Want to taste the real Hoi An? Skip the crowds. Follow the locals. Bring your appetite. Read on for Hoi An’s best food recommendations. 

Hoi An is beautiful—almost too gorgeous. Its old-world glow, riverside cafés, and silk lanterns seduce every traveler. But behind the curated charm is something more profound: its food. Especially the dishes locals eat and love, often found on street corners or tucked inside family-run kitchens.

I had three days in Hoi An and one goal: to eat like a local. To do that, I teamed up with someone who knows the city’s flavours better than most—Chef Nguyen Gia Thien, Group Executive Chef for the Viet Deli Group and a son of Central Vietnam. His childhood memories are steeped in local street food and simple family meals. Today, he oversees 15 restaurants across Vietnam.

Chef Thien was our Insider to Hoi An’s best food. Photo courtesy VietDeli

What followed was a masterclass in eating with purpose—tracking ingredients to their source, talking to the people behind the recipes, and understanding why the food tastes the way it does.

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Eat Where the Locals Eat—Not Where the Line Is

On my first morning, Thien skipped the hotel breakfast and led me straight to the pavement. Our table? A small plastic stool on a quiet street corner. Our breakfast? Cháo Gạo Lứt—red rice porridge served from a mobile cart. Nutty, hearty, and topped with sesame seeds, pickled greens, or anchovy-esque salted fish. It was rich in flavour, not price. A 40-cent bowl that locals swear by to start the day.

Breakfast on a street corner with the locals. Photo by Michael Cullen

Later, we followed the aroma of grilled meat to a cement slab crowded with locals. There are no menus—just two women behind traditional charcoal grills serving Thịt Nướng (pork skewers), vermicelli noodles, lettuce, mango, and rice paper. We rolled, dipped, and devoured. Each bite was smoky, herby, deeply satisfying—one of the best street food dishes I’ve tasted. “This is how people eat before dinner or after school pickup,” Thien said. “It’s more than food—it’s routine, connection.”

Our platter of stupendously good Thịt Nướng. Photo by Michael Cullen

Even Hoi An’s most famous sandwich, bánh mì, took a surprising turn. While visitors queue up at spots made famous by Anthony Bourdain, our Insider pointed us elsewhere—to his personal favorite at the edge of the Old Town. What made it special wasn’t the usual fillings, or that crispy shelled yet soft inside baguette, but the addition of Tương Ớt Rim. This central Vietnam-style chili jam was sweet, sticky, and unctuous. We ate our bánh mì curbside and washed them down with iced Vietnamese coffee while the city stirred awake around us.

Watching our Hoi An Banh Mi sandwich being made. Photo courtesy Michael Cullen

You’ve Heard of the Dishes—But Not the Stories Behind Them

Many of Hoi An’s most iconic dishes are served in restaurants across town, including hotels. What made our tastings different were the stories behind them and the hands that made them.

Take White Rose Dumplings. At Bông Hồng Trắng, one family has spent over 30 years rolling translucent rice flour dough into delicate flower-shaped parcels filled with shrimp or pork. We watched their staff fold hundreds of dumplings by hand, seated around a communal table. The recipe? Still a tightly held secret. The dish symbolizes Hoi An’s Chinese heritage and minimalist elegance.

Staff making the famous White Rose Dumplings at Bông Hồng Trắng restaurant. Photo by Michael Cullen

That same kitchen also serves their take on fried wontons—larger than usual and topped with shrimp, pineapple, tomato, and cilantro. Locals jokingly call it “Hoi An pizza.” It’s messy. It’s different. It works.

At Mr. Hai Noodles (Mì Quảng Ông Hai), one of many spots serving two central Vietnamese signature dishes, we sampled Cao Lầu and Mì Quảng. The first features thick noodles made using water from ancient wells and ash from the Cham Islands. Cao Lầu showcases the multicultural influences that passed through ancient Hoi An. The chewy, springy noodles are similar in texture, size, and length to Japanese udon. The pork loin is marinated in a blend of spices, soy sauce, and garlic, similar to Chinese char siu.

Mr. Hai Noodles proved to be an ideal place to sample Hoi An’s famous Cao Lầu and Mì Quảng. Photo by Michael Cullen

The second, Mì Quảng, is the queen of noodles in this province. Thick, luscious rice noodles, coated in peanut oil, form the base of this dish and are topped with a savory sauce made with turmeric and either pork or chicken broth. Bright orange shrimp, boiled quail eggs, and fatty pork belly are laid on the noodles. Each bowl of Mì Quảng is served with toasted sesame crackers and a handful of fresh greens and herbs.

