Four days in Hoi An was never going to be long enough to eat all the food. We had loads of places on our list before we even arrived, and after wandering the town for a day or two, the list grew and the number of mealtimes left quickly decreased. I’m not going to lie, there may have been one day, when we had ‘first lunch’ and ‘second lunch’, just so we could try all the food.
1. Nu eatery
The reason this place has 4.6 stars on Google is very clear once you’ve been. The food is phenomenal. It’s Asian fusion at its best and yet, nothing quite like we’d tried before. We started with the steamed buns at VN35000, filled with pork belly goodness and then shared the potato salad and the ‘Noodle’, which was a Spicy pork ragu at VN80,000. Prob a bit pricier than other local eateries, but so senstaionally worth it. We polished off dinner with some Cheesecake and Chilli flavoured ice cream. Service was great and the place was also quite adorable. Open 12pm – 9pm, nearly every night.
www.facebook.com/NuEateryHoiAn/ 10A Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Cẩm Phô, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
2. Pho Xua
Also very delicious. We headed here for our last ever meal in Hoi An, an early dinner if you may (or another excuse to eat). I had been dying to try some Bun Cha and this place delivered. I bought a bowl for VN 40,000 and we shared some white roses, which by the way, are my new favourite thing – delicious morsels, unique to Hoi An. The interior was cute with its green walls, the drinks were refreshing, and the food was good. What more could you want.
35 Phan Châu Trinh, Minh An, Tp. Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
3. Mot
Put Mot on your list of lunch places, for delicious food and the world’s most refreshing (and prettiest) traditional herbal drink. We stopped by for lunch on our first day in Hoi An, basically because it was the cutest place we’ve ever seen. Not only is this place presented beautifully, they also deliver where it matters, the food was tasty good. I went for a Bahn Mi at VN25000 and Mike ordered the Pho, also at a decent VN25000 per bowl. If you’ve run out of mealtimes, at least just walk past this place and pick up a drink for a pick-me-up on the go.
www.facebook.com/mothoian/ 150 Trần Phú, Minh An, Tp. Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
4. Olivier
For the ‘Best coffee we’ve ever had’. We can say this, because we think it probably is. We first visited Olivier’s for an ice Vietnamese coffee, late one afternoon when we were hot, bothered and desperate for a sit down. The café is a little hipster looking and located on the outskirts of the ancient town, so it doesn’t have the hordes of tourists walking past to notice it. When we went to pay, we got chatting to Olivier the owner and barista here, such a great guy, and he invited us back the next day for some of the best coffee we had ever tasted. I think he got a shock when we actually turned up and invited him to make these coffees that he’d been telling us about. Try the Saigon style coffee, either black or with milk. So good. Please go.
www.facebook.com/OlivierCoffee.HoiAn/ 06 Hoàng Diệu, Hội An, 0235 Hoi An, Vietnam
5. Co Co Restaurant
It’s not in town but you need to go and eat the banana pancakes as they were sensational. It’s also in a stunning location, right next to the river, making for stunning views and relaxing vibes. The day we visited, the weather was miserable, so I could only imagine how nice it would be on a nice day. We weren’t expecting much but the team here over-delivered and provided the tastiest ‘second breakfast’ I think we’ve ever had. Below is the closest address I can find, but it might be down the road just a little bit further. Probably bike or drive so you’re not searching forever.
328 Cửa Đại, Cẩm Châu, Tp. Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam
Other things you should really try:
· Banh Mi Phuong – For tasty Bahn Mi reviewed by Anthony Bourdaine no less.
· Madam Khanh – Manh Mi Queen for more delicious Vietnamese baguette
· Banh Flan – Watch out for a cart selling creme caramels. You need it.
· Market food – Visit the main town market and have one of the ladies make you lunch.
