Hoi An

Hoi An

Hoi An has some excellent places to eat and drink — on the riverfront, scattered throughout town, and across the water on Cam Nam Island.

Hoi An flourished thanks to its port, attracting traders from China, Japan and the Mediterranean. Out of this mixture of cultures, a unique style of Vietnamese cooking developed, drawing upon a wide range of flavours, influences and cooking techniques. Hoi An is now home to a number of specialty dishes, many of which can be traced to foreign origins. The most famous is cau lau, a combination of thick wheat noodles, roasted pork, bean sprouts and herbs in a light broth. Though it may not be instantly recognisable to Japanese visitors today, it was influenced by imported Japanese soba noodles. Local lore says that the dish must be made from the water of a specific well — others argue that it is simply the distinctive noodles that make it unique. A dryer version of the dish, mi quang, is also widely available. Chinese influenced rice-flower dumplings called banh beo and banh vac (white rose) are also common. Much less publicised is com ga, a tasty stir-fry of rice, chicken, garlic and vegetables.

It can often seem that these dishes are all the restaurants in Hoi An can serve. Many are geared toward customers simply passing through town, and many have little concern for quality, making it hard to find exceptional versions of any of the dishes, but new, quality, places are springing up all the time.

If you're after the real deal, try hunting down more local options. Cau lau is available at street stalls around town; try the stalls by the river next to the bridge over to An Hoi in the evening, and look out for Ba Buoi on Pham Chu Trinh for a tasty com ga.

That said, the long-running Cafe Des Amis continues to dish out excellent and huge meals — the five-course meal will leave you bursting at the seams. The menu is set — you can choose from vegetarian, meat or fish and head chef Mr Kim will dish out whatever he happens to feel like cooking that day. Mr Kim is quite a character, chatting up his guests in French and English, and if you eat lunch he'll invite you back for dinner and guarantee a different menu — as if you'd actually need to eat again so soon. Get there early if you want one of the two riverside tables on the upstairs balcony. It's a popular place, and a guidebook sweetie, but still fun and friendly. At 150,000 VND per customer, it's not a cheap night but worth it.

Restaurant Cafe 96 is another old favourite among the gaggle of places on Bach Dang and is usually packed out in the evenings. It's a good place to sit and marvel at the riverscape and prices are reasonable, given its location.

For a more upmarket local taste experience, check out Hai Scout Cafe. An airy place stretching from streetfront to streetfront in length, it has three different areas for eating — two indoors and one outdoor courtyard area. With pale yellow walls fringed with bamboo, the courtyard is the perfect place for a cocktail or a meal in the sultry evening air. Their take on the white rose and com ga are particularly good and they offer barbecued fish, seafood and meat at any time of day. It's a good spot to retreat to if you can't take the peddlers any longer, though they still occasionally saunter through.

Morning Glory, from Ms Vy of Cargo Club and Mermaid fame, comes highly recommended, both for its restaurant and cookery courses. The restaurant is simply decorated and airy, with an open kitchen in the centre of the dining area, and food is inspired from various places around Vietnam. It's frequently full so book or arrive early.

The Cargo Club is probably the best place in town for a really delicious leisurely breakfast, an afternoon cake and coffee, or a late night dessert. Downstairs seating is more tailored to snacking and drinking while upstairs, with views over the river from terrace tables, has more of an evening meal set up. Sample their passionfruit pavlova once and you might find yourself returning for every day of your visit. The ice cream is also top notch and set breakfasts are good value and enough to set you up for hours of shopping.

One of the flashiest bars in Hoi An, the stunningly restored Tam Tam Cafe on Nguyen Thai Hoc lures an evening crowd with a comprehensive cocktail list and very cheery service. Head upstairs for a pool table and widescreen TV or stay at ground level for a more relaxed ambience. They've expanded the place to a location on Tran Phu Street that goes by the name Tam Tam Jardin, but they both connect via the upstairs seating. The menu here is upscale Western style. We had a good steak here, and pasta and the like are available as well. They also have close to the best desserts in town, competing with Cargo Club opposite, and are reasonably priced, too. They're renowned for their ice cream, but the flavours they offer are fairly dull — try the superb strawberry chocolate mousse cake instead.

