Hoi An – Food Capital of Vietnam: SCMP

The journalist said she visited Hoi An for a taste of some of the city’s specialities, a lesson in how to cook them – and advice about a linguistic faux pas.

In her article, Knott introduced “Things you must eat and drink in Hoi An.”

1. White rose dumplings

These translucent rice paper pouches of joy. Photo: Vietnamnet

These translucent rice paper pouches of joy, filled with pork or shrimp, and lightly steamed to create a crimped edge, are a regional speciality. While sold in restaurants all over Hoi An, white rose dumplings (banh bao banh vac) – named because they look like roses – are sourced from one place: the White Rose Restaurant.

Served with a fish sauce for dipping, and topped with crispy onion, the dumplings were a delight, if a tad oily.

2. Cao lau

cao lau is special because the noodles are made with calcium-rich water from the thousand-year-old Ba Le Well in the city. Photo: VNA

Comprising noodles topped with slices of barbecue pork ( think char siu), bean sprouts and a bunch of fresh herbs, its roots are a little, well, snobby: cao lau means “high storey” in Vietnamese, the label dating back to the 17th century when it was served to posh diners on the upper floors of restaurants. Thankfully, these days the dish is widely available in the city.

Apparently, cao lau is special because the noodles are made with calcium-rich water from the thousand-year-old Ba Le Well in the city, famed for its purity.

3. Quang noodles

Quang noodles – The soul food of Quang Nam. Photo: danangleisure.com

The flat, chewy noodles, topped with pork, shrimp, quail egg and garnished with peanuts and a rice cracker, and washed down with a fresh passion fruit drink (chanh day tuoi), was a treat.

4. Chicken rice

Chicken rice (com ga) is a popular dish in Hoi An. Photo: Vietnamnet

Chicken rice (com ga) is a popular dish in Hoi An, introduced to the city by Chinese traders.

Served with a shredded green papaya and carrot slaw, and herby broth – “it’s mint, coriander and spring onion”, says the waitress – the boiled chicken was soft, the rice glossy, while chilli sauce that packs a punch is a must.

5. Banh mi

Banh mi - a “symphony in a sandwich”. Photo: Vietnamnet

The sandwiches are sold throughout Hoi An but a hotspot is Banh Mi Phuong, made famous by the late chef Anthony Bourdain, who featured the shop in his TV show No Reservations, calling its banh mi a “symphony in a sandwich”. He was right. The baguette was crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside.

6. Deep fried wontons

Deep fried wontons (hoanh thanh chien). Photo: Vietnamnet

Another dish popping up on menus around the city is deep fried wontons (hoanh thanh chien). Best enjoyed by the pool, the wontons were topped with fresh shrimp and sweet and sour mango salsa.

7. Liquid assets

The city also boasts a heap of stalls selling fresh fruit juices and smoothies. Photo: Vietnamnet

Coffee is serious business in Vietnam – it is the second-largest exporter in the world – and caffeine heads cannot leave Hoi An without a cup of Vietnamese coffee, served hot or cold, with or without condensed milk.

Also popular is Mot Hoi An, a traditional herbal drink mainly comprising lime and lemongrass but also including licorice, jasmine, chrysanthemum, lotus leaf and ginger. The city also boasts a heap of stalls selling fresh fruit juices and smoothies.

8. Something sweet

These sticky rice balls only get their name because they are shaped like a mango seed. Photo: Vietnamnet

Mango cake (banh xoai) is a popular street snack but do not be fooled: these sticky rice balls only get their name because they are shaped like a mango seed. Inside are crushed nuts with brown sugar.

Chocolate lovers are also in luck. Alluvia is a Vietnamese bean-to-bars chocolate maker whose wares are sold throughout the city, the name a nod to the alluvium-rich Mekong soil which helps give the brand’s cocoa beans their distinctive fruity flavour.

Hoi An named among nine best city destinations with beaches

Hoi An is a photogenic city on Vietnam's central coast. Photo: VNA

Earlier, Hoi An city, a UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Heritage Site, has been named among the nine best city destinations with beaches by the SCMP.

The SCMP suggested Hoi An as a destination for visitors who want to mix shopping, sightseeing, and sunbathing.

According to the SCMP, criss-crossed by canals, Hoi An is a photogenic city on Vietnam's central coast. An architectural medley of wooden Chinese shophouses, French colonial buildings, ornate temples and the Japanese Covered Bridge helped the old town gain UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999.

Formerly one of the busiest trading ports in Southeast Asia, today Hoi An bustles with tourists who sightsee and have clothing tailored for a fraction of the price they would pay at home. At night, lanterns illuminate the old town, creating a fairy-tale feel, it said.

Located in the lower reach of Thu Bon River in the coastal plain, about 30 km south of Da Nang city, Hoi An has been known in the international market by various names such as Lam Ap, Faifo, Hoai Pho, and Hoi An. The only Southeast Asian port-market in Vietnam and very rare in the world, Hoi An keeps almost 1,360 architectural relics intact. These include streets, houses, assembly halls, communal houses, pagodas, shrines, clan houses, ancient wells and tombs. They exhibit both Vietnamese traditional art characteristics and the convergence of eastern and western cultures.

Hoi An is not merely an ancient town but also home to pristine beaches with blue sea. Aside from the famous Cua Dai beach, An Bang beach is like a hidden gem, chosen as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches in 2011 by CNN Go, Vietnamplus said.

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