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Small city, big food · No. 25 of 25
Hoi An, Vietnam
Photo: Supanut Arunoprayote, CC BY 4.0,A yellow-walled river town with a noodle that is made nowhere else, the banh mi Anthony Bourdain called the best, and cooking classes in the rice fields.
Cao lau and a banh mi
Where to eat in Hoi An
1A photo like it
Morning Glory
Get: Cao lau and banh xeo
The restaurant of Trinh Diem Vy, who started Hoi An's cooking-school boom. A restored heritage house in the middle of the Ancient Town. It costs more than the noodle shops. (willflyforfood.net)
2A photo like it
Banh Mi Phuong
Get: The mixed banh mi (thap cam)
The shop Anthony Bourdain made famous. The bread is light, crisp outside and soft inside, and the line moves because a team assembles sandwiches nonstop. (willflyforfood.net)
3A photo like it
Madam Khanh, the Banh Mi Queen
Get: Her mixed banh mi, with the chilli oil on the side
The other side of the banh mi debate. Locals often prefer her house sauce, and the wait is shorter. (willflyforfood.net)
4A photo like it
Com Ga Ba Buoi
Get: Com ga with the broth
Open since the 1950s and one of the most popular chicken-rice kitchens in town. Expect shared tables at lunch. (willflyforfood.net)
Plan the trip
- When to go
- February to April; September to December is rainy, with floods in the old town some years.
- Getting there
- Da Nang airport (DAD), 45 minutes by car.
More for Hoi An
Why it's on the list
Vietnam's lantern town, with a noodle you can only get here.
- Will Fly for Food: Hoi An food guide
- VietAdvisor: Banh Mi Phuong vs Madam Khanh
- Food tourism 2026 (Pixidia)
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Places checked November 14, 2026; hours and menus change. "A photo like it" is the same kind of food, not from that place. Nobody pays to be on our lists.
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