Treats Cafe, now on Tran Phu, is a comfortable and popular spot, though its loud music and boisterous staff make it seem somewhat out of place in this sleepy corner of Hoi An. Its sister, Re-Treat, on Tran Hung Dao is also popular, mostly because of its proximity to the backpacker quarters. They have a pool table and a good atmosphere for a drink though it's not as lively as the Tran Phu location. Food at both is average.

For pizza and pasta, head to Good Morning Vietnam on Nguyen Thai Hoc. The food is great, though we heard reports of slow service. It can get busy in high season so call ahead or be prepared for a wait.

There is really only one place in town to eat Indian food — Ganesh — and luckily it's excellent. It offers up standard curries, masalas and whatnot, but the quality is high and some people find themselves eating here every night. If you see another restaurant in town with “Indian Food” on the menu, avoid it and wait until you come here.

Mango Rooms is another place spanning Bach Dang and Tran Phu Streets. It's done up in colourful, Caribbean-style decor with Turkish-style cushion seating and a Latin-influenced fusion menu. It's a bit pricey but a great place to hang out — go for a pitcher of Sangria with some friends. Its more recent sister restaurant, Mango Mango, is over the bridge on Anh Hoi Islet and offers a similar menu in a very smart riverside set-up.

Brother's Cafe, east of the Cam Nam bridge on the Hoi An side, is a much celebrated, classy dining option. The garden atmosphere and riverside seating cannot be beat — it's one of the most beautiful restaurants in town — but reviews suggest that the food quality doesn't deserve the high prices.

If you're really going to sink a wad on a posh meal, check out the Victoria Resort along Cua Dai beach where L'Annam restaurant serves up world class fare — entrees are around US$20 a head.

Vegan restaurant Karma Waters has relocated to Nguyen Duy Hieu with their old place — a few ramshackle huts overlooking a lake — now just the eco-tour booking centre. It's a shame as the lakeside setting and out of town location were quite appealing, but if you're after vegan food be sure to give their new place a try.

If you're staying up on Hai Ba Trung or Ba Trieu — and chances are you will be — don't ignore the restaurants up that way. They might not have the views or the décor of the places in the old town but there's tasty food available at good prices. Try Light Candle (43 Ba Trieu, 01266 694810) for tasty fried prawns and spring rolls or Café 57 (57 Ba Trieu) for what must be the cheapest fried eggs in town (15,000 VND).

Cam Nam Island
Development is spreading across the river to Cam Nam Island, which is accessible via the Cam Nam Bridge — find Hoang Dieu Street in town and head south to find the bridge.

The Lighthouse Restaurant is an upscale dining option under Dutch ownership. Despite the Anglo name, the food here is mostly Vietnamese, though you may find cheese and non-Vietnamese desserts sneaking in here and there. They also run cookery courses and combined bike ride and cookery tours.

The Lighthouse also runs the free boat from Bach Dang to Cam Nam between 12:00 and 18:00, but you can also use it to get to The Sleepy Gecko Chillout Lounge just up the street. It's run by a colourful Aussie named Steve and, as the name implies, it's a great place to hang out. There's plenty of comfortable seating, a pool table, and the beer is always ice cold. A full food menu is also available, complete with such comfort food delights as pies and burgers. A great selection of classic rock is played on the sound system, and they'll load up your iPod with tunes or movies for a small fee. Local expats have made this place their home away from home and swear by the English breakfasts, though don't show up much before 10:00 if you expect to find someone awake and ready to cook. It's a great place to sit and watch the sunset from the second floor balcony — get there at around 17:00. Also enquire here about cycle tours of Cam Kim Island, and don't forget to pay a visit to Randy's Books just up the street.

Nightlife
For a lively bar atmosphere try Before and Now on Le Loi, which gets busy after 21:00 and stays open late. There's a pool table, big screens, reasonably priced drinks and, although more of a drinking hole, above average food. The Dive Bar, part of Cham Island Dive Centre, is another good spot to socialise, and popular with tourists and expats alike.

Why Not Bar is apparently run by the same team who used to own the now defunct King Kong and it is just as lively, crowded and seedy as its predecessor.

