Top 10 Must-Try Dishes in Hoi An

First on the list is Cao Lau. Cao Lau, also known as wooden noodle, is a dish that every visitor in the ancient town must try at least once. It's another type of special noodles with a brownish-yellow color. This dish has less broth compared to Mi Quang but is served with crispy rice paper, lean pork, fried pork skin, and lard. Besides these components, the owner also adds a special soy sauce, aromatic powder, and fresh vegetables. Diners just need to mix them well to blend the ingredients and start enjoying. Cao Lau is priced between 12,000 - 15,000 VND.

This is a familiar dish of the people in Quang region, available in many places. However, you can only savor the most delicious and authentic Cao Lau in Hoi An. It's a simple yet incredibly tasty dish. Don't miss out on trying this when you visit Hoi An.

After wandering through each street, pause at a small eatery to savor the famous dish, Quang noodles, and soothe the hunger that has started to protest. This dish consists of rice noodles, shrimp, pork, chicken, grilled rice paper, fresh vegetables, and a bit of broth. Mix it all together to blend the ingredients. The noodles become soft, moist, and chewy, making it incredibly delicious. A bowl of Quang noodles here costs around 12,000 - 15,000 VND.

Quang Noodles is not only a special dish of Da Nang but also one of the most famous dishes in Hoi An, loved by tourists who come to enjoy it. Quang noodles, similar to Cao Lau, have softer noodles in a bowl. When eating, it is served with meat, shrimp, quail eggs, grilled rice paper, and fresh vegetables. Look for eateries along the streets to try Quang noodles; the street food there is always excellent. While savoring the taste of the dish, you can admire the peaceful and beautiful Hoi An ancient town. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy Quang noodles when you visit Hoi An.

Baguette, when these two words are mentioned, most people quickly skim through without paying much attention because it is a familiar and common dish for many Vietnamese. However, it makes its way onto the list of the most famous dishes in Hoi An's ancient town. In Hoi An, Phuong Baguette and Madam Khanh Baguette are the most famous. If you have the chance to visit Hoi An, you must try the special baguette here.

Hoi An is one of Vietnam's addresses praised by the international press for its delicious and unique baguette. The baguette here still has a basic filling of pate, grilled meat, Vietnamese pork sausage, fresh herbs, and special sauce, creating the distinctive appeal of each baguette. The crispy crust and rich, non-greasy filling combine to make it delightful for everyone.
Baguettes in Hoi An are diverse, rich in variety and price. In reputable shops, one baguette costs around 20,000 VND. In budget-friendly shops, the price ranges from 5,000 to 10,000 VND per baguette.

Grilled meat rolled in wet rice paper is most popular along the Hoai River. It's a snack loved by both adults and children. A complete serving includes skewered grilled meat, wet rice paper, fresh vegetables, and the indispensable elaborately crafted dipping sauce. The meat is grilled on the spot, so it's always hot and fragrant. Placed in a thin layer of rice paper, added with fresh greens, and eaten with the rich dipping sauce, it creates a delicious and unique taste.

Oh my, just hearing the name makes you want to eat it. Grilled meat rolled in wet rice paper is one of the best dishes in Hoi An's ancient town. It's considered a very familiar and delicious snack for the locals of Hoi An and even for tourists from other places. Along the cool Hoa River in the late afternoon, you will find many places selling this delicious grilled meat rolled in wet rice paper, attracting many people. This dish is not only loved by the locals and domestic tourists but also by international visitors who really enjoy trying this rolled grilled meat once. A complete serving of grilled meat rolled in wet rice paper includes skewered grilled meat, wet rice paper, fresh vegetables, and not to forget the richly flavored dipping sauce.

Wonton comes in three variations: soup, fried, and with noodles. These are typically enjoyed in the late afternoon as a light snack before indulging in main courses. The main ingredients include wheat flour, chicken eggs, and shrimp. After kneading the dough with eggs and allowing it to ferment, it is rolled thin and cut into small squares to form the dumpling wrappers. The filling consists of seasoned and minced shrimp. Wontons are then served with a light broth infused with the fragrance of pandan, tomatoes, and straw mushrooms. A plate of fresh young mustard greens accompanies the dish. This creates a delightful harmony in the dish. These delicious bowls of wonton soup are quite affordable, ranging from 25,000 to 30,000 VND.

Wonton is renowned as a popular dish in Hoi An. It is often sold in the early afternoon, acting as a palate teaser for tourists before they delve into the main courses. Therefore, wontons have a light and refreshing taste. The name wonton might be familiar to many, but the wontons in Hoi An have a unique quality that sets them apart. Hoi An's wontons are made from wheat flour and shrimp, combined with chicken eggs. When served, they are complemented with a flavorful broth infused with the scents of pandan, tomatoes, and straw mushrooms. The allure of this dish is irresistible, even just from a glance or a whiff of its delicate fragrance. Don't miss out on this special dish when you visit Hoi An.

