Tuesday, June 18, 2013

[ restaurant ] Cafe 43

Address:

43 D Tran Cao Van 
Hoi An, Vietnam


I didn't have an itinerary planned for Hoi An, everything was all up in the air. What was clear then was that I'd be eating on one of its tables, on what day and what dishes I wasn't sure. I really had a hard time finding blogs about Central Vietnam and from little information that I did find, they present a good review about this cafe and many of them were repeat customers. It was a happy coincident too that the hotel I was staying with at the time was just right next door.

The cafe is actually an extension of the owner's house, I'd say it was like a covered front yard and since it was run by the family it has this homey atmosphere. The steady stream of customers, most of them foreigners of course, proved the place was quite popular with the tourists. I'm pretty sure its in one of their guidebooks, or copies of Lonely Planet. Nothing extraordinary about the cafe's decor: wooden tables, a few lanterns, a bird in a cage, a chalkboard with notices about other service offerings. The photos, letters, and testimonials left by previous guests adorning the table top though would be hard to miss. And so was the certificate awarded by Trip Advisor. I forgot what it was for exactly.


And oh! Beer is dirt cheap at 3,000 VND (10cent) per glass.I think that price wasn't exclusive to the restaurant since my hotel was offering it that price too. Now that  think about it, I regret not having a glass. As for the atmosphere, since it's not located in one of the touristy areas in Hoi An (if there is such a place), it was pretty laidback.

On my first night in Hoi An, I had these:

Pho Ga 16.000 VND

To be honest I found the noodle soup too oily for my taste. Perhaps because of the chicken. Or maybe because I enjoyed the beef version that I had in Hanoi too much. No matter, I think I like Pho Bo's better.

fresh spring rolls 57.000 VND

Of course I had to try the spring rolls. I didn't realize an order consists of four big rolls. I ended up taking them back to the hotel with me. Really tasty though.

For lunch the next day:


I don't know how to describe White Rose. It tastes okay though not something I'd order again and again. The foreigner I met however seemed to like it very much. After taking a few bites, he ended up ordering one for himself.


steamed chicken

Total bill:     91.000 VND. I forgot how much each was for.

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