In this post, I will tell you about some of our favorite spots in Hoi An. The majority are food places. Keep in mind, that many of the best and most authentic food experiences are not necessary at formally established restaurants, but rather at smaller informal places. A good tip if you want proper Vietnamese food, is to look for colored plastic chairs and locals!
I will start with a place it is not only food, but rather an area of Hoi An. The Old Town is an absolute must see place in the city, and there is no way you will be able to (or want to) avoid it during your stay. The Old Town is one of the most authentic and visited places in Hoi An, and a lot of tourists come to the city specifically for this area. Because of this, restaurants and shops are often overpriced there. However, there are several very good food spots there. The area is also great for just strolling around!
Second place that is not necessarily food related is the Cua Dai Beach. This beach is located about 20min away by bike, and often spent our afternoons there when the weather allowed us to. There are a lot of beach restaurants that will let you use their sun beds if you buy a beverage.
Our favorite bar in Hoi An is Tiger Tiger. This bar has decently good music and there are a lot of other backpackers and visitors there. It is located in the Old Town, and we usually bike there. Fridays and Saturdays you will usually always find some of your fellow students there!
Moving on to our favorite food spots, the first I want to mention is Toan´s Restaurant. It is located in Strawberry Garden Homestay, also known as White House, one of the student houses. She serves both authentic Vietnamese food, as well as Western food. And the owner is just the absolute sweetest. The restaurant has both breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and a meal here can cost anything from 40k to 200k dong, equal to 18NOK to 90NOK.
One of our favorite cheap dinner spots is a Pad Thai restaurant along the river. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what the name of the place is, as we all just call it the Pad Thai place, but if you bike/walk along the river, you will find it. It is a cart and some tables and chairs underneath a tarp. It’s not an actual indoor restaurant, but it gives a feeling of eating like a local. A serving costs 30k dong, equal to about 14NOK.
A great option for vegan food is Peanuts. The restaurant is located in the area of the student houses, and it serves delicious vegan orange chicken and mashed potatoes! A meal here costs about 100k to 200k dong, equal to about 45NOK to 90NOK.
Another favorite, especially for brunch is Nourish. This restaurant serves Western breakfast, brunch, and lunch, varying from bowls to sandwiches, and is located cross the bridge from the area of the student houses. A meal here costs about 100k to 200k dong, equal to about 45NOK to 90NOK.
If you want to combine eating with studying, or you’re looking for a quieter place, I recommend Lagom or Good Eats. They serve delicious vegan cakes, brunch, lunch, and dinner. They have the same owners and are located right next to each other. A meal here costs about 100k to 200k dong, equal to about 45NOK to 90NOK.
The majority of student have, at some point, ordered food using Grab (Vietnam´s Foodora). My favorite food to order through Grab for dinner at home with a movie is souvlaki from Greek Souvlaki Restaurant. They have an actual restaurant, but it is located all the way across town, so most of us order it from Grab. I’ve been there once, and it was very nice. We usually get the chicken souvlaki which costs 70k dong, equal to 32NOK.
– Nathalie