Best Hoi An Street Food Suggestions for South African in 2020

As you have read the previous post on Ho Chi Minh Street Food Suggestions and Hanoi Street Food Suggestions, we have come up other selections in Hoi An as well. 

Check out our recommendations for street food taste in Hoi An and where to find them. 

CAO LAU 

Cao lau is regarded as Hoi An’s secret noodle. Cao lau is best served in Hoi An. To make cao lau, people have to take water from a thousand - year - old well in Hoi An called Ba Le, the rice to make cao lau must be soaked in ash water from Cham island, and the vegetables to eat along with the noodles must be from Tra Que organic vegetable village.

 Cao Lau in Hoi An, Vietnam

• Price range: 20.000 ~25.000 VND

• Location:  – Ms. Ha, stall E035, Hoi An central market.

                   – Ms. Thanh, 26 Thai Phien St.

MI QUANG – QUANG NOODLE

Mi Quang is a classic and typical food of Quang Nam province, Hoi An. Unlike other noodles, Mi Quang is served with much little broth and a wide range of topping you can choose from: chicken, pork, shrimp, quail egg, snakehead fish, beef,… with vegetables and topped with peanuts and rice cracker.

Mi Quang in Hoi An, Vietnam 

• Price range: 20.000 ~25.000 VND

• Location:  – Mr. Hai restaurant- 6A Truong Minh Luong Street 

                   – Ms. Bich restaurant at 272 Hung Vuong Street

                   – Street vendors in Thai Phien Street

COM GA – CHICKEN RICE 

One of the dishes that you would never forget in Hoi An is Com ga – the ubiquitous flavor of savory chicken rice. Hoian chicken rice is very simple: in it’s most bare form, the recipe includes only rice, chicken, sauce and pickled carrots. But it is not easy to cook an exemplary chicken rice plate.

Com ga - Chicken Rice with sided salad

• Price range: 35.000 ~ 55.000 VND (per plate)

• Locations: 22 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoi An. 

BANH MI 

There is only one word that could describe banh mi in Hoi An, it is fantastic! Even people in Hanoi love the taste of banh mi in Hoi An. There is a variety of adding to stuff into banh mi: pork liver pate, pork floss, boiled shredded chicken, pork belly, ham, tomato, cucumber, some herbs,…

Banh Mi Hoi An

• Price range: 10.000 ~25.000 VND (depends on the adding) 

• Location: – Banh mi Phuong at 2B Phan Chu Trinh Street

                  – Banh mi Khanh at 115 Tran Cao Van Street

                  – Banh mi Phi at 88 Thai Phien Street

XIMA – BLACK SESAME SWEET SOUP 

Xi ma is a kind of dessert which is made from black sesame, sugar, pennywort, and a kind of Chinese medicine with its strange color – black. Xima is often served when it is still hot.

Xi Ma - Black sesame sweet soup 

• Price range: 10.000 VND

• Location: the crossroad of Nguyen Truong To Street and Ly Thuong Kiet Street.

BANH DAP – SMASHING RICE PAPER 

A short walk to Cam Nam Village away from Hoi An’s Old Quarter, you will get the chance to explore local rustic food specialities of the area. 

Rice paper is used in two distinctive type of dishes, smashing rice paper dipping into a small bowl of fermented fish sauce and chilli. Another dish is crispy rice paper with clams that are boiled and then fried with herbs, onions, spring onions, chili, ginger and peanuts topping. 

Banh dap - Smashing rice paper

• Price range: 20.000 VND 

• Location: Cam Nam Village, Hoi An.

BANH BAO BANH VAC – WHITE ROSE DUMPLING 

Banh bao and banh vac, two types of shrimp dumplings made from translucent white dough bunched up to look like a rose. White rose dumplings have become ubiquitous symbols of food in this ancient town. The process of making white rose dumplings is extremely tedious and requires meticulous hand techniques. Tourists are even allowed to try making these dumplings, taught by the ladies at the shops. 

The process of making white rose dumpling.

White rose dumplings after cooked.

• Price range: 90.000 VND (~ $4 to $5) per person for plate

• Location: 533 Hai Ba Trung Street

BANH CAN TRUNG – FRIED TURMERIC PANCAKE WITH PAPAYA SALAD

Their specialty is banh can trung, which are small fried turmeric rice flour pancakes with an egg inside, served with pork sausage, grated papaya, herb vegetables and nuoc cham (fish sauce). Each banh can is fried in a mini muffin-like tray of aluminum or stainless steel to mold it into shape. It's served on a bed of herbs and lettuce, then topped with pickled grated papaya and a lovely sausage.

Banh can trung - fried turmeric pancake with papaya salad

• Price range: 10.000 VND (~ U.S $0.50 cents a plate)

• Location: Corner of Tran Phu Street and Hai Bai Trung Street

Vietnam is not only about the street food but also many more great things to explore, consider traveling to Vietnam with Vietnam tour packages from South Africa.