What to eat at Chợ Hội An (Hoi An, Vietnam Market)

Bánh Xèo, Cao Lầu, and Bánh Vạc

the best food at Hoi An Market, Hoi An, Vietnam

In the early evening after a long day exploring the beautiful Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I made my way to the nearby Hoi An Market to eat some of the city's specialty dishes.

The market is a bustling maze of narrow aisles packed with vendors selling everything from fresh produce and seafood to spices, clothing, souvenirs, and street food. While the building itself feels a little chaotic, that's part of its charm.

I sat down at a table near the entrance and looked at the menu. There were really three dishes that I knew that I had to order when visiting this ancient little central Vietnamese town, and this little local shop sold them all.

Chợ Hội An, or Hoi An Market

First, I ordered bánh xèo, a crispy pancake flavored with turmeric and filled with pork, bean sprouts, and green onions.

The pancake, which was folded around the pork mixture, was served with a plate of rice paper and a savory dipping sauce. To best enjoy the dish, you have to tear off a portion of the pancake and wrap it in the crunchy and chewy rice paper along with some herbs and veggies, then dip it in the sauce before eating.

Bánh Xèo, or crispy Vietnamese turmeric pancake

Next, I ordered a bowl of cao lầu, Hoi An's signature noodle dish. Thick, chewy noodles were topped with slices of roast pork, shrimp, crispy pork skin, fresh greens, and bean sprouts.

The noodles are soaked in lye water which give them their signature chewy texture, and it can be difficult to find a good, authentic bowl of this central Vietnamese noodle dish outside of Hoi An.

The grilled meat has a mild five-spice flavor, and the large quantity of fresh vegetables, bean sprouts, and herbs such as mint and coriander add a fresh complexity.

cao lầu, or chewy Hoi An noodles

Finally, I had a plate of bánh bao bánh vạc, better known as "white rose dumplings".

These translucent dumplings are made from finely ground rice dough, carefully folded by hand into delicate dumplings that are said to resemble rose blossoms. The dumplings are filled with a mince of seasoned shrimp and pork, then steamed until tender and topped with crispy fried shallots.

bánh bao bánh vạc, or Vietnamese "white rose dumplings" in Hoi An

Each of these dishes are unique to central Vietnam and should not be missed when visiting Hoi An. Stopping in for a meal at the market is an easy way to ensure that you can taste all three in one go!

Location

Hoi An Market is located at 01 Trần Phú, Old Town, Hội An, Đà Nẵng, Vietnam within the pedestrian area of the UNESCO World Heritage Ancient City.

inside Cho Hoi An (Hoi An Market) in Vietnam