Hoi An Dishes
Hoi An dishes, one bowl at a time
A local guide's notes on the dishes that make Hoi An famous — cao lau, white rose dumplings, banh mi Phuong, mi quang, che bap and the stalls that still make them properly.
Dish guide
Banh Xeo: The Sizzling Vietnamese Pancake (and the Right Way to Eat It in Hoi An)
Banh xeo means 'sizzling cake' — a crispy rice-flour pancake with shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts. The fold-and-wrap eating method is the part most travellers fumble. Here's how to do it right.
May 29, 2026 · 6 min read
Dish guide
Mi Quang: The Yellow-Noodle Bowl That Defines Central Vietnam (Not Just Hoi An)
Mi quang is the regional dish of central Vietnam — yellow turmeric rice noodles, almost no broth, topped with peanuts. Here's why it's different from cao lau, where to eat it in Hoi An, and what makes a good bowl.
May 29, 2026 · 6 min read
Dish guide
Banh Mi Phuong: The Hoi An Sandwich Bourdain Made Famous (and the One Most Locals Eat Instead)
Banh mi Phuong is on every Hoi An food list — and most travellers queue 30 minutes for one. Here's the sandwich's story, the local alternatives that taste just as good, and how to order without speaking Vietnamese.
May 29, 2026 · 6 min read
Dish guide
White Rose Dumplings: The Hoi An Snack Two Families Have Been Folding for 100 Years
White rose dumplings are made in Hoi An and only in Hoi An — by two extended families using a recipe they will not write down. Here's the story, where to eat them, and how to visit the family workshop.
May 27, 2026 · 6 min read
Dish guide
Cao Lau: The Noodle Dish You Can Only Eat in Hoi An (and Where to Try It)
Cao lau is the dish people remember from Hoi An. Here's why the noodles taste different from anywhere else in Vietnam, where to eat it, and how to tell the real version from the tourist-trap one.
May 26, 2026 · 7 min read