Food in Hoi An: BEST Local Dishes in Hoi An and Where to Eat

Hoi An ancient town gives a deep impression for visitors about not only one-of-a-kind spectacular ancient architecture but also its elegant array of dishes. Food in Hoi An can bring visitors exquisite taste which is hard to find outside of this area. Visitors can find the best food in Hoi An in any Vietnamese restaurant and it will satisfy the most demanding diners with scrumptious foods. Let’s discover some Hoi An cuisine in the following lists with Vietnam Teaching Jobs (VTJ).

>>> Read more: 32+ BEST Restaurants in Hoi An, Vietnam (Updated 2023)

1. Cao Lau (Pork Rice Noodle)

Cao Lau (Pork Rice Noodle) – The signature food of Hoi An cuisine

Cao Lau (also called Pork Rice Noodle) is Hoi An’s signature recipe, which comprises thick rice noodles, soup, and an array of mixed greens such as beansprouts, fragrant mint, crisp lettuce, basil, Vietnamese fish leaf, and so on. 

The broth of Cao Lau is cooked with pork bones, taking hours to create the savory bone broth. Next, the cooker will add soy sauce, garlic, fish sauce, salt, pepper, and some different spices. Cao Lau is a mixture of rice noodles, soup, char siu meat, and some side dishes like greenstuff and crunchy dry pancakes. Diners can also add lime, chili jam, and peanuts into Cao Lau.

You can enjoy Cao Lau in any Vietnamese restaurant in Hoi An old town.

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2. Banh Mi

Banh Mi – The famous Vietnamese street food in Hoi An

Banh Mi is considered as a street food in Hoi An. It is a Vietnamese-style baguette sandwich with pickled vegetables, lettuce, cucumbers, cilantro, chilies, soy sauce, liver pate, butter and some kind of meat. The bread of this dish is crispy, unlike French baguette, and shorter. You can choose your favorite meat fillings for your Banh Mi such as roasted pork belly, fried eggs, and grilled pork.

If you have a chance to come to Hoi An old town, you should have a mouth-watering Banh Mi with crunchy outside and soft inside and juicy meat when immersing yourself into the breathtaking landscape of Hoi An. 

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3. Mi Quang (Quang Noodle)

Mi Quang (Quang Noodle) – A must-try noodle dish in Hoi An

Mi Quang (Quang Noodle) is the ultimate dish of Hoi An. Unlike Cao Lau, the noodles of My Quang have a yellow color and are bigger. The soup of Mi Quang is a combination of robust bone broth and exquisite spices. My Quang is topped with a variety of meat like chicken, pork or beef slices, and fresh vegetables. Eaters can use My Quang with basil, sliced banana flowers, chili jam, peanuts, and coriander. Besides, some restaurants in Hoi An also serve this food with special toppings such as frogs or snails. 

>>> Read more: BEST Local Food in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam You Must Try

4. Banh Bao Vac (White Rose Dumpling)

Banh Bao Vac (White Rose Dumpling) – The delicious street food in Hoi An

Banh Bao Vac or White Rose Dumpling is a special food in Hoi An. It gives the diners a huge impression with its meticulous display like white roses. This delicate dumpling is made by wrapping shrimp or pork into flattened rice dough and then steaming them. 

After cooking, the dumplings are white in color and soft. Before serving, banh bao vac is placed delicately on a dish, garnished with shallots, and eaten with a dipping sauce consisting of shrimp broth, sugar, lemon juice, and chilies.

Banh Bao Vac is sold in most local restaurants in Hoi An and served as a local appetizer.

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5. Com Ga Hoi An (Hoi An Chicken Rice)

Com Ga Hoi An (Hoi An Chicken Rice) – The local food in Hoi An

Com Ga Hoi An is one of the best foods in Hoi An and many restaurants sell this dish. The rice of Com Ga Hoi An is light yellow instead of white as chicken bouillon and a small amount of turmeric is added when cooking the rice. Hoi An Chicken Rice is the combination of yellow aromatic rice, shredded chicken, chili jam, black pepper, and eating with pickled vegetables.

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Ending

This is the list of 5 best foods in Hoi An and tourists can easily come and have Hoi An cuisine in local eating places. Food in Hoi An is flavourful and it gets down to the depths of visitors’ minds. It is wonderful to enjoy appetizing dishes when contemplating the spectacular architecture in Hoi An ancient town.