9 dishes tourists must try in Hoi An

Tran Thi My (Mini) led a group of tourists to Hoi An market on a sweltering August day to prepare for a cooking session. Her cooking class for foreign tourists aims to make dining enjoyable through a hands-on experience at the market, where guests can personally select ingredients following Mini's instructions, such as how to choose the best mangosteen or how to distinguish male from female crabs...

Hoi An has long been voted by tourists as the "heart of Vietnamese cuisine ." From March to June this year, according to a Google Destination Insights report, Vietnam was the 7th most searched destination and the only country in Southeast Asia to make it into the top 20. A new visa policy, implemented from August, increasing the validity period of e-visas from 30 days to 90 days, is expected to boost the number of international tourists visiting Vietnam.

Chef Mimi guides tourists in choosing fresh vegetables at Hoi An market.

After exploring Hoi An market, tourists board a boat on the Thu Bon River to return to the house where the cooking school is located. In an open space, Mimi guides foreign tourists in making the most characteristic dishes of Hoi An.

Steamed buns

Also known as banh vac or banh hoa hong, this is a signature dish that tourists simply must try when visiting Hoi An. Making this dish requires a meticulous process from selecting and soaking the rice to grinding it. The filling of banh vac is mainly made from fresh shrimp or finely ground meat mixed with pepper, onions, wood ear mushrooms, salt, and fish sauce.

Cao Lau

Considered the most popular dish in the old town, Cao Lau consists of sliced ​​pork, bean sprouts, herbs, and thick noodles. Locals believe that Cao Lau is only truly delicious when cooked in Hoi An with water from the thousand-year-old Ba Le well within the city. "Cao Lau" means "high floor," implying that in the past, the dish was only served to wealthy diners; nowadays, it's sold in restaurants and eateries throughout the city.

Quang noodles

Originating from Quang Nam province, the dish is called Quang noodles. The noodles are flat and chewy, and are prepared with pork, chicken, shrimp, and eggs, served with fresh vegetables and grilled rice paper. This dish is extremely popular not only in Hoi An and Da Nang but also in many other provinces and cities throughout the country.

Chicken rice

While this humble dish can be found anywhere in the country, in Hoi An, chicken rice has a distinct and unique flavor. Shredded chicken is served with chopped green papaya salad, a special chili sauce from the ancient town, and aromatic herbs, enhancing the dish's taste.

Noodle soup

It would be a mistake for tourists to leave Vietnam without enjoying a bowl of pho, considered the national dish. In Hoi An, you should also keep in mind the mantra "Eat at places crowded with locals," and from there you can find the best pho restaurants in the area.

Bread

Introduced to Vietnam by the French in the last century, banh mi has now become a world-renowned Vietnamese dish. Banh mi is sold throughout Hoi An, but Banh mi Phuong, famously featured by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain on his television show No Deposits, stands out the most. In that show, he called banh mi "a symphony in sandwiches"...

Coffee

Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee exporter. Just like pho, visitors to Vietnam in general, and Hoi An in particular, cannot leave without trying a cup of coffee.

In addition, Hoi An is also famous for many other herbal drinks such as lemongrass lemonade, licorice tea, jasmine tea, chrysanthemum tea, etc.

Locals enjoy coffee by the roadside.

Fried wontons served with shrimp salad and mango cake are the other two dishes the newspaper suggests tourists try in Hoi An.

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