Eating and Drinking in Hoi An: an Exotic Experience with the Locals

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Beautiful Hoi An city in central Vietnam is popular for its historic Old Town, a living museum that has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The UNESCO citation means the Old Town of Hoi An is a common heritage of mankind and of a very important cultural value in the legacy of man in this planet. There is a lot riding on this citation. To the common traveler, however, what matters most aside from the sights is the food. How delicious and tempting is the local cuisine? How exciting is eating and drinking in Hoi An? Below is a sampling of the best Vietnamese foods well loved by locals and for all visiting foreigners to try and enjoy.

The most popular local delicacy is Cao Lu. This is rice noodles with sliced roast pork, dough fritters, and sprinkles of fresh herbs and greens. The texture of the noodles is more like pasta than the usual Vietnamese pho. The secret to the unique texture and softness is the water used for broth. According to local cooks, authentic Cao Lu uses only water from a specific well in Hoi An. Water from any other water source just won’t do. This means the Cao Lu in Hoi An is unique in all of Vietnam.

Second most famous is White Rose or Banh Bao Vac. It is a regular shrimp dumpling but bunched to look like a cluster of roses. It is made from white dough, hence called “white rose”. It’s definitely worth eating for its flavorful taste and at a very cheap price. The best white roses are sold on Hai Ba Trung Street.

And the third most famous local food is wonton dumplings, similar with the Chinese, since there is a strong Chinese influence all over Vietnam.

A dining experience in Hoi An is very cultural and exotic. Tourists are advised to do the following in order to make the most of their dining experience.

Wake up early in the morning, go to the Central Market when it is full and busy with local buyers, and have a local breakfast while sitting on makeshift wooden stools. Ask for a bowl of steaming Cao Lu and sip with ice cold “white coffee with vinamilk”. This is a local staple, while using wooden chopsticks. Eat among the locals and be ready to be swarmed by vendors selling all kinds of stuff and other kinds of exotic foods. You do not need to try everything since it is still early in the morning.

To add more adventure to your already very exotic breakfast, ask for chili and more vegetables to be sprinkled onto your bowl of Cao Lu.

A bowl is about 7000-10000 dong (US$0.34-49), and the white coffee is from 5000 to 7000 dong (US$0.24-0.34). You might also want to add a piece of bread worth 10,000 dong. Bottled water is also 10,000 dong (1.5-L bottle). Never drink from the tap.

In the evening, hit the riverside and drink a bottle of beer with the locals inside one of the well-lit pubs. A bottle costs about 30,000 dong (US$1.46). Drink beer or a few other cocktails (20,000 to 50,000 dong) while eating fried prawn crackers. A night like this will surely complete your cultural experience in eating and drinking in Hoi An. But if an exotic breakfast and wild evening drink is not for you, there are several restaurants and cafés all over Hoi An that are difficult to miss.