Heritage Cake is a type of cake that seems very familiar to the people of Quang Nam - Da Nang. Heritage Cake is made from glutinous rice flour and sugar, with a touch of fresh ginger, a hint of fragrant toasted white sesame seeds, and banana leaves for wrapping. The cake is chewy and fragrant, each bite is sweet as if crystallizing the splendid essence of Quang's culinary sophistication. The ingredients harmonize perfectly in each layer of the cake, with the subtle blend of ginger and the gentle richness of sesame seeds.

Heritage Cake is simple in appearance with delicate thin leaves, adorned in a modest dark brown color. Yet, only when you taste it, you'll experience the unique sweetness and deliciousness that stands out among thousands of other cakes. Heritage Cake is often made during the lunar new year, enjoyed with a cup of hot tea in Quang households. If you visit Hoi An and don't taste or bring back Heritage Cake as a gift, you've missed something special!

Old Town Chicken Rice is visually appealing with the vibrant yellow of rice, the green of fresh vegetables, and the glossy white from the chicken. Spicy enthusiasts often add a touch of red chili sauce. Initially, diners may find this dish unfamiliar and not very exciting, but when you taste it, you will quickly recognize its irresistible charm. One of the must-try dishes in Hoi An is chicken rice, loved by many to the extent that travel brochures allocate a dedicated section to introduce it.
A flavorful bowl of rice, reasonably priced at around 25,000 VND per plate.

When mentioning Hoi An, one will immediately think of an ancient town preserving the traditional beauty of the people. Moreover, when listing the most delicious dishes here, chicken rice is the first name mentioned because the flavor of Hoi An chicken rice is something unique, making countless enthusiasts unable to forget its taste after trying it once. This dish is made from the finest rice, seasoned with spices, cooked with chicken broth, pandan leaves using a wood-burning stove. The chicken meat is shredded, mixed with onions, fried shallots, coriander, salt, and pepper. When enjoying Old Town Chicken Rice, you can have it with onions, pickled papaya, Tra Que herbs, and soy sauce. All the spices and ingredients blend together to create a delicious, rich flavor, captivating diners. This special dish of the ancient town enchants people's hearts, and if you have never tried this dish, don't miss it when you come to Hoi An.

When traveling to Hoi An, you cannot miss out on Hoi An Clear Dumplings – one of the distinctive delicacies of Hoi An's Ancient Town. Clear Dumplings are made from rice flour, finely ground and rolled into ultra-thin layers, filled with a mixture of shrimp and wood ear mushrooms, then steamed to perfection. When served, a sprinkle of fried shallots adds a delightful aroma. These dumplings are dipped in a sweet and sour fish sauce, creating the unique flavor of Hoi An cuisine.

These delicate dumplings, with simple, readily available, and rustic ingredients, showcase the meticulous craftsmanship of the baker, transforming basic elements into a delicious and distinctive dish when tasted in Hoi An. You can savor Clear Dumplings at the Bong Hong Trang shop at 533 Hai Ba Trung.

Crispy Rice Pancake - Sauteed Baby Clams is a must-try when you visit Hoi An. The pancake has two layers, a crispy outer layer and a soft inner layer, coated with scallion oil, shrimp powder, and meat on top. When eating, the pancake is dipped in seasoned fish sauce.

Aside from enjoying the crispy rice pancake on its own, tourists can also try it with sauteed baby clams. Breaking a piece of the pancake, combining the chewy and crispy texture with a few baby clams featuring a rich, spicy, and fragrant flavor creates a unique and potentially addictive combination for connoisseurs.

You can savor this dish at 679 Hai Ba Trung or at the famous eateries like Banh Dap Ba Gia Hoi An in Cam Nam commune, and Co Ngay eatery on Nguyen Tri Phuong street. These places are well-known and frequented by many tourists. This dish is also very affordable, ranging from 7,000 to 15,000 VND, allowing you to indulge without breaking the bank.

After indulging in the distinctive main dishes of Hoi An's ancient town, you can enjoy various sweet soups to balance the flavors in your palate. In Hoi An, there are many types of sweet soups, such as corn sweet soup, red bean sweet soup, mung bean sweet soup, floating dumplings, etc. However, the ones you must try are thung sweet soup and Cam Nam corn sweet soup.

Thung Sweet Soup is made from waxy sweet potatoes and báng flour cooked in the northern style. During cooking, brown sugar, ginger, and glutinous rice are added to create color, smoothness, and cohesion for the sweet soup. When you taste thung sweet soup, you'll experience the natural mild sweetness of brown sugar, the warmth of ginger, and the creamy texture of waxy sweet potatoes.

Cam Nam Corn Sweet Soup is made from ingredients like corn, sugar, and tapioca starch. To cook a delicious pot of corn sweet soup, the cook needs to choose young corn from the riverside areas for better quality. The corn will be more tender, flavorful, and aromatic, representing the distinctive characteristics of Hoi An's land.