Hoi An Food Tour: Bánh Mì, Pho, and Many, Many Dishes Later

Hoi An might be famous for its lantern-lit streets and crumbling old houses, but foodies know the real magic happens at street level. The Hoi An street food scene is a whirlwind of sizzling woks, fragrant broths, and crispy bites that keep you coming back for more. Wander through the markets or duck into the back alleys, and you’ll find dishes that sum up exactly why Hoi An food is some of the best in Vietnam.

If you’re not sure where to start (and honestly, the choice can be overwhelming), the easiest way is to join one of the best food tours in Hoi An. I joined one as a guest, and it was hands-down the highlight of my trip—part crash course in local flavours, part feast that I still dream about. It’s the kind of experience that turns eating into an adventure, and in Hoi An, that’s exactly what you want.

This was actually my second time in Hoi An, and by now I’ve eaten my way across Vietnam—from polished restaurants with white tablecloths to wobbly plastic stools on the roadside. The hunt for the perfect meal has taken me everywhere, but if you’re a foodie, Hoi An is where you absolutely need to land.

On the morning of my food tour, I skipped breakfast (wise move) because I knew what was coming: over 40 different dishes in one day. Yes, forty. My stomach was already doing a little happy dance as I met Neville, my host, in the hotel lobby.

Neville, an Aussie with a larger-than-life personality, runs the tour with his wife Colleen. He’s witty, endlessly entertaining, and knows the local food scene inside out. He kicked things off back in 2011, and the tours have only grown in popularity since then. It’s easy to see why—his passion for Hoi An food and culture is infectious. One tip: book well ahead, because these tours fill up fast. 

Crispy Pancakes in Hoi An

The tour wound its way right through the heart of Hoi An, stopping at little gems loved by locals rather than tourist hotspots. Our first stop was Tan An Market, the perfect place to dive into the city’s street food scene. I’ve wandered through plenty of markets across Southeast Asia, but this one stood out straight away—no whiff of meat left sitting in the sun, just the heady aroma of fresh herbs and sizzling food drifting through the air. Within minutes, I was already hungry.

Now, I won’t list every single dish (there were too many to count), but I’ll share the ones that really surprised me and the ones that left me grinning like a kid in a sweet shop. Truthfully, I enjoyed everything, but a few bites were unforgettable.

Snail Snacks: A Local Favourite

Our tasting adventure was a little bit of this, a little bit of that—exactly how street food should be. First up, one of my personal favourites: crispy pancakes stuffed with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, and a handful of fresh herbs. Golden, crunchy, and impossible to stop at just one.

Then came something I never expected to love: snails. Not the fancy French kind, but tiny ones freshly collected from the ocean each day. In Hoi An they’re a popular snack, though far too fiddly to ever qualify as a full meal. It takes real patience to coax them out of their shells, but once you do, the reward is a surprisingly tasty bite. Definitely not what I thought I’d be eating in Vietnam, but that’s the joy of exploring the best street food in Hoi An—it always keeps you guessing.

Xi Ma: Black Sesame Dessert in Hoi An

A little further along, we came across what looked like a bubbling cauldron of black, gloopy witch’s brew. This mysterious dish is called Xi Ma (pronounced See Maa)—a traditional Hoi An street food made with black sesame. At first glance, it’s not the most Instagrammable bowl you’ll find in Vietnam, but one taste and I was sold. Warm, nutty, slightly sweet with a touch of coconut, it’s soothing and surprisingly addictive. Locals say it’s great for digestion too. Served piping hot straight from the pot, it’s proof that in Hoi An, the best food isn’t always the prettiest—it’s the tastiest.

Pho in Hoi An: Food for the Soul

Of course, no food tour in Vietnam would be complete without pho. As the country’s national dish, you’ll find it on just about every corner, yet no two bowls are ever quite the same. The magic is all in the broth—hours of simmering, family secrets passed down through generations, and a few mystery ingredients that chefs never reveal.

Over my travels up and down the country, I’ve learnt that pho in the north is different to pho in the south, but both are delicious in their own way. At its simplest, it’s a bowl of silky rice noodles, tender beef or chicken, and fresh herbs with a kick of chilli. But to call it simple is doing it an injustice. One spoonful and you’ll see why this dish is so beloved. Pho in Hoi An is pure comfort food—steaming, fragrant, and truly food for the soul.

Bánh mì: Vietnam’s Best Sandwich

Next on the list was the mighty Bánh mì—Vietnam’s answer to the perfect sandwich. The name literally translates to “wheat,” but that hardly does it justice. Picture a crackly baguette packed with pâté, pork, fresh herbs, and crunchy pickled veggies, all coming together in a glorious mix of flavours and textures. Honestly, I’d put it up there as one of the best sandwiches in the world.

The origins go back to 1887, when the French brought baguettes to Vietnam and simply slathered them with butter and pâté. After the French left in 1954, locals made the Bánh mì their own—adding herbs, meats, spices, and a whole lot of flair. Today, Bánh mì in Hoi An is more than just a snack; it’s a bite-sized history lesson wrapped in bread, and it’s every bit as delicious as its reputation suggests.

Local Flavours at the Tasting Room

By midday we made our way back to Neville’s tasting room—a welcome shady spot to cool off after wandering Hoi An’s streets. Here, the feast continued with even more local dishes, each one served with a story about its origins. A cold beer in hand made it all the more perfect, especially in the sticky midday heat.

What I loved most was how much the tour gives back to the community. Many of the recipes we tried have been passed down through generations, with the same families still cooking them today. You can taste the care and tradition in every bite. This is what makes the Hoi An food scene so special: nothing feels mass-produced, it’s food made with love, history, and a real connection to the people who prepare it.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee to Finish

We wrapped up the tour with an iced coffee—because in Vietnam, no foodie adventure is complete without it. Fun fact: Vietnam is the second largest producer of coffee in the world, turning out over 1.5 million metric tonnes every year. Clearly, the locals take their caffeine seriously.

Here in Hoi An, the go-to is cà phê sữa đá (literally “coffee, milk, ice”). Strong drip coffee filters slowly through a little metal phin into a glass of thick condensed milk, before being stirred together and poured over ice. At first sip it’s intensely sweet—almost shockingly so—but give it a chance and it grows on you. In the sticky heat of central Vietnam, it’s exactly the kind of pick-me-up you didn’t know you needed.

The French may have introduced coffee to Vietnam, but the Vietnamese made it their own, creating a style that’s bold, refreshing, and completely addictive. Vietnamese iced coffee in Hoi An is more than a drink; it’s a ritual, and the perfect way to end a day of street food feasting.

By the end of the day, I’d eaten more dishes than I could possibly count and discovered flavours I never would have found on my own. From crispy pancakes and snail-sized surprises to nutty Xi Ma, world-class bánh mì, and that final hit of iced coffee, the food in Hoi An really is something special.

What makes it unforgettable isn’t just the taste, but the stories behind each dish—the family recipes, the local markets, and the sense of tradition that’s still alive in every bite. Joining a Hoi An food tour turned what could have been a simple meal into a cultural adventure, and it’s one of the best things I did in Vietnam. If you’re heading this way, come hungry—you’re in for a feast.

 You can book your tour directly on The Original Taste of Hoi An’s website.

 Thanks to The Original Taste of Hoi An, but naturally, these views expressed are my own.