Hoi An is a traditional cultural space with ancient villages and the traditional architectural style, relics. The New York Times has just given a list of things to discover in Hoi An.
Hoi An is located next to the Thu Bon River, in Quang Nam Province, a famous tourist town, which is also known as “Faifo” or “Hoai Pho”. Hoi An is a traditional cultural space with ancient villages such as Kim Bong carpentry village, Thanh Ha ceramic village and the traditional architectural style, relics such as Fujian Common House and Japanese Bridge. Special dishes also attract many people to this city. The New York Times, a leading American newspaper, has just given a list of things to discover in Hoi An ancient town in 48 hours:
1. Enjoy the typical dishes
Mi Quang: Coming from central Vietnam, Mi Quang is served with larger noodles, flavored with turmeric, which gives it a yellow color. And, like most Vietnamese dishes, it can be served with shrimp, pork, beef, chicken and even fish. This dish is seasoned with lots of herbs and spices, such as mint and coriander and served with some lettuce leaves and rice crackers. Mi Quang is perfect for those who want to discover the flavors of central Vietnam and taste the most “fragrant” noodle.
Che: a traditional Vietnamese sweet soup. Sometimes also used to cure insomnia (chè sen) or to refresh the body (various types)
Chicken rice: People in Hoi An have a special way to make rice with chicken broth and meat.
Cao Lau: a special dish of Hoi An made from rice vermicelli and a herb harvested on the Cham island. It is a simple but very delicious dish. You can make the Cao Lau with the right taste only with the ingredients found in Hoi An.
The best bread in the world in Hoi An - Mrs. Phuong’s bread: The bread here is small. The main ingredient is pork. The highlight of Phuong bread is the richness of ingredients. The balance between meat and vegetables makes its taste good and can leave 2-4 hours without affecting the taste of bread.
2. Buy tailor-made clothes in 24 hours
Many visitors have confirmed that the clothes here are beautiful and “fast”. Only a few hours after asking, the tailor will sew the clothes you like. Even if you can’t wait, just leave the measurements and your hotel address, the store will send the product directly to your hand. At Hoi An there are almost 400 tailors, including the 3 well-known and prestigious ones:
Yaly Couture
Despite being the most expensive tailor in the city, Yaly has affirmed its fame is not only in the country but also abroad, high price is always equivalent to the guaranteed quality and efficient service.
Showroom 1: 47 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An Town, Viet Nam. Tel: + 84-510 3910474 or 84-510 3923415
Showroom 2: 47 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An, Vietnam. Tel: + 84-510 3861119
Showroom 3: 358 Nguyen Duy Hieu Street, Hoi An Town, Viet Nam. Tel: + 84- 510 3914995
Showroom 4: 580 Cua Dai Street, Hoi An Town, Viet Nam. Tel: + 84-510 3914997
Email: yalyshop@dng.vnn.vn or quynh@yalycouture.com
Price by reference:
~ 30 USD per knit (good fabrics)
~ 80 USD per pants
There are various options for tourists to buy silk in Hoi An
A Dong Silk
The wide range of fabrics could be the strong point of this tailoring and surely most of the most demanding customers can be satisfied.
40 Lê Lợi, Hội An. Tel: (+84.510) 3 910579/3 861386
Website: http://www.adongsilk.com/ - Email: info@adongsilk.com
Bao Khanh Silk
Bao Khanh Silk was ranked the best talent in Vietnam by Sunday Times Travel and ranked among the top 25 tailors in the world.
101 Tran Hung Dao St., Hoi An, Vietnam. Tel: + 84-510. 3861 818
You can buy silk clothes starting at $20 and coats starting at $25.
3. Learn to make lanterns
Hoi An is considered as “the city of lanterns” because you can see silk lanterns are everywhere in Hoi An. They are probably a legacy of the use of Hoi An as a Chinese and Japanese commercial port from the 15th to the 19th century. Some locals will tell you that they hang them in front of their homes to bring health, happiness and good luck. On the day of the festival, locals in Hoi An will turn off the lights and hang bright colored lanterns that illuminate the entire old quarter. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the city of Hoi An seems to be brighter with light emanating from lanterns from all streets.
4. Go to the bar
The city begins to fall asleep quite early, around 9 pm, but some bars open late. You can find the Shamrock Irish Pub which serves the craft beer of Saigon Heart of Darkness Brewery or visit the Dive Bar in the street of Nguyen Thai Hoc to immerse yourself in classic rock music. A whiskey pub in the newly opened Tadioto Hoi An on the French road is also a must-see place.
5. Enjoy Coffee
To enjoy a cup of coffee in Vietnamese style with a narrow space, you can visit the Cong Caffè - an old-fashioned coffee shop. The price of a cup of milk and cream is about 2 euros.
Visitors can also go to Mia Coffee to sit in a larger, more comfortable place. This cafe is located on the Phan Boi Chau road and is famous for cappuccino and traditional Dalat wine.
6. Visit Rehahn Museum
The Heritage Museum was opened in 2017 by the French photographer Réhahn. Réhahn traveled for the discovery of peoples in Vietnam and photographing the villagers and maintaining their traditional customs for 8 years.
The Museum is also a gallery of ethnic portraits shot by Rehahn, sold as postcards. Prices range from 1.5 euros to tens of thousands of dollars for large metal prints.
If you met Rehahn there, he would tell you the story behind the scenes of his most famous photo. “Hidden smile” - a photo of a Vietnamese woman wearing a conical hat with a hand concealing her forehead. The portrait was given to French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018.