If you really love the nightlife and want to keep on dancing, the best spot for marathon, all-night revelry is Zero Seamile on Cua Dai Beach. It's a good spot for a drink at the end of the day or to return to late at night when the party lasts until 04:00. Happy hours run all night, with selected cocktails costing 40,000 VND, and the bar hosts various nightly events — look out for information in town. It's a great venue on the beach with a pool for patrons.

To get to Zero Seamile, head to the beach along Cua Dai, and take a left when you get there. Up to the right there is an access road along the beach — look for the signs. On party nights, they run a free shuttle to the beach at 23:30, 00:30 and 01:00 from Before and Now bar with a shuttle back at 02:00, 03:00 and 04:00. Call Mr Tony (01205 412 530) or Mr Tuan (01266 566 793 or 0510 3911 911) to arrange. If you don't take the shuttle a ride to the beach will cost 50,000 VND depending on time of night and a ride back can be over 100,000 VND since otherwise you're stuck.

Before and Now Bar Restaurant: 51 Le Loi, Hoi An. T: (0510) 910 599. http://www.beforennow.com
Blue Dragon Restaurant: 46 Bach Dang Street, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 0742. www.bdcf.org
Brother's Cafe: 27-31 Phan Boi Chau, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 4150, (0982) 914 150 F: (0510) 392 3012. http://www.brothercafehoian.com.vn
Cafe Des Amis: 52 Bach Dang, Hoi An. T: (0510) 386 1616
The Cargo Club: 107-109 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 1227, (0510) 391 1844. http://www.haoianhospitality.com
Dive Bar: 88 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 0782. http://www.chamislanddiving.com
Ganesh: 24 Tran Hung Dao, Hoi An. T: (0510) 386 4538. http://www.ganeshindianrestaurant.com
Good Morning Vietnam:102 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 0227.
Faifoo Restaurant: 104 Tran Phu, Hoi An. T: (0510) 386 1548.
Hai Cafe: 98 Nguyen Thai Hoc / 111 Tran Phu Street (2 entrances) Hoi An. T: (051) 386 3210, (0905) 452 092. http://www.visithoian.com
Karma Waters: 63 Cua Dai, Hoi An / 213 Nguyen Duy Hieu, Hoi An. T: (0510) 392 7632, (0905) 141 771, F: (0510) 392 7632. http://www.karmawaters.com
Light Candle: 43 Ba Trieu, Hoi An. T: (01266) 694 810.
Lighthouse Cafe and Restaurant: To 5 Thon Xuyen Trung, Cam Nam Island, Hoi An. T: (0914) 136 477, (0510) 224 1503. http://www.lighthousecafehoian.com
Mango Rooms: 111 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An. T: (0510) 910 839. http://www.themangorooms.com
Mango Mango: 49 Nguyen Phuc Chu, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 1863. http://www.themangomango.com
Mermaid: 2 Tran Phu, Hoi An. T: (0510) 386 1527. http://www.hoianhospitality.com
Morning Glory: 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An. T: (0510) 224 1555, (0510) 224 1556. http://www.morningglory-hoian.com
Red Bridge: Thon 4, Cam Thanh, Hoi An. T: (0510) 393 3222, (091) 452 092. http://www.visithoian.com
Restaurant Cafe 96: 96 Bach Dang St, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 0441, (0914) 082 390.
Re-Treats Café: 69 Tran Hung Dao St, Hoi An. T: (0510) 910 527
Sleepy Gecko Chillout Bar: To 5 Thon Xuyen Trung, Cam Nam Island, Hoi An. T: (0908) 426 349. http://www.thesleepygecko.com
Streets Restaurant Café: 17 Le Loi St, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 1949. http://www.streetsinternational.org
Tam Tam Cafe: 110 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An (Alternate entrance at 121 Tran Phu). T: (0510) 862 212, F: (0510) 862 207
Treat's Cafe: 158 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An. T: (0510) 386 1125.
Why Not Café: 10B Pham Hong Thai, Hoi An. T: (0906) 515 229
Zero Seamile: Cua Dai Beach, Hoi An. T: (0510) 391 1911, F: (0510) 392 8911. http://www.zeroseamile.com