South Pacific Travel, Vietnam tourism

Hoi An has some excellent places to eat and drink -- on the riverfront, scattered throughout town, and across the water on Cam Nam Island.

The town has several specialties. Cao Lau is fat-noodled variation on pho, usually with some fried wantons and meats thrown in along with aromatic veggies. Mi Quang is a dryer version of the same. Banh Beo and Banh Vac (White Rose) are two dishes based on rice-flower dumplings -- we found the Banh Beo is generally the hardier and more flavourful of the two. These dishes are available everywhere, especially along the stretch of Bach Dang street between the Japanese Bridge and the market. Another good location to seek out is Van Loc, set in a old house on Tran Phu Street, and there are several other similar joints along the same street as well -- check out Faifoo on the western side of town for a good atmosphere.

If you're just looking for a refreshing drink, The Banana Split is a popular spot -- just before the Cam Nam Bridge near the market. A great spot for people-watching after you've spent the day wandering around being one of the people being watched. They also run the Peace Cafe just up the street and offer travel services under the name Binh Tam Tourist.

The long-running Cafe Des Amis continues to dish our excellent and huge meals -- the five-course meal will leave you just about bursting at the seams. The menu is set -- you can choose from vegetarian, meat or fish and head chef Mr Kim will dish out whatever he happens to feel like cooking that day. Mr. Kim is quite a character, chatting up his guests in French and English, and if you eat lunch he'll invite you back for dinner and guarantee a different menu. As if you'd actually need to eat again so soon. Get there early if you want one of the two riverside tables on the upstairs balcony. It's a popular place, and a guide-book sweetie, but still fun and friendly. At 90,000 VND per customers, the meals are well worth the price.

The Cargo Club is probably the best place in town for a really delicious, leisurely breakfast, an afternoon cake and coffee, or a late night dessert. We'd stick to the kerbside seating, as upstairs does have views over the river but the service lacks somewhat and you get blown away by huge fans. The Vietnamese food is overpriced and comes in small servings compared to other places, but the to-die-for pastries are great value. Another gripe: like many of the shopfronts that are opening up vast internal spaces to diners, with seating for dozens and dozens, there's only one toilet. Prepare to queue or dash back to your hotel. Owned by the Mermaid proprietor, we were told.

Hai Scout Cafe is an airy place stretching from street front to street front in length, and has three different areas for eating -- two indoors and one outdoor courtyard area. While the White Rose was delectable, and the iced fresh ginger tea very refreshing, it did take some time to get some of the many waiters to take an order. It's a good spot to retreat to if you can't take the peddlers any longer, and had a sketchy World Wildlife Fund exhibition on when we were there.

Mermaid is a long-running restaurant tucked away a block back from the river is and something of a Hoi An institution. It offers little in the way of decor or charm, but that's part of the attraction. Like many restaurants, you can order a set menu or choose a la carte. We loved their take on spring rolls and finely sliced, fried and smoked eggplant. The fresh crab was delectable but fiddly, though more than compensated for by the other dishes. Enjoy with a $5 bottle of Dalat red wine -- mmmm.

Restaurant and Bar Riverside is a guide-book sweetie that continues to draw crowds, despite half the restaurant being given over to a travel agent. The food here, with excellent river frontage, remains good. Chatty English-speaking staff will try to sell you a ticket to just about anywhere, but we'd suggest sticking to their yummy steamed spring rolls.

Restaurant Cafe 96 is another old favourite to pick out among the gaggle of places on Bach Dang. Bubbly owner Bup is a third generation Hoianese and while his shopfront may not look like too much, his Mum dishes out great bowls of Cao Lau -- which we vote as being the best in town -- and super White Rose. He also runs very reasonably-priced cooking classes, but don't expect the secret behind Mum's White Rose. It's a family secret.

One of the flashest bars in Hoi An, the stunningly restored Tam Tam Cafe on Bach Dang lures an evening crowd with a comprehensive cocktail list and very cheery service. Try the local rum, flavoured with aniseed and mandarin, displayed in large jars -- if you ask nicely you may get the first one free. It's a shame they've decided to mount a huge TV in the centre of the bar, which seriously detracts from what is otherwise a very stylish ambience. They've expanded the place to a location on Tran Phu Street that goes by the name Tam Tam Garden, but they both connect via the upstairs seating. The menu here is upscale Western style -- we had a good steak here, and pasta and the like are available as well. They also have the best desserts in town, and reasonably priced, too. Try the Strawberry Chocolate Mousse cake -- superb.