Both are easy to find in Hoi An—but here, with Chef Thien explaining each ingredient’s origin and meaning, they became stories in a bowl. At our Insider’s suggestion, we chased lunch down with a cold Huda lager—light-bodied, subtly sweet, and made for meals like this.

Hoi An’s most famous noodle dishes are Cao Lầu and Mì Quảng. Photo by Michael Cullen

Markets, Gardens, and the Life Behind the Food

Hoi An’s Central Market is more than a place to shop—it’s a stage for daily life. The produce hall is bursting with herbs, noodles, seafood, and tropical fruits. Thien walked us through it like a regular, pointing out specialty ingredients and greeting stallholders as a local.

At Thanh Hà Fishing Market, just after sunrise, we watched crates of freshly caught prawns, squid, tuna, and mangrove crabs hauled onto the docks. Fishermen return by 3 AM, and by 6, most of the wholesale buying is done. “The men fish,” Thien explained, “but the women run the trade here at the markets.”

Fishing boats unloading their catch at Thanh Hà Fish Market. Photo by Michael Cullen

A few miles away, the UNWTO recognised Trà Quế Vegetable Village showed us where the flavors start. Fertilized by seaweed from the nearby Co Co River, the all-organic gardens have supplied Hoi An’s kitchens for generations. Rows of mint, perilla, salad greens, and basil stretch toward the horizon. Farmers till, water, and harvest by hand. As Thien put it, “If your herbs and vegetables aren’t fresh, your dish can’t sing.”

The verdant market gardens of UNWTO recognised Trà Quế Vegetable Village. Photo by Michael Cullen

From Home Cooking to Elevated Dining—with the Same Heart

At Gia Thiện, Thien’s more traditional restaurant, we had a workshop on Cơm Gà Hội An—Hoi An chicken rice. In Chef’s hands, the chicken was lovingly poached and served with turmeric-infused rice, pickled green papaya, herbs, and a side of the broth. Add stir-fried morning glory with garlic and sugarcane shrimp, and we ate like a local family would: everything in the center, shared, unhurried.

Family style dining at VietDeli’s Gia Thiện restaurant. Photo courtesy VietDeli

Our final meal occurred at HOME Hoi An, Viet Deli’s elegant flagship. Here, tradition meets polish. A fillet of seabass, grilled in a banana leaf, arrived steaming and fragrant. Beef wrapped in la lot leaf came with crisp vegetables and dipping sauce. A standout on their menu is River Clam Fried Rice. Originally considered peasant food, its rustic yet captivating flavor makes it a cherished regional specialty now. “It’s humble,” Thien added. “But it has everything.”

HOME Hoi An restaurant’s popular River Clam Fried Rice (Cơm Rang Hến Cồn). Photo courtesy VietDeli

A Note of Thanks

This entire experience was made possible by the Viet Deli Group, one of Vietnam’s leading hospitality companies specializing in upscale and heritage-focused Vietnamese dining. With restaurants such as HOME Hoi An and Gia Thiện, Viet Deli gave me access to kitchens, markets, and flavors the average traveler might miss—and, most importantly, to Chef Thien himself. For three days, he shared his time, his city, and his culinary soul. Their support elevated every bite, every stop, every insight.

In a place where food is family, every bite becomes part of the experience. That’s the gift of this city: not just what you eat, but what it leaves you with.

Hoi An, Unlocked by Flavor

Hoi An is full of moments that most visitors never notice. The dishes locals grab on their lunch breaks. The women who run the seafood trade at dawn. The herbs pulled from gardens older than the city’s lanterns. When you follow someone who knows, the town opens up—not just on your plate, but in the places and people behind every flavor.

To get the most out of Hoi An’s food secrets, go where the locals go. Photo courtesy Michael Cullen

Thanks to Chef Thien, I didn’t just eat well—I understood what I was eating. You’ll find many of these dishes across Hoi An. But tasting them in places chosen for their authenticity, with stories and heritage layered in, each mouthful felt more meaningful.

Hoi An’s food isn’t just about flavor—it’s memory, tradition, and care. Look past the obvious, and you start to taste the difference. Restaurants like Gia Thiện and HOME Hoi An keep that connection alive, one dish at a time. In a place where food is family, every bite becomes part of the experience. That’s the gift of this city: not just what you eat, but what it leaves you with.

We invite you to explore Wander With Wonder to discover more about Vietnam and other parts of Asia. We also help you uncover the best culinary travel around the world. Interested in more chef stories? Check out our Chef Chats on Wander.

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