Hội An: places to discover and to taste
Hội An is a whirlwind of vitality, full of stores, cafes, restaurants and activities of all kinds. Among the multitude of tourist-catching places, it's a bit difficult to navigate, so you can turn to this list of the places and activities we loved most in this glittering little corner of Vietnam.
TAKE A VIETNAMESE COOKING CLASS
Gioan Cookery School, is a simple but friendly cooking school located in a bed & breakfast outside the old town. They run group or private classes, which include a market tour in which a guy will introduce you to the spices, herbs and peculiarities of the ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking. The guy who accompanied us also, in excellent English, regaled us with curious anecdotes about the city and the habits of the Vietnamese.
You can choose a set menu, or, in a private lesson, a set of dishes from a wide range of local specialties. The class lasts about 3h and a fun teacher will pull you alongside in preparing the dishes, which you can then consume while enjoying your work.
The price of the lesson includes transportation from the hotel to the cooking school (but not the return), shopping at the market with ingredients for the dishes.
Price:
Group class (min 3 people) - 40$/person
Group class (2 people) - 49$/person
Private class: 70$
TASTE A CUP OF FAIR-TRADE TEA
Reaching Out Tea House is a charming oasis of peace in the chaos of Hội An. It is a tea house with an adjoining store selling infusions as well as tableware and jewelry. It is a succession of rooms and inner courtyards, furnished with refined and decadent taste at the same time. You can buy excellent teas with special flavorings, or handcrafted jewelry and ceramics. If you sit down at a table to enjoy a cup of tea on the spot, after wondering what is bizarre about the menu, you will find that the girls who work in this place are deaf-mute. In fact, silence and solidarity reign in this place, as all the products sold are made by employing women with disabilities. In addition to the excellent cause, they also sell great tea.
SOUVENIRS OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Sunday in Hội An is finally an accessories store worth visiting in Hội An. It sells home and personal accessories made in Vietnam, all of which are lovely and attractively designed. The store itself is very nice and even offers a cover photo spot.
A FINE SEAFOOD DINNER
The best seafood restaurant we have eaten at is located on the edge of the old town, with a nice outdoor area overlooking the bustling riverfront. Mai Fish is a seafood-oriented establishment with very cozy spaces, both inside, on the two wooden floors of the historic building, and outside. The food is delicious, especially the noodles with vegetables and squid that left us ecstatic.
COCONUT COFFEE BY DAY AND WHITE ROSE BY NIGHT.
This street-to-street eatery offers a great breakfast, sitting in the outdoor area or on the terrace facing the river. The coconut coffee was a fantastic discovery. In the evening, move to the opposite dehor, where under the light of the lanterns that dot Nguyễn Thái Học, you can enjoy excellent local cuisine, from typical white rose dumplings to fish curries. Don't miss the fresh cakes at the counter, especially the chocolate mousses, which are a real treat.
