Must-try dishes in Hoi An

QNN• 01/09/2023 21:56

(QNO) - According to the South China Morning Post, visitors, after taking a cooking class with the locals, were inspired to discover unique dishes in Hoi An, including the following dishes recommended.

White rose dumplings

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.
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.
 Cao lau
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.
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.
Mi Quang (Quang noodles)
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 – and all for just 60,000 dong (US$2.50).
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 – and all for just 60,000 dong (US$2.50).
Chicken rice
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.
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.
Pho (noodles)
It would be a culinary sin to leave Vietnam without indulging in a hearty bowl of pho, a noodle soup bursting with herbs and meat that is considered the national dish.
It would be a culinary sin to leave Vietnam without indulging in a hearty bowl of pho, a noodle soup bursting with herbs and meat that is considered the national dish.
Banh Mi (bread)
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.
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.
 Liquid assets
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.
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. Photo: Scmp
Something sweet
 
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. Photo: Tourhoian 

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