Eat
Gỏi cuốn fresh spring rolls and cao lầu noodles at Brother's CafeFood in Hoi An is, even by high Vietnamese standards,
cheap and tasty. In addition to the usual suspects, there are three dishes that Hoi An is particularly famous for:
Cao lầu, a dish of rice noodles which are not quite as slippery as pho and a bit closer in texture to pasta. The secret is
the water used to make it, and authentic cao lau uses only water from a special well in the city. The noodles are topped
with slices of roast pork, dough fritters, and this being Vietnam, lots of fresh herbs and veggies.
White rose (banh bao vac), a type of shrimp dumpling made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a
rose.
Wantan dumplings, essentially the same as the Chinese kind, served up in soup or deep-fried.
If you are really very adventurous, you can walk to the Central Market, and have a local breakfast. Seating on stools,
eating a bowl of Cao Lau with wooden chopsticks, and sipping the ice cold "White Coffee with vinamilk" is an adventure.
Beware though, prices will vary atrociously, as shopkeepers swarm over you to sell you things, or even shove plates of
food before you. Just keep declining politely and return the food if you don't fancy it. Keep small denominations of dong
with you, as you probably won't get change if you give them US$. Also, confirm the prices before you partake of the
food. Prices range from about 7000-10000 dong for a bowl of noodles, and 5000-7000 dong for a coffee. The baguette
is a nice snack, and should not cost more than 10000 dong. You can point and say no to the vegetables and chilli that
they will add. A recommended way to order is to just say "Everything" and say "no" to the chilli. Mineral water is around
10000 dong for a big 1.5L bottle.
Walking along the river at night, you will find a lot of pubs. Beer is around 30000 dong. Cocktails are around 20000-
50000 dong. There are some bar foods available, such as fried prawn crackers for around 15000 dong a plate. Just
walk into any pub and have a seat.
Budget
Prices in the very center of Hoi An are generally a little inflated by the tourist trade - cross the bridge over to An Hoi
island for a selection of basic but cheap eateries.
Blue Dragon. A restaurant by the waterfront with cheap, but good food. Choose from a wide variety of local dishes, or
set menus, including meat, vegetarian or seafood choices. A portion of the proceeds goes to help the Blue Dragon
Children's Foundation. 20000 dong. edit
Cafe 96. One of the numerous restaurants by the river banks, this restaurant is packed every night of the week, and
deservedly so. There are plenty of vegetarian options and excellent spring rolls. The wait for food tends to be longer
than normal, but worth it. 20000 dong. edit
Cafe Bobo, 18 Le Loi. Popular and reasonably-priced. The frappucino-style mocha shakes are great. edit
Hoai River, 44 Nguyen Thai Hoc. Terrific food, but long waits.
Thanh Phuong, 56 Cong Dong (An Hoi island, just across bridge). Cheap and cheerful local eats. A steaming seafood
hotpot for two and a large beer will set you back US$3.
Trung Bac, 87 Tran Phu. 100 years of cao lau and still going strong. A bowl of chewy noodles and lots of veggies will
set you back all of 8000 dong.
White Rose, 51 Hai Ba Trung. The shop that actually makes most of the "white rose" dumplings served all around town.
15,000 dong per serve, and if you ask nicely they'll let you try to make them yourself. Open from 7AM until they run out,
usually in the afternoon.
Mid-range
Thanh restaurant, 76 Bach Dang str, close to the central market, ☎ 0510.861366. The signs and the Serge Gainsbourg
say French, but the food comes straight out of owner Mr. Nguyen Huu Thanh's well-traveled imagination. Diners choose
a seafood, meat, or vegetarian set, and then wait to see what turns up at the table, which is usually five or six dishes,
one after another. Chef Kim delegates the actual cooking to his assistants, enabling him to chat with diners and trot out
his enormous guestbooks. Even if you're on a backpacking budget, a memorable, original meal (and a full stomach)
makes this a worthy expense. If you're in town for a couple days, you'll find a (mostly) new set every night, so don't be
shy about coming back. Dinner and a drink cost about 96,000 dong per person.
Morning Glory. Choose from a variety of local dishes, and be sure to experiment, because everything is truly excellent.
The staff speak good English, the place is beautifully decorated, and the food will have you coming back for more. (And
if you really enjoy the food, ask about their cooking classes.) While there are cheaper places to eat in Hoi An, this one
is by no means expensive, especially considering how good the food is. Most main courses are between 40000 and
70000 dong. Dinner and a drink cost about 80,000 dong per person. edit
Mermaid, Just opposite the Cloth Market, . Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mermaid serves some of the best
food in Vietnam, and is among the best expensive restaurants. Do not miss the grilled mackerel in banana leaf, the
minced pork with eggplant and the sweet and sour Black King Fish hotpot. The owner came from generations of cooks
and in fact was featured in New York Times for her restaurant's good food. 2 dishes and rice cost between 70,000 to
100,000 dong.
Splurge
Brother's Cafe, 27 Phan Boi Chau, . Open daily for lunch and dinner. Probably Hoi An's nicest restaurant, with a lush
landscaped garden in a wonderful riverside French colonial house. The fresh spring rolls (chả giò) are excellent, and
priced to match at US$4.50 a plate. The 6-course US$16 set meal for two is a good value though.
Hoian Vinh Hung 1 Restaurant Cafe, 147B Tran Phu Str, [8]. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Drink
Before & Now, 51 Le Loi Street, ☎ +84-510-910599. Very popular two-level bar and restaurant.
Sakura. Skip the food, which is overpriced and substandard, but the lovely waterfront terrace is a nice place to have a
drink. It's near Morning Glory (see above).
Tam Tam Cafe, 110 Nguyen Thai Hoc. Cafe, bakery, restaurant and bar all rolled into one. Stylish, popular and not too
badly priced.
Before and Now Bar. For the late night hardcore drinking fun. Not so easy to find, but incredible to visit, ALL the walls
are signed by Graffitos - from cohorts of travellers, before you. Sometimes fine Reggae or underground music
Salsa Club, 41 Nguyen Phuc Chu st., just opposite the Japanese Covered Bridge, has a nice view to Hoai river with the
reasonable price, very friendly staff and it offers the free internet and Wifi as well for you.
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