Treats Cafe has expanded to two locations on Tran Hung Dao, but the original is a two-storey place jars the senses as much as the upstairs hanging lanterns jar your head when you stand or sit down at the riverview tables. Comfortable and very popular, Treats, with its loud music and boisterous staff, seems somewhat out of place in this sleepy corner of Hoi An. The western food is average, though no complaints about the Vietnamese options. Treats 'Same Same but Better' Cafe on the corner of Tran Hung Dao and Hai Ba Trung is popular, mostly because of its proximity to the back-packer quarters. They have a pool table and a good atmosphere for a drink, but we found the food here lacklustre -- the pizza was overly sweet and greasy. Re-treats, down the street, is 'same same' but the same.

For pizza and pasta, there is no contest but to head to Good Morning Vietnam on Le Loi. The food is great, though the place has become a victim of its own success -- you may find patrons waiting outside, breathing down your neck for a table on any given night, and a lot of people walk away before being seated. Call ahead for a reservation. Owner Massimo keeps things lively -- on the night we visited he got into a fight with one of the staff and cursed him out in Italian. The pumpkin panzarotti comes recommended.

There is really only one place in town to eat Indian Food, Shree Ganesh, and luckily it's excellent. The young and dashing Indian owner offers up the standard curries, masalas and whatnot, but the quality is quite high and some people find themselves eating here every night. If you see another restaurant in town with 'Indian Food' on the menu, avoid it and wait until you come here. We learned that the hard way.

Mango Rooms is another place spanning Bach Dang and Tran Phu streets -- it's done up in colourful, Carribean style decor with Turkish-style cushion seating and a Latin-influenced fusion menu. It's a bit pricey but a great place to hang out -- go for a pitcher of Sangria with some friends.

Brother's Cafe, east of the Cam Nam bridge on the Hoi An side, is a much celebrated, classy dining option. The garden atmosphere and river-side seating cannot be beat -- it's one of the most beautiful restaurants in town. We've heard complaints, though, that the food here isn't up to snuff, and at US$9 per entree, people expect more. If you're really going to sink a wad on a posh meal, check out the Victoria Resort along Cua Dai beach. The head chef, Gustav, hails from Austria and serves up world-class fare -- be sure to ask to speak to him about what he recommends on any given day.

As you're heading out to Cua Dai beach, don't pass up an opportunity to stop at Karma Waters, which serves excellent vegetarian meals. You can order a la carte or get a set meal for 80,000 dong. Even die-hard meaters give the place high marks -- the food is just that good. The English owner Paul is a vegan who was raised as a vegetarian, and he runs the place a lot like the vegetarian restaurants you find near temples all around Southeast Asia -- that is, if you're hungry and you're broke, they'll feed you for 5,000 VND, but don't take advantage of that policy if you actually have money. Check out Karma Waters for it's eco-tours as well. It's in a gorgeous spot on the confluence of two rivers. The beer here is ice cold, making it an ideal spot for an evening drink.

Cam Nam Island

Development is spreading across the river to Cam Nam Island, which is accessible via the Cam Nam Bridge -- find Hoang Dieu Street in town and head south to find the bridge. All of these places are also easily accessible by a free ferry that runs from 07:00 to 21:00 all day from the pier on Bach Dang just east of the market.

The Lighthouse Restaurant is an upscale dining option under Dutch ownership -- despite the anglo name, the food here is mostly Vietnamese, though you may find cheese sneaking in here and there, and non-Vietnamese desserts like Apple Cake. The Lighthouse technically runs the boat from Hoi An to Cam Nam, but you can also use it to get to The Sleepy Gecko Chillout Lounge just up the street. It's run by a colourful Aussie named Steve -- and, like the name implies, it's a great place to hang out. There's plenty of comfortable seating, a pool table, and the beer is always ice cold. Food is available, but a lot depends on what Steve happens to find in the kitchen -- we had a declicious burger on our visit, and then were chastised by some locals for eating the last of the paddies. Steve plays a great selection of classic rock on the sound system, and if you ask him nice, he might load up your i-Pod for a small fee. Local expats have made this place their home away from home and swear by the English breakfasts, though don't show up much before 10:00 if you expect to find someone awake and ready to cook! It's a great place to sit and watch the sunset from the second floor balcony -- get there at around 17:00. Also enquire here about cycle tours of Cam Kim Island, and don't forget to pay a visit to Randy's Books just up the street.