Hội An
Hội An, also part of Central Vietnam, is known for its romantic lantern lights scene. We hired a private driver and made our route from Huế for 3 hours with a few interesting stops on the way. We found here a charming little city that blends cultural influences from China, Japan, and French colonial with their pagodas and house architecture styles.
Hoi An by night
The Old Town in Hội An is such a calm and easygoing environment surrounded by the canals. I’ve noticed a greater presence of bicycles here. There are more pedestrian-only areas in the Old Town or at the Night Market. The local business people are more forgiving with tourists who don’t purchase from them. They’d simply move on.
🌦️ | 25˚C
Traffic flow: Light
Traffic anxiety level: moderate
Neighbourhood: Old Town
📍 Laluna Hoi An Riverside Hotel & Spa
Our stay at Laluna was the perfect location, away from the crowd of the Old Town while still at a walking distance. The city itself, also an hour away from other attractions, was ideal for our day trips. Hội An is known for its specialty in making tailored dresses and suites with a very quick turnaround. My mission here was to get my family and beloved the Vietnamese traditional áo dài and áo gấm. I had wished to wear these traditional áo dài to special occasions, but I needed one that would fit my body well (I don’t have the average Vietnamese woman’s body). I was very happy to bring back home two áo dài: one fully simple and white for everyday (similarly to my mom’s school uniform) and one laced red that matches my man’s red and golden dragon áo gấm.
Thương Tailor, 16 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Minh An
Yet again, we have to talk about their food scene! Our food mission didn’t fail. I discovered and experienced so many wonderful new dishes in addition to the classics.
Mộc Tea, 124 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Cẩm Phổ
Bánh mì Madam Khánh, 115 Đ. Trần Cao Vân, Phường Minh An
Bánh mì Sum, 149 Trần Hưng Đạo, Phường Cẩm Phổ
Bê Thui Cầu Mống Mười, Điện Phương, Điện Bàn, Quảng Nam
Long cơm gà, 53/16 Đ. Phan Chu Trinh, Phường Minh An
Mon Huế Hoi An, K128/9, hẻm Nguyễn Trường Tộ
Firefly Hoi An Restaurant & Bar, 178 Trần Nhân Tông, Cẩm Châu
Hội An Night Market
Bánh Mì
It was about time to try out the Vietnamese sandwiches in Vietnam. For the limited time we had on the trip, my folks and I had noted down all the number one spots to visit. I’m sure there are plenty of bánh mì elsewhere that taste as delicious. Here, we went to what the internet calls “Bánh Mì Queen”. They serve small baguettes with thin and crunchy crusts while the white interior is fluffy. The bánh mì đặc biệt comes with all of their special ingredients: bbq pork, sausages, pate, and vegetables. I wish we had the same types of baguettes in North America. I just can’t seem to find the same bread texture so far. This makes a huge difference in taste and quality of this Vietnamese meal.
Bánh mì Madam Khánh
Bánh mì Sum
Roast veal
Locals go crazy for veal and my group was blessed to get introduced to one of their favourite places. The preparation consists of roasting the whole veal until its skin darkens while the meat inside remains pink and tender. It’s then cut in thin layers, almost like a kebab, and served on a plate where we can roll in along with vegetables and fresh herbs in a rice paper. Dip it in a fish sauce and voilà.
Bê Thui Cầu Mống Mười, Điện Phương, Điện Bàn, Quảng Nam
Cơm gà
The next specialty dish from the area is chicken rice. As simple as it sounds, it tastes beyond simplicity. First of all, the rice is cooked in chicken broth, which gives a more perfumed flavour. There are different chicken options to choose from: thighs, shredded chicken, or đặc biệt that comes with offals. It’s a simple meal that is tasty. The meat texture is tingy, tender and juicy. Mild-tasting chickens don’t exist around here and that’s what I like the most.
Long cơm gà
Nem tré
Nem tré is another staple dish in Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a banana leaf that wraps together minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, and spices. Boy, it was spicy but so good!
Mon Huế Hoi An
Bánh vạc
Also known as bánh bao bánh vạc, these white rose dumplings are made of steamed rice flour mixed with minced pork, wood ear mushrooms, and spices. It’s nice to have dishes that use the same ingredients, but that get prepared in different ways. It adds new delicacies to the Vietnamese cuisine. More love for my culture!
Firefly Hoi An Restaurant & Bar
Cao Lầu
This is a typical dish from the region. It’s a stir fry of rice noodles soaked in lye water or soya sauce, shredded and char-siu style pork, bean sprouts and herbs.
Firefly Hoi An Restaurant & Bar
Thai
Even if my folks and I cannot get enough of Vietnamese food, we went for Thai food one evening. I was a bit sceptical for the food authenticity as the restaurant was located in a touristic area. Fear not because it was an absolute delight.
BKK Thai Station
Bánh tráng nướng
As much as I would love to eat everything out of curiosity and soft gluttony, my body cannot handle the real street food abroad. I had to contain myself most of the time. I was quite proud of myself for eating at eateries in the streets, but I hadn’t tested the food stalls so far until I got to Hoi An. My family and I had a stroll at the Night Market and I immediately fell under the spell of food paradise. The stalls queued up along the Thu Bồn River. The walking zone path was lit by the colourful lantern lights from restaurants and shops as well as the lit bridge. It was crowded, dynamic, and sung with the voices of karaoke singers. I did the reckless move to eat bánh tráng nướng because that was on my bucket list. This Vietnamese pizza is grilled rice paper topped with egg, meat and sauce. It was the real street food and so, my body didn’t react well to it. Thankfully, I was able to run back to my hotel that was right in front of the Night Market. Anywhoo, I’m glad that Chợ Đêm MTL has brought the concept of the Vietnamese Night Market to Montreal, Canada.
Location: Hội An Night Market
