Hoi An Food Tour (Part 1)

Hoi An Food Tour (Part 1)

Ancient Town in Hoi An is stunning.  It is easy to appreciate why UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site, as one of Southeast Asia’s premier historical trading ports.

Gorgeous ancient dark wood Chinese architecture – shops and homes – line the narrow streets and alleys alongside the Thu Bồn river that flows through town into the South China Sea (Southeast Asia Sea?).

Somehow you can still feel the presence of the Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and Indian traders who worked and settled here over the centuries – especially in the evenings when the soft glow of the river boat lights shimmers off the river and reflects against the ancient blackened wood shop fronts. Even the knowledge of the annual floods that swamp these streets each year in the Fall and fill the first floors of the shops with several feet of river water adds a certain maritime mystique.

The hot morning sun, however, quickly burns away the romantic fantasies of Far-East maritime trade encounters and sheds its brilliant light on scores (no, make that hundreds) of souvenir shops, tourists restaurants, art-for-sale galleries, and cappuccino cafes.  For sure, here exists the greatest density of custom-made silk apparel boutiques on the planet.  Hoi An is the only town that I’ve visited in Vietnam where western faces outnumber Viet faces at least 10-1 (on a few streets by 100-1).

But, Hai and I weren’t here for either ancient Chinese ceramic trading, nor for a croissant and cappuccino (in truth, I did succumb and enjoy a very nice cappuccino on our last day in town).

We had a clear objective – we had a job to do!  As a restaurant owner (Hai) and a foodie blogger (yours truly), we felt it was our professional responsibilities to partake in and learn from a new (and acclaimed) culinary experience – The Original Taste of Hoi An Food Tour.

Rating very high on Tripadvisor’s “Things to Do in Hoi An”, promising the sampling of almost 70 local foods (How would it be possible to consume that much?), and highly recommended by a trusted friend, Hai and I decided to sacrifice our daily routines, jump on a northbound plane out of Saigon last Friday, motorbike 45 minutes from the Danang airport to Hoi An along an almost deserted beachfront highway, and be ready for our 7:30 a.m food tour pickup in front of our Hoi An hotel. (Again, no sacrifice is too great to support Eating Saigon!’s readers 🙂 ).

The Food Tour

Without a doubt, the highlight of The Original Taste of Hoi An Food Tour was Neville.

Instantly engaging, continuously imparting interesting facts and figures about Hoi An food and Vietnam culture, sharing his personal life stories, philosophies and epiphanies (all with a healthy dose of humor), Neville wowed all 7 of us who shared in his 5-hour Friday morning Hoi An walking food tour.

We all consumed great quantities of yummy food and vast amounts of information.

We walked through markets, chatted with local vendors, and relaxed at 2 comfortable restaurants, while all the time slurping soups, taste-testing sauces, biting into various forms of rice cakes and noodles, and otherwise eating, eating, eating.

A truly enjoyable sampling of a vast array of Hoi An, and more generally, Vietnamese foods!

Even when the rain began and the áo mưa (rain coats) came out, the food and the fun continued unabated!

Neville provided a truly comfortable and pleasant way for newly-arrived visitors to Vietnam and Hoi An to identify, understand, taste and enjoy some classic Vietnamese food treats.

Hai and I both enjoyed our wonderful Friday morning with Neville (and Colleen – Neville’s wife).  THANK YOU NEVILLE!  No doubt, you too will be glad you sampled The Original Taste of Hoi An Food Tour on your next visit to Hoi An.

Hai and I then, continued our own private Hoi An food tour during our next 2 days in town (more on that here at Eating Saigon! in my “Hoi An Food Tour (Part 2)”  blog here tomorrow (or maybe ngày kia – the day after tomorrow).

[OH, AND YET ANOTHER, MORE RECENT HOI AN ADVENTURE HERE]

The Original Taste of Hoi An Food Tour
Tour Times:  7.30 am – 12.00am
Bookings Essential:
Family Restaurant
108 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
Hoi An Ancient Town
Telephone:  09053TASTE (0905 382 783)  or 0121 7621 693
Email: theteacher@tasteofhoian.com
http://www.tasteofhoian.com/

OH, before I forget, we stayed for our three nights in Hoi An at the Hai Au Hotel. Very very nice.  A simple but very good breakfast buffet; an attractive, clean, comfortable, and well-maintained room; a welcoming fruit platter; good WiFi in our room; and perhaps the friendliest and most helpful staff Hai and I have ever encountered in Vietnam!  And all for under $35 USD/night.  A definite stay-here-again for us.

Hai Au Hotel
576 Cua Dai Street
Hoi An
(+84) 510 3 914 577
info@haiauhotels.com