Our second stop in Vietnam was Hoi An, a seriously touristy town by the seafront that I actually didn’t like that much. But I think it was mainly being bombarded by sales people selling the SAME stuff that put me off. It definitely has a few things going for it; cooking schools (the one I went to was great!), tailors, beaches nearby and pretty lanterns everywhere.

Restaurant wise it was a bit hit and miss, but one night we had dinner at a really nice place (listed in Lonely Planet); Mermaid Restaurant.

We started our meal with the local White Rose dumplings that every restaurant in town offers but I think we got a good version. It’s rice paper filled dumplings pork and prawns topped with shallots and served with a dipping sauce.

For my main course I chose a salad with green mango (which I love!) and prawns with a lime-y dressing. It was really nice and fresh!

Ro had a hot pot with pork (of course), vegetables and noodles. Also really nice!

We fancied something sweet after our meal and opted for a pineapple pancake each. Either served with freshly squeezed lime and sugar or with chocolate sauce. Delicious!!

After dinner we stepped out onto a completely deserted street. What two hours earlier had been a street full of open shops and street vendors was now all closed up and dark. It felt really surreal and not what we had expected when we were told it was quiet in the evenings. Luckily there were a few bars to go to so we could stay out later!

Mermaid Restaurant, 2 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An, Vietnam