Seven signature dishes you shouldn't miss out on in Hoi An

Chicken rice, baguettes and the legendary Hoi An cao lau noodles all await gourmets in the ancient Vietnamese town. 

Com ga (chicken rice)
Hoi An chicken rice attracts diners with its eye-catching colors. You can order a plate with either chicken strips or chopped chicken for around VND40,000 ($1.77). You can also order chicken, rice and soup when you come in a group. The most famous restaurants are Madam Buoi's on Phan Chu Trinh Street and Huong's on Le Loi Street. Photo by Tuan Dao.

Cao lau (Vietnamese thick noodles)

A mouth-watering bowl of Cao Lau is full of poached noodles, bean sprouts and herbs from the famous Tra Que Village. On top of the dish sits thin slices of barbeque pork and crispy fried pig skin. You can find Cao Lau almost everywhere in Hoi An, but try Thanh Cao Lau on Thai Phien Street or Madam Be Cao Lau on Tran Phu Street. A delicious bowl of Cao Lau will cost you around $1. Photo by Ma Lum.

Banh mi (Baguette)

This is the dish that almost everyone has tried in Hoi An. Hoi An bread is like no other, with the hot baguettes filled with delicious meat, pâté, homemade sauces, hot peppers, herbs and pickled carrots. Madam Phuong and Madam Khanh are the most famous local restaurants in Hoi An, and are often mentioned in foreign media. A normal baguette will cost you VND20,000 (less than $1), but splash out an extra VND5,000 for a special. Photo by Lan Huong

Thit xien nuong (grilled meat skewers)

From Tran Phu Street to the corners along Le Loi, Tran Hung Dao and Bach Dang, visitors can easily find fragrant barbecue skewers. Meat grilled in a charcoal oven is wrapped inside a thin layer of rice paper with herbs and sour slices of star fruit. The treat is best served with a special sauce, and costs just VND5,000 (around 22 U.S. cents) per skewer. Photo by Lan Huong.

Banh dap (girdle cake)

A serving of girdle cake includes thin steamed rice pancakes sandwiched between two crispy cousins. To enjoy the dish, you should roll the cake and dip it into a fish sauce paste, which is a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, caramelized onions, chopped pineapple, garlic and green horn pepper. The most famous girdle cake is served at Madam Gia's restaurant in Cam Nam Ward. Photo by Thien Nguyen.

Banh beo (water fern cake)

Hoi An's water fern cake is usually served in tiny bowls with the rice flour, shrimp paste and fried pig skin. Diners add fish sauce with chili to enjoy the dish. The most popular places to find the dish are in Cam Chau and Cam Nam wards, or inside Hoi An's market. Each bowl costs only VND3,000 (13 U.S. cents). Photo by Tran Viet Anh.

Tao pho (tofu pudding)

Walking along the Hoai River in the evening, you will see many street vendors selling tofu puddings surrounded by many customers. A bowl of tofu pudding with a sweet and spicy ginger soup, white jelly and coconut milk offers a cool, sweet sensation. Each bowl costs around VND10,000 (less than half a $1). Photo by Xuan Phu.