a famous American chef Anthony Bourdain. Cameron Stauch, a wellknown Canada chef, aslo like "traveled all the way from Canada for this".  So what's the secret that makes it so impressive? 

 - The banh mi is always kept warm in the kitchen, so its cover is crispy and inside it's still soft. 

 - Delicious homemade bacon, cheese and pate are always fresh 

 - Fresh vegetables mixed together such as carrot, papaya, cucumber, tomatoes 

 - The secret lying in the special sauce made by Phuong. No one knows about the ingredients, and none can make the same scrumptious taste. 

All of these above are put in order, one by one, and done in a short time that you don't need to wait so long. And the first bite will satisfy your wish of a tasty banh mi flavor! 

"Banh Khot" - just like a dessert!

"Banh Khot" - a type of mini cake is also a perfect choice for food lovers. It looks so tiny, beautiful and cute. The cover is made of rice powder, eggs and pure coconut water. The inside mixture includes pork, small shrimp, onion, cabbage... Under the magic hand of the baker, the cake appears amazingly. Just enjoy it with Hoi An special sweet sauce! 

After exploring some Hoi An authentic food, you can also visit many famous historical attractions of the ancient town for sightseeing, taking photographs and discovering more colorful part... 

Just relax, and enjoy the journey!