Table of Contents
Vietnamese cuisine
Vietnamese cuisine are very various in every regions. In the Middle of Vietnam with many provinces so the foods are very diversified. Especially in Hoi An, the ancient town with many local dishes will make you fall in love by the flavor, spices, taste. Following with the author to get an experience of the taste in Hoi An.
Cao Lau in Hoi An
This dish was serve everywhere in Vietnam. However, just eat in Hoi An will bring the best flavor for you to try. It’s very unique because it made by Ba Le Well water, no one region in Vietnam can copy it. This dish is the noodle for many generation from the past and the combination between three ethnic include: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese.
In the past, there are many Chinese and Japanese business man come there then stay there, they connect each other to make this dish with the various from three culture of countries. The noodle of Cao Lau like Udon noodle of Japan, the gravy water of Chinese and the materials of Vietnam. Come there and have to try this noodle to understand know more about the three cultural ethnics.
Place to eat:
Thanh Cao Lau
26 Thai Phien Street, Hoi An
From 6 AM to 3 PM
Price: 25.000 to 30.000 VND/ dish
Chicken rice in Hoi An (Com Ga Hoi An)
This favorite dish has a huge fan because it easy to eat by the good smell of rice, sweet of chicken, good smell from spice and parsley. Almost of travelers attracted by the yellow color of rice and chicken, green of vegetable, sheen of chicken fat, etc.
All of materials to cook for Com Ga Hoi An must high quality. The chicken meat should fresh, soft and sweet. Some ingredients boil together with chicken such as salt, pepper, fried onion, raw onion, etc. After that, the chef will cook the rice by the chicken gravy water to get the smell of chicken. The last part is the process of decoration on the dish, the yellow rice on the dish with chicken topping and green vegetables. Some restaurants will serve with the hot chicken soup.
The place to eat:
Com Ga Ba Buoi
22 Phan Chau Trinh St, Hoi An
From 11 AM to 9 PM
Price: 35,000 to 50,000 VND/ dish
Com Ga Xi
47/2 Tran Hung Dao St, Hoi An
From 9 AM to 9:30 PM
Price: 20,000 VND to 50,000 VND/ dish
Fresh giant prawn (Tom Cang Xanh)
This prawn are so fresh and you can eat this prawn on some of the restaurants in An Bang beach. This beach is not use for the tourist because it belonged the fishing village. This is a good place for the seafood lovers want to come and try with reasonable price. Not only the Giant prawn, some of sea food like squid, shrimp, fish and crab are available for travelers. The chef will cook it with many ways like boil, grill, stir or fry.
The prawn in Hoi An are very large and live in the freshwater. It is not like the South Vietnam, almost the people catch the prawn in the river like MeKong Delta. In Hoi An, the local people raise it on the farm and distribute it for many local restaurants. It so fresh and sweet. Normally, the way to cook it are boil and grill, after that dip with the salt, pepper and lime. The simple cook will keep the prawn fresh and increase the real taste of prawn.
The place to eat:
Kim Cuc Restaurant
Block 01 An Bang beach, Cam An Ward, Hoi An city
8 AM to 10 PM
Price: 1.5 million/kg (seasonal price)
Banh Mi Hoi An
It can be call “the best street food in the world”, like you know eating Banh Mi are very convenience like having a sandwich on a break time. The Banh Mi in Hoi An are very special by almost ingredients made by handmade at home. It cook follow the style of the Central Vietnamese. Some basic ingredients of Banh Mi should have like vegetables, slice of cucumber, ham, paste, butter. But in Hoi An they add one thing to make it difference from another regions.
The impressive of Banh Mi Hoi An is the spicy sauce cooked by special formula and pass by many generations. In addition, the people make paste with the sophisticated way in the oven on time to keep the paste is fat, not too dry, soft and good smell. Another materials combine with it to become Banh Mi Hoi An are chicken eggs, Tra Que Vegetables, unique spicy sauce, pork meat and ham.
The place to eat:
Banh Mi Madame Khanh
115 Tran Cao Van st, Hoi An
From 7 AM to 7 PM
Cost: 15,000 VND to 20,000 VND/ a banh mi
Banh Mi Phuong
2B Phan Chu Trinh St, Hoi An
6 AM to 9:30 PM
Cost: 15,000 VND to 20,000 VND/ a banh mi
The crispy pancake in Hoi An (Banh Xeo Hoi An)
The pancake are very popular in the culture of Vietnam. Go anywhere in Vietnam, you will see they sell Banh Xeo a lots with their style. Like South Vietnam Banh Xeo in Saigon, Banh Xeo in Mekong Delta region, Banh Xeo in the north Vietnam like Hanoi, Banh Xeo in the Vietnam Central. Each of it bring difference taste from difference regions.
Hoi An belongs the central of Vietnam so the pancake in here are similar like other with small pancake and crispy. However, the Banh Xeo in Hoi An has the fatty taste of coconut milk, good smell form the powder and crispy cake besides there are the fresh seafood here like squid, shrimp, etc. Besides, the attractive point make Banh Xeo Hoi An are unique is the fresh materials like fresh vegetables from Tra Que Village, fresh seafood in An Bang fishing village. Before eating the Banh Xeo Hoi An, be careful with it because it so hot and have a little bit fatty.
Place to eat:
Banh Xeo Hai Dao Hoi An
160 Ly Thai To St, Hoi An
7 AM to 10 PM
15,000 VND to 20,000 VND/ a cake
Summary:
There are five local dishes that you should have when you visit Hoi An, spending more time to try this because the food effect a lots by the culture of business activity local people. If you have more time, renting a motorbike to go around and eat all of things by yourself are very interesting. If you don’t have time, you can find the tourist, they will take you to eat all of things. Try all of this to understand more about the cultural of Hoi An Ancient.