9 places to eat and drink in Hội An and Huế
When I visited the countries formerly known as French Indochina last year, I spent 4 days in central Vietnam. Of those, I spent 3 days in Hội An and one in Huế. The distance between the 2 cities is 120 km (I travelled by car, which allowed me to stop several times en route). Both cities are close to Đà Nẵng, Vietnam’s fifth-largest city. All three cities were part of South Vietnam when the country was divided (from 1955 to 1975).
Today, I’m sharing my recommendations for 4 places to eat and drink in Hội An, and 5 in Huế.
Hội An
Hội An translates as “peaceful meeting place” from Sino-Vietnamese. Nowadays, the city has a population of approximately 120,000 and has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Thu Bồn River flows through the city before it meets the sea. There is a lovely spot where boats with colourful lanterns go up and down the river. On the riverside, there are countless stalls selling mostly sweet delicacies, such as smoke ice cream, coconut silk or mango cakes, banana pancakes and banana sticky rice. Hội An is located 30 km south of Đà Nẵng and Đà Nẵng International Airport. Mỹ Sơn is also close to Hoi An (40 km). This is a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Shaiva Hindu temples, constructed between the 4th and the 14th century by the Kings of Champa, an Indianized kingdom of the Cham people.
Ty Ty Quan
Cao lầu is a regional Vietnamese noodle dish, from Hội An. It typically consists of pork and greens on a bed of rice noodles made from rice which has been soaked in lye water. I had this dish at Ty Ty Quan, a small restaurant hidden in a small alleyway. The restaurant was so simple and the opposite to instagrammable, that dining there felt like a very authentic experience.
Cargo Club
On the other hand, this restaurant is located on the riverside, and as such it is a popular choice for Hội An’s many visitors. Here I tried Cơm Gà (chicken rice), which is another local specialty. Whilst enjoying my dinner, local vendors were selling small lanterns, which would then be carefully placed on the river further enhancing the colourful atmosphere of the city.
The Espresso Station
This is a beautiful café, where I had an iced coffee with coffee cubes. It is located in a small alleyway off Trần Hưng Đạo, where there are many tailors (Hội An is famous for its tailors who can prepare custom-made suits and dresses even on the same day). This makes the Espresso Station an excellent choice whilst you’re waiting for your suit/dress to be ready.
Cam Coffee N More
Located at Đào Duy Từ, this is another café that I visited whilst in Hội An. It is actually very near the hotel where I stayed (Son Hoi An Boutique Hotel & Spa).
Huế
Huế, a former capital, also contains a UNESCO-designated site, the Complex of Huế Monuments, which encompasses Hoàng thành (the Imperial City), Kinh thành (the Citadel), and the Tử Cấm Thành (Purple Forbidden City), as well as monuments outside of the city, including the seven royal tombs. These are the tombs of the emperors Gia Long, Minh Mạng, Thiệu Trị, Tự Đức, Dục Đức, Đồng Khánh, and Khải Định. Nowadays, Huế is the 8th-largest city in Vietnam with a population of approximately 650,000. Located on the two banks of the Hương River, north of Hải Vân Pass, Huế is 105 km from Đà Nẵng. Phu Bai International Airport is 15 km from Huế.
Nook Eatery
As soon as I arrived in Huế, I had lunch at Nook Eatery, where I tried the local specialty Bún Bò Huế, rice noodles with sliced beef. I also tried salt coffee (Cà Phê Muối) for the first time and I absolutely loved it. Reminiscent of salted caramel, this is a variation of Vietnamese coffee, originating from Huế. Nook Eatery is located on a small alleyway on the south side of the Perfume River (the Imperial City is on the north side of the river).
Nina’s Café Restaurant
After lunch, I enjoyed a steamed banana cake (Chuối Hấp) at Nina’s Café Restaurant. I also tried Chè Huế, which translates to sweet soup. However, it is more like a sundae. Nina’s is on the same side as Nook Eatery, also hidden away on a small alleyway (16 34 Nguyễn Tri Phương).
Den Dau
For dinner, I had fried salted snails (Ốc hương rang muối) at Den Dau. This restaurant is located at 27 Võ Thị Sáu, on the same side of the river as the places mentioned above. The street was one of the liveliest I’ve seen in Vietnam and is frequented mostly by locals, and less so by tourists. So, dinner there felt like a very authentic experience.
Cà phê muối
I had the best salt coffee at Cà phê muối (which literally means salt coffee), at 10 Nguyễn Lương Bằng (same side of the river). Again, this felt like a very authentic experience, as we were the only Westerners there.
Tân
Tân is located at 86 Đinh tiên hoàng (on the same side of the river as the Imperial City). Located in what looks like an industrial space, it is also popular with locals, and in fact, it was recommended to us by our driver.
Further reading
To better prepare for my trip to Vietnam and French Indochina, I used the Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand.
If you enjoyed this post, check out ‘9 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City‘.
Health information
Before my trip, I had the Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines. Whilst in Vietnam, I exercised caution and avoided drinking tap water, eating raw vegetables and buying food from street vendors (especially at the beginning). As a result, I was fortunate enough not to experience any gastrointestinal symptoms.
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)