The next stop on our path through Vietnam was the beautiful old town of Hoi An. And what better way to get a taste of the town itself than a trip straight to the food market!

Arriving at our hotel (yes we had a hotel for this place, we were posh backpackers for 6 days...) the receptionist quickly scribbled on the map all the places around the town we had to visit. Being fairly hungry at this moment in time, our eyes were immediately drawn to the words 'food market' so that's exactly where we headed. 

Hidden inside a huge battered building down at the river front, you'll find some of the tastiest food Hoi An has to offer. A typical meal costs around 20,000-30,000 Dong (less than £1) and the women behind the counters seriously know what they're doing. Over the next few days, we found ourselves sat down eating at the exact same 'restauraunt' 4 times. It's so so tasty and moreish!

You go in, sit yourself down onto the little metal benches around the cooking area (be warned though, it's not the most hygienic place but it never is where you find the best food in Asia!) and tuck into the most delicious dishes. Between the 3 of us over the next 6 days we got through rice pancakes, multiple vegetable/beef/pork Phô's, vegetable noodles, white roses, spring rolls and bucket loads of soy sauce and homemade chilli sauce. The fruit juices are also delicious too as are the Vietnamese iced or hot coffees. You really can't go wrong with this little gem of a place. 

It's also ideal if you want to taste real Vietnamese food as you'll find absolutely no western options on the menu. For example, Phô is a very popular dish they have which consists of white noodles, your choice of meat (or vegetables/tofu if you're veggie) mixed into a homemade broth. It's jam packed full of herbs and seasoning which makes it so tasty! I know it It doesn't sound the best how I explain it but trust me, you'll be addicted just like we were. 

Outside of the food market, you can wander around the actual market where you can pick up every variety of fruit and vegetables you can think of. You can also get freshly caught fish, meat and tofu - as well as many different souvenirs. We spent a good hour or so doing this after each visit to the food market which led to us getting addicted to fresh Lychees sold from the Vietnamese women wandering the streets. It's also just on the edge of the river so it's lovely to walk by the wooden boats and the different smells of incense burning. 

If you ever get the chance to visit Hoi An, then definitely take a trip to the food market. You'll find yourself going back for more just like we did!

♥